Psyched About School

During the pandemic, celebrities have used social media to raise awareness and money for many causes. They have also used their platforms to read children's books. We are highlighting and sharing information about ways you can watch and hear your favorite celebrities reading. Save With Stories Celebrity : Various Where : Instagram When : Anytime Are you a fan of Russell Wilson? How about Terry Crews, Kerry Washington, Mindy Kaling, Kamala Harris, and JJ Watt? Check out these celebs, athletes, actresses, and politicians reading their favorite children’s books on Instagram. You can see your favorite celebs read by following the Instagram account “ Save With Stories .” Goodnight with Dolly  Celebrity : Dolly Parton Where : Facebook and YouTube When : Thursday nights at 7:00 pm EST “Goodnight with Dolly” is a 10 week program that features Dolly Parton reading books from her Imagination Library . Dolly reads titles that include “Llamma Llamma Red Pajama,” and “ The Littl...

There's so much information coming at us from so many different directions right now.  Not only are we trying to keep up with news about this pandemic and how to keep our families safe, but we're experiencing disruptions to our social lives and our jobs.  The cherry on top of this COVID-19 sundae is that many parents are now being asked to step into what is, for many, a brand new role: distance learning facilitator.  (Make sure you put that on your resumes from now on! 😉)  Parents, students and educators are ALL scrambling to learn new routines and new technologies with very little - if any - warning, guidance or training. Recently, the Twitter feed for @teachergoals.org  posted something that really resonated.  When I feel myself getting overwhelmed by the "tsunami of stuff" coming at from me all directions, I revisit this tweet : Since this blog is written by a bunch of psychologists, it's probably no surprise that student mental health is our pas...

As you may know, reading is very important for development and learning. Students should read at least 30 minutes a day but with the stay-in home orders, students do not have access to public and school libraries. The Forsyth County Library has created  a way to register for a virtual library card that gives people access to the online database, ebooks, eaudiobooks, and emagazines. Follow this link below to register for a Forsyth County Library Virtual Library Card: Virtual Library Card Please allow 1-2 business days for the Forsyth County Library to process the request. Once your request has been processed, you will be able to access the digital books on a computer, smart phone, or tablet. Show us how you read digitally at #wsfcslearnon and #wspsychs. Happy Reading!

We want to continue to bring you resources for both academic and social-emotional learning as we enter this new era of virtual learning.  We love the new "Caring for Each Other" initiative from Sesame Street, which is described as follows: "Your friends on Sesame Street are here to support you and your family during the COVID-19 health crisis. We understand that these are very stressful times; our daily lives have been disrupted, and we are all coping with uncertainty. As we create a new sense of normalcy, it's important that we take care of ourselves, so that we can best care for our children." We first discovered the Sesame Street initiative in this article from the PBS and NPR parent company, GPB.  The article notes that PBS is working to expand offerings of free on-demand episodes of Sesame Street on PBS KIDS digital platforms .   In the "Parents" section of PBS KIDS, you'll find resources on how to manage both the physical and ...

·         North Carolina is moving towards implementation of  a multi tiered  system of support (MTSS) where students who have academic difficulty are required to go through targeted intervention before being referred to special education. MTSS as a framework is designed to provide students with high-quality instruction and intervention that match their needs. MTSS considers several factors that may impact a student's ability to learn in order to ensure that we are not inappropriately  referring students to special education.         Referring a child to special education services without proper investigation of environmental factors is not an effective solution. Special education is not mutually beneficial and misclassification could lead to expectations that are not consistent with the learner's true ability (Flannagan, IASP 2015: Sheperd, 1975). In other words, telling a child and their family that they h...

