Learning vs. Testing: Strategies That Bridge the Gap: A Complete Guidebook for Teachers and Parents

I'm both a teacher and a parent and I must say that Pat Wyman knows kids and the learning system in this country. I know from my students in class as well as my own son that each child has a special gift they can offer. Unfortunately, schools make everyone march to the same beat. Pat Wyman does an excellent job of both describing how things are screwed up in schools and what we can do about it. If your child has his/her own way of looking at the world, you need to support it any way you can. You can learn how with this book. Do your child a favor and start learning.

As a parent, I found the answers I needed in this book to help my children. My son was told he would never get his driver's permit because of a vision problem. But this book helped me solve this and he now has his permit and is driving us all around town. My daughter had 20/20 eyesight, but didn't like to read for pleasure. The Reading Inventory in this book told me "why" and what to do about it. I highly recommend Pat Wyman's book to every parent and teacher I know. [...]

Thank you Pat Wyman for writing Learning vs. Testing and sharing your knowledge! I am very frustrated that it has taken 8 years to identify the real cause of my daughter's reading and learning problems and it is because of the information in your book that we were finally able to help her become very successful in school. I am going to do everything in my power to ensure this information reaches as many children as possible who need the kind of assessment and strategies in your book. My daughter showed signs of learning difficulties since she was 6 years old, and not a single test or evaluation by any professional helped us find the answers we needed. Finally, after getting your book, I was able to give her the reading assessment and follow the plan you recommended. I learned the difficulty she is having in school is due to her vision - the way she sees the world. Everything she read was distorted and although we had given her regular eye exams for years, she never had the type of learning related eye exam you recommend. After the proper exam, we discovered that her eyes are not working together properly. Because of the information in your book, I discovered that she needs vision therapy exercises and new eyeglasses to correct the problem. Her optometrist, allowed me to look through a lens and read a document to experience what my daughter experiences when she reads. I almost was in tears when I saw double lines and words out of place. It was very difficult for me to read. I had to close one of my eyes to focus and that was only a temporary adjustment. I thought, "How frustrating this must be for my child!" I am so happy we finally know what the real cause of her problem is and how to solve it. My child was relieved by the knowledge her learning problem is related to her visual perception and not her mental ability. Thank you so much for your commitment and dedication to the education of all children!

It seems evident that Pat Wyman has poured her heart, her soul, and her 25 years experience teaching kids how to learn, into this book. I found the story about her own son, JP, at the beginning of the book particularly relevant. As the parent of a 16 year old son who has his own unique style of learning, I know how difficult it is for kids being subjected to the cookie-cutter style of testing and teaching at public schools. If your kid is a bit different, or a lot different, in the way he or she learns, and is struggling academically as a result, this book is a must read. When the author speaks about how all children, even those who are not doing well at school, have their own unique gifts and talents, I find myself saying a resounding "Yes!" Let's acknowledge these kids for the beautiful beings they are. This book is filled with practical tools and techniques for helping them express that beauty in the form of greater academic success and better grades. What more could a parent ask for?

Have you ever been concerned that your child is not doing well in school due to their test results? Yet, in your heart, you know that your child is intelligent and has the ability to be a good student. Well, in Pat Wyman's book "Learning vs. Testing" you will come to understand that it's not your child, but the methods by which your child is tested that may be at fault. Not all childen process information in the same manner. In Ms. Wyman's book, she discusses the neurological ways that different children learn. Most importantly, she offers solutions that will significantly help students raise their test scores. And let's face it...test scores are what measure the success of our children--what determines their grades--and most of all determines their self-esteem and ability to succeed in getting into the college of their choice. It all begins with understanding student's learning styles, and this book is the key to this "up until now" challenge. I have applied Ms. Wyman's solutions to the children in our own family, and we are already seeing better test scores and higher self esteem.