HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM THE LANGSFORD STAFF

Wishing you Happy Holidays and all the best in the new year!!

Some Pictures from the Holiday Party!

Rhonda gets a new pair of earrings for Christmas!

Tony and Toni enjoying the applause they got for their duet

Linda and Kristin

A great shot of Kara!

Kim, oblivious to the fact that Margaret is about to pounce upon her!

OOOOHHHH.....the party is TONIGHT!

Chef Callie and her lovely assistant

Jerry's wife telling an embarrassing story about him??

Karen, Kathleen and Callie

Claudia--the charming hostess

A Peek into the Langsford Holiday Party

Every year in December, Claudia and Stephen graciously invite all of the Langsford staff and their families into their home to celebrate the holidays. A gourmet dinner, prepared by Stephen's mother, Callie, is served. The house is always beautifully decorated for the holidays, and a good time is had by all.



In the past, we always had a white elephant exchange, and boy, did some crazy gifts show up for that! This year, we shifted and everyone brought small genuine gifts to exchange.



It has also become a tradition that the staff donates money to some charity in Stephen and Claudia's name. This year, we decided to donate to Gilda's Club, which helps cancer patients and their families. We did this in memory of Carolyn Oakley, a staff member who lost her battle with cancer this year.



Two of our staff members sang a beautiful duet, to our delight. The evening was also capped with a funny poem, written by a staff member, that we have decided to share:

T'was the Night of the Langsford Holiday Party

T'was the night of the party and all Langsford was there,

Eating and drinking and forgetting their cares.

The tree was all decorated, with presents all wrapped

People were glad that, this year-no crap!

They'd go home this time with only good things,

no urinals, or junk, or someone's old bling.

Claudia in her boots, and Stephen in his sweater,

All settled in to listen to this letter.

When out in the kitchen there arose such a clatter,

Claudia sprang from her seat to see what was the matter.

Callie was in there, cleaning up from dinner.

Just like every year, she'd concocted a winner!

All of the guests were stuffed and sipping on cider,

Claudia sat down, with Stephen beside her.

Looking around, she felt very proud.

The party had resulted in quite a big crowd.

There was Margaret, and Mike, and over there Sarah,

Linda and Kristin, Merwan and Tara....

Gemma and Jenny, Marsha and Tony,

Karen and Kim, Kathleen and.....more Toni's!

And then all of a sudden you could hear from the back

Leslie laughing and crying and just talking smack!

Claudia smiled to herself, feeling a wave of joy.

We may be all crazy, but we're her misfit toys.

We teach kids to read, that's just what we do

And maybe make them more confident too.

It had been a good night and the party was done

People were leaving, having had lots of fun.

As I went out the door, Hark! I think I heard Stephen say...

If Rhonda wrote that on worktime I'm gonna dock her some pay!

Hahaha....Happy Holidays to Everyone!!

Jack Speaks Out About Langsford Center

Last time you heard from Brion. Here is something another client wrote. This is from Jack, who is a second grader working on his reading and his handwriting.

What Jack has to say:

I go to Langsford. You do straight lines and curved lines. You read 5 minutes and do the vowel circle. And write in the air.

You get a break for 5 minutes. You can play games and get candy. My favorite game is pin ball. It is fun.

You get a sight word box. You do letter tiles. You learn a lot. You learn Magic E.

Nice job, Jack! Good spelling and your handwriting looks super!

Keep up the good work!

What Brion Has to Say About Langsford Center

I recently asked some of our current clients if they'd like to write about their experience at Langsford. Brion was the first to finish his paper. He actually worked on it at home! Brion is in the 3rd grade and has been coming to Langsford for a little over 3 weeks.

Here is what Brion had to say:

About Langsford

Langsford is good. It helps you with all the sounds. I have not been here very long, but I have learned a lot. I'm already getting better at reading.

The teachers are great here. They teach you a lot about sounds.