The Edutopia website is one of our favorites.  The article " Extending the Silence " discusses the strategy of using "wait time" effectively in the classroom.  Research has provided evidence that " pausing for three or more seconds showed a noticeable positive impact on learning."  However, research also shows us that "the average length that teachers pause was found to be 0.9 seconds."  The author notes that, while silence in the classroom can be uncomfortable for both teachers and students initially, students need time to process new information, make connections to previous learning/experiences, and then prepare a thoughtful, organized response.  That's a lot to ask for in 0.9 seconds! Here are some strategies from the author for incorporating this information in the classroom: "Provide wait time: Give students five to 15 seconds to formulate a response to a question for which they should know the answer. Not every learner pro...

We recently came across this article on the concept of academic 'red-shirting' as it relates to Kindergarten students and, with the end of the school year fast approaching, it seemed like a good time to pass this information along to parents who may be in the process of making decisions about Kindergarten for next school year: Is Your Child Ready for Kindergarten? If you are not familiar with this concept, it refers to the idea of delaying Kindergarten enrollment with the idea that this improves overall student outcomes.  However, as the article notes, there isn't a clear research consensus on the pros or cons of this academic red-shirting practice.  The author offers the following advice for parents who are currently facing this decision: "Despite the weightiness of the decision, rest assured that a child is likely to be successful whichever path his parents choose."

If you are a parent in the WS/FCS, you probably have gotten recent reminders to check your child's grades in PowerSchool.  If you followed that suggestion, you may have felt pride (grades are good), surprise (wait, she had A's and B's but now she has C's and D's), frustration (he still got a D in spite of all the tutoring sessions), or even anger (she is failing everything).  Some parents may have discovered that their middle schooler has not been doing homework, even though he's been telling you all quarter that the teachers never assign any.  At the middle school I serve, this is one of the most common problems I see.  Students who are capable of doing well are making poor grades because they simply don't do their homework. In this this article published by the Moultrie News, middle school English teacher Jody Stallings shares his three-step plan with parents for curing Chronic Laziness Syndrome (CLS).  While the steps seems fairly easy, the hard ...

It is difficult to know how to  motivate kids to be readers.  For some children, it seems that reading is easy, natural and fun.  However, for some children, it is more like having to push a large rock up a  hill repeatedly.  We know that kids need to be readers in order to be successful in school. We also know that people don't like to do activities that make them feel bad or that they just don't find interesting.  So, how do we make reading feel good for everyone?  The publishers of Reading Rockets have compiled a listing of articles to give ideas to both educators and parents.  Check it out. Ideas to build love of reading

The debate regarding Growth vs. Proficiency in education has been all over the news since last week's confirmation hearing. In education, this debate has been going on for years.  Just as we noted in our previous blog about IDEA, you might not understand the difference between growth and proficiency if you aren't an educator.  I looked high and low to find an article that could explain both sides of the argument without getting too political.  Although this article from 74million.org brings up the political implications, it does so in such a way that the reader can understand the importance behind the argument.  To learn more visit The Growth vs. Proficiency Debate  

There is no denying the high activity level in some little boys.  I remember all too well my own feelings of exhaustion trying to chase after my busy five year old son.  As he entered kindergarten and began learning to read, I often worried that he would never slow down long enough to do that. Thankfully, he did learn to read in spite of all the time he spent running around.  Turns out, there may be a correlation between higher levels of physical activity and the development of reading skills in some boys, according to the results of a recent study out of Finland.  This study may have important implications for schools trying to figure out the balance between time spent on physical activity and time spent on learning.  To read more about this study, visit  Time Magazine

As we come to another long break for the holidays everyone is looking forward to relaxing at home and spending time with loved ones. Unfortunately, we know this is not true for many of the students that we work with and serve. It is especially important during this time that we are aware of the words we use and behaviors we exhibit around our students.  Many of the ones who live in poverty find comfort and safety in school that they do not have at home. Below is important information provided by Michelle McDonald written for the NASP publication (Volume 41 Issue 7). Also below the information are important resources/ contact information to help our students in need. The Impact of School Breaks on Students Living in Poverty By Michelle McDonald    Summer and winter breaks from school can be highly anticipated times for students and educators. However, for students living in poverty, the break from school can bring hidden challenges that school psychologists should b...

