1 out of 5...Is it You?

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The School Work Guru

By Rhory Kadish Lamboy

Twitter: TheSchoolWorkGuru

Rainy days at Starbucks, black licorice, and smooth jazz are delicious, but what I love best is kids; all ages! Uncovering their gifts so that they can give them back to the world, gets me out of bed in the morning. Having been a general education and special education teacher for more that 25 years, I have heard it all. I am a teacher and educational therapist. I know how to find student’s gifts, and lift their confidence. I graduated from Brooklyn College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Speech and Theatre. My Master’s of Science Degree is from Cal Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, Ca.It’s in Special Education with a minor in Mediated Learning. I have two Special Education Credentials and a General Education Credential as well. While I am proud of these accomplishments, my fulfillment comes when my students prosper. I relate well to kids of all ages, and probably because I'm a big kid myself. I tutor a precious third grader who told me that he hoped that when he grows up and has children that I’d still be tutoring so that I could tutor his kids. He feels safe, respected, and now knows the joy of learning. That’s why I love what I do and get to do what I love.

1 out of 5...Is it You?

Posted on September 04, 2013

1 out of 5 of us has a learning disability!

Next time you go out to dinner with your family or you are waiting in line at the market with a friend (or waiting on line if you are from New York), remember that one out of five of us has a learning disability. I am not a math tutor, but

I know 20% is a big number. Also remember that genetics plays a role here, like it or not. The good news is that children/adults with learning disabilities are smart. People with learning disabilities are not dumb or lazy. They just process information differently. The truth is that we all process information differently. We don’t need the labels. Unfortunately, we don’t always take this into consideration when teaching children When I taught 5th grade special education, I asked Ben to solve a math problem. I don’t remember the problem, but I do remember how he answered it. He didn’t use a pencil and paper to get his answer. I watched the wheels in his head spin. He gave me the correct answer. Curious, I asked him how he got to his answer, which was correct. He explained it as if he were taking a trip around the world and eventually came back to ground zero. I was amazed. You might be amazed too. And they called him learning disabled.

If you suspect your child is struggling:

Have them tested at school. There is no charge.

Find out how they learn best. You can GOOGLE…

”How to access my child’s learning style.”

I suggest you pick ones that are free and ones that you can score online. Kids really love this. Do your own also.

Explain to your children that we all learn differently.

GOOGLE… famous people with learning disabilities.

I read somewhere that it might be possible that George Washington had dyslexia. He was a lousy speller and had horrible handwriting. Unfortunately, diagnosis at that time wasn’t available. Perhaps that was a good thing. He was too busy figuring out a way to get the British to pack their bags and cruise back to England.

Whether your children or students have declared learning disabilities or they are struggling to make friends, or they are just having trouble memorizing their times tables, be gentle with them. Remind yourself, we all have battles we need to overcome. They will thank you.

Moral of the story: Always assume that children know more than you think they do. They always do!