Learning disabled students need a recognizable structure and routine in their lives. Have a particular place and time when learning activities are to take place.

Children will not learn in the midst of fear, tension, or confusion, nor will they progress if they are afraid to make a mistake. Give encouragement and praise often. Envision and expect reasonable success and improvement.

Keep behavior demands as few as possible. Have a few general rules which cover as many areas as possible. Be sure to follow your own rules!

Determine what you want him to do. Analyze the process and teach him the steps. Allow enough time for practice. Above all, praise him for every gain, however small!

Record what he can do now. When he makes progress, be sure to let him know and praise him for it. Be proud of your child and his progress, however small!

Clearly state what you expect him to do. Vary the presentation, review, and method of evaluation as much as possible.

Praise any real progress with enthusiasm. If there is no progress, praise the effort he has put forth. Plan rewards just because. Let him know that your love is not dependent on his performance or achievement.

Limit the choices to what he can control and gradually increase the amount of responsibility. Never offer a choice when there is none.

Multi-sensory approaches involve the learner's hands, eyes, mind, heart, ears, touch and voice. Multi-sensory involves the whole person. Be careful not to overwhelm or confuse.

Children with short attention spans need to stop and refocus more often than we do. Give them the opportunity to break, but also provide directed and assisted return to work!

Review does not always have to be the same. Use your imagination. If you need help, buy it. There are many books to assist you in this.

Be creative and encourage your child to be creative.

To be remembered, it must relate to something that is already known, understood, and remembered by your child.

Don't teach untruth. Don't give your child the opportunity to doubt that there is a truth. Don't give him the opportunity to wonder if you are able to identify the truth when you see it. Seek out the truth and teach it.

Try to relate a subject to a need in the child's life. We learn best what we are interested in, so help your child to be interested. Teach first the skills that are needed to cope with normal living, then go on to the extras.

When presenting a new topic, show the whole first whenever possible. Then relate each piece to the whole.

Decide "Why?" before you determine what to teach.

Make it relevant, and make it count. Studies show that information is best learned when taught within the normal context of daily living.

Everyone needs to feel that their effort is accomplishing something. Children are no different.

We do need to expect achievement and mastery of subjects. We need to be realistic, project positive goals and their achievement. Record progress and praise him for it.

We need to look beyond the surface behavior to the attitude. Developing healthy and wholesome attitudes is of major importance.

Let him know that you love him in spite of his struggles and that you'll be there for him.

TABLE OF CONTENTS