It's important for parents and teachers to be able to recognize and appreciate these differences too. They also need to be able to explain the learning difficulty to the child, so he or she can overcome or bypass the weakness. That's why Levine founded All Kinds of Minds, a nonprofit institute that raises awareness about learning issues through training programs and other educational resources. The institute emphasizes that children have learning differences. That's because all children have strengths and weaknesses.
Some students can spell and write well but have trouble with math.
Others have problems focusing on science assignments but have special musical or artistic abilities. One of the programs offered by the institute is Schools Attuned, a 35-hour professional development program for elementary and professional school educators. Through the program, teachers become knowledgeable about differences in learning and are taught innovative tools to observe, describe and manage children with diverse kinds of minds in a classroom. The goal, Levine said, is to help all kids learn about their own minds while they are learning. Once specific problems are identified, teachers can help students understand and talk about their learning difficulties while appreciating their strengths.