To make a child focus on a subject/topic and get the most out of a curriculum, it is important for him to develop a genuine interest in the same. But every child is different in terms of learning capabilities. When it comes to students with learning differences, making them focus requires more effort on the part of the instructor in terms of support and a unique learning approach.

Following are some strategies that can be helpful for improving the focus of children with learning difficulties:

• Calm The Nervous System: An instructor should help students to calm their brains before the class commences. The instructions to calm down should be given with a soothing voice and simple clear instructions. They should be encouraged to do some breathing exercises to focus on their breath.
• Encourage Movement: If a student finds it difficult to sit at one place for a long time, he should be allowed to move as it will increase blood flow in his brain and stimulate its neural networks. Movement helps to improve memory and retrieval, enhance motivation to learn and improve morale.
• Work On Cognitive Skills: Cognitive skills like processing speed, memory and attention should be worked upon to improve focus. Children should be encouraged to practice reading and language skills with the help of certain tools and technology.
• Identify A Child’s Learning Style: Every child has a favorite learning style i.e. visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. Visual learners focus better when taught with books, visual aids, flashcards, drawings, illustrations, etc. Auditory learners prefer reading aloud, talking things through, verbal repetition, listening to audio recordings, etc. Kinesthetic learners prefer hands-on learning like field trips, experiments, memory games, role-playing and more.
• Use UDL (Universal Design for Learning) Strategies: This approach makes learning a fun and flexible experience for students who find it difficult to focus. The strategy allows children to use materials of their choice and engage with them in different ways. For instance, a teacher can tweak the environment for the child, use different instruction formats, preferential seating, give assignment choices, etc.
• Provide Sensory Breaks: If a student is displaying aggressive, over-active and non-compliant behavior, he should be provided with a sensory break. During this break, a student can use sensory tools like calming coloring books, mermaid pillows and kinetic sand to de-stress. To avoid sensory overstimulation, visual distractions in the class should be kept to a minimum.

See-n-Read Reading Tools provide various products to help students with learning differences improve their focus. The learning tools are research-based and offer easy to use intervention methods. For more details on strategies to help students with learning differences improve their focus, visit 2533 Sutton Lane, Aurora, IL – 60502. You can also call (630) 236 – 5592.

For a reading strategy to be effective, it should enhance a learner’s comprehensive ability i.e. the student should be able to pay attention to details, understand the reading material and retain it. Reading is an active process of making links, understanding opinions, researching, developing knowledge and applying what has been learned.

Listed below are some strategies to help students become effective readers and retain what they read:

• Previewing: The first thing to do is to preview the material to be read without delving into the body of the text. This helps the reader get a general idea of what to expect in the content and pinpoint important sections.
• Stimulate Previous Knowledge: To make the process of reading stimulating and engaging, a reader should figure out whether he has any previous knowledge about the topic. This will help in building the connection with the current topic and lead to better comprehension.
• Skimming: Skimming refers to the process of reading small chunks of information from the entire text in order to identify key ideas. It is a good strategy if you want to get a gist of the text to be read and decide whether it is relevant or not.
•  Scanning: This helps to look for specific information/details related to a topic by scanning the contents page, reading chapter headings, searching the index for keywords or topics of relevance, reading footnotes and endnotes, etc.
• Questions: Students should be encouraged to frame questions before and after reading, to improve comprehension. They should frame questions about the essence of the material to be read and what they have learnt. These question help them probe further into the topic.
• Analyze Text Structure: Analyzing and comprehending text structure improves comprehension of a topic and helps students understand the writer’s approach towards organizing the material i.e. cause and effect patterns, web/matrix pattern, descriptive pattern or problem-solution pattern. For a better understanding of text structure, students should use labels, subheadings, tables, captions, graphs, etc.
•  Visualize: Forming visual images (structural images and diagrams) while reading, improves comprehension as the brain retains such images better than mere text.
• Note Taking: Students can try methods of note-taking such as glossing and outlining. Glossing involves writing a summary of the text in your own words on a sticky note, notebook or margins. Outlining involves using phrases and abbreviations to write key ideas.
•  Summarize: The process of summarizing what has been read enhances comprehension by deleting irrelevant details, combining similar ideas, making concise statements by connecting major themes, etc. The material can be summarized in the form of flowcharts (visually or in writing).

See-n-Read Reading Tools offer a variety of effective reading products and tools. Our reading tools are designed for improving reading skills and deficiencies in people. For further details on an effective reading strategy, visit 2533 Sutton Lane | Aurora, IL – 60502. You can also call (630) 236 – 5592.

Incorporating technology in education is believed to increase student engagement, spark innovation, enhance learning and encourage collaboration. Students can now use learning management systems to access online courses and avail help from teachers across the globe. With availability of such information, the process of learning has become boundless.

