5 Ways To Manage The Bosses Expectations - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / 5 Ways To Manage The Bosses Expectations - Introvert Whisperer 5 Ways To Manage The Bosses Expectations 5 Ways To Manage Your Bosses Expectations Most of us dream of the perfect career where we are performing acts of genius, admired by our peers and praised by the boss. The reality is often just short of that and made worse if the boss is making demands of you that are unrealistic. When the boss is expecting something from you which is out of alignment to either your skills, work load or job scope; you have a problem. It can be a recipe for failure. It can turn the dream into a nightmare of getting fired or working until after midnight. Either way, this is not in your best interest to let it be a chronic occurrence. Lets look at this issue from both an offensive (prevention) and defensive (mitigation) perspective. 1. Job expectations â€" Any time you get a new job or assigned a new job, you need to ensure you and the boss have documented not only the scope of your work but your performance expectations. You need to understand how you will be measured and what results are expected. From that point, you need to seek feedback on how you are doing to those expectations. This is your career; you need to be responsible for this most vital element. By setting performance expectations right up front, you can mitigate problems in the future. 2. Provide updates  â€" Don’t expect the boss to go out of their way to discover how well your work is going. They will have some exposure to it but not all and not enough. You need to fill in the gaps without drowning them in too much detail. Also, look at your ongoing communication as a way of training your boss on understanding your job. They will have a better appreciation for demands they may make of you if they know the flow of the work to and from you. 3. Proactively raise flags  â€" At the first sign of a problem of delivering to the expectations of your job, you need to let the boss know. It’s not enough to simply tell them of a potential problem, you need to let them know what you are doing to reduce or eliminate the issue. You need to engage them in the solutions, as they will have access to more resources for solutions. The flag raising may actually need to occur when they assign you a project. If you think you can’t deliver to their expectations, for any reason, you need to let them know immediately. Again, you should offer up both the problem you see and solutions. It could be as simple as a different due date or delaying the work of something else. By engaging in a professional discussion at the time of a project assignment, you demonstrate a willingness to work with the boss for a positive outcome. Waiting to inform them about issues, especially any that you knew of to start with, will cause them to lose trust in you. 4. Seek guidance  â€" If the boss doesn’t agree with your assessment that their expectations of you should present a problem, you need an objective opinion. You may be inadvertently misinterpreting the direction the boss has given. Perhaps you don’t fully grasp the direction or the extent of the work involved in a given task. Don’t seek out your work BFF, as they may not have the perspective or experience unless you know they understand your work and have a good working history with the boss. You need to seek counsel with someone that can help you to see the task in a new way, or to help refine the direction the boss has given. You might discover a better way of doing your work. 5. Renegotiate a new wayâ€" If you are barely treading water, get through the crisis and go back to the boss to negotiate a different situation for the future. An example: If they make last minute demands, see if you can get agreement on a longer lead time. If they can’t, then get agreement on lower priority items you can delay without reviewing each time. In other words, be the mature professional and solve the problem with the only person you can solve it with. You were hired to solve problems and this is just one of many. Managing the expectations of your boss is something you should do with each and every boss you will have. By being proactive with your approach, you will reduce or eliminate the likelihood of demands being made of you that will cause you to fail. Notice I didn’t say you will completely do away with inappropriate expectations but when those to arise, take the approach you are solving a problem. Power-Influence-Office Politics: it comes down to your Strategic Relationships and understanding of how you build each one of these elements. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my video that outlines all of this and meaningful actions you can take today!  Start watching now by clicking here! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

A Guide To Being Safe Online

A Guide To Being Safe Online A Guide To Being Safe Online ChaptersSafeguard Personal InformationPrivacy Settings and PrecautionsCyber BullyingDangers of the Digital AgeThere’s no denying the internet is an excellent resource. A go-to source for entertainment, education, socialising amongst many other things. In fact, it’s actually easier to list the things you can’t find on the internet!However, as the late great Stan Lee once wrote for a Spiderman comic ‘with great power comes great responsibility’. With all the power at your fingertips to surf the internet as if it were a never ending wave, it’s important to understand the potential risks associated with it.While common sense will keep you safe for the majority of the time you spend on the internet, there are some things that you might not be aware of that could put you at risk.  