Synergistic Education Planning

Synergistic communication is an important part of developing a strong Individual Education Plan (IEP) or 504 Plan. If you want your child’s plan to be implemented, you should prepare it in a collaborative way by considering the benefits for your child, her classmates, and her teacher. For example, . . .

Educational Care: Actively Addressing Math Problems

In math, the child with executive skill challenges may struggle with, inconsistent application of multiple step math procedures for regrouping (carrying and borrowing), variable problem solving skills, trouble completing all steps in multiple step word problems, inconsistent reasoning with time and money, and trouble recalling procedures for higher level math such as algebra and calculus. In this article, you’ll learn ways to help your struggling child or teen.

Accommodating Math Problems

Students who struggle with learning, attention, and executive functioning challenges can have trouble with different aspects of math, including fact recall, multiple-step math computations, and math problem solving.  In addition to providing them age-appropriate strategies, these students can benefit from classroom accommodations.  Accommodating involves adjusting for areas of known weaknesses in math computations and problem…

Flexibility in Writing Essays and Reports

Parents and teachers often say that children with attention challenges struggle to complete written reports and essays.  Students often say they don’t know where to start.  Flexible structuring can help.  First, a number of accommodations can help when students with learning problems, ADHD, and related executive functioning challenges prepare written essays and reports. Use Technology…

Classroom Accommodations: The Art of Flexible Structuring

Classroom accommodations are a vital part of the management process for children who struggle with learning, attention, and executive functioning problems. Accommodations should be used to assist children and teens in managing their struggles while facilitating success in their academic and personal efforts.

Ask Questions to Write Better Sentences

Use this structured step-by-step approach to help your child or teen better express her creative thoughts and ideas in writing.  Beginning at the sentence level, help her write to describe, inform, explain, request, demand, amuse, and convince. First, help your child understand basic sentence structure. A basic sentence has two things.  A noun:  boy                                                    A verb:  …

Four Easy Steps to Plan Better Paragraphs

Once your student can write variety of sentences, you can start to help her learn how to plan paragraphs by organizing ideas into a logical sequence.  By providing a structured, step-by-step approach to this task, you can help her stay focused on the task at hand.

To AP or Not to AP? That is the Question!

Students attending advanced placement (AP) courses often say that they enjoy learning more and being challenged in these classes. On the other hand, many students say that they spend hours completing homework, finishing projects, and studying for exams in pre-AP and AP courses.

Many of Dr. Davenport’s teen clients attend advanced placement courses. This article outlines some of the considerations he suggests they think about in order to achieve the right balance between AP course benefits, AP course demands, and their quality of life.