Resources

These resources were created and/or collected by Outreach staff to assist you in better understanding how to teach students with LBLD.

  • Using Consistent Language and Cueing to Support Both Social Communication and Classroom Management

    by Elizabeth Knox November 28, 2022 Instructors are tasked with teaching a subject curriculum as well as ensuring that their pupils understand what it means to be a student ready and able to access this curriculum. Teaching social communication and expectations through specific language, verbal cueing, and gestural cueing can help students understand what it

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  • Hot and Cold Executive Function Skills

    November 15, 2022 The executive functions are at the core of learning and are crucial for success in school and beyond. These cognitive processes allow us to approach a task or goal, whether it is academic or non-academic, manage our attention, plan each step, and regulate our emotions to achieve the desired outcome. Specifically in

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  • Expect to Worry

    by Laura Polvinen February 2, 2021 As I write this, it is the one-year anniversary of the United States having its first case of COVID-19. We have been living amidst a pandemic for 365 days. Let that sink in for a moment:  a year of new normals, unprecedented times, changes in routines, and increased stress

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  • Human Development and Learning

    Learn about the connection between human development and learning. This Edutopia video, which is part of a series called How Learning Happens, highlights the importance of the inclusion of social emotional learning into the school landscape with a focus on the need for strong student and teacher relationships.

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  • The Trifecta: Executive Function, Anxiety, and Self-Regulation

    by Laura Polvinen November 11, 2019 Executive Function, Anxiety, and Self Regulation: recently, these have become buzzwords in our vernacular and the topics of many conversations and articles. Neuroscientists consider how executive function impairs the brain’s ability to show its cognitive skills. Teachers and parents question, are our children really more anxious now than ever?

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  • Students eagerly participate in a classroom lesson

    Promoting Student Interest and Motivation

    April 23, 2019 The Importance of Interest and Motivation Recent research about brain functions demonstrates the value of interest and motivation in the development of academic skills, specifically for secondary students. FMRIs have allowed researchers to study the activation of different areas of the brain during specific tasks. This research suggests that students need to

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  • The Relationship between Language-Based Learning Disabilities (LBLD) & Anxiety

    by Laura Polvinen and Helene Dionne, PhD

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  • Social Emotional Learning: The Compassion Project

    Learn about The Compassion Project.  The Compassion Project is a national initiative to provide compassion education to elementary school students. The site includes links to lessons and other social emotional resources.

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  • Teaching Grit

    Watch this lesson on teaching grit. Edutopia presents their new video series, Research Made Relevant, where each episode explores cutting-edge ideas about teaching and learning and showcases educators who are putting them to the test classrooms.

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  • Social Interaction in Learning

    Watch this video from Edutopia to learn about the importance of social interaction in learning. The video outlines several studies and examples to support the idea that face-to-face interaction is key in the development of language skills during childhood.

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  • Evaluating the Social Emotional Learning Approach

    May 17, 2018 Why Teach Social Emotional Learning Skills? Research suggests that Social Emotional Learning skills (self-awareness, self-management, relationship skills, social awareness, and responsible decision making) are a core component of student success. Learning is a social process, and schools are often the hub of students’ social interactions. If student progress is hampered by emotions,

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  • Magnified Anxiety word illustration on white background.

    Working Memory and Anxiety

    What is anxiety?  Anxiety is a sense of fear and worry, and it is not uncommon among students with language-based learning disabilities. According to understood.org, this anxiety stems from a fear of not being able to keep up with peers, as well as feeling different and worrying about the future. These issues can oftentimes interfere with

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  • Students practice responsible decision making by choosing what they want to eat at school

    Responsible Decision Making (Social Emotional Learning)

    April 24, 2018 What is Responsible Decision Making? Responsible decision making is defined by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) as “the ability to make constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions based on ethical standards, safety concerns, and social norms.” Essentially, all aspects of a potential decision and its consequences

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  • Students develop their relationship skills by working together on a group project

    Social Emotional Learning: Developing Relationship Skills

    February 13, 2018 What are Relationship Skills? Relationship skills are an important component of Social Emotional Learning. According to the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), relationship skills pertain to “the ability to establish and maintain healthy and rewarding relationships with diverse individuals and groups.” To demonstrate appropriate relationship skills, students must learn

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  • Silhouette of student meditating with mindfulness words surrounding

    Mindfulness in the Classroom

    January 25, 2018 What is Mindfulness? Mindfulness is an ancient Buddhist practice meaning, “to live fully in the present moment with intention and without judgment” (Kriyonich, 2017). It’s the act of paying attention to what you are doing while you are doing it (Buck, 2017) or being present in the moment. Why Teach Mindfulness? Study

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  • Self-Management (Social Emotional Learning)

    December 12, 2017 What is Self-Management? Self-management is an essential component of social emotional learning. Building from the foundation of self-awareness, the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) defines self-management as, “the ability to successfully regulate one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in different situations.” This regulation is achieved by effectively managing stress, controlling impulses,

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  • Self-Awareness (Social Emotional Learning)

    November 16, 2017 What is Self-Awareness? The first main skill associated with Social Emotional Learning is self-awareness. According to the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), self-awareness is the ability to accurately recognize one’s own emotions, thoughts, and values, and how they influence behavior. It is the ability to accurately assess one’s strengths

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  • Social Emotional Learning Overview

    October 19, 2017 What is Social Emotional Learning? Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is “generally defined as the capacity to identify and manage emotions, resolve problems effectively, and establish healthy personal relationships” (Berman, 2016). When referring to SEL, there are five main skills included: Self-awareness Self-management Relationship skills Social awareness Responsible decision-making Why Social Emotional Skills?

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  • Video Lessons on Learning Disabilities

    Watch this series of video lessons on learning disabilities from TEDed. Curated and developed by Karen Goepen-Wee, these lessons cover the topics of neuro-diversity, executive function development, and anxiety, as well as a video lesson that interviews children about what they need from their teachers to be successful.  Click here for a link to the blog about

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  • Runners successfully competing in a race

    Understanding Student Self-Awareness

    Stephen L. Chew, a professor and chair of psychology at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, outlines the importance of student’s self-awareness of their own learning strengths and weaknesses in order to persevere through the challenges of transitioning to college.

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  • Screen shot of the synapses of the brain

    Training your Brain

    This Khan Academy video outlines research that asserts that the brain is a muscle, and, like all muscles, the more you use it, the stronger it gets. This video encourages students to think of challenges, not as something insurmountable, but as something that can help them improve their skills.

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  • An image of AnneMarie Rossi on stage

    Mindfulness

    This TEDxYouth video features AnneMarie Rossi, the founder of Be Mindful, a nonprofit network of qualified mindfulness instructors placed in schools, youth organizations, homeless shelters, corporations — even police departments. The talk covers the research conducted on the effectiveness of incorporating mindfulness practices into classrooms and encourages educators and students to learn more about this

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  • A picture of a young male smiling

    Executive Function: Addressing Emotion through Communication

    Students’ emotional responses to challenging situations can influence their concentration, perseverance, application of learned skills, and interactions with others. Abraham Maslow’s expanded hierarchy of needs explains how physical and emotional safety must be satisfied in order to allow people to address cognitive and higher levels of human needs. In order to better create space for

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  • Theresa Awolesi speaking about self-awareness and success in front of a class

    Self Awareness and Success

    British college student, Theresa Awolesi, speaks about self-awareness and success, as well as how her dyslexia impacted her in her studies. In addition, she believes that it was her ability to understand her own learning needs and self-advocate that helped her find success in her desired career.

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