Let us take a look at the different ways in which technology has impacted the modern-day learning environment:

• Provides Better Access To Resources: Technology has made it possible for students to have 24/7 access to various learning resources. These resources include educational apps, interactive edutainment, resources from prestigious educational institutes around the world, research materials, e-books, audio-books, wikis and cloud-based apps for online discussions, etc.
• Improves Student Engagement: The process of learning has become collaborative and interactive due to engaging course material. Students can be a part of interactive quizzes, tech-enabled discussion forums, educational games, virtual science labs, virtual field trips, etc.
• Encourages Self-Paced Learning: Online assignments take away the pressure of catching up with fellow classmates, as a student can complete an assignment at his own pace. They can also access additional coursework and guided exercises after school on the internet.
• Expands Classroom Boundaries: Technology has dissolved classroom walls as students have access to numerous teachers and resources on the internet. They are no longer bound to a single teacher within the walls of a classroom.
• Innovative Learning Techniques: Technology has provided new and innovative techniques for teaching students in the classroom. Students can watch video-recorded lectures, access materials provided by teachers online, use learning tools, etc.
• Effective Assessments: Students can be assessed more effectively with the help of technology. It is easier to track their progress accurately in the form of digital assessments and analyze their learning graph in the class and get a better insight into their overall progress.
• Open Education: Free resources are available on the internet for students in need of additional information. These resources are in the form of micro-learning courses, archives by prestigious colleges, endless articles, videos, etc.
• Simulation And Modeling: Technology has made it possible for all types of learners to access information as per their liking. Visual or tactile learners can improve their understanding of difficult concepts with the help of technological advancements like digital simulations and modeling. Simulation software makes it possible for students to see innovative activities without leaving the classroom. For example, they can see how dinosaurs lived, the development of a tornado, planetary movements, etc. Modeling software allows students to experience the dynamic characteristics of models and not just view them in static form.

See-n-Read Reading Tools offers a variety of products that positively impact student learning. The reading tools are designed to improve concentration, build spelling and academic vocabulary, improving learning strategies, etc. To know more about how does technology impact student learning, visit 2533 Sutton Lane, Aurora, IL – 60502. You can also call at (630) 236 – 5592.

The accurate learning skills and strategies help in getting the most out of a course/subject, attaining academic success, improving memory, managing time, taking better notes and other important aspects. The most important learning skills are critical thinking, effective communication, creative thinking and collaborating.

Essential ways with which one can acquire effective learning skills are:

• Be Prepared: Before attending a lecture, be prepared for the lesson to be taught in order to boost your understanding and performance. Prepare in advance by going through your books and learning material in order to retain information better and clarify doubts faster.
• Be Punctual: Punctuality improves learning by boosting concentration levels, being relaxed during a learning session and absorbing information better as the mind is relaxed. It also minimizes distractions and ensures a class progresses smoothly.
• Be Organized: Learn how to take neat notes and keep them organized for future reference. Keeping study material organized and accessible saves time on looking for supplies and finding relevant notes.
• Take Notes: One way of effective learning is to take notes of what is being taught in class. This improves the process of reviewing a topic and the retention of lessons.
• Recognize Your Learning Style: Research on various learning styles and choose one that suits you. Figure out whether you learn better by writing, listening or by using reading and learning tools. Learning with a style that suits you will boost your understanding of a topic and improve your performance.
• Clarify Doubts: It is a good practice to note down questions that need clarification before attending a lecture. This helps in clarifying doubts as and when they crop up, thus facilitating a better understanding of the lesson. Having a query improves the learning experience as it keeps you alert and engaged during the class in order to clarify a pending doubt.
• Create A Work Station: Allotting a specific spot for studying boosts productivity and improves learning. You can save a lot of time by stocking your study spot with materials you require e.g. pens, highlighters, books, notepads, sticky-notes, etc. It should be a well-lit distraction-free place with proper ventilation to prevent boredom and exhaustion from long study sessions.
• Develop A Schedule: Developing a schedule helps to determine what to study, when to study and how to study to improve the quality of learning. In order to develop an effective schedule, it is important to be disciplined in following the schedule by setting a time limit for assignments and tasks.

See-n-Read Reading Tools offers various products to students helping them to acquire effective learning skills. Each product is designed to provide easy to use intervention methods. For further information on how to acquire effective learning skills, visit 2533 Sutton Lane, Aurora, IL – 60502. You can also call at (630) 236 – 5592.

High frequency words are the ones that appear a lot more than other words when reading, writing and speaking e.g. s, the, are, to, etc. It is important for a child to recognize these words by sight in order to be a fluent reader. These words do not mean much in isolation but when used in a sentence, they help in making it understandable. High frequency words can be categorized into ‘Flash Words’ (used frequently in sentences) and ‘Heart Words’ (irregularly spelled words like to and do).