You have a reading folder and a sight word box. The reading folder is for when you read at home with your parents. You and the parent you read with, sign off on the paper in your folder. You also have to write the title on it. They give the book to you to read. You also read there with them. The sight word box is for when you read off a paper there. The words you don't know they write it on a card and put it in the box. You go over it until you have five marks on it. You also take spelling tests and this is how you do it. They ask you to spell the words they say. If you get it right you don't write it down on the paper. If you get it wrong, you have to write it down on the paper and spell in until you get five A's next to each other.

You learn a lot about the vowel sounds. They want you to do your best handwriting on all the papers you do there. Air writing is fun because you write and it doesn't show up, but you have to imagine in in your head.

It is fun here at Langsford!

Thank you, Brion, for your thoughtful response.

3 Reasons to do Intervention Early

Every parent of a struggling 1st grader has probably wondered...."If we just give it some time, will they start reading on their own?" Some sobering statistics below:

The three key research conclusions that support seeking help early are:

• 90 percent of children with reading difficulties will achieve grade level in reading if they receive help by the first grade.
• 75 percent of children whose help is delayed to age nine or later continue to struggle throughout their school careers.
• If help is given in fourth grade, rather than in late kindergarten, it takes four times as long to improve the same skills by the same amount.


For the article containing these facts, click here.

Announcing a New Arrival!

Joy Marie

One of our instructors has a new addition to his family. We congratulate Joseph and Jessica on the birth of their daughter, Joy Marie. We hear that her three older brothers love having a new baby sister! And what a little angel she is!

On-Going Training

At Langsford, training is forever. We believe in lifelong learning--teaching our clients to be lifelong learners, and practicing it ourselves. To that end, we regularly meet to look at new research, share ideas, review what we've previously learned, and to train on new things so that we are at the top of our game when it comes to teaching reading and addressing areas that can impact it.

Langsford staff recently gathered at the end of a workday for a wonderful dinner prepared by Stephen's mother Callie, which was served in the Langsford staff room at the Highlands office. The staff then participated in a training on how to develop visual-motor processing skills in our clients. For some staff it was a review, for others an introduction and first step to prepare for working with clients in this area in the future.

What I hear from staff time and time again is that no matter how often we train on a given area, they always learn new things. Our depth of experience and expertise grows from our quest to continue to build on what we already know. Oh, and by the way--we also learned that night that Callie can make an incredible pasta and salmon salad! Thanks, Callie!

3 Critical Skills for Emerging Readers

Quiz Question for parents and teachers of emerging readers:

What are the 3 critical skills that reading researchers have identified as the most important predictors of future reading success?

Not sure? Find out what they are at:www.WeTeachReading.com/3CriticalSkills

Also, listen to what G. Reid Lyon says about the reading process:

Meet the Experts: G. Reid Lyon (The Reading Process)

10 Professionals Who Can Help Your Struggling Child

There are many trained professionals who can help your child be successful despite any difficulties he or she may be encountering. The list below contains 10 professionals you might want to consider when exploring options to help your child.

1) Classroom teacher--works with your child on a daily basis and can provide insightful information related to how your child learns, how attentive he or she is in the classroom, etc.

2) Learning Disabilities Specialist--many schools have a teacher on staff with specific training and credentials to provide educational services above and beyond regular classroom instruction. This instruction my be one on one or in small groups.

3) Educational/Learning Consultant--Independent center or individual who administers educational evaluations and makes recommendations and/or implements intervention work in specific areas of need.

4) School Psychologist--gives and interprets psychological and educational tests; assists with behavior management; provides counseling or consultation with parents, school staff, and students.

5) Pediatrician--provides medical examinations and services, trained in overall child development.

6) Neurologist--a medical specialist that looks for possible damage or weakness to specific brain functions.

7) Psychologist--provides psychological and intellectual assessment and treatment for mental and emotional health. Also administers ADHD evaluations.

8) Psychiatrist--diagnoses and treats behavioral and emotional problems, most notably those requiring prescription medications.

9) Occupational Therapist--helps improve motor and sensory functions to improve ability to perform daily fine and gross motor tasks.

10) Speech and Language Therapist--can assess, diagnose, and treat disorders related to speech, language, and cognitive communication impairments such as attention, memory, and problem solving disorders.

