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Wednesday Oct 11, 2023

How Can You Advocate for Your Child?

Wednesday Oct 11, 2023

Hello and welcome back! This week, Katie and Esther discussed how parents can advocate for their children when they notice that they are having reading difficulties.

But first, we wanted to talk about a current hot topic in educational news. According to an article written by Emily Peck for Axios, the wage gap between teachers and other professionals is the widest it has been since 1960. What are your thoughts on this? To access this article, refer to the link below and make sure to tell us what you think!

Now to get into today’s topic; How can you advocate for your child? First it is good to recognize the signs that your child may be struggling in school. Some of these signs can include:

Your child looking nervous at the mention of school
Your child cries when school is mentioned
Your child doesn’t want to eat
Your child breaks down when it is time to do homework
Your child expresses they don’t want to go to school, saying this such as:
- “I don’t feel well.”
- “I don’t have any friends at school.”
- “I feel stupid at school.”
- “What if I go to school and I start to feel sick?”
- “I never know what’s going on at school.”
- “I am afraid of someone at school.”

Noticing these signs can help you recognize that your child needs help.

Now that you have noticed the signs, what do you do next?

Be prepared!
- Write down all your concerns before talking to your child’s teacher
Don’t be afraid to ask for special services
Don’t be embarrassed to cry!

It’s that time of the year that a lot of schools are having conferences. This is a great opportunity to have all your concerns written down and ready to discuss with your child’s teacher to start the process of getting your child help!

Are you a teacher getting ready for conferences? One helpful tip to prepare yourself and parents for conferences is to send a general agenda to parents ahead of time so parents know what to expect. An example of this could be:

Something positive
An area of concern/opportunity for improvement
Review grades

Do you have any tips that work for you when it’s time for conferences? Make sure to let us know and spread the knowledge!

What’s YOUR Superpower? Superheroes with Dyslexia Featuring Dr. Nikolai Vitti

Monday Aug 07, 2023

Hello and welcome back! This week we are continuing our series called, “What’s YOUR Superpower? Superheroes with Dyslexia”.

This week we have a very special guest. He is the Superintendent of Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) and has an impressive educational background despite having to deal with dyslexia himself. Please help us welcome, Dr. Nikolai Vitti!

Dr. Nikolai Vitti is a native Metro Detroiter from an immigrant family who went on to pursue education first as a student, and later as an educator himself. From being a college athlete at Wake Forest University while earning his bachelor's and master's degrees to earning his doctorate degree at Harvard University, Dr. Vitti has an extraordinary educational background. But that doesn’t mean that education always came easy to him.

Like a lot of students, Dr. Vitti had difficulties reading when he was younger and did not have the resources available to him to help with his reading comprehension and decoding. Because of this, he faced a lot of struggles in school such as teasing from other kids, which lead to a lack of confidence. It wasn’t until he found his niche in athletics that he was able to build the confidence in himself to become a leader in education. And of course, having supportive educators in his own life inspired him to be a voice and an advocate for future students who struggled like himself.

Attending college opened many doors for Dr. Vitti, especially when it came to learning about himself and his struggles with dyslexia. Thanks to one college professor, the idea that he was possibly dealing with dyslexia was planted into his head. From this point on, Dr. Vitti went on a self-discovering process, learning as much as he could about dyslexia and how he could provide his own assistance. These efforts would prove to be fruitful, as he was able to implement these measures as he continued his career as a leader in education advocating for those with dyslexia and other learning differences.

Since then, Dr. Nikolai Vitti has been a strong force in the field of education. With the help of his wife, Rachel Vitti, he was able to create GRASP Academy: A School for Children with Dyslexia in Jacksonville, Florida, which utilizes Orton-Gillingham based programs to help their struggling students learn how to read.

Since coming back home to Detroit, Dr. Vitti has become the Superintendent of the Detroit Public Schools Community District for almost 7 years now and continues to be a driving force to make sure the students in his school district are getting the education and opportunities they need and deserve. Although he faces a lot of hurdles, which include funding, politics, and resources, he continues to work hard for his students. Because at the end of the day, it’s all about the students and what he can do to help them achieve their dreams.