Having your personal address compromised, your bank details stolen, or being hacked are just some of the unfortunate things that can happen if you don’t follow some basic rules for the internet.In t his guide we will address the most important things to consider to stay safe online, what internet safety is, and touch upon some of the smaller things that you may not have even thought of yet. CalumDrama School Entrance Teacher 5.00 (15) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ToriSpanish Teacher 5.00 (1) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors OliviaSchool support Teacher 5.00 (2) £21/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarkESOL (English) Teacher 4.76 (17) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors YuweiChinese Teacher 4.33 (6) £19/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JenniferMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LouiseAutoCAD Teacher 5.00 (3) £60/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RickyPercussion Teacher 5.00 (7) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NicolasGuitar Teacher 5.00 (2) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MyriamOrganic chemistry Teacher 5.00 (13) £20/h1st lesson free!D iscover all our tutors JonathanEconomics Teacher 5.00 (9) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Oluwakemi imoleMaths Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AlexPhysics Teacher 5.00 (1) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AdamSinging Teacher 5.00 (14) £48/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ValentiniMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (2) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MilenaMaths Teacher 5.00 (5) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RashmiEconomics Teacher 5.00 (1) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsSafeguard Personal Information Think carefully the next time you create a password.A hot topic these days, your digital footprint will follow you around until the day you die, which means you should be discerning when it comes to offering up your personal information to different websites.Let alone the potential risks to your personal safety if your address were to become common knowledge, giving your personal information out to every website you sign up for will ensure your name pops up on hundreds of databases, which is a concerning thought.It’s important to clarify that giving personal information such as your name, age, and e-mail address is in most cases fine, so you needn’t worry about every e-mail list you’ve signed up to. Where it gets potentially dangerous, is with things such as credit card information, insurance information, and social security numbers.As a rule of thumb, never give out your bank info unless you are 100% sure it is a trusted source, such as a trading website like Amazon. If you ca n’t verify that it's a legitimate source, then it's worth digging deeper to find out or steering clear altogether.There are some key steps to ensure your personal information and data is as secure as possible.Use Strong PasswordsIf there was one thing you could do right now to feel more comfortable about your online security, it would be to create new, strong passwords.A strong password is deemed to be one which contains a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols - as I’m sure you’ll have seen on countless websites sign-up screen - and is considered to be the most secure as a result.Creating strong passwords, especially for important accounts like your personal e-mail is incredibly important since hackers love an easy target.You’d be surprised how quickly hackers can figure out a basic password, so your best bet is to create one so long and complex they don’t stand a chance of getting their hands on your personal data.Don’t OvershareAnother, perhaps obvious, but certainly im portant step: don’t overshare on social media. Social media safety is also a very important thing to consider in this digital age we live in.One of the best and worst aspects of the internet is the permanence of anything you post on it. Text, photos, and videos aren’t just deleted from the internet after a while, they could be there your whole lifetime.With that in mind, take a moment before posting that controversial tweet, or that risqué photo, if you don’t want it to come back to haunt you a few years down the line!Especially if you have aspirations of seeking future employment, it’s best to keep your cards close to your chest and only post what you would be happy with a potential employer or family member to see.Encrypt Personal DataThis last step to having more secure personal data is an interesting one. Perhaps something not a lot of people consider doing, you can encrypt your data to significantly reduce the risk of it being compromised by hackers.But what exactly is data encryption?Maybe you’ve heard the term but never really understood what it meant (like me!), or you think that it’s something that only the highly technologically literate can pull off.Data encryption is actually accessible to everyone, and simply refers to the process of translating data into a code or another form, meaning the only way to access it is through the use of a decryption key.This useful article from Lifehacker will get you up to speed with data encryption, and how you can use it to protect your personal information.Privacy Settings and Precautions You ever know who might be watching.Another great way to safeguard yourself against those looking to steal your personal data is to take a look at your privacy settings, and make sure you all squared away once you log out for the day.First things first, check out your computer or smartphone’s privacy settings. You can usually find these setting in the tools menu of your preferred internet