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The Learning Success blog

Plain-language help for brilliant, struggling learners.

Articles, education news, infographics and a podcast for parents of children with dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia and ADHD. Written parent-to-parent, grounded in neuroscience.

This week

The newest article, news story and infographic
Smart Child, Struggling to Focus? Check These 4 Things First Latest article Smart Child, Struggling to Focus? Check These 4 Things First Attention Deficit Disorder · Nov 1 · 6 min read Indiana ESA: Subscriptions Must Be Monthly, or the Whole Order Bounces Latest news Indiana ESA: Subscriptions Must Be Monthly, or the Whole Order Bounces Education - Policy · Oct 24 · 6 min read Learning Success infographic, The school says it is not bullying. What now? The refusal of the bullying label is the start of a more effective conversation: shift from arguing over terminology to behavioral change and documentation. The roadblock, why the label gets refused: it did not happen repeatedly; it was dismissed as banter or kids being kids; both children were involved, so the school claims no power imbalance; no adult witnessed the event. The pivot, five things to ask for instead: demand the specific behavior stop, named and dated; ask for immediate environmental changes such as new seating, more supervision at recess, or a named staff member to report to; insist on a written record; use IEP or 504 plan protections; involve the disability lead. The learning difference factor: the reaction trap, where a child who reacts visibly is labeled a participant; disability laws carry stronger obligations than a school bullying policy; your child is watching to see if an adult will make the behavior stop. Action checklist: keep a detailed log of what, when and who; keep all communication in writing; focus on the change you want; escalate one level up after two weeks. Latest infographic The School Won’t Call It Bullying. Ask for These 5 Things So the Behavior Stops. Bullying · Oct 31

Recent articles

Pass it on

Quotes worth sharing with another parent All quotes
“ADHD isn't broken focus—it's democracy of attention. Everything gets a vote until something earns devotion. Then watch the hyperfocus ignite.” — Learning Success
Dyslexia
“The same brain that stumbles over spelling effortlessly builds three-dimensional worlds in imagination. Different wiring, not defective wiring.” — Learning Success
Dyslexia
“Einstein's 'problem' was seeing in pictures when others saw in words. Jobs' 'deficit' was connecting dots no one else noticed. Your child's difference is tomorrow's advantage.” — Learning Success
Dyslexia

Highlights by topic

Dyslexia

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Dyslexia Isn’t Seeing Letters Backwards. Here’s What to Look For Instead. Article Dyslexia Isn’t Seeing Letters Backwards. Here’s What to Look For Instead. Nov 1 From Dyslexia to a Neuroscience PhD: The Part the Story Skips News From Dyslexia to a Neuroscience PhD: The Part the Story Skips Oct 11 Learning Success infographic titled The Types of Dyslexia Myth: Moving From Labels to Reality. A red stamp reading Not a Diagnosis crosses out popular labels such as visual, auditory, surface, deep and directional dyslexia. The reality section lists profiles not categories, overlapping difficulties, and one teaching approach for every profile, with the Pennington 2006 multiple-deficit model. A why-it-matters section warns about chasing labels with colored overlays or eye exercises, a narrowed school focus, and notes that severity and affected skills differ, not type. Four parent action steps: request a skill profile, question type-matched products, judge reading programs by explicit decoding, and focus on the method. Infographic Visual, Surface, Deep: Are the Types of Dyslexia Real? What to Ask For Instead Oct 31

Dyscalculia

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Dyscalculia and Math Fear Are Two Different Problems. Here’s How to Tell Them Apart. Article Dyscalculia and Math Fear Are Two Different Problems. Here’s How to Tell Them Apart. Oct 22 California’s New K-2 Math Test Won’t Label Kids. Here’s What Scores Miss. News California’s New K-2 Math Test Won’t Label Kids. Here’s What Scores Miss. Oct 3 Learning Success infographic, Understanding the Signs of Dyscalculia: the math struggle you are seeing has a name, and it is not a lack of intelligence. A child can be articulate, bright and creative while numbers do not behave predictably for them. Everyday signs: counting even a small group of dots one by one instead of seeing how many at a glance; basic math facts that fail to stick despite practice; losing the order of the steps in a multi-step problem; trouble connecting a written numeral like 7 to seven real items; daily math such as analog clocks, money and estimating whether an answer is reasonable feeling hard; and math anxiety larger than the task. Why it matters: a single rough patch with math facts is a normal part of childhood, while dyscalculia is a consistent pattern across time and different tasks; telling a child to try harder aims at the wrong issue. Parent action checklist: track the pattern with written notes, partner with the teacher by sharing home observations, and ask the school how to request a formal evaluation. Infographic One Hard Math Week Is Not Dyscalculia. These Are the Signs That Keep Coming Back. Oct 31

Attention Deficit Disorder

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Smart Child, Struggling to Focus? Check These 4 Things First Article Smart Child, Struggling to Focus? Check These 4 Things First Nov 1 L-Theanine Was Called a Focus Factor. What Did the Study Find? News L-Theanine Was Called a Focus Factor. What Did the Study Find? Oct 13 Learning Success infographic: When One Fix Isn't the Whole Story. Five linked skills: attention, working memory, information processing, reading and number processing. Narrow explanations and quick fixes leave parts untouched. What matters most: find which parts are hard, aim support at them, and see the whole picture instead of one thing to blame. Why waiting costs your child: starting now gives more room to build skills. What parents can do: notice which skills work hardest, ask for targeted support, start at the first sign, and learn your rights. Takeaway: your child is not broken. Infographic If One Explanation Didn’t Cover Your Child’s Learning Struggle, Look at Attention, Memory, Reading and Math Oct 29

Parenting

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Challenge Is Good for Him. A Homework Meltdown Is Something Else. Article Challenge Is Good for Him. A Homework Meltdown Is Something Else. Oct 31 0aafruit-jelly-1351299_960_720 News 5 Things Kids with ADHD Should NOT Eat #adhd Jan 8 Learning Success infographic titled When Other People's Opinions Land Hardest on a Child Who Learns Differently. It shows three core strategies: self-reflection, broaden horizons, and keep it in perspective. A control chart sorts showing up, asking for help and effort as within a child's control, and finding reading difficult as not. A middle panel explains how offhand remarks land on an existing burden and how unanswered opinions become inner beliefs. An action checklist tells parents to distinguish control, call out strengths, and teach two questions: Is this true? Does this person get a vote? Infographic Someone Called Your Child Slow. 3 Ways to Keep Other People’s Opinions From Sticking. Oct 31