For years, schools have been using computers to accommodate some of the needs of dyslexic students. But with the rapid changes in technology, it can be difficult to keep up with the latest and greatest.  For many of these students, technology has helped them overcome obstacles in order to reach their potential.  This article from Time Magazine provides some of the latest technology available for struggling readers. They break it down by elementary, middle, and high school since there are great options available at all levels.  To learn more, visit http://time.com/10-tech-hacks-to-help-a-struggling-reader/

As school psychologists, we frequently hear teachers and parents express concerns over letter reversals.  Although letter reversals are a common problem until around age 7, this problem is still considered a red flag for dyslexia by many.  In this article from Understood.org, the author explains why this is not necessarily a sign of dyslexia, when it is time to become concerned, and strategies for helping your child with this difficulty.  To learn more, visit  FAQs About Letter Reversals

Last week, I saw this story from Colorado Public Radio and thought it was worth sharing with others.  It opens with this: " Ecno ynam sraey oga a relddif emac ot eht egalliv. Eh doots ni eht egalliv erauqs litnu eht elpoep emac ot netsil dna ot ecnad. A ylloj rehctu decnad htiw eht diamklim . That was the sentence in front of me and I didn’t know what it said."  The author of the story, Jenny Brundin, describes her experiences alongside Denver area teachers in a workshop that was designed to simulate learning difficulties.  One of the most powerful observations she shares is the sense of frustration and hopelessness that many of the adult participants experienced during this simulation.  Even veteran teachers within this group described feeling discouraged and experiencing self-doubt.  It was interesting to see that some of the adults in this simulation also engaged in behaviors such as "shutting down, avoidance [and] being angry" as a re...

During this testing season, it important to remember that the tests are really about a student and not necessarily a score.  You may have already seen this touching note that has gone viral this year.  This teacher really gets it.  If you haven't read it, please take a moment to visit  http://mashable.com/2016/03/01/standardized-test-teachers-note/#PjMNCHaDUsqE  so you can.

We mentioned in a previous blog that we would be posting strategies to help students prepare for the end of year tests.  That preparation should include not only recommendations for how to study but also ideas for how to manage the anxiety that might accompany the tests.  This page from the National Education Association includes all kinds of links to websites for test taking tips.  They have links for students, parents and educators in grades K-12.  To learn more, visit  http://www.nea.org/tools/lessons/Test-Prep-Review-Strategies.html

Are your students worried about the upcoming End of Grade tests or exams?  There are lots of great suggestions for how to prepare for them (be looking for another post about that), but here are some ideas from PBSKids for how to manage the stress once the test actually begins.  To see them all, visit  http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/school/teststress/article10.html

There seems to be much discussion about the rigors of the kindergarten curriculum.  This article from The Atlantic compares the Common Core expectations to kindergartens in Finland, where teachers basically develop individualized learning plans for each student when they enter school.  The guide for what is included in the plans is the child's own interests and readiness. To learn more about kindergarten in Finland and what some of the research on this topic says, visit  http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/10/the-joyful-illiterate-kindergartners-of-finland/408325/ To hear more about what our own Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Schools believes, visit  http://leaders.edweek.org/profile/steve-oates-assistant-superintendent-of-elementary-administration-early-childhood-education/?cmp=SOC-EDIT-FB

Here is great method to help our Kindergarten and first grade students learn to read and recognize words and familiar signs. Instead of numbers make a sign using Environmental Print (a term used to describe the words we use and see around the environment). The game will promote the literacy is out students. First the students match logos and images to their matching words. They then use the logos and images to make their own bingo cards, which they read with a partner. After they play bingo to the logos and images you can remove the images and have the student match with just words. BINGO with Environmental Print Here is the link that also provides important research based information on the effectiveness of this program, and links to standards. It also provides the lesson plan for teachers to follow. Happy BINGO!