The Joy of Reading: Helping Young Children Engage with Books
July 21, 2014
Preventing First Week of School “Blues”
August 6, 2014
A recurrent theme during parent conferences at the end of our “Adventures in Summer Learning” program is a parent’s belief in her child’s capabilities as a learner.
A child may have been struggling in some aspect of learning, but his parent was certain that given the right circumstances, this could be overcome. Seeing a child gain some strategies and experience a feeling of competence is a terrific reward for a parent, too.
Believing in your child and wanting the best educational opportunities for them is your job. Your words and actions as you deal with your child’s academic challenges will have a lasting impact. Your encouragement stays with your children even when they are adults. Adults who struggled as learners frequently mention how a parent’s belief in them continued to inspire them in their work and in their own parenting.
Recent comments to the blog post “What Is It Like to Have a Learning Disability?” attest to the lasting impact of emotional support from a parent. Being a struggling learner can be lonely and isolating. Having a parent who is encouraging and helps you get up every day and get back in the school “game” is an outstanding asset. So Mom and Dad, keep being your child’s champion. Words cannot begin to express the impact your efforts can have!
Blogger Mary Ann Mulcahey, PhD, shares her expertise in assessment and diagnosis of learning disabilities and ADHD, and the social/emotional adjustment to those issues. If you have questions, please contact Mary Ann at .
