Hello and welcome back! This week, Katie and Esther discussed how parents can advocate for their children when they notice that they are having reading difficulties.   But first, we wanted to talk about a current hot topic in educational news. According to an article written by Emily Peck for Axios, the wage gap between teachers and other professionals is the widest it has been since 1960. What are your thoughts on this? To access this article, refer to the link below and make sure to tell us what you think!   Now to get into today’s topic; How can you advocate for your child? First it is good to recognize the signs that your child may be struggling in school. Some of these signs can include: Your child looking nervous at the mention of school  Your child cries when school is mentioned  Your child doesn’t want to eat  Your child breaks down when it is time to do homework  Your child expresses they don’t want to go to school, saying this such as:  “I don’t feel well.”  “I don’t have any friends at school.”  “I feel stupid at school.”  “What if I go to school and I start to feel sick?”  “I never know what’s going on at school.”  “I am afraid of someone at school.”  Noticing these signs can help you recognize that your child needs help.   Now that you have noticed the signs, what do you do next? Be prepared!  Write down all your concerns before talking to your child’s teacher  Don’t be afraid to ask for special services  Don’t be embarrassed to cry! It’s that time of the year that a lot of schools are having conferences. This is a great opportunity to have all your concerns written down and ready to discuss with your child’s teacher to start the process of getting your child help!   Are you a teacher getting ready for conferences? One helpful tip to prepare yourself and parents for conferences is to send a general agenda to parents ahead of time so parents know what to expect. An example of this could be: Something positive  An area of concern/opportunity for improvement  Review grades  Do you have any tips that work for you when it’s time for conferences? Make sure to let us know and spread the knowledge!   IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Brainspring is going to be at the IDA 2023 Annual Reading, Literacy, and Learning Conference this weekend October 12-14, 2023, at the Hyatt Regency Columbus in Columbus, OH. If you’re going, make sure to visit us at booth 207.   Thank you and talk to you next time!   This One Chart Explains the Teacher Shortage by Emily Peck: https://www.axios.com/2023/10/02/teacher-pay-salary-low-gap-chart-graph   IDA 2023 Annual Reading, Literacy, and Learning Conference Info: https://dyslexiacon.org/    Podcast Feedback Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/OGpodcastfeedbacksurvey     Subscribe to our newsletter! https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/S9onxP7/brainspringnewsletter Email: podcast@brainspring.com Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/OrtonGillinghamTraining YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BrainspringOrtonGillingham Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brainspringortongillingham/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrainspringOG TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brainspringog LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/brainspring/ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/brainspringortongillingham Podbean: https://ortongillingham.podbean.com/ Website: https://brainspring.com   Hosts: Katie Hodgkins, Esther Moreau Production Manager: Michael Flees Multimedia Specialist: Brendan Kelly Podcast Production/Marketing Specialist: Morgan MacKew Marketing Intern: Elena Martin Vice President: Brigitte Crawford