While there are other professionals available in the community who might also be helpful, these 10 are a good starting point to think about.

Talk to Me!

I've been thinking this weekend about what I want to accomplish with my blog posts and I've decided that what I want is CONVERSATION! I've been trying to supply my readers with useful information. But I realize I haven't tapped an incredibly knowledgeable resource pool--YOU!



Duh! It should have been the first thing I thought of when I started writing the blog! A few years back Langsford started a Leadership Team to tap into the wealth of knowledge and talent that can be found in our staff. Since then, we amaze ourselves at times! Who knew we knew so much?



So I'm thinking, I need to tap into the readers of this blog (Let's see...present and past staff, present and past clients and their parents and relatives, other professionals, people just curious about what we do.......). Anyway, just imagine what we could accomplish if we all put our heads together? So I'm inviting you to dialogue with me and through me so that we can all work together to help kids learn to read and to love it!



So....first question for you.....



What books get your kid/s all excited? Parents ask me every day, "What's a good book or series for my child?" I've learned from experience that sometimes one great book is all it takes to get a kid hooked on reading. If that book is part of a series...lookout! They'll be flying through the books and begging for more!



So, my dear audience, what books are popular with your young readers? Let's hear some titles and what age child they'd be good for. Most of all, why do they like it?

You can send me responses and comments via the Comments option on this blog, or on Langsford's Facebook page. You guys can even comment to each other on what you post! (I'm all about making my job easier!)



Oh, and by the way, while I want some good books to recommend, I'd be interested in anything you have to say.

So.....I'm waiting.....

Early Reader Screenings

This is the time of year when many schools are administering Early Reader Screenings. These screenings consist of a few key measurements intended to identify students who may be at risk for reading difficulties. The results of these screenings help to identify which students should be closely monitored and/or would benefit from further, more in-depth, assessment.

Research shows that learning to read is a process that begins long before children enter kindergarten. During the pre-k years, children develop early literacy skills that help them to learn to read in the early years of school. Early literacy screenings and early intervention are the keys to avoiding reading difficulties and the problems that are associated with them.

Three of the most important pre-reading skills your child needs to become a successful reader are:

1) Print awareness (understanding the concepts of words and letters and directionality of text)

2) alphabet knowledge (being able to identify letter shapes and their corresponding names)

3) phonemic awareness (ability to distinguish the individual sounds within a word and to blend and segment those sounds)

A word of caution: screenings are but a small picture of your child's overall learning profile. They may not identify all children who will have difficulty learning to read. However, they have proven to be a good predictor of whether a child is at risk of having reading difficulties and allow parents and teachers to be proactive in addressing these areas.

If you'd like more information on reading and reading assessments, click here.

QUESTION: How Many Boys Does it Take to Operate a Robot?

Answer: A Center full of boys! At least that's what it took one recent day in the Langsford lobby. The big boy with the directions is our Director, Stephen McCrocklin. It's his robot too. Stephen is a child at heart and couldn't resist coming out to play with the kids on break.

Of course boys will be boys and they always like to show off their favorite toys. And it just so happens that Stephen keeps a stash of toys in his office for those rare occasions when he takes a respite from his daily work. I guess it's true--you can take the boy out of the office, but you can't take the toys away from the boy....or something like that.

How Early Should I be Worried About My Child's Reading? 3 Warning Signs

One of the most commonly asked questions we hear at Langsford Learning Acceleration Centers is, "How early should I be worried about my child's reading skills?" Closely related is, "When should work on reading skills start?" Research clearly indicates that what preschoolers know before they enter school is strongly related to how easily they learn to read in first grade.

Three Predictors of Reading Achievement in preschoolers:

1) the ability to recognize and name letters of the alphabet

2) general knowledge about print (which is the front of the book and which is the back; which way to turn the pages of the book)

3) awareness of phonemes (the sounds in words)

If your preschooler is lacking in any of these areas, reading experts advise stepping in early. Research indicates that a child who is four or five months behind at the end of first grade has only a 20% chance of ever reading at grade level in a typical school environment.

