Today we are diving into the whimsical world of Berticus Icus Berwitz, a fifth grader whose life is a whirlwind of imagination, impulsive actions, and the awkwardness that comes with growing up. Berticus is not just any ordinary kid; he embodies the struggles of childhood, caught between the innocent fantasies of youth and the complex…
Read MoreBerticus, the lead character in Brian Silbert’s book, Berticus: How I Survived School! And Bullies! And Farley Finnigan! , seems to have many symptoms that coincide with the diagnoses of Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In fact, they found it to be a good fit for the CHADD National Resource Center (NRC) Library collection. It is listed…
Read MoreBerticus: How I Survived School! And Bullies! And Farley Finnigan, by Brian Silbert “A kid’s rough school days make for a rollicking and often endearing story…Silbert’s tale is endlessly amusing, thanks to the charm of its titular hero. Berticus’ narration makes his typically zany plans seem perfectly reasonable.” Kirkus Review Berticus embodies the quintessential fifth…
Read MoreWhy Can’t Our Children Read? It is reported that reading achievement has declined since 2019 and continues to decline. Why is this happening after teachers have worked so hard to improve reading scores? First, it’s essential to understand that reading is based on early language development. Evidence has shown that COVID-19 brought changes that affected…
Read MoreDear Dr. Linda, Our son Guy is in second grade and is still not reading. It’s the second half of the year and I’m really concerned. His teacher told me that he needs a good phonics program that follows Orton-Gillingham. Then I talked to my friend whose daughter has trouble with reading because she has…
Read MoreDear Dr. Linda, My husband and I had a conference with our daughter’s third grade teacher and I’ve been upset ever since. She told us that Julie’s a lovely little girl and does well in school. She also added that all her scores are average. I asked what I could do to get her scores…
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Dear Dr. Linda, I was listening to a podcast about the importance of developing creativity in children and why it’s essential to child development. My kids love LEGOs, but this researcher argued that LEGOs don’t develop creativity. Then the same researcher said organized sports don’t develop creativity. My kids love their sports. I thought I…
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