Howard Margolis

Howard Margolis has been a reading specialist and special education teacher in urban and suburban areas and a professor of special education at the State University of New York (SUNY) and a professor of Reading Disabilities and Special Education at the City University of New York (CUNY). His upcoming book, "Negotiating Your Child’s IEP," was co-authored with Dr. Gary Brannigan, Prof. Emeritus of Psychology at Plattsburgh State University of SUNY.

Articles by Howard Margolis

• Grade retention: Will it help?

  Retention rarely helps struggling learners, especially those with reading disabilities. I’ll say it…

  Tuesday, February 23, 2021

• Anxiety’s spiking: Here’s how to help our students

  COVID-19 has caused untold numbers of America’s students (and family members, teachers, and school…

  Friday, February 05, 2021

• Homework and independent assignments: Avoiding problems, encouraging success

  Many struggling learners "hate" homework and in-class assignments that they need to complete by themselves.…

  Monday, January 18, 2021

• Remote instruction: The importance of interest, attention, and memory

  Before COVID-19 ravaged the nation, countless struggling learners had a problem. They quickly forgot…

  Monday, November 30, 2020

• Improving in-person and remote instruction: Critical elements

  Remote teaching alone cannot easily and fully create and sustain many of the critical elements needed…

  Tuesday, November 03, 2020

• Struggling learners’ difficulties have intensified: Here’s what can help

  In this chaotic, volatile, and frightening era of COVID-19, struggling learners’ difficulties have…

  Monday, October 19, 2020

• Increasing motivation: Personalized reinforcers and persuasive comments

  In normal times, it's often difficult to teach struggling learners (SLs). Now, with the life-threatening…

  Monday, June 22, 2020

• Avoidable struggles: Willpower stacking and dour expectations

  For struggling learners (SLs), success is often difficult. In many cases, their difficulties emanate…

  Monday, March 23, 2020

• Struggling learners: Critical IEP questions and a critical Supreme Court decision

  Regardless of their child’s disability, parents worry about getting their child an IEP that meets his…

  Monday, March 02, 2020

• Non-negotiable needs for struggling learners

  When teachers and other IEP team members work tirelessly to accelerate struggling learners' (SLs) rates…

  Monday, January 27, 2020

• I think my child has a reading disability. What should I do?

  It’s 6 a.m. on the first day of school. It’s time for Julio to wash up, dress, make sure he packed…

  Monday, October 07, 2019

• Parental participation in IEPs

  Some parents of children with disabilities readily accept whatever the school’s IEP team members recommend.…

  Monday, August 05, 2019

• Struggling readers have no time to lose: Social-emotional learning

  People are social and emotional beings. Some have great social and emotional understanding and skills;…

  Monday, July 15, 2019

• Struggling readers have no time to lose, so let’s do what works

  Many teachers of struggling readers (SRs) know what works. They’ve studied the research; spoken to…

  Monday, July 08, 2019

• The needless struggles of struggling readers: Tutoring

  For reading instruction to effectively capitalize on struggling readers’ (SRs) abilities to remediate…

  Monday, June 10, 2019

• The needless struggles of struggling readers: Progress monitoring

  In my many decades of critiquing special education evaluations, IEPs, and progress reports from various…

  Monday, June 03, 2019

• The needless struggles of struggling readers: Professional preparation and expertise

  Once in special education, struggling readers (SRs), such as students with dyslexia or mild-to-moderate…

  Thursday, May 23, 2019

• 3 critical conditions for teaching struggling learners that often go missing

  For struggling learners (SLs) to have a good chance of mastering the subjects and activities with which…

  Monday, May 06, 2019

• Are Lexile reading-level scores flawed?

  The progress of many struggling readers is undermined by slavish adherence to Lexile reading-level scores.…

  Monday, April 22, 2019

• He struggles with reading. How can ‘EARSS’ help him?

  Like all children, struggling readers learn best when they attend classes in which they feel physically…

  Monday, February 11, 2019

• He struggles with reading. He fights it. How can his teachers help him?

  Unfortunately, many children with reading disabilities feel hopeless and helpless about learning to read.…

  Monday, January 21, 2019

• Assaults on Medicaid: Threats to America’s most vulnerable children

  Throughout America, the 2018 election may prove to be a momentous turning point for parents and supporters…

  Monday, September 10, 2018

• My child doesn’t get enough sleep: Dangers and remedies

  Many special and general education students of all ages and achievement levels don’t get enough sleep.…

  Monday, August 13, 2018

• A danger sign for parents and schools: Poor sleepers

  In his 2017 book, "Why We Sleep," Dr. Matthew Walker, professor of neuroscience and psychology at the…

  Monday, May 14, 2018

• Using instructionally-relevant questions to develop evaluations and IEPs

  Many schools have traditionally limited their special education evaluations to brief observations, informal…

  Monday, April 30, 2018

• Summer programs for struggling learners: The parents’ role

  ​Over the summer, many parents of struggling learners will strive relentlessly to teach their children…

  Monday, April 09, 2018

• ESY programs: The summer slide, eligibility and instruction

  It's anxiety time. Summer is around the corner, and the crunch of Individualized Education Plan (IEP)…

  Monday, March 19, 2018

• To strengthen IEPs, stop blaming, start solving

  When parents, students and school personnel disagree about the specifics of individualized education…

  Monday, March 12, 2018

• Poor sleep: A powerful — but often ignored — culprit in learning

  It blocks learning, causes memory difficulties, depletes energy, incites anxiety, evokes arguments and…

  Monday, February 19, 2018

• A guide to observing your child’s instruction

  As your child begins the second part of his (or her) academic year, you shudder with anxiety and anger…

  Monday, January 29, 2018

• My child struggles with reading. Can music therapy help?