The good news is, however, that slow starters can succeed if they are provided the right kind of help. Early intervention programs that combine daily instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, spelling, and reading fluency strategies can improve reading skills to average or above levels.

So don't wait for your child to experience failure. If your young child is displaying warning signs that learning to read is going to be difficult, seek intervention early! If you'd like information on early reader screenings and/or full assessments to determine whether your child is at risk of reading difficulties, see our website.

Langsford Learning Acceleration Centers

(502) 473-7000

weteachreading.com

An American Hero

Langsford salutes Virgil, retired military veteran, who recently completed a phase of reading and spelling work. With his strong work ethic, determination and drive, Virgil truly is an American Hero, on and off the battlefield. His smile says it all! We at Langsford Learning Centers are honored for having known and worked with him.

"So, You Think You Can Draw?"

Every where you look on TV, people are competing.  Network shows are designed around finding new talent across the country.  Singers, dancers, survivalists......When they finally come up with an Etch A Sketch illustrationist competition, I'm sure Pierce will be in the final running!

Pierce just finished up some reading and spelling work here at Langsford Learning Centers' Louisville location.  While he made good gains in these areas, we couldn't help but be amazed by his drawing abilities on the Etch A Sketch in the lobby!  On this particular day, Pierce looked at a picture of a dog in a book and proceeded to quickly draw it on the Etch A Sketch.  

As you can see from the photo, Pierce did an amazing job!  Maybe one of these days we'll see Pierce on TV wowing the audience with his artistic skills!

Word Retrieval Problems

"Gosh....it's on the tip of my tongue....."

The term "word retrieval" refers to the processes involved in mentally identifying and then producing the word or words necessary to express a thought or name an object.

Word retrieval difficulties sometimes occur in isolation, but they are often accompanied by problems in other areas of language function. Students with a wide variety of learning issues frequently are found to have word retrieval problems. These include students with learning and/or language disabilities, reading disability, ADHD, fluency disorders, or brain injuries. Word retrieval problems are particularly associated with the "language zones" of the left hemisphere of the brain and parts of the frontal lobes.

Parents are often confused about what to do to help a child that has word retrieval difficulties. It's important to realize that this is not a vocabulary issue that will be fixed by exposing your child to new vocabulary words. Rather, it is that the student knows and understands the word or words, and has correctly used the words before. Their brain is just slow to pull up those words. Like many other brain functions, regular practice can improve the brain's ability to retrieve words quickly and accurately.

Some activities you can do with your child to help with word retrieval include:

Read riddle books or other books that play with words.

Play word classification games.

Play synonym and antonym games.

Tell how things are the same and different.

A psychologist or speech-language pathologist can help to identify or remediate word retrieval problems. At Langsford Learning Acceleration Centers, we have found that our work to develop visualizing and verbalizing skills can also prove useful in the development of language skills in general.

Jacksen: A Star Student

Jacksen came to Langsford Center with an amazing thirst to learn. He came in each day with a dazzling smile and ready to work. Dad, in a conversation with Jacksen's Learning Coordinator, shared that after three short weeks he knew they were in the right place for Jacksen.

Jacksen improved his reading significantly while here, and school reported that his reading rate had increased from 47 WPM (words per minute) to 87 WPM in just 4 months time! Since 90 WPM is the goal for the end of 2nd grade, Jacksen was right on target. With the improvement he made while here, coupled with the practice he's getting this summer, Jacksen should be able to start 3rd grade feeling confident and capable.

Good job, Jacksen!

More on Brain Rewiring

We know that brain scans have proven remedial instruction in reading can improve one's decoding skills. But what about spelling? Can remedial work in spelling rewire the brain in the same fashion? Research indicates it can!

Researchers have found that humans code words in three forms while learning to spell. Each of the three draw on different, unique brain circuits. The brain codes words by their sound (phonology), the parts of the words that signal meaning and grammar (morphology), and by their visual or written form (orthography).

