Friday, January 29, 2010

"You signed me up for what?!"

This is for all you kids out there who have just been told by your parents that they have signed you up to come to Langsford.

I know what you must be thinking. "What a bummer--working on my summer break, " or, "oh man, I have to go there everyday AND after school?!" But I think you'll be very surprised once you get here. We will be doing things that are very different from what you've done at school.

All of our work is one-on-one and we have some really fun instructors. Some are women and some are guys. They've been taught some special stuff so that they know how to teach you in a way you can learn. Their goal is always to make whatever is hard for you-reading, spelling, comprehension-easier. If it's easier, you'll like it better and you won't have to spend so much time laboring over homework at night!

Most kids come every day, for 2 hours. Don't panic! It's not that bad. You'll have two 55 minute sessions with a 5 minute break in between. During the break, kids socialize in the lobby, eat a snack, or talk to some of their instructors. We even have some cool puzzles and games you can play with during the breaks.

In sessions, a lot of the tasks you do will feel like games. Our thinking is that learning should be fun! You'll have different instructors for different hours, so you'll get a chance to work with several really interesting people while you are here.

We're going to do some activities with you that will help develop your brain's ability to process information. We'll also teach you some cool rules and strategies that will make reading and understanding what you read easier.

While you're here you'll have a Learning Coordinator that will figure out the best ways to teach you to make things easier. They're really easy to talk to and you can tell them if something feels hard or if you think you're ready for a challenge.

The time will go by really quickly while you are in sessions, and we won't be sending home a pile of homework with you! Usually we just ask that you read 20 or 30 minutes a day outside of Langsford. We've got some really cool books and we'll help you pick out some that you'll enjoy.

Most kids really like coming here! We've had kids come from all over, as far away as Dubai and Africa! How cool is that?!

Remember: We're going to make learning easier for you, and we plan to have a good time with you while we're doing it!

We can't wait to start working with you!



Thursday, January 21, 2010

Literacy Milestones From Birth to Age Six


Ever wonder whether your young child is on track in his or her reading development?

Click on the site below for information provided by the U.S. Dept. of Education.


Literacy Milestones From Birth to Age Six

Posted using ShareThis

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

STAFF Spotlight



Christopher Skye--A Little About Me

I was born in Springfield, Ohio. I washed up on the Falls of the Ohio in 1987 and scamped about the Highlands for a few years before heading west. Louisville has been my residence since 1998.

I've been a cook, fisherman, tree-planter, and mountain man at various times. I used to read a lot about eastern religions and earned a degree in Humanities from the University of Louisville, where I studied ancient western cultures and unspoken languages. I am currently working on a Master's degree in Library Science.

People say I'm a people person, and they are right.

When I was a child I wanted to be Leonardo da Vinci or maybe Peter Pan, although I do see my shadow.

In my free time I golf, hike, read, watch movies, and volunteer.

My favorite book is the one I haven't read yet! But the Tao Te Ching is useful.

A talent I have is starting over, which I think is a bit like gardening.

I love traveling and I hate meanness.

I once won an award for academic merit, but my greatest reward is my daughter, Phoenix.