(A-12) JOB PROMOTIONS ELUDE MANY ADULT PROBLEM READERS

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America has a growing problem with the growing number of adults who are non readers or problem readers. According to a study by the National Assessment of Adult Literacy, 30 million adults living in the U.S. were not able to read and write well enough to complete basic tasks like filling out job applications [U.S. Department of Education Institute of Educational Progress]. People who learned to read early and easily find it hard to imagine what life would be like without being able to read and write.

Adult problem readers have difficulty becoming productive workers and I've always recommended to them that they tape record important workplace documents and read them while playing the tapes. Many experts espouse using formal reading instruction, with phonics. I disagree. Why? Because many adults with reading problems have passed up job promotions due to their reading handicaps. By the way, there are plenty of high IQ people suffering from bona fide auditory and/or visual dyslexia; they're like Jessee Owens with a broken leg. In the workplace, they need to read and understand key information and critical words for survival...to get ahead, without delay! "Reading by immersion" in a technique to accomplish this. They can immerse themselves immediately into the reading process directly by putting into service the technical manuals they need in order to survive in the workplace. We all learned to talk by being immersed in language. We began talking with no formal instruction; our parents never dissected spoken sentences into subtle sound elements, called phonemes (phonics) for us.

Similarly, working adult problem readers can learn to read in the same manner through which they learned how to talk. After all, isn't written language just talk written down?

NONREADERS IN THE WORKPLACE- OUR 4 PICKS!

Instead of avoiding the reading process due to built up fear from past failures in formal reading instruction, problem readers can plunge into printed material just like they were submerged and baptized into spoken language as non-talking infants. Adult problem readers can become more productive workers in the office or shop; their confidence will increase as they discover they can single-handily read each essential document that they would understand if someone read it to them.

By tape recording documents verbatim and then printing especially troublesome words onto flashcards, non readers can identify words as fast as needed to make the reading and comprehension of essential workplace information as smooth as possible.

A Herculean effort? Yes, but any job upgrading becomes distinguished and outstanding... when greatly pursued.

Related post: Juggling work and life

Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S. has retired from his positions of School Psychologist and adjunct professor in the School of Leadership & Policy Studies at Bowling Green State Univeristy. A portion of Ad sale revenue from this site is donated to Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America. Questions? Comment? Concerns about family, parenting, educational or personal concerns? Contact him on the secure Bpath Mail Form.

(A-11) TEEN LOW SELF-ESTEEM MAY HAVE LIFE-LONG CONSEQUENCES

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Dear Mr. Morton- Our teen daughter lacks confidence and we don’t understand why. She’s an “A” student and our home is warm and loving. She act submissive and allows her friends to make decisions for her. She’s very quiet in school , is very pretty but doesn’t date. She tells us that she feels dumb and can’t do anything but get good grades. This has been going on for three years. How can we boost her confidence and self-esteem? - Confused. (photo from theteendoc.com site, an excellent resource for parents. Click HERE to learn about teen image distortions at their site.)

Dear Confused- Your daughter’s self-esteem results from her own personal judgment of her self-worth. Her overall negative appraisal of her capabilities reflects how she interprets the successes and failures throughout many areas of her life. Earning good grades and being physically attractive are only two areas.

Because a healthy self-esteem is not a one-dimensional entity and is influenced by many factors, try talking and listening other concerns more, even if some may seem trivial to you. Perhaps you’ll uncover that her expectations are set so high that she leaves herself vulnerable to feelings of inadequacy. A “B+” grade may not be a successful event in her eyes or perhaps she feels unable to socially fit in with others as well as her friends do, despite her physical attractiveness. She may make generalizations from these events that she is “dumb” socially or that she should be doing even better academically.

Unfortunately, a recent poll found that 70 percent of teen girls feel they don’t measure up in some way, including their looks, performance in school and relationships with friends and family members.

If she continues to remain inhibited and to show self-doubt about her capabilities, nothing good will result, for we all become what we think about. So, professional counseling is highly recommended if it persists.

Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S. has retired from his positions of school psychologist and aqdjunct professor in the School of Leadership & Policy Studies at Bowling Green State University, in Ohio. Questions about family, parenting, educational, or personal issues? Contact him at the secure Bpath Mail Form. Visit the national Family Journal column.

(A-10) BIBLIOTHERAPY HELPS CHILDREN COPE

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Dear Mr. Morton- Our daughter, age 9, is grieving because our long-suffering family dog will have to be put to sleep. The dog has been her faithful friend, sleeping companion, and hiking buddy for years. Do you know of any books on the topic of family pets dying? I might have to read one myself! - Heartbroken, Fremont.

Dear Heartbroken- Contact the Children’s Services department at Birchard Public Library, in Fremont. Years ago, Melinda Bay headed the dept. and sent me a bibliography compiled by their staff. It listed books geared toward young adults and children, which dealt with stressful events. Brief annotations with a synopsis of the crisis are provided to identify the sex, age, and problem of the protagonist.

They also have the reference book, “Books to Help Children Cope With Separation and Loss”, fourth edition. Melinda Baty mentioned this book is much broader than the title indicates.

The Children’s Services department at Birchard Public Library contains many inspirational stories which offer positive choices for young people to make when coping with life’s stressful events, including: adoption, anorexia nervosa, child abuse, death of a family member or friend, divorce, drug abuse, emotional problems, homelessness, parent in prison, poverty, prejudice/race relations, single parent family, suicide, teen mothers, etc.

Hopefully, you’ll locate a relevant novel. “Jasper's Day,” by Marjorie Blain Parker, is a picture book about a beloved dying dog's special day before he is "euthanized" by the vet. A little boy's love for his dog and the whole family's sadness comes out as they say goodbye by giving Jasper a last day filled with his favorite activities.