Research indicates that it is work related to the orthography of words that leads to changes in the brain. Orthographic instruction should include strategies for focusing on and remembering the letters in written words. This type of instruction has been proven to alter brain activity, causing poor spellers' brain scans to more closely resemble scans of good spellers. I'm happy to report that it is an orthographic approach that Langsford Learning Acceleration Centers use to improve spelling!

For more information on this research, click here.

Langsford Learning Acceleration Centers

Where Your Child is Our Center!

(502) 473-7000

Brain Rewiring in Children

"GET HELP WITH YOUR READING! YOU'LL BE GLAD YOU DID!"

Exciting news for struggling readers! A recent article in Science Daily discusses how scientists have uncovered evidence that intensive instruction to improve reading skills in young children causes the brain to physically rewire itself.

Researchers report that a study using brain imagery to compare the brains of good readers and poor readers showed that the quality of white matter (brain tissue that carries signals between areas of the brain where information is processed) improved substantially for poor readers who received 100 hours of remedial instruction.

The study showed a direct correlation between this improvement and improved reading skills. More specifically, the amount of change in the white matter was directly related to the amount of increase in phonological decoding ability!

Still skeptical? The control group, which contained both good and poor readers, did not receive the remedial instruction and their brain scans did not show any changes. This lack of change shows that the changes in the treated group cannot be attributed to natural maturation during the course of the study.

If you'd like information on the remedial instruction offered at Langsford Learning Acceleration Centers, please contact us.

Langsford Learning Acceleration Centers

Where Your Child is Our Center

weteachreading.com

(502) 473-7000

For Fun!

Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend.

Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.

~Groucho Marx

Langsford Cornhole Tournament

The "Langsford family" got together in the parking lot one recent evening and a rowdy good time was had by all! After a dinner of Mexican food, we paired up and battled each other for bragging rights for winning the cornhole competition.

It was a tough competition and finally we all let Jenny and Jeff win.

(Just kidding-they won fair and square!)

Here's a picture of the winning cornhole duo:

After the competition, we topped off the evening

with lively conversation and ice cream sandwiches.

A great way to end a workday!

A Magical Young Lady

Ode to the Mystical Unicorn

O, unicorn with coat so white

Your beauty is divine.

With all my heart and soul

I wish you could be mine.

For if you were, I'd love you so

And protect you from all harm.

So all the world would come to know

the magic of your charm.

--Author Unknown

Callie mesmerized us all from her first day at Langsford with her soulful eyes, serene presence, and mysterious smile.  She has all the charm that the mystical unicorn represents.    

We hope that her improved reading skills allow her to travel in her mind via books to far away, fantastical places, and for her to be as charmed by the written word as the world is by the magical and magnificent unicorn. 

Looking for Some Fun Summer Reading for Your "Wimpy Kid" Fan?

The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series has taken the elementary schools by storm. One mother recently likened being able to read it to a "rite of passage." The kids LOVE these books!

But what about after they've been read? What about the kids who can't quite handle the series' reading level yet? What other books can you get to entice your reluctant reader?

Here's a suggestion: another diary-format series called Nate's Journal. This series chronicles the trials and tribulations of Nate's grade 8 year. However, each book is a stand-alone story so they don't have to be read in order.

They'll remind your son or daughter of the Wimpy Kid books. They are written in journal fashion, complete with quirky line drawings accompanying the text.

Best of all-they're an easy read! While they were written to attract 4th to 6th grade readers, the easy to decode text is written at a grade 3 level.

Sometimes the key to getting your child to begin to enjoy reading is finding the right series to "hook" them. The Nate's Journal series might be just the "bait" you need to catch the interest of your young reader!

Look for them online or at your local booksellers. Happy Reading!

Summer Suggestions

Wondering what you should do to keep your child's skills sharp or to better prepare him or her for school next fall? There are 5 key areas you should think about.

Each will take only minutes a day. Why not set aside an hour a day this summer to keep your child's academic momentum going?

SUGGESTIONS FOR READING AND WRITING PRACTICE

1) Read! 20 to 30 minutes daily. Sometimes challenging material (to further their decoding skills), and sometimes easier material (to work on fluency).

