1. Difficulty learning the alphabet
Difficulty learning the names of the letters
Difficulty learning the corresponding sounds for the letters of the alphabet
Difficulty learning the sequence of the letters of the alphabet
Difficulty writing the alphabet in sequence
Often these children learn to sing the alphabet song as a rote song, but are unable to say the individual letters one at a time, even despite substantial practice.

2. A lack of symbol to sound association. These students have a very limited repertoire of sounds, so they tend to do wild guessing or use their sight memory to read and spell.

3. The student is unable to read satisfactory, despite adequate intelligence and educational opportunity.
Difficulty sound blending words that are unfamiliar
Difficulty segmenting words into syllables
Decoding errors( adding sounds, omitted sounds, substitution of sounds, omission of syllables)

4. The student’s written work does not reflect his/her potential. Often these students can be very bright with strong verbal skills and vocabulary. However when they attempt to express their ideas on paper, it is difficult to decipher what they have written.

5. The student may have unusual difficulty with handwriting: forming the letters, remembering the shape of the letters or the direction of the letters such as g and q

6. Difficulty with spelling beyond the weekly spelling list. Often students can memorize for a spelling test, but then the next day can not spell these words. They have memorized a string of letters, but are not segmenting the sounds to spell accurately. By looking at a writing sample where the natural spelling is witnessed, demonstrates their true ability in the area of spelling. They often have difficulty spelling words not in his/her memory bank: difficulty with short vowel discrimination, sound/symbol association, omissions, substitution and addition of sounds, and syllables, and sounds out of sequence when spelling words

7. Frequent letter reversals: b/d,p/q,w/m, g/q

8 Transposition of letters within words: who/how, left/felt

9. Directional Confusion: before/after, left/right,over and under

10. The student’s recall ability for names and words are poor

11. The student has difficulty remembering and following directions

12 The student forgets assignments and or /loses papers

13. The student has difficulty copying from a near point/ far point or both

14. Auditory discrimination difficulties particularly with the short vowels: Confusion between short e( ed) with short i (it), short o (hot) with short u ( hut)

15. Attention span is short which may also be the result of frustration

16. High talents in other areas that do not require reading, spelling, or writing : such as math ( with the exception of reading word problems), art, athletic prowess, creativity, building without looking at directions( such as legos)

17. There may be a history of dyslexia in the family

18. May have strong listening skills which have been a compensation for the inability to read adequately.

19. They may have poor listening skills due to difficulties with attention and concentration

20. Strong comprehension skills which indicates the ability to understand language despite a lack of memory for the letter symbols or sounds.

21. Generally these students are average to above average intelligence
22. Difficulty with grammar and writing: Remembering the names for the basic parts of speech and applying this knowledge to written language skills.

If you child is demonstrated several of these characteristics testing for dyslexia would be recommended.

At a young age strong signs of a dyslexic student can be identified with the child who is having unusual difficulty learning the sequence of the alphabet, learning the names of the letters both upper and lower case and associating the letter symbols with their speech sounds. The dyslexic child does not learn letters, sounds and the alphabet using traditional methodology and require intensive multisensory activities in order for them to make the connection between the letters and sounds which is a requirement for early reading. It is best to begin this remediation before they enter first grade where there is such a strong emphasis on reading instruction and the dyslexic student is unable to be successful due to their lack of memory of letters and sounds. The sooner the remediation begins, the less frustration the dyslexic child will experience when he begins to master these readiness skills. Dyslexic children need to be instructed through hands on learning, utilizing the visual, auditory and kinesthetic modalities in all areas of reading, spelling and written language by an instructor with an expertise in the field of dyslexia. These children can achieve at their potential only when the instruction meets their learning style and academic needs.

*** Often students that are high achievers mask the symptoms of dyslexia and their difficulties and it only become apparent when the curriculum become more complex and demanding.
Early intervention with a highly multisensory language curriculum such as the Wilson Reading System that integrates sounds, decoding, encoding and written language skills is essential for this type of learner.

The Organized School Binder was created by Marge to help her students learn proper organizational skills that can be applied to all aspects of their lives. The binder teaches students how to categorize and encourages forming healthy habits that frown upon clutter and disarray. The system is especially helpful for learning disabled students who often need systems in place to ensure a structured and attainable learning experience.

Marge’s system is about simplicity and she says teaching students the Organized School Binder approach early in life provides an excellent opportunity to prevent them from failing later on.

The Organized School Binder is a three ring binder that incorporates various useful organizational tools such as tabbed sections for each school subject. Instead of buying dozens of folders for each subject, the Organized School Binder has ONE folder which students use during the day to store their paperwork. At the end of each day, students must organize and file their papers behind the proper subject tabs.

Marge believes that organization is the key to success in many areas of our lives, “We are trying to teach students how to organize their time and their materials. These skills transfer over to everyday tasks in life. We categorize and organize all day long, sometimes without even knowing it,” says Marge.

Marge is calling on schools nationwide to adopt her 3 ring binder system for students as young as 1^st grade. “It’s preventative medicine,” says Marge, “Let’s teach them organization before they become disorganized.”

The Organized School Binder is for sale on Marge’s website, http://www.organizedschoolbinder.com/ . Schools may also contact Marge regarding bulk orders by sending an email to info@OrganizedSchoolBinder.com or by filling out a contact form online at http://www.organizedschoolbinder.com/purchase-binder-system

About Marge Weiner

Marge Weiner is the creator and founder of the Organized School Binder system and the Total Learning Center located in New Jersey. She has dedicated her 30 year professional career to helping alternative learners reach their full potential. The Total Learning Center was founded by Marge in 1982 and is the only center of its kind in NJ to offer remedial and enrichment programs for children and adults with learning disabilities.

She received her B.A. in Special Education from William Paterson University and her M.A. in Special Education from Loyola College. In addition she is a certified Academic Language Therapist with specialized training in the area of dyslexia.

For more information visit:

http://www.thetotallearningcenter.com

http://www.organizedschoolbinder.com/

Marge Weiner, Creator of the Organized School Binder and Founder of The Total Learning Center

The TLC offers a unique facility that offers remedial and enrichment programs for children and adults. Directed by Marge Weiner, a noted learning specialist, the Total Learning Center features a hands on multisensory approach to learning that can help children and adults master the challenges of today and the skills they need for a lifetime.

In this BLOG area, you’ll find new and exciting ways to improve your learning and study skill every week. With the help of Marge Weiner M.A., the director and founder of the Total Learning Center. Marge received her B.A. in Special Education from William Paterson University and her M.A. in Special Education from Loyola College. In addition she is a certified Academic Language Therapist with specialized training in the area of dyslexia.

You can write to Marge to request a question to be answered on her weekly Study Skills Blog at: mwtlc@aol.com

Thanks and we look forward to hearing from you!