Learning Outside The Lines : Two Ivy League Students With Learning Disabilities And Adhd Give You The Tools F

Rating:
Summary: From a teacher's point of view...
Review: As a teacher of special needs students, specifically those struggling with learning disabilities and attention difficulties, I consider this book a fairly good resource. The authors, Jonathon Mooney and David Cole, do an excellent job of explaining how their struggles in the educational system pushed them to succeed in the world of higher education. Their stories are truly inspirational for anyone who has had to overcome different learning styles and/or oppressive school systems. Both of these LD/ADHD labeled students were able to complete high school and more amazingly, receive their Bachelor degrees from Ivy league institutions. This book includes chapter after chapter of helpful hints for students struggling with the same issues. Note-taking strategies, test-taking techniques and "staying alive" in college are some examples of the information that Mooney and Cole provide to their readers. The book is extremely well organized and easy to read, although I do have to admit that the over-use of profanity is a bit irritating. Lastly, the authors stress the importance of finding one's unique learning style and using that information to learn. This is such an important part of educating our students. I truly appreciated this "reminder." Way to go Jonathon and David... you didn't give up!

Rating:
Summary: A Guide to Lifetime Learning
Review: As an academic therapist and parent of one child with LD and one with ADD I can only wish that my children had had this guide when they were in high school and college. However, it's never too late! I am sending copies to both my graduate student daughter and college professor son to help them gain more efficiency and less stress in their own learning and in my son's case, as a tool for helping his own students, many of whom have learning or hearing problems. I am also going to recommend it to the students I tutor and their parents and my many professional associates. As important as the very practical study aids and the inspirational value of their personal stories are the important criticisms of today's "one test fits all" political agendas in the current national panic about education. Children, teachers and school boards everywhere will benefit from Jon and David's insights.

Rating:
Summary: A Must Read for Parent and Teachers
Review: As the parent of an 11 year old dyslexic I found the book helpful and touching. I am on-line now to buy ten additional books to share with other parents, teachers and tutors who I am sure will find the book as useful as I did. Mooney and Cole have done a wonderful job, their passion shines through in every line. The writing style was a delight to read, not at all dry and boring as are the majority of books of this type. Their biographical information touches the soul and really drives home the point that traditional educational models truly cheat students who "learn outside the lines". The book gives a true picture of how damaged young children can become as a result of teachers who don't take the time to educate themselves about learning differences.

This book should be required reading for all teachers, education majors, and students with learning difficulties. Way to go Mooney and Cole your book is outstanding!

Rating:
Summary: Good start but the rest could have been improved
Review: Being a college student in Georgia Tech, I bought this book not to long ago expecting to read about the struggles that the authors had to got through in Brown university, but the story of their struggles was only the first part of the book.

The majority and the rest of the book is mainly their advise on how to study. They pretty much give use ideas on what to do and how to take notes and everything. Something that many other study books also have. I also had the impression that the authors wrote the book just to prove that they could write one, not really telling me anything new or experiences that I can use. The quality parts were the beginning portions where they tell their said stories about their lives and their struggles(loved that part) Those were good stories and showed me how their struggles were similar to mine. But the rest was just tips on how to study in school. No stories and good examples on how they survived in the University atmosphere at all being ADHD.

Summing it up, I finished the book feeling that I learned a lot about their past but nothing about what they did in college. Trust me, I read most of their advise in many other places online.

If you are looking for a book on advise on how to take notes, take tests, this book provides a lot of information. But if you are looking for stories and info on how to live the tough environment that is college, survive as an ADHD in college this book's weakness is mainly in those areas.

Rating:
Summary: Study skills for the way you learn and much more.
Review: Even if you are not one of us different thinkers, you need this book. This book is so much more than a study skills book. It is a guide to taking control of your life as well as YOUR education. The key word here is YOU! We all know the education system sucks for those of us that happen to think out side the box. "One size fits all" education has beaten us down long enough. Cole and Mooney have once again proven that just because some kids have trouble in school doesn't mean they are not smart! They didn't set around and think up ways to improve grades they lived these methods and wrote this book while in school. Let the education Phd.'s think about that for a minute while you get this book and get on with your life! This book is also about helping kids. The proceeds go to Project Eye to Eye A non-profit organization started by the authors to pair LD kids to LD college students as mentors. So do yourself and some at risk kids a favor and BUY this BOOK.

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Summary: Please be in touch!
Review: Hey everyone,

Well, this is somewhat strange. No one would ever think that a kid who spells at a third grade level would be writing anything on the author section of amazon.com! Anyone, I guess, but my mom. Who by the way, spell checked this little post here, and if you find any mistakes in this post (which I am sure you will) it is her damn fault-Just kidding Ma.

