Pump Up Your Book Chats with Nzingha West, author of “Is My Kid Stupid? Avoiding an Educational Disaster” “

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Nzingha West is a special education specialist working in New York City. As an instructor, Nzingha’s expertise has been featured on Radio Disney, 106.7 Lite Fm in New York, News 12 Connecticut, NPR radio and in several parenting magazines. Before starting her education career Nzingha worked in several labs as chemist. Nzingha has honed her education expertise over 10 years in New York City schools and in private companies. Nzingha has worked with several prestigous schools/companies such as The Harlem Children’s Zone, University Settlement, the New York Foundling, The American Museum of Natural History and The city College of New York among others. Nzingha is also the owner of Urbane Academics where she provides Special Education Advocacy, Educational Testing and Private and Small group instruction from her office. Because of her vast level of knowledge and expertise, Nzingha has worked with students in some of the most prestigious schools in New York such as the Brearley School, The Dalton School, The United Nations International School, The British International School as well as several public and parochial schools.

Nzingha’s book is titled “Is My Kid Stupid? Avoiding an Educational Disaster” and is available on her website www.ismykidstupid.com. You can follow her on twitter and become a fan on facebook.

Twitter: http://twitter.com/urbaneacademics

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Urbane-Academics/269967846254?ref=ts

Thank you for this interview, Nzingha. Do you remember writing stories as a child or did the writing bug come later? Do you remember your first published piece?

A: I think the writing bug came later when I realized I had something to say that was important to me. I haven’t had any work published previous to this one. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t been writing and plans for a new book are in motion as we speak.

What do you consider as the most frustrating side of becoming a published author and what has been the most rewarding?

A: I would say finding a publisher; the second side is marketing the book. For me finding a publisher was difficult, so ultimately I self-published my book which worked out for me. I had complete control over what I wanted to say and how I wanted the book to look. On the flipside, you don’t have the same support or a mentor to walk you through the process. The most rewarding part are things like this, you get to have wonderful interviews with wonderful people.

Are you married or single and how do you combine the writing life with home life? Do you have support?

A: Well, I’m not married, but I’m definitely not single. I’m in a very loving and supportive relationship, so I never found my significant other to be bothered or feel like he was not getting any attention. He probably felt annoyed that we ran over the same ideas 100,000 times *laughing*. As it pertains to my family, they have always been supportive and would listen to my rants and ideas and offer up really pertinent ideas and suggestions. I cherish the relationships I have.

Can you tell us about your latest book and why you wrote it?

A: Absolutely, the title of my book is Is My Kid Stupid? Avoiding an Educational Disaster. Is my Kid Stupid? Was written for parents who have children who are struggling in school or who have been diagnosed with learning disabilities. The book teaches parents who to get the services their children need for free and what their rights are based on the education laws such as IDEA and FAPE. It also has scenarios and tips and suggestions for extracurricular activities. Most importantly the book teaches you what you should consider to advocate for your child, how to get a free private school education , how to pay less than $100.00 for 8 college credits and it offers letter templates to get the ball rolling for your child.

Can you share an excerpt?

A: Sure, here is one of my favorites. I’ve taken this excerpt from page 25 in my book, under the chapter Lazy Versus Learning Disabled:

Lazy

You’ll find with a child who is lazy that they usually perform poorly with tasks they hate to do. If they love creative writing and their writing is amazing, but their math literally sucks, you may want to see if you can find a way to make math more appealing for them. Maybe decimals would be easier to understand if you too the child to the mall and let them buy something they really like. A kid might also be considered lazy if he or she performs the same at home. You know when your child is lazy. They don’t just do it in school; it carries over into several aspects of their lives.

Where’s your favorite place to write at home?

A: I don’t really have a favorite place. As long as I have some music and my laptop I can write anywhere.

What is one thing about your book that makes it different from other books on the market?

A: What makes my book different from other books on the market is that it isn’t trying to describe what a learning disability is, it isn’t trying to describe what causes a learning disability either. What differentiates my book is that it deals with the aftermath, not the why’s and what if’s, it tells you what to do after the diagnosis to get the results you should realistically expect.

Tables are turned…what is one thing you’d like to say to your audience who might buy your book one day?

A: I would like to say that it doesn’t matter if your child has a learning disability or not you can benefit from having this book. The information in this book is helpful from pre-school on to college. And lastly, I love to hear from people, I don’t mind answering a question or helping someone out. So send those questions over! And thank you for reading my interview. I appreciate it very much.

Thank you for this interview, Nzingha. Good luck on your virtual book tour!

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A lot of hard work! I sponsor a lot of on line parties, festivals and contests. Book sales don’t magically happen, believe me. An author has to work hard to earn her readers. And then she has to work hard to keep them by giving them something they’ll enjoy reading. I try hard to make my books worth a reader’s time.

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