Holiday Thank You Notes-As Easy As 1-2-3

Some traditions or acts of etiquette should never go out of style.  Alas, in this day of instant gratification, email and texting, writing thank you letters seems to have fallen out of vogue.

But who doesn't like to see a handwritten thank you note show up in the mail?

Encourage your kids to write thank you notes to Aunt Jane for that adorable sweater and Uncle Pete for those drums.  During the holiday break, after the festivities have passed and when the kids are becoming restless, bring out the markers or crayons, some pretty paper and envelopes, and have your kids make you proud.  They may even have fun doing it!

HOW TO WRITE A THANK YOU NOTE IN THREE EASY SENTENCES

Start note with:

Dear __________, (Insert name of gift-giver)

Come up with three clever sentences:

Sentence 1:  Thank you sooooo much for the ___________. (Insert name of gift)

Sentence 2:  It is ________________________. (insert your initial impression of gift: beautiful, adorable, just what I wanted/needed)

Sentence 3:  I will (or it will) ______________________. (insert why you like it or how it will be useful: I will think of you every time I wear it/ it will keep me warm this winter)

End note with a nice closing:

love, sincerely, yours truly,

Sign name!

It's as simple as that.  Some pretty artwork to finish it off makes the task fun and lands the note in Aunt Jane's drawer of keepsakes.  :)

KEEP THE ART OF WRITING ALIVE!

Things that make us happy!

Working at Langsford often means hard work and long hours.  What drives us?   The feedback we get from clients.  These are some comments our examiners have heard from kids doing their final evaluations  at Langsford.

"Before Langsford, I couldn't read very good.  Now I LOVE to read.  I can read chapter books."

  

"Now I ASK my mom if I can read.  I sometimes get in trouble at school for reading, but I don't want to put my book down."

"I've never been so excited about reading.  I am on Chapter 5 in the book I'm reading now."

"I feel like I'm not left out anymore."

"Now I am doing good in school. I can keep up with my work."

"I really like 4th grade.  I like learning new things."

Yes, in deed.  Comments like these make it all worthwhile!

10 Quick Tips to Improve Your Writing

Short and simple--that's the way I like things! Sometimes a few simple tips or strategies can make what was once a chore much easier.  Check out this website for 10 quick tips to improve your or your child's writing!  

An Important Step in the Writing Process

Visualizing, or imaging.....We do it all the time!  

 Both are terms referring to the act of making mental pictures in your mind.

We are visualizing when we read a book 

and picture the characters and events.  

We are visualizing when we listen to oral directions

and see what we need to do in our minds.  

We are visualizing when we daydream 

and fantasize about our upcoming vacation 

or what we want for Christmas this year. 

 Most of this imaging is so automatic that we are hardly aware of it.  Bringing it to a level of consciousness, however, can allow us to use the skill in a variety of ways you may not have thought about.  For example-writing!!

Has your child ever sat staring at a blank sheet of paper 

and complained about not knowing what to write? 

 Visualizing what you plan to write is actually one of the most important steps of the writing process.  If you can clearly see in your mind's eye a scene or event, you will be better able to write about it.  The more detail you have in your imagery, the more descriptive your writing can become.  You just have to think about what you see and put it into words on the paper.

The next time your child is having difficulty with writing, encourage them to visualize the topic and then incorporate those images into their work.  They should include colors, shape, size, and other details they imagine.  This simple yet often overlooked step can help your child to become a better writer and make the whole process easier and more enjoyable!

"Easy-Peasy!"

Katie just finished her sessions at Langsford! While here, she worked hard to improve her reading and spelling skills.

She recently brought in two spelling tests from school that she wanted to show us.  She'd earned great scores on both of them! When asked about how she did so well, Katie replied that spelling is now "easy-peasy" for her!

We couldn't be prouder.

               
Miss Katie--------------------->

Getting Kids to Write

How can a child who can talk your arm off transform into a whining, crying, complaining, about-to-go-into-the-fetal-position mess when given a writing assignment?  What's so hard about writing?

Most kids who say they don't like to write say that because they don't think they are good at it.  Given praise and positive feedback, many reluctant writers will blossom into authors.  The key is giving them the tools they need to get their thoughts on paper, and then lots of encouragement with a focus on what they did right!

Heather Radar talks about using "wows and wonders" to encourage kids to write in her article "Coaching Reluctant Writers" for ChoiceLiteracy (click here to read). Wows for, "Wow, this part is great," and wonders for "hmmmmm......I wonder what you could do to make this part even better?"