  ​Can music therapy help? Sometimes yes, sometimes no, but often it’s well worth a try. Emotions affect…

  Monday, November 27, 2017

• Response generalization difficulties: A powerful barrier to learning

  Many struggling learners suffer from difficulties with response generalization, difficulties that can…

  Monday, September 25, 2017

• Allington’s 6 T’s of exemplary reading instruction

  Simply put, there’s no perfect method or commercial program for teaching struggling readers how to…

  Monday, August 14, 2017

• Solving the problem of student motivation

  To achieve excellence, most students must be highly motivated to achieve. Unfortunately, many students…

  Monday, July 17, 2017

• How the AHCA will affect those with pre‑existing conditions

  On May 4, Republicans in the House of Representatives repealed the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare)…

  Tuesday, June 13, 2017

• Improving your child’s reading evaluation: A strategy for parents

  As a parent, you felt Warren's frustration. You heard his anxiety. You saw his last ounce of confidence…

  Friday, May 26, 2017

• Anxiety skyrockets as IEP season arrives

  ​For many parents, anxiety is skyrocketing. They fear the worst. It's IEP season. Past experiences…

  Monday, May 01, 2017

• My child struggles with learning. How can I help her at home?

  This question — "My child struggles with learning. How can I help her at home?" — plagues many parents.…

  Monday, April 24, 2017

• The promise and burden of the Supreme Court ruling on disabilities

  Throughout the country, parents of children with disabilities and advocates are celebrating the Supreme…

  Monday, March 27, 2017

• My 4th grader hates reading — What’s wrong with him?

  "​Joey, my 10-year-old son, struggles with reading. That's understandable. But why does he hate it?…

  Friday, December 09, 2016

• Failure, retention and graduation denied

  ​Several years ago, The New York Times published ​an essay by Chicago high school teacher Will Okun.…

  Friday, November 18, 2016

• The key to motivating struggling learners

  Should teachers recommend the promotion of struggling learners to the next grade if they've worked hard…

  Monday, November 07, 2016

• Stimulus generalization: Often critical, often ignored

  This is bad, and it's far too common: Struggling learners fail to generalize what they've learned in…

  Monday, October 24, 2016

• What’s the best reading program for my struggling child?

  ​Parents often ask me, "What's the best reading program for my child? He struggles with reading. It's…

  Monday, October 03, 2016

• Is your student having homework struggles? There’s one solution

  Here's a phone call that closely resembles countless calls I've received, "My son struggles at least…

  Monday, August 01, 2016

• Critical factors in helping struggling learners to remember

  If you teach special education or have a child in need of remedial or special help, you may soon start…

  Monday, June 20, 2016

• Strengthening the memory of struggling learners: Starting points

  No doubt about it. Most struggling learners have a strong propensity to forget, no matter how many times…

  Monday, June 13, 2016

• Is progress monitoring a waste of time?

  ​Do teachers and tutors quickly and accurately know whether their struggling learners are sufficiently…

  Monday, May 23, 2016

• The missing ingredient: Helping struggling learners to remember

  Struggling learners often suffer from a widespread problem that dramatically affects their learning:…

  Monday, March 14, 2016

• Struggling readers: Missing ingredients for success

  "Mom, I can't do it. I won't do it," Amir sobbed. "I'm dumb, I'm stupid, I'm confused. John told the…

  Tuesday, February 16, 2016

• Excessive stress: 6 strategies for helping struggling learners

  ​Excessive stress — unjustified, overwhelming and relentless demands adults thrust upon children…

  Tuesday, January 19, 2016

• The key to making independent educational evaluations work

  You're happy. You sent your child's IEP team a brief request for an independent educational evaluation…

  Monday, October 12, 2015

• How can you get students with LD to change their behavior and habits?

  ​Many parents of children with educational disabilities know their children need to rid themselves…

  Monday, September 14, 2015

• A song of loneliness, empathy and action

  ​For at least 100 times over the past several days, I’ve listened to Vivian Green’s rendition of…

  Monday, July 27, 2015

• How the BRRRRR strategy can help you chill out at IEP meetings

  ​If your child will soon have a new Individualized Education Program (IEP), you have to ensure it meets…

  Monday, July 06, 2015

• 18 ways to advocate for your child with learning disabilities

  With summer vacation here, scores of IEPs are in disrepair. And many parents feel bewildered. They know…

  Monday, June 08, 2015

• My child struggles with writing: Why typical evaluations don’t do the job

  Typical writing evaluations are often inadequate. Knowing this may help you convince school or private…

  Monday, May 04, 2015

• My child struggles with writing: How can we discover the cause?

  ​Parents of struggling writers worry about their children's struggle. They see their children's tears.…

  Monday, April 20, 2015

• How can I prepare my child for the upcoming IEP meeting?

  ​Parents often ask me how to prepare for IEP meetings. One way is to send your child's case manager…

  Monday, March 16, 2015

• How can we increase the value of a student’s evaluation?

  An evaluation is only as effective as the questions it aims to answer. And often, evaluators fail to…

  Monday, February 16, 2015

• Tanya always forgets. What’s wrong with her?

  ​On Friday, Tanya's teacher sighed sorrowfully, "Tanya forgot all six sight words she knew on Monday.…

  Monday, February 02, 2015

• Learning disabilities: An easy way to avoid homework’s pitfalls

  Homework creates anxiety, frustration and failure for untold numbers of children with learning disabilities.…

  Monday, January 12, 2015