Dr. Nikolai Vitti has no plans of slowing down. Since getting the school district back on track after the COVID-19 pandemic, plans are in place to start helping accelerate students within the Detroit Public Schools Community District with resources for them and their parents, including the Parent Academy available on the detroitk12.org website. He believes that it is the responsibility of the school district to meet parents where they are so they can best help their children succeed. And we couldn’t agree more!

We finish up this episode with a fun lightening round of “This or That: Michigan Style” and see how Dr. Vitti feels about our Detroit sports teams, which Coney Island is his favorite, and more! Do you agree with his answers? Make sure to comment and let us know!

We would like to thank Dr. Nikolai Vitti for joining us today and sharing his story with us of overcoming his own struggles with dyslexia and being an inspiration for all of us in the field of education.

For more information about GRASP Academy: A School for Children with Dyslexia, check out the link here: GRASP Academy / Homepage (duvalschools.org)

If you would like to explore the Parent Academy, check out the link here: Parent Toolbox / Parent Academy (detroitk12.org)

Detroit Public School Community District website: Detroit Public Schools Community District / Homepage (detroitk12.org)

Thank you and see you next time!

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Hosts: Katie Hodgkins, Esther Moreau
Production Manager: Michael Flees
Multimedia Specialist: Brendan Kelly
Podcast Production/Marketing: Morgan MacKew
Marketing Intern: Elena Martin

Monday Jun 26, 2023

What’s YOUR Superpower? Superheroes with Dyslexia Featuring Nancy Winar

Monday Jun 26, 2023

Hello and welcome back! Unfortunately, Katie couldn’t join us today due to being sick, but we are sending her well wishes and hoping she gets better soon!

For today, we are excited to announce a new series we are launching called, What’s YOUR Superpower? Superheroes with Dyslexia.

In this series, we will be highlighting people who have dyslexia or reading differences and asking them how it has shaped them into the people they are today and how it helped define their careers.

Our superhero guest today is our very own Director of Publications at Brainspring, Nancy Winar!

Nancy shares withs us her experience discovering she had difficulties reading at a young age, dealing with dyslexia, and how she did not let this stop her and was able to turn dyslexia into her own superpower!

Nancy has an impressive variety of careers she explored, including being a dog groomer, assembly-line worker, video specialist, theatrical makeup artist, shop manager, costume designer, and so much more! Even more impressively, Nancy set a record as the youngest intern hired at the Juilliard School of Performing Arts, which allowed her to rub elbows with celebrities and soon-to-be celebrities that she now watches on the big and little screens (don’t worry, we asked her about the celebrities she worked with!).

Of course, her career path did not come without difficulties. Working in so many different fields, it’s impossible not to encounter all sorts of different people. Unfortunately, not all people are patient with those who have dyslexia or any learning difficulty. Nancy shares with us those particularly difficult situations she encountered and how she overcame them, becoming an advocate for her work and herself.

After exploring all her different interests and passions, Nancy explains to us how she ended up at Brainspring, working in graphic design and becoming our Director of Publications.

When asked for advice, Nancy says, “Find what works for you. If you have interests, don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do them. Experiences are out there for you, don’t wait for them! And most importantly, ASK FOR HELP!”

The Orton-Gillingham podcast would like to thank Nancy Winar for joining us today and sharing her experiences with having dyslexia and how she was able to turn it into her very own superpower!

Don’t forget to check us out on our social media platforms to stay up to date on all Brainspring news.

Have any questions or comments you would like to share? Make sure to reach out to us using the email below or send us a voicemail to be addressed in a future episode!

If you would like to look at some of Nancy’s art, visit the links below!

Thank you and see you next time!

To view Nancy Winar’s art: Creative Work by Nancy Winar

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Hosts: Katie Hodgkins, Esther Moreau  

Production Manager: Michael Flees  

Multimedia Specialist: Brendan Kelly  

Podcast Production/Marketing: Morgan MacKew  

Marketing Intern: Elena Martin 

Monday Apr 17, 2023

De-Stress with Us

Monday Apr 17, 2023

Hello and welcome back! On today’s episode of the Orton-Gillingham Podcast, Katie and Esther share tips on how to “spring forward” through springtime burnout that affects teachers and students.

