Decoding Learning Differences with Kimberlynn Lavelle

Later this month is my birthday and one tradition I have is to give gifts on my birthday as a way to celebrate my life with those around me.  It’s a tradition my dad demonstrated and I always thought was lovely.  I don’t do it every year and mostly just for my kids, but this year is different!   Almost 2 years ago I created an IEP checklist to help you do what I do for my clients and the tech gods were not on my side.  For some reason, it would never SEND the dang emails with the pdf for you!  I’ve messed with it over the years and FINALLY got it working, just in time for my birthday!  AND for you to enjoy the end of the school year with this in hand! When working with clients, I go through every part of an IEP to ensure it is well-written, accurate, and is working toward reasonably ambitious goals.   With this PDF download, you can now do the same thing!  The PDF links to videos that go deeper into some of these topics to help you better determine how to support your kiddo and how to best evaluate your kiddo’s IEP. https://yourparenthelp.com/iep-checklist    Click here to watch the podcast!   Message kimberlynn@DecodingLearningDifferences.com if you would like individualized support for your child's IEP.

David P Hurford, PhD is a true gem, offering wonderfully comprehensive texts and curricula for children, parents, and educators; and making navigating the world of dyslexia easier! Learn more about Dr. Hurford at https://www.jettpublishing.net/authors/about-the-author and get your copy of his books at the same link!

Enjoy this episode from season 5, to prepare you for next week's episode about some books written by David Hurford!   original notes from Season 5: Dr. Hurford is doing great things in the world, studying dyslexia and teaching kids with dyslexia as part of his non-profit organization! You can hear all about that as well as some books he’s published (that I just had to get my own copies of, so expect to see another episode on those in the future!) in this week’s podcast episode! To learn more about his organization and his books, go to: https://www.jettpublishing.net/authors/about-the-author

Evan Connell is an Australian sustainable technologist and systems architect who has spent over 30 years helping schools, governments, and community organisations extend the life of their technology while improving reliability and control. He is the creator of Sprint Central, a lightweight operating system designed to keep existing school computers usable for years longer than traditional platforms allow. Email Evan Connell: Sales@SprintCentral.com https://sprintcentral.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanconnell/

After taking a summer break that stretched into a winter break that stretched into a mid-winter break… I’m finally back at putting out new episodes of the podcast! This week is a soft intro into what to expect this season, and how I plan to avoid the problem of last season.   For more information on how to work directly with me (looking over IEPs, preparing yourself for IEP meetings, getting your kid onto an IEP, etc; or working on how to help your child with dyslexia or dyscalculica succeed, email Kimberlynn@DecodingLearningDifferences.com!

Are you dyslexic?   Is your child?   Someone you know well?   Chances are that you answered yes to at least one of those! And yet, for most people, dyslexia is still a mystery!  Myths still abound, and kids with dyslexia often feel alone and different.     Feeling alone and different leads to lower self-confidence and can further impact academic success as well as friendships and navigating social situations.   Kids need to know that they’re not alone, and actually far from it!   Adults need to know some essential facts and truths about dyslexia.   @Dyslexia_Diaries on Instagram aims to do just that!  They’re busting myths and sharing stories and doing what they can to educate the public and ensure that kids don’t feel alone with their dyslexia.   Listen to this week’s podcast with Dyslexia Diaries!   Then be sure to share your own stories of dyslexia!

Restorative Justice is about accountability and making repairs. It’s about emotional intelligence and building relationships. It’s about investing in people with time and patience. Listen in to this week’s podcast to learn more about Restorative Justice in Education including what it can look like, and how it can change a school’s disciplinary system to a system with redemption built-in. To help you with some notes you may want to take while listening: In this episode, Nicholas Bradford shares 4 questions that drive a restorative justice conversation: What happened? What was the thinking?/ What were you trying to accomplish? Who was impacted and how? How do we move forward? He also shared 5 overarching principles of Restorative Justice: Conflict Happens; let’s talk about it Engage all stake holders Empower the author and the victim Value Empathy; Connection over shame Develop Agency Additionally, (although this is not the official layout of a Restorative Justice system) an RJ system typically includes: Preventative Work: Relationship- building Self- Reflection Social and Emotional Intelligence Intervention Work: Self-Reflection Accountability Recognizing Impact Making it Right (if needed) Learn more about Nicholas Bradford’s work at: https://www.nationalcenterforrestorativejustice.com/  https://www.linkedin.com/company/nationalcenterforrestorativejustice/ 

David K Richards, a banker turned educator and entrepreneur, discusses the revolutionary idea of microschools. He explains how these small, community-driven schools can provide personalized learning experiences for diverse learners, especially those with neurodivergent needs. David shares insights on the challenges of public education and emphasizes the importance of tailored approaches to support individual students. He also highlights resources available for parents and educators looking to navigate educational difficulties and improve outcomes for all children.

Video Version available at DecodingLearningDifferences.com   In previous seasons, we have talked EXTENSIVELY about motivation and because it is such a critical part of a child’s academic success and overcoming learning challenges, I’ll always keep bringing it up again and again!   This week we’re diving into a quick and easy way to motivate a child.  It won’t work for every child every time.  And it won’t work if your mindset going into it isn’t clear and motivating.     And yet, overall, it’s such a simple action to take to increase learning!  

Video Version available at DecodingLearningDifferences.com   I recently was confronted (on this podcast episode!) with a myth that I had spread widely believing to be true: that learners retain 90% of what they teach.  I had never believed that the pyramid this fact was based off of was exact or precise but rather a generalization of lots of research.  It also was supported by the real-life experiences I had.   And yet– I had trusted the sources that first told me about this pyramid.  That led me to spread it to others and so on, and if any of us had looked into deeply, we would have seen it’s just a common myth that has spread WIDELY!   So, do educators lie? Sometimes.  And sometimes educators fall for misinformation just like everyone else.  So what do we do about it?  Check the facts!  And set the record straight when you can!