browser.Periodically you might want to clear your cache to eliminate cookies, since although they may sound innocent, they can be used by companies to keep track of your personal information which isn’t ideal.You should also consider unticking the option that allows apps you’ve downloaded to share data, since this means your information can go far and wide.Geo-taggingA fancy way of saying location sharing, geo-tagging is a feature you might consider switching off.Geo-tagging will find the source of your photos, videos, and social media posts, and link them to that location. While this is a fun feature, and a nice way to organise your holiday photos, it can also give away your location when you take a snap of your pet while relaxing at home.Always log outIt goes without saying, but a great way to ensure nobody gets a hold of sensitive data is to log out every time you are done using a website.This applies mostly to those using a computer in a shared space, but it shouldn’t surprise you to know that hackers will have a much easier time breaking into your account if you left the door unlocked.Cyber BullyingCyber bullying has unfortunately become far more prevalent in this increasingly digital age, where you can reach anyone at anytime.If you know someone who is being cyber bullied, find out here the steps you can take to help them out.A concerning statistic from Do Something reveals that around 37% of young people between 12 and 17 have suffered from this online form of bullying.As a result, it’s important to consider cyber safety, and how you can avoid being on the rec eiving end of online bullying, or make it so that your child doesn’t have to go through it.Cyber bullying is largely a result of the ease with which we can contact anyone, and the anonymity we can retain while we do so. Essentially there are no consequences if you can conceal your identity through the internet, making it a very dangerous platform if used to this end.Dangers of the Digital Age Smartphones can take over our lives if we’re not careful.The rise of the internet and social media have presented us with new challenges, and dangers to confront. The biggest danger perhaps coming in the form of phones, making phone safety a critical issue.Whether it's the potentially harmful effect on children’s development, or the ongoing dissatisfaction brought on by comparing our lives with those around us, there are plenty of things to be worried about in the digital age.Digital LivesWhile it perhaps isn’t the biggest threat to your online safety, social media can have some very detrimental effects on your wellbeing.In this day and age, it’s more common to see mobile phones on the table than newspapers, and that says a lot about how as a society we look to screens and the internet for much of our entertainment.Living such a digital life certainly has its perks, but if we consistently choose the phone or computer over activity such as reading or doing exercise, then how r ich is the life we are leading?This is especially true of children. Often once they are introduced to the internet - be it the tablet or mobile phone - they are instantly sucked into it. If we don’t set limits, kids could suffer academically and developmentally, so it’s important to stay on top of their internet use.Not to mention the dangers of giving kids free rein to roam the internet and its dark corners.Social Media JealousySocial media is one of those things that most of us these days couldn’t imagine living without. It has become so much a part of our daily lives that we can develop unhealthy routines such as scrolling through feeds first thing in the morning due to its addictive nature.The instant feedback of social media is something which really plays on our human nature, and is designed to get us hooked. I’ve definitely found myself scrolling through my Instagram feed before without even paying attention to the photos, which is a scary thought.One of the biggest p roblems social media presence is that of social media jealousy. The notion that reading about other people’s lives and seeing their ‘perfect’ lives through photos and videos can create a strong sense of jealousy in us and a feeling that our lives pale in comparison.To avoid this harmful phenomenon we should try our best to limit ourselves when it comes to social media, and try not to put too much stock into our friends’ amazing holiday photos. At the end of the day, the reality is that most people have quite ordinary lives, yet portray the best moments or highlights through social media.

Tutor of the Month - Dino H

Tutor of the Month - Dino H We have a lot of amazing tutors on Tutorfair, but some of them really stand out. When we decided to show off  one tutor each month, our pick for October  was unanimous: Dino H! Dino is an extraordinary tutor: from Business Studies to Science to English and History, with  a considerable collection of languages too (Croatian, anyone?) - Dino really covers it all. Check out his amazing list of subjects, from Biology and Physics to 11+  admissions! Anyone can claim to cover most of the subjects on the planet: but a quick look at Dino's reviews  shows you his clients certainly agree that he  really is an expert in them all. He's a pretty interesting chap too; when he's not tutoring, you might find Dino  translating for the Italian embassy,  offering social media consulting, or running a company's digital marketing campaigns. But the reason we really love Dino here at the Tutorfair office? He's the most wonderfully helpful tutor we've dealt with; no matter how busy he is, Dino always makes time to help, and he has always managed to fit in a new client, no matter how much juggling he has to do! If your or your child would like private tuition, feel free to check out Dino's profile today!