But first, we have a contest winner to announce!

March was National Reading Month and Brainspring rolled out a contest for a chance for listeners to win a $500 donation to a library of their choosing. To enter, listeners were to comment on our Facebook contest post the book they are currently reading. Names were collected and placed into festive Easter eggs to be drawn on this episode of our contest.

We drew the name, and the lucky winner is...

FRINZETTA BOMAN!

Congratulations, Frinzetta! Marketing will be reaching out to you soon to set up a donation of $500 to a library of your choosing from Brainspring.

Now back to the topic at hand. Have you ever experienced springtime burnout? Around this time of year, the weather is getting nicer (hopefully) and it’s darker later, and teachers and students are preparing to finish up the school year. There’s end of the school year meetings, events, testing, and if you’re dealing with a senior in high school especially, all motivation has gone out the window. Because of this, it’s important to take some time out of your busy schedules to take care of yourselves and de-stress. How exactly do we do that? We have some ideas!

As you may have noticed, our hosts are dressed and ready for a spa day! They have their robes on, hair pulled back, and ready for some self-care. Join in on the fun by having your own spa day by breaking out the face masks, candles, and wine (for adults only, in moderation!) and get ready for a well-deserved break from springtime burnout chaos.

Spa days not your thing? Don’t worry, we have more ideas! Reading is a great way to escape from reality for a bit. If you are itching to keep your hands busy, you can try doodling or some children and adult coloring books as well. And another great way to keep your hands busy while de-stressing is gardening, which is perfect since Earth Day is just around the corner. It’s also a great way to get some sunshine since the weather is nicer!

If you are a canine lover, this next tip is PERFECT for you. Petting a dog can help de-stress after a long day, and we demonstrate with our furry friend, Gimbal! Gimbal is a sweet Australian Shephard who we had the pleasure of meeting in the studio. He was such a great costar for this episode!

Last but certainly not least, one of the best ways to de-stress is just spending time with those closest to you. Get a group of friends together and play some games or partake in any of the ideas listed above!

The big point we are trying to get across is that it is important to take some time to de-stress and take care of our mental health, especially during such a time where a lot of us are struggling with springtime burnout. In our next episode, we will be diving deeper into the subject of mental health and the importance of it, but for now we hope these tips will help you out!

Don’t forget to check us out on our social media platforms to stay up to date on all Brainspring news and check out our YouTube channel to see footage of Gimbal with our hosts during this episode.

Have any questions or comments you would like to share? Make sure to reach out to us using the email below or send us a voicemail to be addressed in a future episode!

Thank you and see you next time!

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21st Century Dyslexia Act

Hosts: Katie Hodgkins, Esther Moreau  

Production Manager: Michael Flees  

Soundboard: Brendan Kelly  

Podcast Production/Marketing: Morgan MacKew  

Marketing Intern: Elena Martin

Monday Mar 06, 2023

Dyslexia in D.C. with Jeanine Cyrwus

Monday Mar 06, 2023

Hello and welcome back! On today’s episode of the Orton-Gillingham Podcast, we are speaking with special guest Jeanine Cyrwus about Dyslexia in D.C.

Jeanine has an M.Ed. in Special Education and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Education Leadership. She also has a Dyslexia Advocacy Certificate from the Dyslexia Training Institute.

Jeanine has an impressive 20 years of experience in the field of Special Education, with her focus being on learning difficulties and dyslexia. Positions that Jeanine has held include Classroom Special Education Teacher, Learning Specialist, Language Arts Coordinator at Oakwood School, and most recently, the Director of Outreach and Literacy at Oakwood School.

When asked about her passion, Jeanine responded, “I'm a mother to a child with dyslexia, dysgraphia and ADHD and I know what it's like to see your child struggle to read, not get appropriate intervention, and watch as this impacts their self-esteem.”

