Reading comprehension, reading speed and/or math, especially algebra, are major issues for many students in grades 7 to 12.
If you have a child who is a lot smarter than present results would indicate, the three keys to your child’s success are to recognize that:
- You want to reject the status quo.
- Recognize there is an opportunity to:
- Increase your child’s reading comprehension – often by 2, 3 or even 4 grade levels in 6 months
- Understand that math is much more dependent on understanding the question than it was in our time. Many students who are getting Cs, Ds and Fs are capable of getting As and Bs
- Reading speed and visual processing issues are often related. If there is a visual processing issue it is important to address. If there is a reading speed issue it is often possible to increase your child’s reading speed by 50 to 100%, while increasing reading comprehension by 2, 3 or even 4 grade levels
- As a parent, your role in rejecting the status quo, recognizing the opportunity and in partnering with the right professionals is mission critical
If you would like to have a conversation on these or other matters,
call us at 561-361-7495.
Reading Comprehension and Math Problems Impact Most of Our Students
We were surprised when we learned about a longitudinal study that showed that over 60 percent of the students with disabilities in middle and high school were 3 or more years below grade level in their reading comprehension and math, and many were further behind. This happens to many kids, even from the best families.
What is even more surprising is how many smart and even gifted students:
- Have reading comprehension levels well below what you would expect
- Read slowly – sometimes as slow as 100 words per minute
- Struggle with math problems, and really struggle on the SAT and ACT tests
‘The good news is that with the right program these students, with the right help, can often:
- Improve their reading comprehension 2, 3 and even 4 grade levels within 6 months
- Increase their reading speed by 50% and 100%
- Improve their math grades from Cs. Ds and Fs to As and Bs
- Significantly improve their SAT and ACT scores and their GPAs
The three keys to their success are:
- Parents choosing to make the difference
- Finding the right professionals who teach the way your child learns best, will identify and address their challenges and know how to engage and motivate your child
- Getting your child to want to succeed. With teenagers, they need to want it. At 3D Learner, we often play a part in motivating the student
Get It Right – 3 Examples of How Parents Made The Difference
Nate was struggling with grades, reading comprehension and his reading speed was an issue. The parents certainly wanted to Get It Right. The challenge was how to get him interested in improving. We had that conversation and he realized if he improved his reading speed and reading comprehension, it would improve his grades and give him more time for what he loved to do. In 4 months, he was able to improve his reading comprehension 4 grade levels, increase his reading speed by 80% (i.e. from 200 to 360 words per minute) and he had more time to work on his art projects. Later, he earned a full scholarship to college.
Eric was a 7th grader who was having behavior challenges, his reading was 4 years below grade level and his batting average was now below 300. His parents rejected the status quo and wanted help, but Eric was a reluctant student. We shifted the conversation to improving his baseball average from 290 to 350 and his home runs from 1 to 5. He was excited. With our help, he improved his reading comprehension by 4 grade levels, and was now doing well in regular classes. He was delighted to see his batting average go from 290 to 405 and his homerun production from 1 to 9.
The 3D Learner Origin Story
Our daughter faced a real challenge with her reading comprehension being 3 years below grade level and her grade point average at 2.7 well below her potential. When we were told she was not college material, because of her reading comprehension, her mother, Mira Halpert, became a Mom on a Mission”. Mira, who has her Masters in Education from the University of Michigan, discovered our daughter was a right brain learner – who learned best when she saw and experienced information, Mira developed what became known as the 3D Learner Program that helped our daughter to:
- Improve her reading comprehension 4.2 grade levels in 7 months
- Increase her Grade Point Average from a 2.7 to a 4.4
- Later earn her doctorate in education
The 3D Learner Difference — A Strength Based Focus
The first key difference in what we do is to leverage a student’s strengths and interests. They are often right brain learners — who learn best when they see and experience information. They often, but not always have executive function and/or visual processing issues. Dyslexia is present in a number of cases.
3D Learner focuses first and foremost on our student’s strengths and interests, and we do identify and address their challenges, while boosting their confidence.