In Defense of the Thesis Statement

In Defense of the Thesis Statement If your student has had a hard time writing essays, whether for history or English class, the difficulty often comes from one single sentence: the thesis statement. A lot is riding on the thesis statement. Most teachers (and AP exam graders) expect the thesis statement to do many things well: summarize the argument, outline evidence, and inform the reader while at the same time leave them wanting more. It’s no wonder students buckle under the pressure of the thesis statement and sit staring at the glowing screen, fully writer’s blocked.In his most recent work, quirky though critically acclaimed novelist Nicholson Baker spent a year as a substitute teacher. Straddling the line between fiction and non, Substitute showcases Baker’s attempts to make sense of the contemporary education landscape. Of the both serious and light-hearted reflections that Baker presents, his offbeat take on thesis statements highlights one of the most commonly echoed complaints of a “typical” English student, namely: “More injury is done to high-school essays by the imposition of the thesis statement requirement than by any other means. The trick, kids are sometimes told, is to begin with a word like ‘although.’ No.”The last word says it all: No. And yet, the thesis statement requirement isn’t going anywhere. A Google search will provide thousands of resources about how to write a thesis and how to fix a bad one, but what you won’t find anywhere is an impassioned defense of thesis statements.Though students find the emphasis on thesis statements tedious, teachers have not hesitated to shine a spotlight on the importance of them. In some classes, students cannot even begin to write their papers until the thesis has been approved. As much as teachers tend to emphasize theses, they don’t always offer effective instruction on how to construct them, which in turn leads many frustrated students to tutoring.Tutors work diligently with students to help them craft their th esis statements. Known effective processes to improve thesis statements and to minimize the stress of composing them include brainstorming, foregrounding the search for evidence, and finding ways to visualize the argument that is to come.Our PhilosophyAJ Tutoring’s English department has worked hard to change the focus surrounding thesis statements. We know how important they are to the English classroom, and we want the student to experience writing as a process, an ongoing craft, and an opportunity to experience the possibilities of language and creativity. Our English department truly believes in the working thesisâ€"an evolving controlling idea that adapts to evidence and responds to new ideas as the student experiences them. We work with students who write in different ways, with different levels of confidence, and with different purposes in mind. To reach these varied students, we recommend multiple thesis writing strategies. In some cases, we encourage the student to compos e a working thesis first and then find supporting evidence before returning the thesis for a round of revision.Other students may respond better if they find textual evidence first, analyze the trends and patterns of those textual resources, and then begin crafting a working thesis. That working thesis may then adapt and change over the course of the writing of the paper.Though students craft theses differently and with varying degrees of enthusiasm, we know that the explicit thesis statement isn’t going anywhere. Teachers are going to continue to assign them and demand that they appear in their usual spot, bringing up the rear of the opening paragraph of the essay. We also know that thesis statements serve an invaluable purpose.Nicholson Baker calls the thesis statement, along with ethos and the unreliable narrator, “fluff knowledge, meta- ­knowledge.” Baker’s premise is predicated on utility; he compares the relative usefulness of basic math to the useless pedantry of the thesis statement. Baker’s criticism lies in the focus of these teachers. By privileging the thesis statement at the expense of nurturing a kind of wide-eyed curiosity toward reading and writing, Baker thinks teachers are missing the mark. Baker worries that “beyond these basics,” students are missing the “vast, beautiful, glittering midden of applied and miscellaneous knowledge.”It’s dangerous to take Baker too much at his word. He is a tongue-in-cheek prankster, and yet, his denigration of the thesis statement misses an important pedagogical point. Students need organization, visualization, and conceptual understanding in order to structure their writing and produce a strong finished product. The thesis statement, as controlling idea, is not “fluff knowledge.”By treating a thesis statement less as an outcome and more as a process, it becomes a quiet metaphor for the writing process itself. It is never quite finished, but always evolving. In its earlier forms, it is supple enough to adapt to new ideas, fresh feedback, and rigorous revising, but strong enough to guide the student through hesitations, false starts, and doubts. Like Baker, we want to treat the thesis statement not as an end, but as a path toward one possible end. Unlike Baker, we would like to rehabilitate the thesis statement from torturous, academic busy work and refocus what it can do for students’ writing and thinking: provide clarity, structure, and unity.If your student needs help crafting thesis statements and developing their voice for essay writing, you can read more about our English tutoring program  or give us a call at (650) 331-3251 to discuss how our English tutors can help.