2) Build a sight word base for reading! Use a word list from school or other list with common words. Print words on 3 by 5 index cards and review daily. As words are mastered, review less often and add new words to cards for daily practice.

3) Build a sight word base for spelling! Use the same word lists as for the reading sight word base. Practice spelling the words daily. When a word is correctly spelled for a week, replace with a new word. Work on about 10 words a day.

4) Vocabulary! Learn the meanings of words discovered in reading or spelling tasks. Improving vocabulary skills can lead to improved comprehension! Put new words on 3 by 5 index cards with short definitions on the back to practice. Use the words in sentences or use as part of the daily writing activity.

5) Write! Write 2-3 sentences or a short paragraph describing what was just read, or anything of interest! Be sure to proof for spelling and punctuation.

Now go out and have some summer fun!

If You See a Friend Without a Smile, Give Him One of Yours

Zac is a 7th grader who's been doing work in reading and spelling at our Middletown office. It's hard not to be charmed by him when he flashes his big awesome smile. While Zac says that he was very surprised to find that he wasn't bored coming here, it's not to say he didn't try to use his smile on us from time to time.

Zac says that his smile doesn't work for him at home or school, but it always does at his Grandma's. Grandma sometimes picks up Zac and from the the pride I see in her eyes when she looks at him, I imagine it does.

When I asked Zac what he'd like me to say when I posted his picture, he said "tell them it's not boring here and that when I came I wasn't a good reader, but now I am."

(Hearing that would have charmed me even without the smile.)

Can You Read This?

Aoccdring to rscheearch at Cmadrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

How'd you do? Were you surprised at how well you read it? But.....did you really read it? Were you decoding the words based on the order of the letters and what each letter says?

The above paragraph is an example of what is called top-down processing. A widely accepted educational philosophy that utilizes a top-down approach to reading is called whole language.

Proponents of whole language instruction believe that comprehension should be used as the basis for decoding skills and that meaning is brought to print, not derived from it. It is a whole- to-part model, relying on readers being able to use their comprehension skills to anticipate what they think a word will likely say. It allows readers to comprehend text even though they do not recognize or cannot decode each word.

A bottom-up reading model, on the other hand, emphasizes part-to-whole processing of a text. Proponents of this model argue that the process of decoding words by using phonetic strategies leads to comprehension of the text. The reader first processes each individual linguistic unit, or phoneme, combining them to decipher words, and only then does the reader begin to comprehend the text.

Both of these models have merit, but neither, in and of itself, is the most efficient way to accurately decode and comprehend text. A better model is an interactive model which utilizes aspects of both, with a focus on the latter.

If you've been to a Langsford Learning Acceleration Centers presentation, you may recall a model for reading which draws on three areas combined, working together in unison. It is a balanced approach of drawing on word attack skills, sight words, and contextual cues. These areas combined result in accurate and efficient decoding, which allows readers to shift their focus to gleaning meaning from the text.

For more information related to this interactive model, check our website or Facebook page for the next presentation on "What Parents Should Know...about Reading and Comprehension Development." These presentations are FREE and open to the public.

For the Love of Reading

"So please, oh PLEASE, we beg, we pray,

Go throw your TV set away,

And in its place you can install,

A lovely bookshelf on the wall."

— Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Nothing is more rewarding than seeing children become excited about reading. Will is a first grader who recently completed sessions with us. You can see by the look on his face in this picture that he was happy to receive a book at his ending celebration. Kristin, his Learning Coordinator, picked one special for him that she thought he'd enjoy. What you don't see, is the sense of pride Will displayed in sessions as his reading skills developed.

When checking in with Will's mom a short time later, Kristin learned that Will had already read the book she'd given him and moved on to one from the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series! Mom reported that, while the book is challenging for him (it's above his grade level!), he really wanted to read it and is able to work through and decode most of it on his own.

"So, please, oh Please, we beg, we pray,

Read with your children every day.

Keep books on hand for lots of fun,

They'll be so proud, once they're done!"

---Langsford Learning Acceleration Centers

Dressed for Success!

