Sacramento Head Start Alumni Association

ReadingRockets.org Focuses on Reading Disabilities

Jan 26, 2005

http://www.readingrockets.org/
"Target the Problem" is part of an ongoing initiative called Reading Rockets, which looks at how young children learn to read, why so many kids struggle, and what can be done about it.



Problems with auditory processing, language processing, visual processing, auditory/visual integration, memory, attention, fluency, and comprehension are defined in lay terms, making it easy for parents and teachers to match a child?’s behavior with characteristics of a reading disability. "Target the Problem" includes specific things parents, teachers and children can do to increase skills, accommodate weaknesses and build upon a child?’s strengths.



"Target the Problem," a collaborative project of Reading Rockets?’ partner site also recognizes how self-esteem and motivation plummet when children struggle with reading. A roll-over interactive on the Web site includes self-defeating comments ("put downs") that children who struggle in school often say or think and the responses ("comebacks") that parents and teachers can use to turn around these debilitating thoughts and feelings.



"We?’re very excited about ?‘Target the Problem' because we haven?’t found anything like it anywhere on the Web," said Pamela McKeta, director of online services for Reading Rockets. "By outlining specific characteristics of reading difficulties, the interactive helps demystify labels such as ?‘auditory processing problems.?’ It helps parents and teachers identify the issue and move on to detailed suggestions for helping a child who is struggling to read."



The information for "Target the Problem" was researched and created by the Access Center: Improving Outcomes for All Students K-8 which is housed at the American Institutes for Research in Washington, D.C. The Access Center is a national technical assistance project supported by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. Its goal is to increase awareness of effective practices and programs that can help students with disabilities learn the content and skills embedded in the general education curriculum.