Newsletter
Spring, 2019
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What parents of dyslexic children
are teaching schools about literacy
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 Parents can make a difference! Join COKID and stay informed of parent-led efforts to change the laws here in Colorado.
Click here. |
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BVKID Presents our Barton Lending library
 Following the vision of the late Trudy Bortz, BVKID is proud to lend Barton materials for BVSD parents to use with their children. Each level kit contains training DVDs, tiles, and other materials for that level.
Welcome to BVKID’s lending library.
Click here for more details.
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The following is a list of programs for the summer. There may be a waiting list for some of these outstanding camps so keep them in mind for next summer too.
Mentoring Through Movement
Since 2015, Mentoring Through Movement has been dedicated to assisting students who struggle with executive functioning in the classroom. Pre-teach math, writing, and more.
Rocky Mountain Camp
Summer camp for dyslexic kids that provides an intensive 5-week language immersion program for diagnosed dyslexic youngsters ages 7-13. RMC’s highly individualized academic program provides an hour daily of the following: One-on-one Orton-Gillingham tutoring, individualized study hall, composition, and fluency reading.
Denver Academy
Differentiated instruction and FUN for diverse learners in grades 1 to 12
Durango Mountain Camp (Durango)
5 weeks of one-on-one OG training and outdoor pursuits
Hillsprings Academy (Colorado Springs)
Academic skills in reading, writing, and math
Knippenberg, Patterson and Associates
Socialization groups designed to help children and teens improve social skills
Results Learning
Executive Functioning Skills Camp plus One-on-One Coaching for Reading and Dyslexia and Subject Specific Tutoring
American Reading Corps, LLC
Individualized 4-5 week intensive reading program in Highlands Ranch
303 Learning
Summer Intensive Small Group Tutoring Sessions using the Wilson Reading System
Hillside Summer Program
Hillside is excited to offer our summer program again this year! Hillside’s program is a fun way for students to keep their skills sharp over the summer, while also connecting with other students in an enjoyable academic setting.
Owl Education Group
Join us this summer for our 6 week SAT prep classes held 100% online. Each class meets for 1 hour three times per week.
Soar Summer Camp
SOAR offers high adventure summer camps designed specifically for youth and young adults between the ages of 8 and 25 diagnosed with ADHD and LD. Each of our summer camp programs promotes friendships, increase self-confidence, and develop life skills.
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- Thursday, November 14th from 6-8 PM: Experience Dyslexia® simulation along with a Q & A at the Ed Center in Boulder.
- Thursday, October 3rd from 6-8 PM: Assistive Technology Night with BVSD Assistive Tech team and representatives from Google Read & Write will share what AT options for students with learning challenges.
More to come...follow our FB page or visit our website for more information.
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If you are searching for a structured literacy program that is affordable, flexible, and evidence-based for kids who struggle with dyslexia, then try Lexercise Basic Therapy. We have partnered with Multisensory Reading Group to offer this program at a discount. Click here to learn more.
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Attention, Behavior, and Learning (ABL)
Clinic in Boulder
This clinic offers an assessment of ADHD, learning disabilities, and other cognitive, emotional, and behavioral difficulties for children and adolescents. Select services are also provided to CU students and other adults. To obtain more information about these assessments, please call our intake line at 303-492-6351.
Here are a few tidbits about ABL Clinic that you may not know:
- ABL is entirely self-sufficient, covering overhead, salaries, and supplies entirely through client fees, grants, and donations. Other than the CU Outreach funds, which we apply for annually, the clinic receives no university support financially.
- We have been committed to serving families with financial need through scholarships for over 15 years.
- Our trainees have gone on to positions at Children's Hospital Colorado, Duke University, Stanford University, and University of California San Diego. Several are also school psychologists right here in Colorado!
- Our clinic is also involved in research on childhood learning, attention, and emotional functioning.
Please see the latest newsletter for an update from the ABL Clinic
Quick link to a screener that is available: Click here.
Nomita Chhabildas, Ph.D.
University of Colorado, Boulder
Attention, Behavior, and Learning Clinic
345 UCB
Boulder, CO 80309
Ph: 303-735-5570
Fax: 303-492-2967
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How do I keep my child from sliding behind over the summer?
Students can engage in reading, writing and games throughout the summer to help maintain the language and math gains that they have worked on all year long. Here are a few ideas:
- Read aloud to family members and their pets.
- Sign up at their local library for the "reading" challenge. Selected books with the help of the librarian will make reading accessible and at the appropriate level.
- Linking book subjects to camp and traveling trips will enhance their understanding and buy into reading.
- Keeping travel journals based upon the state, country or regional attractions with illustrations will become a way for students to record their favorite experiences.
- Writing letters and emails to friends and family to stay in touch with peers/family will encourage writing skills.
- Load up on audio books that your student will enjoy reading. Finding the film version of the book is an added reward for completing the reading of the text.