Everyone likes to do things they feel proficient at and a little praise can go a long way in getting your child to write more.  But the praise needs to be specific.  Tell them exactly what you think is good and why it is.  Then, instead of saying, "This part isn't very good. You should change it," guide them gently to a revision by saying something like, "Gee, this is so good, but you do seem to say he said over and over.  I wonder if there are other words you could use that mean the same thing as said that might make your story more interesting?"

Who knows?  Maybe your child will be a published author some day, thanks to your encouragement!

Witches of all ages! Oh, my!

Witch Kara

Count Dracula comes to call......

Oh, no!  A vampire!!!

Yikes! A Witch!

Katie the witch

Scary Sightings at Langsford!

Woooooooooooooo......It's Halloween and some interesting characters have been showing up for sessions today in place of our regular students!  In our lobby this morning, there was a gangster hanging out with a soldier!  Who knows what else the day will bring?  If you come looking for me, I'll be hiding under my desk......

Langsford Lecture Series: Demystifying Achievement Tests

This week Langsford hosted a group of more than 50 educators from across the city for the first of its Langsford Lecture Series' presentations of the 2012-13 school year.  One of our directors, Stephen McCrocklin, talked about the WIAT-III and WJ-III achievement tests.

People have a tendency to take test scores at face value.  Stephen stressed the importance of knowing what individual subtests are specifically looking at and the various factors that could affect scores.

Maybe this has you wondering.....

What is an achievement test?  

• It is a measure of a student's acquisition of skills or knowledge following appropriate exposure to the material.
• It is NOT a measure of potential to learn, or ability to learn. 

October is Learning Disabilities Month!

Facts about learning disabilities 

• Fifteen percent of the U.S. population, or one in seven Americans, has some type of learning disability, according to the National Institutes of Health.
• Difficulty with basic reading and language skills are the most common learning disabilities. As many as 80% of students with learning disabilities have reading problems.
• Learning disabilities often run in families.
• Learning disabilities should not be confused with other disabilities such as mental retardation, autism, deafness, blindness, and behavioral disorders. None of these conditions are learning disabilities. In addition, they should not be confused with lack of educational opportunities like frequent changes of schools or attendance problems. Also, children who are learning English do not necessarily have a learning disability.
• Attention disorders, such as Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and learning disabilities often occur at the same time, but the two disorders are not the same.

These facts reported by LD Online.

Interested in learning more about learning disabilities?  Check out LD Online!

LD OnLine is a website on learning disabilities, learning disorders and differences. Parents and teachers of learning disabled children will find authoritative guidance on attention deficit disorder, ADD / ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, dysnomia, reading difficulties, speech and related disorders.

A Fun Story From a Fun Student!

Connor is a 5th grader doing sessions at Langsford to work on his written composition skills.

He's written opinion pieces and informative and persuasive essays among other things.  Below is a sample of some of his creative writing, which was one of his favorite tasks in sessions.  I really enjoyed this story, and thought you would too!  Stay tuned for more student work in the future!

     This story is about a man named John...

"Hi! I'm John."

My name is John Slater.  I am just an ordinary guy.  I used to have an ordinary life.  Then I found a billion dollars under my bed!

"Wow!  I'll look under my bed more often!"

It happened like this.  I took the drawer out from under my bed and saw lots of cash.  I was ecstatic!  Then I put the money in a brown leather suitcase.  I decided to take the money to a bank.  I hopped into my rusty Ford pickup truck and drove to the bank.

I walked into the bank and over to the financial adviser, Mr. Bob.   I sat down and said, "I would like to  open a checking account."  Mr. Bob answered, "How much money would you like to deposit?  You need a minimum of 100 dollars."

I put my suitcase on the table and said, "I would like to deposit this much."  Mr. Bob said, "Just sign these papers and I'll do the rest.  Wait here and I'll tell you how much money is in your account."
Five minutes later Mr. Bob walked back and said, "You have exactly one billion dollars in your account."

"A billion dollars!!!!!!"

I said, "A billion dollars!  I can't believe it!"  I was so happy I went outside and kicked my old rusty truck and the driver's door fell off.  I got in nervously and drove to the Ferrari dealership.  I looked around and decided to buy a yellow Ferrari.  I left my old piece of junk there.

"Am I cool or what?!"

After I bought the Ferrari, I went to an office to buy a plot of land on the outskirts of town.  It was five acres of grass.  I was going to have a mansion built.  A year later, it was finished.  From the pillars to the 27 flat screen TV's, it was perfect!  It was big, white, and had lots of windows.

