Special Education Saturday - When IQ is Not as Important

When I test children for possible special education services, one of the parents' first questions is usually about IQ scores. While this overall measure of intelligence is important, it's not the most important part of academic success.

Researchers at Stanford and Florida State University have determined that motivation and learning strategies are more important than "smarts". These techniques can be divided into six categories, including self-regulation, organization, mnemonics, seeking help and reviewing.

Self-regulation includes the ways the learner plans to learn. Individual goals, plans, and self-evaluations are all part of this category.

Organizing includes time management, which ensures all assignments are completed. It also includes managing supplies and information.

Mnemonics are devices that help you remember information. "Please excuse my dear Aunt Sally" helps students recall the order of operations (parentheses, exponents, multiplication, division, addition, subtraction).

Seeking help is critical to learning. No one can learn all subjects independently. Knowing when you are lost and how to get assistance is critical for a well-rounded education.

Reviewing is just as it sounds. College students who spent more time going over new information with their peers and studying made better grades.

The short version is that strategy use was more important for student GPA than SAT scores or IQ.

So, teach your children how to learn for  success.

Good News, Bad News, Progress Reports

School has now been in long enough that progress reports are going home. Some parents will be delighted by their student's success. Others will be angry and hurt.

What should you do if you have disappointing news? Here are a few steps:

• Check to see if your school offers a way for you to check grades online daily. That way you can encourage your child to complete missing assignments and limit the surprises. 
• Call the teacher. Not the counselor, administrators, or your friend who works at the school. The classroom instructor is the only one who can really tell you what's going on. 
• Don't call multiple people about the same problem. If you haven't heard back in 48 hours, call an administrator. If you call many staff members at the same time, we begin to think someone else will take care of things. It delays our actions. 
• Hold your child responsible. If there are zeros or incomplete assignments, take away privileges until grades improve. A student suddenly without a cell phone is highly motivated to work. 
• Work with the school to get your child to tutorials. If you need to ask a neighbor or family member for transportation help, do so.