How Can My Kid Succeed in School? What Parents and Teachers Can Do to Conquer Learning Problems

What to look for when a child is struggling in school and what can be done at home and at school to help them succeed This practical resource for parents and teachers explains how to understand a child's complete learning profile-an inventory of his or her unique strengths and weaknesses-and provides helpful strategies that can be used at school and at home to get the child on a path to success. The book walks readers through the process of gathering clues about the child's learning style and provides guidelines for selecting the most appropriate learning strategies that will help spell success in school and life. Pohlman shows how parents and teachers can collaborate to help kids become successful learners, and also guides readers through the process of getting an educational assessment, for those students with particularly challenging issues. Helps readers understand what's going on when a child is struggling in school Explains what to look for at home and at school to gather "clues" to understanding a child's learning profile Shows how parents and teachers can collaborate to help a child or adolescent succeed at school Includes guidelines on obtaining educational assessments Pohlman, from the acclaimed All Kinds of Minds Institute, has conducted or supervised thousands of assessments of struggling learners

Table of Contents:
The author vii Preface xiii Introduction 1 Part One Conquering learning problems at home 11 1 Looking for clues at home 13 Starting Pointers 14 Deciphering the Clues 16 Making Discoveries During Homework Time 17 Locating Clues in Work Samples 27 Detective Work During Down Time 44 Deciphering Disorganization 53 Bottom Line 55 2 Picking strategies for home 57 Starting Pointers 58 Strategies for Unreliable Attention 60 Strategies for Memory Gaps 66 Strategies for Limited Language 73 Strategies for Weak Graphomotor Function 79 Strategies for Shaky Concepts and Reasoning 82 Talking About Learning 84 Bottom Line 87 Part Two Conquering learning problems at school 89 3 Looking for clues at school 91 Starting Pointers 92 Observing During Independent Work 94 Clues Emerging from Student Interactions 99 Detective Work During Downtime 107 Locating Clues in Work Samples 109 Deciphering Disorganization 117 Bottom Line 120 4 Picking strategies for the classroom 123 Starting Pointers 123 Strategies for Unreliable Attention 125 Strategies for Memory Gaps 130 Strategies for Limited Language 137 Strategies for Weak Graphomotor Function 143 Strategies for Shaky Concepts and Reasoning 144 Talking About Learning 146 Bottom Line 147 Part Three When more help is needed 149 5 Being a “smart shopper” for educational assessments 151 Starting Pointers 152 When Is It Time for an Expert? 153 Search Criteria: Picking the Right Expert 155 What Makes a Good Written Report? 160 You Get What You Ask For: Effective Referral Questions 164 Bottom Line 165 6 Getting the most out of the assessment process 169 Starting Pointers 169 Share What You Know 170 Head Off Simplification 173 Observing the Assessment 182 Bottom Line 186 7 Using what you’ve learned from the assessment 189 Starting Pointers 189 Keeping Your Sights on Insights 190 Navigating Paths to Success 198 Finding a Good Tutor (If You Need One) 199 Keeping Tabs 202 Bottom Line 205 Conclusion 207 Things to Let Go Of 209 Things to Hold On To 212 Appendix one: profile worksheet 215 Appendix two: case story index 217 Appendix three: atlas of neurodevelopmental terms 223 Appendix four: glossary of academic skills 239 Appendix five: glossary of testing terms 251 Index 257

About the Author :
Craig Pohlman, Ph.D., directs learning assessment and consultation services at Southeast Psych in Charlotte, North Carolina. Pohlman is a highly regarded expert in learning and in improving the success of struggling students. He has conducted or supervised several thousand assessments of children with learning difficulties. Pohlman routinely authors articles and conducts workshops for parents, educators, and clinicians. He is the author of Revealing Minds from Jossey-Bass.

Review :
"Experience with the arts, sports and the outdoors can teach social skills, expand attention span, develop a work ethic and reinforce academics, said Craig Pohlman, a psychologist and author of "How Can My Kid Succeed in School?" (Chicago Tribune, October 25, 2009)