This is Jack! Jack did work to improve his reading and spelling skills at Langsford Center. Mom reports that his grades have improved and he's now near the top of his class! With his dapper good looks and his improved skills, we think the sky's the limit for Jack!

In Memory of Carolyn

Carolyn and her son Andrew at 2009 staff Christmas party

There are some people you meet in this world who are truly special.  They have a certain something about them that draws you to them.  Carolyn was such a person.  Carolyn worked here at Langsford Center for almost five years.  For a good portion of that time, she was battling cancer, although most people outside of our staff did not know it.  On Monday, April 26, 2010, we lost Carolyn.  She was only 51. 

Even though those closest to Carolyn knew she was getting progressively discouraging reports  and was beginning to run out of treatment options, her courage never faltered.  Carolyn faced her illness bravely, with grace and dignity.  She preferred not to talk about it, as she refused to let her illness define her.  She wanted her life to go on as normal as possible.  To that end she continued to come to work every day, amazingly with a smile on her face.  

She did not complain or look for sympathy.  In fact, she often offered support to others around her.  It was hard to believe that she had such a serious illness when she looked so well and was laughing and cutting up.  I believe that Carolyn did not want to leave this world, to leave her husband and son alone, and she kept her illness in check through sheer mental self-discipline.

We ask ourselves.....why did she have to leave this life so young?

I am reminded of a quote by Albert Einstein.  He once said:

Our death is not our end if we can live on in our children and the younger generation.  For they are us, our bodies are only wilted leaves on the tree of life....

Carolyn leaves behind a loving husband and son, and many friends who will deeply miss her. However, she lives on in her son, and in all the children she worked with while she was here at Langsford Center.  Carolyn helped to give many children the gift of reading and altered many a child's life by doing so.  While her time on this earth was brief, her spirit lives on in the lives she touched.

Goodbye, Carolyn.  We all love you and miss you.  

Client Update

Just had a previous client stop by after finding one of our books at home. Mom reports that daughter is doing great and reading voraciously! While only in 2nd grade, she is reading 3rd and 4th grade books! We love to hear these stories!

If you'd like to share an update on your child, leave us a post in the comments section. We'd love to hear from you too!

Defining a "Reading Problem"

"Why Can't I get this?"

Oftentimes there is some confusion about the underlying cause of a student's academic problems. They are often associated with reading, but reading is not a single process and, when we talk about reading, we could be meaning different things. The end goal of reading is, of course, comprehension of the material. But poor reading comprehension is not necessarily the result of a weakness in one's language comprehension skills.

Reading comprehension can only occur when other factors related to the reading process are in place. It is dependent on a student's phonemic awareness skills, knowledge of phonics, word attack skills, and the fluency of their reading being efficient and automatic.

When a reader is struggling or unable to decode words in a text, or he or she is just inefficient in doing so, the result is that they are putting most of their energy into the process of decoding and are not as focused on determining what the text is actually saying.

It is also hard to understand what you are reading when you are not a fluent reader. When your reading is slow and choppy, perhaps lacking in expression, it is more difficult to glean meaning from what you have read.

Parents frequently think or are told by their child's teacher or tutor that they have a comprehension problem, when, in fact, it is actually a problem within the mechanics of their reading. This is related to people erroneously believing that if a student cannot answer questions about what he or she has read that it must be due to a weakness in their basic comprehension skills.

Conversely, some students are perceived to be poor readers because they are unable to answer questions about what they read. In this instance, the false assumption is that if a student is a good reader they will be able to answer questions about a text, and precludes the possibility that the incorrect responses were due to under-developed or inefficient language comprehension strategies.

The confusion around these areas is why we, at Langsford Learning Acceleration Centers, do a comprehensive evaluation of all areas of the reading process to determine the precise needs of any given student. We want the family to have clarity on what underpinnings are not in place and what area or areas need to be addressed for their child to perform optimally academically.

So remember: Reading and reading comprehension are two different, but related, entities. Both areas should be evaluated and considered when looking into whether a student has a "reading problem."

