Now that summer break is here, or upcoming for some, remember to do lots of reading this summer.  Summer Reading includes your child reading to you or himself, you reading to your child, or your child and you taking turns reading.  And remember, magazines count too.

When reading to your child, consider reading books that are above his reading level.  This is an excellent way to introduce topics of interest as well as classic literature.  Bring attention to the meaning of words that may be unfamiliar.

Listening to a book on tape while following the text is  great for those who are not yet reading fluently. In order to develop comprehension skills, ask questions such as, “What do you think will happen next?” or “What would you do if you were in this story?”

Hope all of you have a fun and safe summer vacation.  And, remember to READ.

Emotional Literacy training, developed by Dr. Marc Brackett at Yale University, is being delivered to staff and parents at Shelton School, Dallas, TX.  The training for Shelton teachers focuses on instruction in emotional literacy in the classroom.  The major tools used in this program are a Charter, Mood Meter, and Blueprint.

A classroom charter is written and signed by the students and teacher defining what they need to feel relaxed, confident, knowledgeable, valued and respected.  The charter also states how uncomfortable feelings and conflict will be handled and how to promote positive emotions and cooperative behavior.

Increased awareness of the emotions experienced by both students and teachers during the school day can certainly effect teaching and learning.  Working with a Mood Meter to plot emotions and attach language to those emotions is proving to be very effective in increasing awareness and vocabulary development through working on the ability to label and express those emotions.  After awareness of what emotions are experienced, development of strategies to regulate these emotions can be developed.

A Blueprint for analyzing situations is used when a conflict arises.  The Blueprint prompts discussion with a student of how each involved in the conflict might feel, how the feeling was expressed, and what other strategies might be used.

Shelton also conducts parent education classes in Emotional Literacy.  The same tools are utilized for the parents but emphasis is placed on the use of the Charter, Mood Meter, and Blueprint within a family.

Spring Break is a great time to boost your child’s vocabulary.  As you plan your child’s spring break, keep in mind opportunities for varied experiences.  If you are traveling, do some research before you go.  Talk about the geography and climate of where you are going.  How is it different from where you live?  Will there be different foods that your child might look forward to experiencing?  Don’t underestimate small, local museums or exhibits in tourist destinations.  Odd collections can be very interesting to children.  Talking about these experiences with your child can expand your child’s background knowledge and vocabulary.

If you are staying at home, consider having “Parent Camp.”  Pretend that you are tourists visiting your hometown.  What would a tourist do?  Plan excursions to local museums, exhibits and attractions.  Keep a family journal for the week.  Composing the journal each evening will build vocabulary and composition skills.  The journal will also secure your memories of the time shared together.

Use your spring break time as an investment in your child’s vocabulary and in your family’s treasure trove of memories.

Enrollment is now being accepted online for Summer 2010.  Please see our brochure for more information and registration.

Summer School dates for students in grades Pre-K through 12 are June 28th – July 22nd.  There are academic courses in the morning and enrichment in the afternoon.  Morning courses include things such as Math, Keyboarding, Composition, Study Skills, etc.  Afternoon courses include classes such as Art, Drama, Gardening, Cooking, Martial Arts, etc.

High School credit courses (full year) begin June 14th and end July 23rd.  There are also some semester credit courses that begin July 6th and end on the 23rd.  Spanish I and II, Government, and Economics are among the courses offered.

Shelton Scholars (held on Saturdays during the school year) is also available June 28th – July 22nd.  Scholars is a three hour program of one on one instruction in reading, writing, and spelling delivered by paraprofessionals under the close supervision of Academic Language Therapists.

Shelton Outreach Center will present a Simulation of Learning Differences or an Overview of Dyslexia and Related Disorders at no charge if the location for the presentations is within a 20 mile radius of Shelton School, located at Hillcrest and Arapaho in Dallas.  Contact the Outreach Center at 972.774.1772 ext.223 if you would like more information.  Also, the Shelton Training Brochure will be online in the next few days.  We will post this information on the blog when it is available.

Those of us who live in the Dallas area have wonderful opportunities for quality information on dyslexia and related disorders.  This spring we have two offerings.  The Dallas Branch of the International Dyslexia Association will have its annual conference on February 20^th.  Dr. David Chard will deliver the keynote: “Connect the Dots: From Referral to Identification to Intervention.”  For more information, go to www.dbida.org.  The branches of IDA are reliable sources for information and conferences.

The Academic Language Therapy Association (ALTA) will have its annual conference on May 1^st.   ALTA is the professional organization for educators of students with written language difficulties, but the conference offers sound information for parents as well. Richard D. Lavoie is the keynote speaker and will address the issue of motivation in “The Motivation Breakthrough: 6 Secrets to Turning On the Tuned-Out Child.”  For more information, go to www.altaread.org.

Shelton will have a booth at both conferences, so drop by to visit while at the conference.

The purpose of the  “Ask a Shelton Expert” blog is to share timely information and address questions related to serving individuals with dyslexia and related disorders.  This venue will allow Shelton staff to share information gained from recent readings and conference attendance.  It will also give you access to the wealth of knowledge held by our staff.

Although we encourage discussion and questions in this forum, please know that we hold the confidentiality of the individual paramount, so questions specific to your child should be addressed through a phone call or personal visit.  If your child attends a Shelton program, please call your child’s teacher or the appropriate administrator.  If your child does not attend a Shelton program, please call a member of the Outreach staff at 972.774.1772 x223.

The information given in this blog is based on the knowledge of the Shelton staff.  We are not able to diagnose or prescribe programs for individuals in this venue, but can pass on information that we hope will prove helpful to you.

The major contributor to this blog will be Joyce S. Pickering, Executive Director of Shelton School.  Joyce’s entire career path has been devoted to helping learning-different students. Her professional career began in the 1960’s as a speech pathologist.