First, I guess I just what to thank you for checking out my book here, Learning Outside the Lines. David and I put about three years and counting of our lives into this project and it would never have been possible without the support of people like yourself. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

The goal of this book is pretty simply: to help kids, parents, and teachers with our stories and with our study strategies . However, what we have come to realize over the course of writing is that our audience for the book is not so simple. This is not just a book for LD/ADHD students. We have come to realize that our stories and the stories of other LD/ADHD children, are not the narratives of some cognitive lepers, but case studies in a much broader struggle that consumes all of us. Our stories are about overcoming an institution that is often restrictive and frantically obsessed with social conformity. Our study skills are about empowering alternative learning, about learning to think and study outside the lines. In reality Learning Outside the Lines is for anyone who is disenfranchised by the institution of education and wants revolutionize their education.

It is also important to realize that this is not a fix yourself (or fix your kid) manual. We don't spend much time talking about what we can't do, and we don't spend any time at all on pedantic directives like "study better" or focus, because lets be honest, those are just stupid. We tried our best to focus on what is right about thinking differently, and about how to be successful within traditional academics without conforming to traditional constructs of intelligence or academic success.

Lastly, I wanted everyone out there to know that my royalties go straight to an organization called Project Eye To Eye. This program matches LD/ADHD college students with LD/ADHD elementary school children as role models, mentors, and tutors.

Ok, that is about all for now-not time to write another book. I do though want all of you out there to feel free to contact me any time. My email address is [e-mail]. I would love to hear from you, to share your success, to receive your criticism (to an extent ) and most of all to hear and learn from your stories.

Thanks again for everything and please be in touch. Cheers

JM

Rating:
Summary: Good Insight - Bad Language
Review: I agree that this book provides a much needed voice.
Learning disabilities are explained from the perspective
of two young men who actually lived the experience, rather
than the usual detatached clinical view. But the use of
expletives in this book - right from the start - limits its appeal. What a shame. A young child who is struggling with
reading could really relate to the authors' true-to-life
grade school ordeals. But the use of the f-word makes it
undesirable as a reference. I found much of the language to be gratuitous.

Rating:
Summary: I think I'm going to require this for my Ed Psych students
Review: I am a Ph.D. student in School Psychology. I am one of those people who gives those tests that decide the fate of children in school. We aren't all bad. I myself was diagnosed with ADD as a child and have spent much of my life trying to find those tricks and strategies to help myself succeed in a world I don't feel I quite fit into. I think this book is an excellent resource for people with and without disabilities if they want to succeed in school. I teach Educational Psychology to college students and by making this book required reading, my students learn valuable study skills AND they get a chance to hear first-hand accounts of growing up with disabilities. What more could I want? Well done, guys.

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Summary: If you want to change a life, get this book, Please!
Review: I can Honestly say that this book changed my life. If you are a teacher, a parent or a student of any age with ADD, ADHD or another LD, you need to read this book. Please, it is one of the most important investments you can make. This book does more than just give you the tools to succeed in school, it empowers the reader and helps them realize grow beyond the pain that school charactarizes for most LD/ADHD student. When I read the stories of the authors journey through school, i actually shed a couple of tears, and i'm a 19 year old guy who drums in a rock band. Their stories reflects so much of the pain and feelings of inferiority I still carry with me from when I was younger, it made me feel better, it showed me that i wasn't stupid, because the authors are just like me, and it helped me with the healing process of putting my old ghosts to rest. I have severe ADHD, and even writing this review is hard for me, 'cause i fidget so much.
After reading this book, My grades went from being on average low Cs, to being As and high Bs. This bbok does that additional thing others don't; They may show you the tools, but they don't give the LD student the motivation. This book shows that their are other people out their who have had similar experience to the LD reader. It helps show that no matter what, it is never too late to start doing well. One of the authors dropped out of school and became a drug addict, but he was able to recover, and he graduated with honors from Brown. IF you are a parent of an ADD, ADHD child and LD child, out searching for information and study tips, please, please PLEASE BUY THIS BOOK!!! It can change the life of your child. The same goes for educators, read this and you can help understand your ADD and LD students better.

Rating:
Summary: A must read for all...
Review: I have a twelve year old dyslexic son, and after reading the chapter on Jonathan Mooney's story I looked at my son and saw tears in his eyes. Some were for Jonathan and some were for himself... This book comes from the heart and it shows.

Both Jonathan's and David's stories are lived out everyday in our educational institutions. The educators need to be educated as to the kind of damage and tremendeous influeance they have on our young children. What they say and do is carried forward with these students. We must insure that the gifts of these unique children are recongnised, supported and developed. It is time we stop putting so much emphisis on what they can't do and see what they can. Like Jonathan and David...