Raising Smarter Children

The predidential candidates have chosen their running mates. Between the four of them, do you believe that the two elected, can solve the nation’s reading crisis?   Do they have the knowledge and ability to get all the facts and do things differently than what led us to this crisis?  

Time Magazine and The Washington Post reports that Mrs. Palin has tried to ban books from her state’s libraries simply because she disagrees with what is in them.  The reports then say she threatened to fire a  libraian if she did not comply with “her governor”.

This act alone, if repeated nationally, might remove a book that your child would like to read in their local library.  So, unfortunately, removing books from libraries might not emplify the best way to get kids reading.

It deeply hurts me, and all of us, to know that nearly 70% of our nation’s children are not reading at grade level.  What will it take to solve this crisis and who can solve it?   I want to hear from you on this one, so please hit that comment button.

As a life-long childrens’ learning and reading success advocate, I believe we must start to help our children read at home, and  then move on to revamping the school vision screening system when children enter school, and each year while they are in school.

Interviews with several recent experts and best sellers, which will be posted shortly, reveal that reading to children increases their dopamine levels – that’s the feel good neurotransmitter in your brain.  Simple things like helping your child make a movie in his or her mind of what you or they read is actually critical to reading success.

As former President Lyndon Johnson’s daughter, Luci said, “Hang a mobile over your baby’s crib.”  It strengthens their visual system and later translates into stronger reading abilities.

There is legislation pending, but bogged down in the House of Representatives, on improving school vision screenings.  You can do something about that – read it, and write to Senators Obama, Biden, McCain and Governor Palin. They need to hear from you. 

When our children don’t read, they lose a gateway to the world that harms them in too many ways to count, and their ability to succeed in school diminishes proportionately.  Kids who don’t read often end up in our prison system, using or selling drugs, and statistics say are more likely to become juvenile delinquents.

Folks, we cannot afford to ignore this crisis.  Find out what the printed page looks like to your child, take your child for a learning related vision exam with a developmental optometrist who specializes in both eye health and learning and reading.  They even specialize in improving athletic skills. 

Here are three websites to visit to learn more. 

1.  Have your child take the free Eye-Q Reading Inventory at http://www.howtolearn.com/ireadisucceed.html and read about Luci Johnson and why she nearly dropped out of school while her father was President.  Then read what she did to solve her reading problems.

2. Go to www.covd.org and www.oep.org to find optometrists who are specially trained to diagnose the real reasons behind most reading problems and how to fix them.  You’ll discover everything you want to know about what it takes to be a good reader, how to help your child, what to look for when they read, success stories and so much more.   If you truly want a “smarter” child, help your child be a great reader.

As many of you know, the co-founder of this blog, my daughter, Dr. Erin Mavredakis, (you can read more in the ”About” page up on the nav bar), had some reading problems in the first grade – and yet, she could read at age 4. 

It wasn’t until we took her to a developmental optometrist and discovered the hidden causes of her reading problems and fixed them with vision therapy, that she could really succeed in school. 

Readers, I am a reading specialist whose vast training did not include anything about the types of reading problems my daugher had, and new statistics say that nearly 1 in 4 children in America alone, have reading problems.

As you can see in the “about” section of this blog, Erin is a pediatrician today.  Certainly she had love, support and commitment, but without diagnosing and solving her reading problems, I have to question whether she would have achieved her dream. 

So, no matter who you believe should be our President, all politicians need to be made aware of the inadequate school vision screenings we have now (like the eye-chart, which has nothing to do with reading at near point), and how to implement a more thorough school vision screening that makes sense for reading and learning.

The tips for parents, will continue in other posts and you’ll hear our doctors, authors and educational experts give you profoundly simple tips to insure that your child reads at or above grade level – with complete comprhension and the ability to use the information they read.

So, please cast your votes, and as you’re doing so, write or call the legislators – we need some real change in our schools, and one of the first places to begin is with screening for reading readiness in a way that relates to reading.

Remember, every child is smart!

Warmly,

Pat Wyman and Erin Mavredakis, M.D.

If you like this post, or not, please, do comment.  We want to hear what you’re thinking.  Also, you can click on the “share this”  button below and do a lot of good by spreading the word about solving our reading crisis in the social media networks.  Thank you.