Jeanine joins us today to talk with us about her time in D.C. attending a Congressional Dyslexia Panel. In this panel, members of the Senate and Congress discussed the 21st Century Dyslexia Act. This bill will allow students to be identified by their school as students with dyslexia and will get them the specialized help they need to succeed.

So, what is the status of this bill, and why hasn’t it been passed yet? Jeanine goes through the ins and outs with our hosts and shares what you as a listener can do to help move this bill along and get it passed. Check the links below to see how to contact your state legislators about passing the 21st Century Dyslexia Act today!

DON’T FORGET!

In honor of National Reading Month, the Orton-Gillingham Podcast has launched a contest. All you have to do is go to our Facebook page at the link below and comment on this post what you are currently reading, and your name will be entered into a drawing to win a $500 donation to a library of your choosing. Hurry, because the contest ends on March 13th!

Contest Facebook Post

We want to thank Jeanine Cyrwus for joining us today and to remind everyone to make sure to check the links below for the resources discussed in today’s episode.

Have any questions or comments you would like to share? Make sure to reach out to us using the email below or send us a voicemail to be addressed in a future episode!

Also make sure to follow us on all social media and check out our YouTube for visual resources.

Thank you and see you next time!

Oakwood School

IDEA Act

Phonics First® Level I In-Person Course - Annandale, VA July 24-28, 2023 (8:30 AM - 3:30 PM EST)

National Center on Improving Literacy

Decoding Dyslexia

Decoding Dyslexia VA – Action Alert Campaign

List of Senators and Congressmen and women supporting the 21st Century Dyslexia Act

Senate:

Senator Cassidy - Louisiana

Senator Kennedy - Louisiana

Senator Scott – South Carolina

Senator Graham – South Carolina

Senator Braun - Indiana

Senator Hickenlooper - Colorado

Congress:

Rep. Westerman - Arkansas

Rep. Brownley - California

Rep. Bucshon - Indianna

Rep. McGovern - Massachusetts

Rep. Palazzo- Mississippi

Rep. Golden - Maine

Rep. Manning – North Carolina

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Hosts: Katie Hodgkins, Esther Moreau  

Production Manager: Michael Flees  

Soundboard: Brendan Kelly  

Podcast Production/Marketing: Morgan MacKew  

Marketing Intern: Elena Martin 

Tuesday Feb 14, 2023

Honoring Black History Month

Tuesday Feb 14, 2023

Hello and welcome back! On today’s episode of the Orton-Gillingham Podcast, we are taking the time to honor some prominent Black figures for Black History Month. We tasked Katie and Esther with providing three people they would like to talk about with their listeners.

But first, today is Valentine’s Day! Did you know that Frederick Douglass’s birthday was on Valentine’s Day? Well, it was assumed to be his birthday because his mother used to call him, “my little valentine.” Frederick Douglass was a slave, abolitionist, a writer, and so much more, and was also a very prominent figure in the civil rights movement. This is the perfect moment to transition into the prominent figures Katie and Esther provided to talk about today.

From writers, singers, musicians, athletes, and more, our hosts provided people who were not only prominent Black figures, but also literary pioneers who paved the way for future voices to stand up against racial injustices. There were also quite a few from Michigan as well!

Want to check out the powerful Black singer who brought the former U.S. President Barack Obama to tears? We have the link below!

To wrap up today’s episode, we encourage everyone to read and learn as much as they can about Black History Month, and feel free to share with us what you find! We also hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine’s Day, no matter how or if you celebrate.

Have any other questions or comments you would like to share? Make sure to reach out to us using the email below or send us a voicemail to be addressed in a future episode!

Also make sure to follow us on all social media and check out our YouTube for visual resources.

Thank you and see you next time!

Honors Memories: Aretha Franklin honors Carole King | 2015 Kennedy Center Honors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pT4aRd-hCqQ

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https://features.apmreports.org/sold-a-story/

Hosts: Katie Hodgkins, Esther Moreau  

Production Manager: Michael Flees  

Soundboard: Brendan Kelly  

Podcast Production/Marketing: Morgan MacKew  

Marketing Intern: Elena Martin  

Friday Jan 13, 2023

The BUZZ in the News

Friday Jan 13, 2023

Hello and welcome back! On today’s episode, we are discussing a story that has been all the “buzz” in the education world. But first, Katie and Esther shared what they did for New Years and their New Year’s Resolutions.