East Coast Musician of the Year Competition 2014

East Coast Musician of the Year Competition 2014 Closing date for the 2014 for The East Coast Musician of the Year Competition 2014 is fast approaching. Closing date Monday 13/10/2014. The East Coast Musician of the Year Competition 2014 will be held in November in Bridlington, East Yorkshire Closing date 13/10/2014, Heats 8/11/2014, Final 22/11/2014. There are 5 entry classes 10 and under, 12 and under, 14 and under, 18 and under and an open class for over 18. The choice of instrument and music is left to the candidates and their teachers. This year we are holding a special MASTER CLASS for pianist to be taken by Richard Uttley (Concert Pianist). His concerto repertoire includes works by Beethoven, Brahms, Gershwin, Grieg, Haydn, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Poulenc, Rachmaninov, Ravel, Stravinsky and Tchaikovsky. Recent concerto performances include with the National Symphony Orchestra and for the BBC at Maida Vale Studios, as part of a Proms Plus Composer Portrait. To be eligible for the Master Class candidates must enter the competition. Further information and Entry forms can be downloaded from www.ccmf.co.uk (see Events) or Paul Lowe 01262 677835. This is a great opportunity for young pianists.

What To Do If You Failed Your Final Exam

What To Do If You Failed Your Final Exam Tips From a Private Fullerton Tutor: What to do if You Flunked Your Final Exam Students will be receiving grades from their final exams either right before leaving for winter vacation or the week they return to school in January. Most students are hoping for As and Bs that will keep their overall GPA high, but some students will receive the occasional bad news. It can feel like a students academic life is over if they receive an F on one of their final exams but, there are some positive and proactive things every student can do to attempt to remedy the situation or at least correct it as they move forward. 1. Talk with the teacher The very first thing a student should do in this type of situation is ask to have a face-to-face appointment with their classroom teacher. The teacher is the best source of information on what may have gone wrong on a final exam because the teacher both wrote and graded the exam. Students should look over their essay or test, if available to them, and make a list of questions they can ask the teacher during the meeting. Students should also think about their goals for the course as a move forward and ask the teacher specific steps they can take to improve (READ: Irvine Tutoring Tips: Ways Tech Can Make Homework Easier). 2. Discuss extra credit Except for some emergency situations, students are not allowed to retake a final unless they are in the younger grades. However, many classroom teachers are open to the possibility of extra credit. A student might propose a project they could do or research they could conduct that would place valuable emphasis on the subjects they still need to learn and can prove to the teacher that the student wants to do well. The worst that can happen when asking for extra credit possibilities is that the teacher will say no, in which case the student will be in the same position they are now. Why not take a chance and see if a student can boost grades going forward? 3. Hire a one-on-one Fullerton tutor If the issue is study skills, students are encouraged to start working with a one-on-one tutor who can give them the individual attention they need to improve their grade. Its better to start working with a tutor before grades start to slip too far, but some students just get caught off guard during exam week. Private tutors can go through a student’s old assignments and tests to try and figure out where and why things went wrong. Once the issue has been pinpointed, the tutor can work with the student to improve study habits, increase efficiency, and also help them tackle those complicated topics that are just too hard to understand in a classroom environment our private tutors are the best in SoCal! 4. Look at study habits Many students will end up getting a low grade because their study habits need improvement. Although each student is an individual, there are a few things that tend to be a universal issue. Students who work in a group environment may find that studying with friends is too much of a distraction and they may need to start working on homework in a quieter environment. Students may also be spending too much time on busy work and not enough time tackling concepts that will build upon each other throughout the semester. Students may have issues with procrastination and start working on assignments too close to the due date to get a good grade. Students can sit down with their classroom teacher, a parent, or a private tutor to try and figure out what went wrong and how to make it better. Failed your final exam? Dont panic! Our private Fullerton tutors are here to help you succeed. All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us write.

