My child doesn’t enjoy going to school anymore, we are finding it difficult to get them out the door in the morning.

Your child may have lost their desire to go to school because they find learning difficult or overwhelming, perhaps their needs are not being met adequately at this time. There may be a gap in foundation skills consolidation and what is currently expected of them in their learning setting. Quite frankly, it feels terrible when you don’t feel like you can keep up and you are watching your peers excel.

I know my child is capable and he has shown interest in many subjects, but why is reading and writing so hard for him?

Most certainly your child is capable of learning and understanding complex concepts; the problem for many children is that the curriculum strands are not being presented to them in a way that they can process comfortably. Direct Instruction has been proven in helping children develop sound foundation skills in language arts. Once children start to feel confident in their skills, they begin to take more risks in their areas of difficulty.

How will I know if my child is making progress with these programs?

All Direct Instruction programs have regular assessment checks along the way. Students engaged in these programs must meet the criteria for consolidation, this provides the instructor with important feedback for remediation or acceleration.

My child struggles with focus and impulse control, this often gets in the way of learning and healthy social interactions with her peers. Are there any strategies that would help her?

Mindfulness and the MindUP program help children understand how their brain functions and the reasons why and how they react in various situations. This approach is devoted to the belief that if a child is aware of their senses and emotions, they can better understand how to respond to their environment reflectively.