IEP and Special Education
By Joanie Weber
What is an IEP?
An IEP is an Individualized Educational Plan. Students with special educational needs receive IEPs. Parents, educators, and the child assist in the development of the program. The IEP outlines educational goals for the student and lists special resources or services required to reach that goal. The IEP program is evaluated annually with changes made where needed. Ultimately, the IEP allows the student to progress and meet their educational goals.
What is a 504 Plan?
A 504 Plan is similar to an IEP. They both identify inhibitors to a student’s education and propose solutions to those problems, but the main difference is the nature of the student’s disability. A 504 Plan is given to students in general education classes who does not require special educational services, yet still has physical or mental health disabilities.
*Click here for a youtube video that further explains the difference between IEP and 504 Plans.
Summer Learning loss
By Joanie Weber
Summer vacation is just around the corner! Did you know that most kids lose months worth of their math and reading skills over the summer? It is important to make summer plans for your child that will help them keep their skills sharp so that they will not feel behind once Fall comes around. Click here for an article that contains some statistics about Summer Learning Loss.
Alternative School Options
By Joanie Weber
Inspire Charter School: Inspire offers many online courses. It is a great alternative for any high schooler with a busy schedule. This charter school has flexible courses that allows the student more freedom academically and socially. Bellow you will find an example of the graduation requirements. As you can see, it can be individualized to the student.
Options For Youth: Options for Youth is a charter school with multiple locations. The program is individualized to the student, operating on a system that lets the student move at his or her own pace. Much of the work is done individually, however, tutoring and counseling is provided to fully equip the student to be set up for success. A counselor assesses the student’s needs and they work with the student to develop an appropriate curriculum.
Homework Tips
By Joanie Weber
The following is an email I sent to one of my student’s teachers offering tips on how this particular student learns best.
Thank you Ms. S. for your thoughts on L’s focus challenges. When I wrote her program last year, I assessed her as, primarily, an artistic/visual learner relating to the Multiple Intelligences categories. In my experience, these students tend to be easily distracted by visuals in their environment and visual imagery in their minds, while generally having high IQ’s and scoring well on big picture solutions and ‘thinking outside of the box”.
Some of the games and drills that I put in L’s program and have been working on with her, include the following:
Take a Note Drill:
-When L is doing a task, usually reading, she relates the story to something that happened in her life. Although this is part of a Common Core State Standard – to personalize content – she has to dial this back a bit in order to stay focused on the task at hand. When she stops reading aloud to tell me a personal story that relates to her and/or the story, I say, “What are we focusing on right now?” She says, “This story,” or something similar. Then I say, “Right! Make a note on your list of other things that you want to tell me at the end of this story.” Then she writes it down and tells me about it after the task is done. Sometimes there are 3 or 4 items on her list. In L’s case, her stories are usually more descriptive and interesting than what we’ve been reading. J
What Did I Just Say Drill:
-I use this Quiz when I notice that L’s eyes are glazing over and she’s not really looking at me when I’m talking, but looking over my shoulder at something on the wall or something in her head that she’s thinking about. I ask her in a nice and warm tone, “What did I just say?” She either says, “I don’t know,” or she tries to say the part she heard. I then get to the point of her acknowledging the part that she didn’t hear, not in a way that makes her feel bad but in a way that supports her and tells her that everyone spaces out at times, we just need to practice staying focused. Then I repeat what I was saying in small sentences and after each sentence I ask, “What did I say?” and after she answers, I ask, “What does that mean?” and even if she repeats what I said as what it also means, I accept that as long as I can see recognition of meaning in her face. It’s interesting to me that I don’t have to use the “What does that mean?” Drill on her reading comprehension, where I usually use that tool, but almost always on her listening comprehension.
After hearing about the recent disconnect of the personal narrative assignment problem and talking with her mom, I’d like to add a couple of focus exercises to her program:
1. Practice Being a Grown-Up Planner for Your Own Life
I’d like for L to write down, in her homework schedule book, everything that she is supposed to remember, even things that are daily or obvious. I have to say that I, personally, am an emotional IQ learner, (with many similarities to artistic/visual learners) and I have to write down everything in my schedule, (for me it’s actually a looooong checklist so that I can keep track of everything!) If she also can make a quick sketch next to her action item, it will imprint better in her mind, because of how she thinks. Example: She’s supposed to read for 30 minutes per day. She should write that down and draw a quick picture of her, reading, or of the book that she will be reading or a character in the book that she will read. These should be quick sketches. This strategy doesn’t always work, as in cases where the student can’t make a quick, concise drawing but gets too distracted by their own art project. But since L already does this sketching sometimes, I think it could help her focus on her school agenda.
2. Repeat It in Your Head AND What Does that Mean?
Visual Learners, when listening to you talk, often focus on your face, what you’re wearing, your jewelry, your expressions, and sometimes – how they would sketch you, – and they can easily lose track of what you are saying. A tool that I like to use for this focus challenge is for the student to repeat in their head, “What did she just say?” For example: Teacher says, “Don’t forget your personal narrative assignment.” L says in her head, “Don’t forget your personal narrative assignment.” Part of what I coach her on in this drill is that, when she repeats instructions in her head, she asks herself, “What does that mean?” and if she doesn’t know, she asks the teacher, the parent, the friend, “What does that mean?” For example, she may not really understand what “narrative” means.
Healthy Tips
By Joanie Weber
Maintaining healthy habits is great for our bodies, but it also greatly impacts the mind. When thinking about how to best take care of yourself and your children, pay attention to the foods you eat, the amount of exercise you get, the amount of sleep you get every night, and your stress levels.
superfoods
A superfood is any food that has a high concentration of nutrients. Incorporating superfoods into your diet will increase your overall well being. Here’s a list of some superfoods to include in your family’s diet:
- Blueberries
- Kale
- Spinach
- Broccoli
- Apples
- Pistachios / walnuts
- Cranberries
- Garlic
- Onions
- Certain herbs and spices: turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, ginger, peppermint etc.
- Tea: black and green
- Dark chocolate
- Black beans
- Oats
- Avocado
Exercise
Exercise has many mental health benefits! It can improve memory and sleep while relieving stress and depression. Exercise releases endorphins, which contribute to an overall boost in mood and behavior. The general recommendation is one hour of physical activity a day.
Sleep
It is no secret that sleep has a huge impact on mood. Getting enough sleep every night is vital to feeling your best and being present. It differs from person to person, but the average person should be getting about 8 hours of sleep per night.
Stress Management
Maintaining low stress levels is important for your overall health. Find coping mechanisms to help you manage the stressors in your life. Also make sure that you laugh at least once a day!