Kathryn Dorney, PhD CCC SLP

02/18/2026

02/18/2026

It’s week 13 of digging into the US Department of Education's document clarifying common AT misconceptions! Today we’re covering the terms Accessible technology and AT. To learn more, visit the link in our bio.

[Image: Text reading, "Myth 13: Accessible technology and AT are the same thing; Fact 13: Accessible technology and AT are not the same. Accessible technology is used to describe technology that is designed to support many different users, while AT describes a piece of technology selected to perform a specific task for an individual child with a disability."]

This post does not constitute an endorsement of products or services.

02/17/2026

HOPE CENTER Announcement:

Free Screening Event for children ages 0-5

March 12, 2026 - 1pm until 6pm

CCS Central Office - Multipurpose Room (upstairs)

02/15/2026

Kindergarten became so developmentally misaligned that delaying it for a year supports stronger self-regulation, attention, and emotional readiness- skills that are foundational for learning
Read that again.

Parents and educators What do you think?
Is it the time that red shirting (delaying a year) becomes more common?

[image: is a light color shape with text written with read that again written in red with an image of a classroom behind the shape]
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/188Qs1EZRB/

We are worrying about the wrong thing when it comes to “kindergarten readiness.”

Many adults are concerned with whether a child can read, write, and meet "academic expectations" by the time kindergarten begins. Those questions feel responsible. They are also incomplete.

The more important question is this: Am I willing to compromise my child’s ability to regulate, attend, and remain emotionally available for learning in exchange for early academic exposure that research shows does not improve (and can undermine) long-term outcomes?

Kindergarten has shifted from a developmental bridge to an academically intensified environment. Increased sitting, constant direction-following, early benchmarks, and reduced play are now treated as normal. Developmentally, they are not.

Self-regulation, attention, working memory, and cognitive flexibility are still wiring in early childhood. These systems develop through movement, play, autonomy, and co-regulation—not through pressure or performance demands.

When academics are pushed before these systems are ready, stress increases, regulation stays external, and learning becomes fragile. Any early gains fade, while the long-term costs show up as disengagement, weaker executive functioning, and poorer academic persistence.

This is why research on delayed kindergarten entry consistently finds stronger self-regulation, attention, and emotional readiness for learning. Not because children missed academics, but because their brains were given time to build the foundation learning depends on.

In our upcoming webinar, How Early Academics Backfire, we break down the research, the brain science, and what actually supports long-term learning—without sacrificing development.

📅 Wednesday, Feb. 25 (12:00 PM EST)
🎥 Free recording sent to all registrants

FREE REGISTRATION: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__wzssxv6SzyAmv_YFdOQ6w #/registration

WITH CERTIFICATION: weskoolhouse.com/store-webinars

02/13/2026

02/13/2026

In my Inbox this morning, from Beyond the Page. Apropos my recent post.

"Twenty years ago, my coworker believed a tablet would give her child an edge. What we have learned since is that the real advantage was never a device. It was time, attention, conversation, and the freedom to think deeply.

Education does not need more technology to succeed. It needs fewer distractions and more trust in how children actually learn."
https://www.beyondthepage.com/articles/a-device-for-every-student-2/

02/13/2026

02/12/2026

02/11/2026

02/11/2026

02/11/2026