Also, make sure to stay clear of spilled salt, cracks in the cement, and black cats. It’s Friday the 13^th!

So, what is the “buzz” in the news? There’s a podcast out there that is grabbing the attention of educators everywhere. Emily Hanford’s podcast, Sold a Story, addresses the way that school districts have been teaching kids how to read. There seems to be a few philosophies about how we should teach kids how to read, Including the “cueing” system.

What is the cueing system?

The cueing system consists of asking kids three questions to see if they can come up with the right word.

Does that word make sense?
Does that sound right?
Does that look right?

Emily’s stand on this method is that it does NOT work. This is not helpful for kids and contrasts with the phonics approach to learning how to read, which is the method Brainspring uses to teach kids how to read.

Our hosts talk about why this doesn’t work, and dive into Equity vs. Equality regarding education. Katie and Esther also explain more about what Brainspring does to help kids who are struggling with reading, and the importance of meeting kids where they are.

Want to take a listen for yourself? Access the Sold a Story podcast by Emily Hanford at the link below:

To end this episode, our hosts share what mentoring programs we have for “National Mentoring Month” and share their experiences having and being a mentor.

Have any questions or comments you would like to share? Make sure to reach out to us using the email below or send us a voicemail to be addressed in a future episode!

Also make sure to follow us on all social media and check out our YouTube for visual resources.

Thank you and see you next time!

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Hosts: Katie Hodgkins, Esther Moreau 

Production Manager: Michael Flees 

Soundboard: Brendan Kelly 

Podcast Production/Marketing: Morgan MacKew 

Marketing Intern: Elena Martin 

Monday Nov 28, 2022

The Science of Reading

Monday Nov 28, 2022

Hello and welcome back! On today’s episode, we are talking all about the Science of Reading. But before we get to that, we talk briefly about the “Queen of Halloween” contest, and Katie and Esther share their favorite books in honor of Author’s Day, which was on November 1st.

Katie: Roald Dahl (She also likes the book, The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls)

Esther: EM Forster, who wrote A Room With a View

And we also have a contest winner to announce!

Congrats to Ryan for guessing our Mystery Woman, Ida B. Wells!

Now all about the Science of Reading.

Today our hosts are speaking with special guest, Penny Ezell. Penny Ezell is an accomplished educator with 23 years of experience who has devoted herself to improving literacy for ALL students. Penny is trained in Brainspring’s Phonic First, Structures, and Level II training. She was a R.I.S.E. trainer for the state of Arkansas focusing on the Science of Reading and helped co-author Brainspring’s Science of Reading training. She was also a local LETRS trainer in Arkansas. She is currently working as an independent literacy consultant with Empowering Writers and is a candidate to become a National Professional Learning Facilitator for LETRS. 

After the interview, Katie, Esther, and Penny answer a voicemail question from one of our listeners.

Then Penny shared her favorite author; Andrea Beaty, who wrote Aaron Slater, Illustrator (The Questioneers).

We just want to say “thank you” to Penny Ezell for chatting with us today! Make sure to check out the links below for all the resources mentioned during this episode and follow us on all social media to stay up to date on all Brainspring news. See you next time!

RESOURCES

William Van Cleave Website: https://www.wvced.com/

Latin and Greek Roots: Teaching Vocabulary Using Hands-on Activities and Common Objects by Perry D. Stokes: https://www.amazon.com/Latin-Greek-Roots-Vocabulary-Hands/dp/141640502X/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=latin+and+greek+roots+teaching+vocabulary&qid=1669415289&s=books&sprefix=latin+and+greek+roots%3A+tea%2Cstripbooks%2C142&sr=1-1&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.08f69ac3-fd3d-4b88-bca2-8997e41410bb

Writing Matters - Developing Sentence Skills in Students of All Ages: https://www.wvced.com/product/writing-matters-developing-sentence-skills-in-students-of-all-ages/

