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Helping your child feel understood, supported, and hopeful For many children, a dyslexia diagnosis brings mixed emotions. On one hand, it can feel like a relief. There’s finally an explanation for why reading has felt so hard. On the other hand, it can also bring frustration, embarrassment, sadness, or fear—especially if they’ve already noticed that reading seems easier for their peers. As parents, it’s natural to wonder: How do I explain dyslexia without making my child feel

Why all tutoring is not created equal—and what dyslexic students actually need For many families, the moment their child begins to struggle with reading is the moment they start looking for help. They do what any thoughtful parent would do. They search online. They ask friends. They find a local tutoring center. They order a workbook. They sign up for extra practice. And it feels like the right step. But here's the hard truth: not all reading help is intervention. And for a c

Harmon School — Education Today By the Harmon School Team The conversation has shifted. Online learning is no longer a substitute for traditional schooling — for the right student, it's simply the better fit. For years, the debate around online education has been framed the wrong way. The question was never really "Is online school as good as traditional school?" That's the wrong lens entirely. The right question is: What learning environment best serves this particular stude

A structured online learning environment makes all the difference for kids with dyslexia What Is the Best Online School for Kids with Dyslexia? If you've typed this question into Google, you're probably exhausted. You've been to IEP meetings that went nowhere. You've watched your child struggle in a classroom that wasn't built for them. And now you're wondering if an online school might actually be the answer. It might be. But not all online schools are created equal — and fo

Phonics card work — a core component of Orton-Gillingham instruction What Is Orton-Gillingham and Does It Actually Work? If your child has been diagnosed with dyslexia, chances are you've heard the term "Orton-Gillingham" thrown around by teachers, specialists, or other parents in online forums. But what does it actually mean — and more importantly, does it work? Here's what every parent should know. What Is Orton-Gillingham? Orton-Gillingham (OG) is a structured, systematic

It’s very common for parents to notice more than one challenge at the same time. A child may struggle with reading, but also have difficulty staying focused, following through on tasks, or managing their work. This isn’t unusual. In fact, research shows that dyslexia and ADHD frequently occur together . How Often Do They Overlap? Studies suggest that 30–50% of individuals with dyslexia also show characteristics of ADHD , and vice versa. That overlap can make learning feel esp

Most schools have moved away from teaching cursive. At Harmon School, we haven’t—and there’s a reason for that. While cursive is often seen as outdated or unnecessary, we’ve found that it plays an important role in how students develop as readers and writers, especially for those who struggle with spelling, handwriting, or dyslexia. The Problem We See Many students today can type quickly, but when it comes to writing by hand, things break down. We see: letter reversals (b/d,

What if ADHD is not a lack of attention, but an excess of curiosity? Many students with ADHD are constantly noticing, questioning, and making connections. The challenge in traditional classrooms is not their ability to think — it’s the heavy demand on planning, organization, and sustained output. When those systems are still developing, a highly curious brain can look inattentive. This shift in perspective changes instruction. Instead of trying to suppress curiosity, we build

At Harmon School, we design our program around how students actually learn — not around trends. A growing body of neuroscience and occupational therapy research supports something we see every day in our classrooms: many students with ADHD don’t struggle because they “aren’t trying” — they struggle because they cannot yet plan, sequence, and execute actions efficiently. A 2020 peer-reviewed study of children ages 7–11 found that the primary difference for students with ADHD w

At Harmon School, we believe something very simple — and very important: No student should ever feel embarrassed about having dyslexia. Too often, dyslexia is still misunderstood. It’s framed as a weakness, something to hide, or something that needs to be softened when discussed. In reality, dyslexia is a difference in how the brain processes language — and when it’s named clearly, framed accurately, and supported intentionally, it can become a source of confidence rather tha

Reading difficulties affect many students, especially those with dyslexia. Traditional reading programs often miss the mark by not addressing the foundational skills needed for fluent reading. Structured Literacy offers a clear, systematic way to teach language that benefits all learners, particularly those who struggle. Schools like Harmon have successfully combined Structured Literacy with their English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum to create a powerful learning experience

Students today face many distractions and challenges that can make learning difficult. One key challenge is managing cognitive load, which refers to the amount of mental effort required to process information. When students are overwhelmed by too much information or complicated formats, their ability to learn and remember suffers. At Harmon School, we recognize this problem and have taken steps to reduce cognitive load by introducing consumable textbooks that allow students t

In many American high schools, the tradition of reading full-length novels from cover to cover is fading. Research and surveys reveal that teenagers often read only one or two complete books per year. This shift coincides with a drop in twelfth-grade reading scores and growing concerns from college professors about students’ ability to engage with long or complex texts. The rise of digital media, including platforms like TikTok and the increasing use of audio and video for le

Reading difficulties affect many students, especially those with dyslexia and other language-based learning challenges. Traditional reading instruction often falls short for these learners because it lacks clear, systematic teaching of language skills. Structured literacy offers a proven path to success by focusing on explicit, organized instruction in the building blocks of language. This approach helps students not only read but also spell printed words accurately, opening

Learning to read is a complex process that depends on the brain forming specific connections. These connections start developing early, even before children see written words, during the growth of oral language skills. As children mature and receive reading instruction, these brain pathways continue to strengthen. Structured Literacy plays a crucial role in this development by guiding educators to teach foundational literacy skills early, giving students a better chance to be