The Yellin Center Newsletter: Summer 2012
Greetings from steamy NYC!
Summer is upon us and in this issue of our quarterly newsletter we look at the phenomenon called “summer slide,” which can happen when students, especially those with special learning needs, spend their summer break without educational experiences. We look at ways to balance the need for summer instruction with taking a vacation break, and hopefully can help you and your children find a happy balance between learning and fun during the dog days of July and August. We also explore the question of how to know when a student may need an updated educational evaluation, and we look at some typical scenarios that might help you decide what is right for your child. Finally, Dr. Yellin weighs in on recent research into the efficacy of increasingly-popular “brain training” programs.
Whether your summer plans include travel, relaxing at home, or hitting the local beach or pool, we wish you a safe and enjoyable summer!
New this Fall: Academic Coaching
The Yellin Center will offer expanded Academic Coaching services beginning later this year. For more information about Academic Coaching sessions with Yellin Center staff, or to be added to our waiting list, please contact us.
Just Announced: Professional Development Workshop for Educators in October
The Yellin Center will host a professional development presentation titled "What Educators Need to Know About Executive Function" for teachers, school administrators, school learning specialists, and other related professionals in New York on Thursday, October 11, starting at 4:30 p.m. Attendance is free, but space is limited and registration is required by September 30. We will provide additional information about this exciting opportunity for educators in our next edition of The Yellin Center Newsletter. To register, please send us an email.
Dr. Yellin to Present in Seattle, WA
Later this month Dr. Yellin will be heading out to Seattle, Washington to speak to the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired about his work with The New York Institute for Special Education to bring The Yellin Center assessment model to students with visual impairments.
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Summer is upon us and in this issue of our quarterly newsletter we look at the phenomenon called “summer slide,” which can happen when students, especially those with special learning needs, spend their summer break without educational experiences. We look at ways to balance the need for summer instruction with taking a vacation break, and hopefully can help you and your children find a happy balance between learning and fun during the dog days of July and August. We also explore the question of how to know when a student may need an updated educational evaluation, and we look at some typical scenarios that might help you decide what is right for your child. Finally, Dr. Yellin weighs in on recent research into the efficacy of increasingly-popular “brain training” programs.
Whether your summer plans include travel, relaxing at home, or hitting the local beach or pool, we wish you a safe and enjoyable summer!
New this Fall: Academic Coaching
The Yellin Center will offer expanded Academic Coaching services beginning later this year. For more information about Academic Coaching sessions with Yellin Center staff, or to be added to our waiting list, please contact us.
Just Announced: Professional Development Workshop for Educators in October
The Yellin Center will host a professional development presentation titled "What Educators Need to Know About Executive Function" for teachers, school administrators, school learning specialists, and other related professionals in New York on Thursday, October 11, starting at 4:30 p.m. Attendance is free, but space is limited and registration is required by September 30. We will provide additional information about this exciting opportunity for educators in our next edition of The Yellin Center Newsletter. To register, please send us an email.
Dr. Yellin to Present in Seattle, WA
Later this month Dr. Yellin will be heading out to Seattle, Washington to speak to the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired about his work with The New York Institute for Special Education to bring The Yellin Center assessment model to students with visual impairments.
Tell A Friend About The Yellin Center
Follow The Yellin Center on your social network of choice. We're on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and YouTube.
How To Prevent The "Summer Slide"
To a child’s ears, the phrase “summer vacation” is synonymous with freedom. They look forward to months of relaxing, sleeping in, and not thinking about school until it’s time to restock pencil boxes again in September. To many educators, however, “summer vacation” is synonymous with “summer slide.” Alas, this isn’t a water park attraction; the summer slide, also called summer learning loss, is a phenomenon in which students lose several weeks’ or even months’ worth of knowledge and skills during summer vacation, skills that they worked throughout the academic year to build.
Read the complete article
Read the complete article
When Should A Student Be Re-Evaluated for Learning Issues?
When – if ever – might a student who has undergone an educational evaluation in the past need an updated evaluation? Generally, the accepted “shelf-life” of an educational evaluation is considered to be three to five years, depending on each student’s specific situation. However, some students may benefit from more frequent evaluations. A number of factors should be taken into account when determining if and when a re-evaluation may be necessary for a student.
Read the complete article
Read the complete article
Memory Training Programs Fail Researchers' Review
Research demonstrating that brain training programs are beneficial may sound convincing. We know that working memory, which is often compared to a computer’s RAM, is an important brain function that plays a major role in many important activities. We also know that these programs can lead to short-term improvements in performance on working memory tests. However, what has not been clear among all of the hype surrounding these commercial programs are the answers to two critical questions: Do these improvements persist over time? Does the improved performance on working memory tests translate to improved performance in school?
Read the complete article
Read the complete article
Top photo by Elena Gaillard/Flickr Creative Commons
