Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Spend time with family and friends, eat too much food, watch football games, rinse and repeat.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Special Education IEP Books For Parents

Being a parent of child with a learning disability requires a lot of patience and extra learning. Homework sometimes takes hours instead of twenty minutes - and this can be every night.

Understanding the learning disability is necessary to getting the best services as well as helping your child overcome and compensate for all the little quirks that make them special.

The IEP process can be a learning adventure of its own for parents to navigate. Becoming proficient with the IEP can take some time and effort but it's worth it. If started in the early years of a child's education, there will be at least one IEP every year through the end of high school. Mastering the process is crucial for the benefit the child and the sanity of the parents.

Fortunately, there are plenty of great Special Education IEP Books to guide parents to an easy IEP.

Here is a link to some favorite IEP books for parents:

http://www.easyiephelp.com/tools-easy-iep/

Ten Bullying Myths

Even though October was National Anti-Bullying Month, bullying is a year-round problem that is on the rise.

The Great Schools website describes the following Ten Bullying Myths in detail and what parents can do to help. 

www.GreatSchools.org

1. You'll know when your child is being bullied

2. Bullying always includes physical aggression

3. Fight back and you solve the problem

4. Bullies come from the top of the social pecking order

5. Parental attitudes have no effect on bullying

6. If your child is a victim, call the bully’s parents

7. Boys are more likely to be bullied

8. Cyber-bullying is the gateway to other bullying

9. Parents are always their kids' best defender

10. Schools bear no clear responsibility for bullying

IEP Transition

An IEP Transition prepares students for the next phase of their life, usually from high school to college or full-time work as an adult, but it might also be a transition from middle school to high school.

Having recently attended a Transition IEP for my oldest daughter, I can safely say I was impressed with the process. We discussed college requirements, financial aid, what to expect with college applications and how the school would help us through everything. It may have been our last IEP but it was probably the best we've ever had.

As soon as I have time to digest all the notes I'll post more info. In the meantime, here is some info regarding IEP Transition Goals and Objectives.

50 Books Your Child Should Read Before Kindergarten

Education.com posted a list of 50 Books Your Child Should Read Before Kindergarten. Pretty good list.

My favorites from the list include, Flat Stanley, Curious George, Green Eggs and Ham (Dr. Seuss rocks!), and of course, Where the Wild Things Are (read the book and wait a few years for the movie).

Missing from the list is one of my all-time favs for kids, The Giving Tree, now available as a 40th Anniversary Edition Book with CD. It's happy and sad and teaches kids something that will stay with them forever.

See the entire list at http://www.education.com and find some good reading ideas for your children. 

Imagination vs. Knowledge

"Imagination is more important than knowledge.

Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world."

 - Albert Einstein

 

Dyslexia - Even Famous People Can Have It

Dyslexia and other learning disabilities didn't stop these famous people from achieving greatness.

Find out more about Dyslexia at: http://www.thepowerofdyslexia.com