Langsford Learning Acceleration Centers

2520 Bardstown Road

Louisville, Kentucky

(502) 473-7000

We teach reading and learning skills for life. Spread the word!

Should We Do Summer Work?

Summer is quickly coming upon us. As the days grow sunnier and warmer, spring fever begins to set in. Our thoughts wander to the delights of summer--afternoons at the pool, a trip to the beach, summer camps and other fun things!

Thoughts of school fade to the background. However, summer is an ideal time to enrich or remediate reading, spelling, and comprehension skills! An hour or two a day devoted to these areas can lead to improved skills, better grades in the fall, and less flack about homework.

But what should you do? Well, that depends on the specific needs of your child. Some possibilities include:

Enrichment Work

Many people think that if their child is doing okay in school, no additional work is needed. And it's true, they don't need remedial work. However, our experience at Langsford Learning Acceleration Centers is that clients who are already performing in the average range can make significant gains by doing enrichment work to enhance their skills. Why settle for average if the potential is there to be a star student? Enrichment work is often completed in just a few weeks time, or can be done only one hour a day for a bit longer. An evaluation of your childs' learning skills could identify any areas that might benefit from enrichment work.

Summer Review

Perhaps your child has completed work at our center in the past. While regular reading and writing are the most important things your child can do to maintain or further his or her skills, a review of strategies learned could provide the boost needed for them to excel or move to higher level material. In this case, no formal evaluation may be needed. A call to your Learning Coordinator is likely all that you need. Your Learning Coordinator will be happy to make suggestions and discuss options. Over the summer, we often have weeks available when full-time clients are out for vacation that your child can fill--a win/win situation for both us and you!

Remediation

Is your child currently struggling? Are you worried they may not be able to keep up next school year? Are you fearful they may not be promoted this year? If so, an evaluation would give you insight into exactly where your child's skills break down and what you should do to remediate them. Many families feel that summer is the best possible time to do remediation work since it does not have to be done after a full day of school. Summer is a great time to play catch-up and prepare your child for the upcoming school year.

Langsford Learning Acceleration Centers

2520 Bardstown Rd.

Louisville, KY

(502) 473-7000

We teach reading and spelling skills for life. Spread the word!

Spring Break 2010!

The upcoming week is spring break for many in this area.  What will you be doing on your spring break?  Going to the beach?  Visiting relatives?  Perhaps taking a "stay-cation" at home?

No matter what your plans are, a good book should be included in them.  Reading for pleasure is one of life's greatest joys!  You can learn about different people and cultures, travel to faraway lands, immerse yourself in mythology, or entertain yourself with some funny fiction.

No matter where you are at, or what you are doing, you have time to read.  Maybe before bed at night....maybe on a blanket at the park.....a special place makes reading even more fun!  

So don't think just because school's out that you shouldn't open a book. On the contrary, now is the time to read whatever catches your fancy!  Books can add to the fun of any vacation!  Let me know if you read a good book over spring break that you'd like to recommend to others!  

(I'll read them myself!)

Special Ties

One of the greatest things about working at Langsford Learning Acceleration Centers is getting to meet so many amazing kids! Working together closely to achieve success in reading can create some everlasting bonds.

Recently we had the pleasure of working with a fireball of energy and enthusiasm named Allie! One of our directors, Claudia McCrocklin, was Allie's Learning Coordinator. Simply put, Claudia was the one who created an individualized plan of action for Allie and oversaw it's implementation through the Langsford instructors.

Claudia went into Allie's sessions on a regular basis and it wasn't long until she and Allie became great friends! Allie often ran up the hall to give Claudia a big hug when she saw her!

When Allie finished her work and came back to have her skills retested to determine the level of progress she'd made, Allie was excited about seeing all the friends she'd made here, especially Claudia!

A Thank You That Warmed Our Hearts!

We just love getting feedback from the kids we work with! This is Will and he wrote something special for us and read it at his last day celebration.

It said: "I can't believe how much better my reading got. Thank you Langsford."

Will: we are so glad your reading got better! We truly enjoyed working with you!