Is a Psycho-educational assessment really necessary?
I'm often asked this question and my answer 99% of the time is, yes! If your child is struggling to read and you're perplexed because you know they're "smart" and articulate, an assessment may provide crucial information needed to make sure your child receives the...
What Your Highly Sensitive Child Needs to Hear
Oh, to be highly sensitive… what a BEAUTIFUL gift! Highly sensitive children (HSC’s), and adults, who make up 15-20% of the world, are a unique group with very special gifts and strengths. Unfortunately, the strengths of high sensitivity are often seen...
Why Some of Us Can’t Spell
Why is it that some of us just...can't...spell??? This post is for all who are poor spellers as well as for those who parent and/or teach poor spellers. My hope is that it brings some clarity to the spelling dilemma/mystery. Last week I read an interesting writing...
Why Can’t My Child Read Those “Little” Words?
If you’ve ever read with a dyslexic child you’ve probably been curious, or maybe even frustrated with the fact that when reading aloud they read multi-syllabic words with relative ease but often stumble over smaller words, typically sight words, such as; for, any, if,...
Happy New Year!
It’s a brand new school year and my heart is completely full… I feel so incredibly blessed to be doing this work that I love, work that fills me up inside and makes me feel like the luckiest person alive. I definitely don’t take it for granted. I’ve written similar...
Why Visual-Spatial (Right-Brained) Kids Struggle to Spell
I have no trouble with spelling personally, in fact I LOVE words and am fascinated by the way words are put together. However, although I work with the most amazing, brilliant and creative kids... kids with more visual/artistic talent in their little finger than I...
Pressure to Perform?
Each year, as we glide out of winter and begin to move into spring the pressure seems to mount in terms of student expectations for progress in school. This is especially true for kids who are performing below grade level in any or all subject areas. If you've read...
Why I Do What I Do…
We're well into January 2016, a brand new year with unlimited possibilities for all of us. I've been busy... you've most likely been busy... life is busy for us all. But sometimes we have circumstances that occur that cause our lives to be placed on "pause" whether...
The Overdiagnosis of ADHD
Do you suspect or has your child been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD? I'm extremely passionate about this subject because I work with many children who exhibit symptoms of ADD/ADHD, and secondly, there is SO MUCH info to report. Therefore I'll keep it brief and do my...
Broken Hearts… No More
One of the MOST common and consistent issues I encounter as I work with kids who struggle academically, and sometimes physically and socially, is their own, self-created, sense of "failure". Once they realize how much I not only understand their plight, but also...
Is Your Child A Right-Brained Learner?
If your child is struggling in school there may be a very valid reason... A solid 90% of the students I work with are right-brained learners (dyslexics, ADD/ADHD, visual-spatial, etc) and they are BRILLIANT! But all of these kids are struggling in school. Once...
Gratitude
At the risk of sounding cliche' on this rainy and chilly Thanksgiving Eve, I'm full of gratitude for all of the many blessings in my life. I have the most amazing and supportive friends, my health is top notch, I'm doing work that I absolutely love and I get to sleep...
Student Engagement… why does it matter?
After reading an article on Facebook earlier this week, written by a woman who chose to spend two days as a 10th grade student (http://wapo.st/1uQpM67), it got me thinking about how tough it is to be a student these days... Teaching is HARD but I would be...
Teachers Are Heroes!
Teachers are amazing... It's almost the end of the first quarter of the school year so this goes out as a tribute to all of the AWESOME teachers out there. You're 25% through the school year already, whew!!! Considering the level of education they need today, the...
Could Your Child Be Dyslexic?
Did you know that Albert Einstein was dyslexic? How about Oprah Winfrey or Bill Gates? Dyslexia is NOT a disease... it's NOT something to be cured. People (10-20% of the population) are born dyslexic, they are not born WITH dyslexia. One thing I know for sure, based...
Private Tutoring vs. Tutoring Centers… Which Is Best For My Child?
This is the question I get asked most often by people when I tell them what I do... There is a HUGE spectrum of choices in the tutoring world and it can make for a difficult decision. Of course as a private tutor, I'm a bit biased but it's still a difficult question...
There’s Nothing Wrong With Your Child…
Our current system of education in this country is in dire straits right now. I've spent almost 25 years in the public school arena and I've seen things go from bad to worse. But the pendulum always swings back and I'm beginning to see the shift but it's going to...
Help… My Child Isn’t Reading Yet!
If you're concerned because your Kindergarten child or first grader isn't "reading" yet, take a deep breath and DO NOT worry... Children at this age are functioning at very different stages of development, and the spectrum is vast. Some kids are ready to read before...
How do I Help My Child With Reading?
Parents frequently ask what they can do to support their child's progress with reading. And I always say that the MOST important thing we can do for kids to, is to empower them so that they become independent and strategic readers. What this means is that we want to...
Confident Kiddos…
It's the end of summer... and officially so once we move through Labor Day next weekend. I've had lot's of time this summer to work outside in my garden, catch up on some reading, and play with my nieces and nephew (and my kitties too) but I'm so excited for Fall to...
Where I stand…
When I was in my mid 20's I made the decision to become a teacher. I had already worked hard to earn my degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology but once I had that diploma in my hand I just felt like I needed to take a different path. So, back to school I...
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About Kelly
Kelly Cavanaugh is an educational therapist, learning/reading specialist and school improvement consultant who works with many children across the learning style spectrum. She is passionate about her work with students (and parents and teachers)and empowers them to learn the "right way" FOR THEM by identifying and nurturing their individual learning style. Read more...