Wednesday, August 25, 2010

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.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

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




Tuesday, August 3, 2010

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.

Monday, August 2, 2010

"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!