The Yellin Center Newsletter: Fall 2011
Another summer has come to an end, and it's time once again to hit the books! In this edition of our newsletter, we have informative articles about getting young readers off to a good start by building phonemic awareness; alternatives to traditional college programs; and a brief history of psychoeducational testing from our unique vantage point.
What's New At The Yellin Center
We are extremely pleased about our recent partnership with Advocates for Children of New York. AFC's mission is to promote access to the best education New York can provide for all students, especially students of color and students from low-income backgrounds. We are working with AFC to help deliver our innovative educational assessment program to a small group of young people in need of educational support. Learn more about this organization and their critical work at www.advocatesforchildren.org.
It has never been easier to recommend articles or services from The Yellin Center to your friends, family, and fellow parents. To share articles from our newsletter or blog (updated regularly), look for social sharing buttons at the bottom of each article. If you believe our services might be helpful for the children of your friends or family members, request a call or brochure, send them a link, or recommend us via Facebook or Google.
The Yellin Center is now on YouTube. We're only getting started, with just a handful of videos on our channel so far, but we plan to offer a wide range of dynamic and informative videos, from demonstrations of specific instructional and support techniques to archival webcasts of Dr. Yellin's presentations. Watch a sample below, and subscribe to the channel for updates later this year.
What's New At The Yellin Center
We are extremely pleased about our recent partnership with Advocates for Children of New York. AFC's mission is to promote access to the best education New York can provide for all students, especially students of color and students from low-income backgrounds. We are working with AFC to help deliver our innovative educational assessment program to a small group of young people in need of educational support. Learn more about this organization and their critical work at www.advocatesforchildren.org.
It has never been easier to recommend articles or services from The Yellin Center to your friends, family, and fellow parents. To share articles from our newsletter or blog (updated regularly), look for social sharing buttons at the bottom of each article. If you believe our services might be helpful for the children of your friends or family members, request a call or brochure, send them a link, or recommend us via Facebook or Google.
The Yellin Center is now on YouTube. We're only getting started, with just a handful of videos on our channel so far, but we plan to offer a wide range of dynamic and informative videos, from demonstrations of specific instructional and support techniques to archival webcasts of Dr. Yellin's presentations. Watch a sample below, and subscribe to the channel for updates later this year.
Building Early Phonemic Awareness in Young Children
Phonemic awareness, the ability to differentiate between the sounds that make up speech, is critical in learning to read. According to Bear et. al (2008), “Phonemic awareness…refers to the ability to identify and reflect on the smallest units of sound: individual phonemes. Children who have phonemic awareness learn to read more easily than children who do not.” While phonemic awareness is a skill that develops slowly over time as a result of exposure to language, there are many fun activities that can help children build these skills to be ready for reading instruction.
Read the complete article.
Read the complete article.
What Parents Should Know About Psychoeducational Testing
Psychoeducational assessment is divided into two main components: cognitive testing and achievement testing. Achievement tests are geared toward measuring one’s skills and knowledge (e.g. reading, writing, and math) that have been developed over time. Cognitive tests, on the other hand, focus more on one’s mental processes (e.g. forming concepts, holding information in mind, and interpreting visual information) that feed into the acquisition of such academic competencies. It is important to note, however, that such capacities are not purely innate and can be developed, just as can reading, writing, or math. While IQ (one of the more well-known cognitive measures) is generally stable over time, so tend to be many other factors, such as familial and educational environment. The degree to which nature and nurture come into play in cognitive and achievement test results is debatable, but that they are both at play is a generally agreed upon notion.
Read the complete article.
Read the complete article.
College Alternatives
Not every high school senior is ready to move on to college. Sometimes, students finishing high school need a bit more time to mature and to develop the skills that will enable them to thrive in the more independent setting of a four-year or community college. Sometimes, students have learning difficulties which will make it difficult for them to meet the academic demands of college, even with appropriate accommodations and supports. And sometimes, students have a specific career goal in mind that is best reached by something other than a typical college program. Fortunately, there are numerous alternative paths and programs available that students and their families may want to consider.
Read the complete article.
Read the complete article.