Equipped for Reading Success A Comprehensive, Step-By-Step Program for Developing Phonemic Awareness and Fluent Word Recognition by David A. Kirkpatrick: https://www.amazon.com/Comprehensive-Developing-Awareness-Recognition-PlayStation-4/dp/0964690365

Aaron Slater, Illustrator (The Questioneers) by Andrea Beaty: https://www.amazon.com/Aaron-Slater-Illustrator-Questioneers-Andrea/dp/1419753967

BRAINSPRING RESOURCES

Prefixes and Suffixes: https://brainspring.com/brainspring-store/prefixes-and-suffixes/

More Prefixes and Suffixes: https://brainspring.com/brainspring-store/more-prefixes-and-suffixes/

PS: Prefixes, Suffixes, Roots: https://brainspring.com/brainspring-store/ps-prefixes-suffixes-roots-resource-of-lists-phrases-sentences-poems-and-stories/

PPS: Advanced Prefixes, Suffixes, Roots, and Connectives: https://brainspring.com/brainspring-store/all-products/pps-advanced-prefixes-suffixes-roots-connectives/

Greek and Latin Roots: https://brainspring.com/brainspring-store/greek-and-latin-roots/

More Greek and Latin Roots: https://brainspring.com/brainspring-store/more-greek-and-latin-roots/

Writing Matters: Developing Sentence Skills in Students of All Ages: https://www.wvced.com/product/writing-matters-developing-sentence-skills-in-students-of-all-ages/

Structures Courses: https://brainspring.com/structures-1/

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Hosts: Katie Hodgkins, Esther Moreau 

Production Manager: Michael Flees 

Soundboard: Brendan Kelly 

Podcast Production/Marketing: Morgan MacKew 

Marketing Intern: Elena Martin 

Monday Oct 24, 2022

The Halloween Special

Monday Oct 24, 2022

Hello and Happy Halloween! Today our hosts came prepared with their Halloween costumes to discuss their plans for this spooky season.

Katie came dressed as the Grammar Police; a costume inspired by Esther because she does NOT like bad grammar. Esther has arrived in her spookiest witch getup!

Katie loves Halloween and scary movies, but you won’t be catching her in any haunted houses! Esther explored a spooky trail filled with jump scares and lots of screams to be heard.

To start off our Halloween special, Esther and Katie share their favorite scary books, and Esther shares a couple of her favorite quotes from the stories that used to haunt her. Katie reminisces about telling scary stories around a fire, and just how excited her own kids are to retell those stories. We even get to hear from a couple of our behind-the-scenes friends about their favorite scary books and stories!

Halloween is on a Monday this year, so that means teachers and students will be celebrating in the classroom. Looking for last minute Halloween activities for your classroom? Well look no further!

Katie and Esther show us some quick and easy Halloween games we can prepare for the classroom:

Bowling for Ghosts
- White plastic cups
- Draw ghost faces on them
- Use small orange with jack-o-lantern drawn on it!
- Or any ball
Pumpkin Ring Toss
- Pumpkins
- Can use glow in the dark rings!
Halloween Charades
- Create cards with different Halloween characters
  - Ex. Ghosts, witches, mad scientists, vampire, etc.
- Have kids perform the charades
  - Get them up and moving around!
Costume Contest
- Have the kids vote on the best Halloween Costumes!

Speaking of Costume Contest...

The Orton-Gillingham Podcast is launching the “Queen of Halloween” Costume Contest! You guys get to vote for which of our hosts has the best costume. The winner of the contest will win the title of “Queen of Halloween”! Will it be Esther, the Spooky Witch, or Katie, the Grammar Police? Vote at the link below NOW! Voting will be closed by the end of the week and the winner will be announced on Halloween.

As always, make sure to follow us on all social media to stay up to date on all things Brainspring. And don’t forget to vote for the “Queen of Halloween” Costume Contest. See you next time!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Vote for the “Queen of Halloween” Costume Contest here: https://forms.office.com/r/1aP2bg4tgD

Source for Games: https://www.teachingexpertise.com/classroom-ideas/halloween-activities/

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