There are a number of techniques and strategies for teaching high frequency words, some of which are listed below:

• Restructuring: High frequency words should be integrated with phonics instruction to make it easier for students to read and spell words. It is recommended that students should be taught around 10-15 high frequency words prior to phonic instruction but after they know all letter names.
• Word Walls: Students should use word walls by playing games that encourage them to interact with the words. This helps them get better at spotting and memorizing high frequency words.
• Reading: Invest in books that are specifically meant to teach high frequency words. Such books are easy to read and consist of repetitive as well as predictive text for kids to understand how the words are used.
• Games: There are certain games that can help students learn and reinforce high-frequency words e.g. word searches, Go Fish, Wordo, Read the Room (words are posted around a room and students are supposed to find and note them on a sheet), etc.
• Flashcards: The word to be learnt is written on a flashcard and shown to students. They are asked to identify the words shown till they are consistent in doing so. Flashcards facilitate practice and repetition of high frequency words.
• Writing Board: The teacher writes a short message on a white board and ask students to decode the high frequency words and circle them with a highlighter.
• Music: Children can also learn these words by singing them in a catchy tune. In addition to being fun and entertaining, it also aids in memorizing new words.
• Manipulative: Students use magnetic letters or letter tiles, alphabet cookie cutters/play dough letter stamps and alphabet rubber stamps to build words.

When teaching high frequency words; introduce them in isolation, provide repeated exposures via text materials and deliver instructions in small doses (not more than 10 minutes) to make it easy for students to attain their learning goals.

See-n-Read Reading Tools provides comprehensive learning & reading tools to enhance spelling and academic vocabulary. Easy to use intervention methods are offered to improve reading and learning skills. For more details on ways to teach high-frequency words, contact: (630) 236 – 5592.

Reading fluency can be boosted with the help of the right reading tools. Using these tools helps readers to read effortlessly and accurately while maintaining a decent reading speed. They increase phonemic awareness, vocabulary, concentration, help decode text and improve sound-letter association.

Essential components of an effective reading tool are:

• Compatibility: A good reading tool should not be limited to printed reading material but should also be compatible with digital reading sources like personal computers, PC projection devices and interactive whiteboards for reading web sites, spreadsheets, standardized text and on-screen documents. The tool should assist in reducing eye strain and line or word skipping while increasing reading speed, improving comprehension and enhancing the reading experience.
• Versatility: Readers of all ages, people of different skill levels (struggling and accomplished readers), fatigued readers (those with comprehension deficiencies and slow reading speed) and individuals from special education environments should be able to benefit from a reading tool. An effective reading tool is one that can be used with different curriculums or reading materials and is available in different sizes for a variety of font sizes.
• Improve Spelling: For a reading tool to be effective, it should make it easier to spell commonly used words and also verify the correct usage of the words. It should comprise of a quick reference guide that readers can consult for easily understanding simpler variations to the words used in the text.
• Text Marking: To memorize the information being read, a reading tool should consist of a medium that can enable the reader to underline or highlight important text and write notes. Such tools also help to resume reading after a break by keeping a reference point.
• Track Reading: A reading strip is a component that helps track the lines being read by keeping the eyes focused. This helps to transition smoothly from one line to another and improve reading comprehension.

An effective reading tool supports the visual pathways of a reader by developing a “field of vision” and encourages the use of peripheral vision for better inference, comprehension and regression skills.

See-n-Read Reading Tools offer effective reading products that provide support to learners. Research-based and classroom-tested approach are the key elements used in developing these tools. For further details on components of effective reading tools, contact: (630) 236 – 5592.

Essential reading skills that are developed at primary grade levels build a solid foundation for a successful academic life ahead. Improving and developing reading skills at an early age helps an individual to build ability to focus on academics and other spheres of life.

Some of the important strategies to enhance reading skills are:

• Using Multiple Reading Tools: Explore various types of reading tools such as See-N-Read Reading Tools, MemoryMark, eSee-N-Read, See-N-Spell and ColorTag to develop reading and comprehensive skills.
• Set Reading Time: Develop a reading routine by setting aside specific time of the day. This will help you prioritize reading over other activities and make it a habit.
• Goal Setting: Set a goal for reading a book to help keep you motivated. The goal can be to answer some questions, understanding a concept, etc.
• Choice Reading: One good way of developing reading skills is by facilitating choice reading. Exposure to a variety of books such as fiction, non-fiction, books for different grade levels, multiple disciplines, etc. builds interest in reading.
• Thinking While Reading: Instead of continuously reading a book for the sake of completing it, one should think about the material that has been read. Reflecting on what has been read improves one’s understanding of the topic and fosters the desire to explore more.
• Note-Taking: This can be done by highlighting, circling and underlining important text. You can also write notes in the margins of a book. This habit helps a reader in better assimilation of the content.
• Visualize: Some readers find it interesting to read with the help of mental images and visualizations. Thus, start with books and reading material that have plenty of captions and photos.
• A Variety of Senses: Putting all the senses into use improves comprehension and boosts reading skills. One can engage all the senses by reading aloud, asking questions, using visual aids, reading with a pencil or pen as a guide, etc.
• Read in Portions: If you are reading a long book, it is recommended to break it up into small portions. This strategy also works with those trying to understand complex subject materials.

See-n-Read Reading Tools provide products that help to develop essential reading skills in children. The tools provide easy to use intervention methods. For more details on ways to develop essential reading skills, contact: (630) 236 – 5592.