Definitions

A Learning Specialist is a teacher who has special training to understand how children learn best. A Learning Specialist has taken special education courses and understands how to test a child and use a variety of methods when teaching a child. A Learning Specialist also understands how children learn to read and can match a reading method to the child to provide a successful learning experience.

Tutoring is provided on an individual basis at a speed that is appropriate for the child. Individualized tutoring gives the child the opportunity to learn skills that may have been missed in a large classroom. The child is assessed to understand what methods will work best. Tutoring is provided for a 60 -minute session, one to two days per week.

Learning Style is a way that a child interacts with new or difficult information including ways they remember, recall, and use information. Some children learn best if they recite information aloud, some learn best if they have questions to answer, others learn best if they can physically move around while learning new information. A learning specialist knows a variety of methods to match a child's learning style.

Psychological Tests - A psychological test may be given by a certified school psychologist or licensed psychologist. A psychological evaluation is made up of several tests. The tests given vary according to a child's history. A psychological test gives the child's IQ score. I.Q. stands for " Intellectual Quotient". This quotient helps the psychologist predict how a child will perform in school, and if the child might need special education services

Psychoeducational Tests - A psychoeducational test can be given by a psychologist, a school psychologist, a special education teacher, or a Learning Specialist. This test has two parts:

• a cognitive section (which estimates the child's general intellectual ability)
• an achievement section (which looks at how a child performs academic tasks compared to other same-age or same-grade peers)

This test determines the child's strengths and weaknesses in learning.