Learning Disabilities, Dyslexia and Dyscalculia

Learning Disabilities, Dyslexia and Dyscalculia What is a learning disability? Learning Disability is not a specific term; it is a category containing many specificdisabilities, all of which cause learning to be difficult. The following definition of “learning disability” is used for legislative, financial, and educational purposes only. It is NOT a definition of dyslexia, which is one specific learning disability. The term ‘learning disability’ means a disorder in one or more of the basic processes involved in understanding spoken or written language. It may show up as a problem in listening, thinking, speaking, reading, writing, or spelling or in a person’s ability to do math, despite at least average intelligence. The term does not include children who have learning problems which are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or physical handicaps, or mental retardation, or emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage. Simple Definition of Dyslexia Dyslexia is an inherited condition that makes it extremely difficult to read, write, and spell in your native languageâ€"despite at least average intelligence. Revised definition from the International Dyslexia Association Dyslexia is a neurologically-based, often familial, disorder which interferes with the acquisition and processing of language. Varying in degrees of severity, it is manifested by difficulties in receptive and expressive language, including phonological processing, in reading, writing, spelling, handwriting. Dyslexia is not the result of lack of motivation, sensory impairment, inadequate instructional or environmental opportunities, or other limiting conditions, but may occur together with these conditions. Although dyslexia is lifelong, individuals with dyslexia frequently respond successfully to timely and appropriate intervention. Research definition used by the National Institutes of Health Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition, and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge. Cause of Dyslexia Dyslexia is an inherited condition. Dyslexia results from a neurological difference; that is, a brain difference. Dyslexia runs in families. f/MRI studies have shown that people with dyslexia do not activate sufficiently the same part of the brain when reading as other people. Studies by NIH (National Institute of Health) and other prominent researchers have demonstrated that dyslexic persons are deficient in phonemic awareness. Phonemic Awareness Quotes from prominent NIH researchers: “The lack of phonemic awareness is the most powerful determinant of the likelihood of failure to learn to read.” “Phonemic awareness is more highly related to learning to read . . . than tests of general intelligence, reading readiness, and listening comprehension.” “Phonemic awareness is the most important core and causal factor separating normal and disabled readers.” NIH research has repeatedly demonstrated that lack of phonemic awareness is the root cause of reading failure. Phonemes are the smallest unit of SPOKEN language, not written language. Children who lack phonemic awareness are unable to distinguish or manipulate SOUNDS within SPOKEN words or syllables. They would be unable to do the following tasks: Phoneme Segmentation: what sounds do you hear in the word hot? What’s the last sound in the word map? Phoneme Deletion: what word would be left if the /k/ sound were taken away from cat? Phoneme Matching: do pen and pipe start with the same sound? Phoneme Counting: how many sounds do you hear in the word cake? Phoneme Substitution: what word would you have if you changed the /h/ in hot to /p/? Blending: what word would you have if you put these sounds together? /s/ /a/ /t/ Rhyming: tell me as many words as you can that rhyme with the word eat. If a child lacks phonemic awareness, they will have difficulty learning the relationship between letters and the sounds they represent in words, as well as applying those letter/sound correspondences to help them “sound out” unknown words. So children who perform poorly on phonemic awareness tasks via oral language in kindergarten are very likely to experience difficulties acquiring the early word reading skills that provide the foundation for growth of reading ability throughout elementary school. Phonemic awareness skills can and must be directly and explicitly taught to children who lack this awareness. Phonological Processing and Phonics Phonemic awareness must exist or be explicitly and directly taught BEFORE phonics (or phonological) instruction begins. Otherwise, the phonics instruction will not make sense to the dyslexic child. Phonological processing starts by knowing which speech sounds are represented by which written letters. The goal of teaching phonics is to make phonological processing fluent and automatic. Phonics teaches how the written letters blend together to produce words, how the sounds of the letters change depending on the letters that surround them, the rules regarding adding suffixes and prefi xes, and so on. In other words, phonics teaches students the internal linguistic structure of words. How can parents recognize it? A reading disability A kindergarten child may have difficulty remembering rhymes and recognizing words that rhyme, naming