About ten years ago I started to write a book about my teaching experiences and after much thought I titled it "Pretzels and Praise". It was never finished but I remember how proud I was of the work I had accomplished.

Time continues to march on and the children that come through the office door remain the same with the same basic problems. They can't concentrate, can't remember, can't put sounds together to form words, and are utterly defeated. Their parents are distraught and feel guilty and responsible for the failures of their children.

Let's stop and ask ourself why our children struggle. Then let's ask how we can help them. No matter what kind of challenges they face, they can succeed. Our children are with us for such a short a time. Let's make sure we support them emotionally even if it is as simple as pretzels and praise.