- Playing word games will maintain mastery of phonemic rules, syllabic types and vocabulary words learned.
- Scrabble, Hangman, Boggle, and Quiddler of some favorites that span many grade levels.
- There are many free sites for students to practice word building, vocabulary skills, and reading comprehension. Try searching Google "word games for kids."
- Students can access online sites that allow practice math facts and their application to all types of problems. Cool Math Games is free. Times Tables the Fun Way is an interactive, multi-sensory program teaching multiplication.
- Playing card and dice games are fun activities to maintain math skills. Some inexpensive games are Cribbage and Farkel (Farkle).
- Implementing a daily or weekly goal that is attached to concrete rewards that parents can afford and the students value in one way to keep the motivation going and sustain a commitment to working on the skills that they have learned throughout the year.
Elaine is a special education teacher with 30 years of experience. She has taught in BVSD, Adams 12 & 14, and in private schools within the Front Range area. She currently teaches graduate level courses in special education at CU. She is the owner of Academic Assessment Solutions LLC, where she evaluates and provides assessments for students with learning disabilities. She also offers OG based language instruction. Elaine also serves on the BVKID board as an educational advisor. For questions, contact Elaine through her Facebook page.
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Meet one of our OG scholarship participants and find out how she is using the recent training she received.
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Ambika Parker
Ambika Parker has been an educator for the past 13 years. She first became interested in literacy instruction when her son was a struggling reader in elementary school. Ambika observed how systematic literacy instruction benefited him, and she wanted to learn why it was so effective. This curiosity led to Ambika to pursue a career in teaching. She obtained her teaching certification at CU-Boulder and completed a Masters in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education K-12 at Western Governors’ University. She worked for over 8 years as a literacy and ESL teacher in Denver Public Schools. During that time, she gained a great deal of experience using explicit literacy instruction with primary-grade students.
Now a teacher at Arapahoe Ridge Alternative High School in BVSD, Ambika uses her recent Orton-Gillingham training from the BVKID scholarship to support high school students who still struggle with reading and writing. Because of the schedule at Arapahoe Ridge, she does not currently teach Orton-Gillingham on a daily basis but incorporates it when supporting specific students who have gaps in decoding skills. Ambika says that her OG training has helped to inform her teaching, and has specifically helped her change the way she teaches writing. She said, "During the Orton-Gillingham training, I learned some very simple, but powerful, strategies that have made the process of planning and writing essays so much easier for many of my students."
Ambika is passionate about teaching Orton-Gillingham. Because of the difference that this training has made, she hopes that by next year she will be in a position to teach the Orton-Gillingham approach in a school setting on a daily basis and begin tutoring more students one-on-one.
Ambika also enjoys hiking, traveling, gardening and spending family time with her husband, son (now a CU-Boulder student) and grown daughter.
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 Buying a new car? Getting rid of an old one? Selling isn’t your only option. We’ve teamed up with Donate for Charity to make donating your vehicle easy. It’s a win for all: you get a minimum $500 tax deduction (or higher, depending on what your car sells for), and BVKID receives the net proceeds to support our program.
Click here for more info.
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 You can now support BVKID as your charity partner with AmazonSmile. Click here for the direct link.
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 Help us earn money by linking your loyalty card (the one you scan at the cash register) to BVKID.
Click here for more info: King Soopers Card
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Make a cash donation today. Click on the button below.
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We have been busy holding simulations across all of our Boulder Valley schools including recent events held at St. Louis Catholic School in Louisville and Lafayette Elementary.
Thank you to all of our volunteers for making these simulations so successful! Your advocacy and boundless energy continue to make a difference.
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Experience Dyslexia® is a simulation that lets participants experience some of the challenges and frustrations faced by people with language-based learning differences. Participants are guided through six learning tasks commonly encountered in the classroom or workplace. These activities are followed by a group discussion focusing on experiences shared and lessons learned, as well as practical tips, accommodations and interventions for the classroom. Click here for more information. |
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Technology Recommendations
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The best $3.99/month I will spend to help support my middle school student who struggles with dyslexia.
Click here for more information.
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 BVKID has a FB page to stay informed of advocacy efforts and events.
There is also a separate private FB group for parents to share stories and ideas on how to support their kids.
Email us to be added to our closed Facebook group. This group is only for parents/guardians who live in BVSD and have a child who is struggling with dyslexia.
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We are also looking for volunteers who would be interested in the following positions:
- Fundraising coordinator
- Simulation volunteers
- Library Coordinator for October Dyslexia Awareness
Please contact us if you are interested in joining our team.
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Wednesday, June 5th
- No meeting in July -
Wednesday, August 7th
6:00pm - 8:00pm
South Boulder Lucky's Market
695 S Broadway, Boulder, CO 80301
Board meetings are open to the public.
Visit our website for updated meeting information.
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