Mark Twain often remarked on how attached we become to our canine friends because of their unwavering loyalty. He once said, Heaven goes by favor and unfair preference. If it went by merit, we would stay out and our dogs would all go in.”

Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S. has retired from his positions of school psychologist and adjunct professor in the School of Leadership & Policy Studies at Bowling Green State University. Questions, comments, or concerns about family, parenting, educational or personal concerns? Contact him at the secure Bpath Mail Form. Also, visit his national Family Journal column.

(A-9) UNDIAGNOSED ADULT ADHD LEADS TO FRUSTRATION

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Dear Mr. Morton- My son has been diagnosed with ADHD and many of his symptoms resemble mine. Ever since I can remember, I’ve been impulsive, distractible (can’t focus long enough to read a short magazine article) and restless. Can anything be done for ADHD adults? - Frustrated. (photo Itechtalk.com blog)

Dear Frustrated- Since 30 to 50 percent of ADHD children grow into ADHD adults, I suggest obtaining a thorough diagnosis if these manifestations have, historically, complicated your life. A 10-year follow-up study of boys with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) finds that the disorder persisted into their early adult years in 3 out of 4 of the subjects, leaving them vulnerable to poor psychiatric outcomes and life prospects (Joseph Biederman, M.D., a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital).

It’s tricky to diagnose between true and mistaken ADHD in adults; you must rule out other possible causes of your restlessness and impulsivity, such as an anxiety or mood disorder.

The diagnosis should include a meticulous life history, including developmental milestones, obtained by your personal accounts and by your personal accounts and by recollections from your parents, siblings, and relatives. Recently, Dr. Scott Greenaway, a licensed psychologist with the Atlanta Center for Cognitive Therapy (ACCT) stated that although no two people with ADHD have the exact same cluster of symptoms, difficulties with attention, impulsivity, disorganization, or hyperactivity characterize the disorder. ADHD can be classified by three types: Primarily Inattentive Type, Primarily Hyperactive Type, and Combined Type.

If sufficient evidence indicates your above-mentioned ADHD behaviors have occurred in various aspects of your life (home, school, neighborhood, and family get-togethers) since childhood, starting at or before age 7 (origin of ADHD in adulthood never happens), your chances for proper diagnosis and treatment will increase greatly.

Many intelligent and capable adults truly fit the ADHD profile. Their impulsive, distractible and restless manners make it fatiguing for them to perform certain tasks which others do with ease: finishing magazine articles; holding chats with people without regrettably saying the wrong thing at the wrong time; finishing detailed tasks; receiving job recognition and promotions; making good grades in school; and, not surprisingly, maintaining an adequate self-esteem.

It’s interesting your child has been diagnosed with ADHD, for an abnormally high proportion of the 5 million ADHD adults have similar-diagnosed children. Twin studies reveal a strong, genetic role.

Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S., has retired from his positions of school psychologist and adjunct professor in the School of Leadership & Policy Studies at BGSU. Questions about family, parenting, personal or educational issues? Contact him at the secure Bpath Mail Form . To visit the national FAMILY JOURNAL column, click HERE.

(A-8) FREELANCE WRITING GOOD AT-HOME BUSINESS

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Hello Mr. Morton- Well, my kids fledged the nest and we're paying for their college educations. Expensive! My husband is working full time, but we still could some extra cash. I have much time on my hands and desire to write articles for newspapers and magazines, maybe even publish romance novels some day. I fear failure and procrastinate too much, so I need to develop good writing habits. Any tips on learning how to make it in this highly competitive field?- Writer Wannabe
(Photo- Judy Ann Davis of Clearfield, Pa. announces the release of her first novel, “Red Fox Woman,” with Black Rose Writing. The novel is classified as a mystery, western and historical romance)

Dear Writer Wannabe- Having a full-time, nice paying job elsewhere helps. I won't offer you a "cook book" approach or specific list of ingredients that may help your writing career. But, in general, you must cultivate perseverance and dependable writing habits. Begin by deciding what kind of writing you want to do, then detail all the good habits necessary to transform your writing dreams into reality in the type of genre you choose.

This soul-searching will put your writing integrity and commitment on the line, for your personal list of good writing habits will keep staring you in the face. These heretofore under-utilized behaviors will gradually seep into the daily writing routine you must acquire. Hopefully, all your rationalizations that nurture bad writing habits (fear of failure, avoidance, procrastination, denial, etc.) will eventually be undermined.

There are no short cuts to obtaining a long string of writing successes. I know a writer who had 3 novels published, only to have his next 4 proposals and 54 article submissions to national magazines rejected!

Writer John Steinbeck once commented, "Writing makes horse racing seem like a solid, stable business." It's a tough business and you must be able to brush off rejections... and keep writing.

To integrate good writing habits into a daily routine, proceed in "baby steps"- start short, easily reachable goals at first and focus on replacing one bad habit at a time. Years ago, I wrote articles and sent them to newspapers free-of-charge, just to accumulate some "tear sheets", which I sent to editors to eventually help sell my writings. If you candidly imagine the writer you'd like to become and list the good habits needed to get there, you'll no longer conceal (from yourself) how your current bad habits are imprisoning your writing career.

In today's down economy, home businesses are growing popular. Writing is one, for most newspapers and magazines accept email submissions.

Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S., has retired from his positions of school psychologist and adjunct professor in the School of Leadership & Policy Studies at BGSU. Questions about family, parenting, personal or educational issues? Contact him at the secure Bpath Mail Form . To visit his national FAMILY JOURNAL column, click HERE.

CHILDREN FEEL THE RECESSION, TOO

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