shapes such as square, triangle and circle, and learning the names and sounds of letters. Most young children confuse the letters b an d but it is symptomatic of dyslexia if they continue to read and write them incorrectly at age eight. An older child or adult may demonstrate many of the following symptoms. Checklist of Classroom Behavioral Characteristics for Preliminary Identification of Dyslexia Reads at a level significantly below his peers… Aways, Occasionally, Never? Knows many words by sight for a short time but forgets them later… Aways, Occasionally, Never? Reads orally in a mechanical fashion without expression or intonatio… Aways, Occasionally, Never? Math Disability Characteristics of Dyscalculia Unable to understand relationship concepts of: time, space, and measurement. Unable to memorize simple number facts and multiplication tables. Lacks understanding of place value for carrying and borrowing. Forgets the procedures for addition, subtraction, multiplication, division. Arrives at the correct answer, but only after an inordinate amount of time. Counts on fingers for simple number facts well after the appropriate age. Works very slowly on work pages. Close observation will reveal that he has worked out the answer to a supposedly memorized fact in this fashion: 4X8= 2×8=16 2×8+16 32 Makes many simple computing mistakes. Learns to compute without understanding the concept and therefore does not use the appropriate algorithm for word problems. May reverse the digits in writing: 31 for 13 Carries the unit digit instead of the tens digit because does not understand place value. Ignores math symbols or misreads them. Unable to tell the time by age nine. When distracted in the middle of a math problem, has to start over from the beginning. Looks for any excuse to escape math class. Feigns boredom or fatigue when asked to work on math. Lacks the needed computational skill in shopping, making change, and figuring his expenses. Does not understand the relative cost of items. May become more hyperactive during math period. Covers the bottoms, margins and backs of arithmetic papers with marks for counting up to answers because lacks the ability to compute. Unable to estimate time, space, costs. Does not discover or invent strategies for calculating. What are the treatments for Math disability Dyscalculia Treatment for dyscalculia focuses on many specific instructional methods and at present can follow any structured mathematics program. Dyscalculic persons must have far more opportunities to practice in concrete ways the association of numbers with actual situations. For example, Teachers should not assume that children have understood place value simply because the have learned, to carry the digit on the on the left side of a two digit number and add it to that column. In multiplication they may have learned to move the second row of products one place over, but not understand that they are actually now multiplying the ten’s column. Principles of Instruction for Dyscalculia Start at the student’s success level. Ensure understanding of terms used. (bigger, smaller, more, less, before, after, etc) User concrete objects to introduce all new concepts (blocks, beads, playing cards, cuisinaire rods, stearns blocks, lego, etc.) Continue to have concrete objects available as long as the student needs them. Follow a structured program. Give homework only for reinforcement when you are sure his answers will be correct. Move to semi-symbolic level (pictured objects, rulers, dominoes, etc.) Give massive practice before moving on. Review the work done during the last lesson before introducing the new material. This will reassure the student that he is ready to go on as well as provide some reinforcement. Published Programs Key Math Teach and Practice Program Published by American Guidance Service. AGS What are the treatments of learning disability/ dyslexia? Treatment programs for dyslexia, a specific learning disability, should be linguistically based, highly structured, provide for massive practice for each new element to be learned, and stress phonemic awareness and syllabic decoding. Several such programs are available in the USA. Among the better known programs are: Orton-Gillingham, Wilson, Let’s Read, Scottish Rite. Students may continue to be somewhat slower readers and may be eligible for extra time when taking exams such as the College Boards if it is proved- by diagnostic testing- that reading accuracy and comprehension are within the normal range and only reading speed is affected. How can tutors help a child with learning disabilities? A qualified and experienced tutor for children with dyslexia should provide specific instruction several times a week and use a recognized, scientifically based and approved program. Two to three years are usually required to bring the student up to his or her age level in reading and spelli ng. What are the skills and qualifications for a teacher of children with learning disabilities? The teacher must first meet all State teacher requirements and then possess a master’s degree in Special Education or have taken all courses required for certification as Teacher of Children with Special Learning Needs by their particular State. Most tutors are also trained in one or more of the recognized programs for the remediation of dyslexia.