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How Coexisting Conditions Affect Learning & How to Address Them Does my child have ADHD? An Auditory Processing Disorder? Oppositional Defiant Disorder? Anxiety? Distinguishing symptoms in your child can seem like an impossible feat because many learning or sensory difficulties can, on the surface, appear quite similar. According to research, the coexistence of ADHD with other disorders can be higher than 50%. Students with ADHD often have other behavioural, emotional, and learning difficulties which makes diagnosing students with ADHD difficult. Children who lack attention and focus as a result of ADHD and who also present with a learning disorder will [...]

Why the First Five Years Are Critical for Childhood Learning When it comes to development, the early years offer a crucial window of opportunity. During the first five years, children learn appropriate behavior, empathy, and social and cognitive skills. They also start to develop fine and gross motor skills, as well as speech and language. Sadly, many students do not properly acquire these skills due to technology and the lack of interpersonal communication. There is a positive correlation between social interaction and a child’s development. One of the most impactful things parents can do for their child’s language development is [...]

What Homework Problems Reveal About Learning Challenges What is the purpose of homework? Besides giving parents more grey hairs and wrinkles, the belief is that homework instills values such as responsibility, perseverance, time-management, and self-reliance. Some say it gets students to practice what has been learned, strengthens academic skills, and even helps earn better grades. Others complain that too much homework causes burnout and depletes beneficial leisure time. The long-running debate on the benefits of homework remains; however, one thing is certain: issues with homework can be a red flag. If your child is not learning and retaining information, there [...]

How Tutoring Improves Academic Performance & Confidence When your child begins to struggle in school, is your first thought to seek out tutoring support? If so, you are not alone. Tutoring is often the first service that pops into parents’ minds when their child is having difficulty. However, tutoring alone cannot solve learning problems. Take reading, for example. Contrary to what is believed, reading is not “taught” in school. In fact, the whole language approach to teaching reading has been in practice for the past 25-30 years. The basic premise is that if you are exposed to the written word, [...]

How to Use Report Cards to Plan Summer Learning Strategies Parents rely on report cards as a barometer of how their child is doing in school. The Centre frequently reviews the most recent report card of a student we are poised to work with. If the child goes to an elementary school, we often hear comments from parents such as, "These report card marks are not a true reflection of my child’s ability. He cannot read yet got 75% in English, Math, and French." Nevertheless, the student may struggle to auditorily and visually process information learned in the classroom, may [...]