"Like my house?"

The mansion has an 18 hole mini golf course, an indoor pool with a diving board, and a movie theater.  I love my rooftop basketball court.  It has a retractable roof.  I also like the hangar with the 747 and a runway on my roof.

My favorite part of the house is my bedroom.  I like the bed because it is super big and you can controlhow hot or cold the bed is.  If you press a special button a giant 113 inch flat screen pops out of the bed.  The room also has lots of sports memorabilia.  Then there's the bathroom.  It has a hot tub, and a shower that massages your feet, and a TV built into the shower.

"A TV in the shower! " 

I lived happily in my mansion for the rest of my life!

Can you say, "Happily ever after?"

The End

Why We Work at Langsford

Some people work for money...some to have something to do...others to feel like they are accomplishing something important.  Langsford is celebrating its 20 year anniversary this year and we were remarking on how so many of our staff have been with us for such a long time.  I, myself, have worked here for 15 of the 20 years Langsford has been in existence!

We decided to ask our staff why they work at Langsford, and we got some interesting answers that says a lot about our staff and our center.  Here's what some of the staff had to say.......

Why do I work at Langsford?

"Why?  I wanted to belong to a place that could change lives.  I wanted to be that person who could save a child from a lifetime of failure."


"To give people the gift of reading.  Once you learn to read and can understand what you read, the whole world opens up for you.  You can do anything!"


"I work at Langsford because it is the most personally gratifying teaching experience I've ever had.  Students actually improve.  They learn to read better.  The environment is so positive.  One-on-one instruction is the only answer for many/most of our students.  Our methodology is extraordinary."


"As I said to you many years ago, the job gives meaning to my life.  There are few jobs in which you actually feel that you are making a difference."


"Because everyone here cares, or needs care."


"It seems that I have been a learner and a teacher most of my 71 years.  I am involved in both of those activities through my job at Langsford.  When I applied for my job, almost 10 years ago, it was because I wanted to continue this challenging and creative process of working with kids to make a difference.  Langsford has been the answer to my longing and kept me involved in the joy of impacting young souls."


Almost every response was similar to what you have just read.  I am humbled and proud to be working with a team so dedicated to the art of teaching.

We are moving our Middletown Office to Louisville's East End!!

2012 is turning out to be an exciting year for 

Langsford Learning Acceleration Centers!

In addition to celebrating our 20th anniversary, big changes are on the way!  Always striving to best serve our clients' needs, we are moving our Middletown office to Louisville's East End to be more conveniently located for you! 

Our new address will be: 

2805 N. Hurstbourne Parkway, Suite 103

(this is the Southeast corner of Westport Road and Hurstbourne Pkwy.)

We are designing the space from the bottom up to specifically suit our needs.  Plus, we will have more space and abundant parking!  It will be right in the midst of other kid-friendly places like Hwangs Martial Arts, Big League Barber, Tom Sawyer Park, and Zachary Taylor Elementary School.  

Be prepared for familiar faces and new, as some of our staff take on new responsibilities that will make our team approach even stronger!  Of course, our Highlands office will be open to serve you as well.  

We anticipate moving in May and hope you will stop by to see our new office!  As always, our primary goal is to help make reading and learning easier for all that come to our center.  

Hopefully our new office will be easier for you to get to as well!

"What Langsford is About": According to Lindsey

Miss Lindsey

Recently we've had the pleasure of working with this delightful 3rd grader 

who wrote the following about Langsford:

What Langsford is About

by Lindsey

Langsford is a place where kids go to get better at school work that is tricky for them.  I really like Langsford because I can learn in fun ways.  I can read interesting books while playing the Jewel Game. 

I also do spelling.  If I get a word wrong, I have a list that the word goes on.  If I get the word correct 5 days in a row the word gets checked off.  I also get to write sentences on the white board with a dry erase marker.  My favorite color is purple.

If I read 20 minutes a day I get to put a check on the reading board.  If I get checks all the way across the board, I get to get a prize out of Rhonda's special basket.  

I have a different teacher every hour I am here.  At the end of each hour, I get stickers to put on my sticker sheet.  Langsford is a good place to go to!

Thanks Lindsey!  We think you're pretty special too!!

Hoping for her life to be changed

This week we had a new student start.  On her first day her mother told me a story I want to share with you.  She said that the night before her family had had Chinese food for dinner.  When her daughter, our new student, opened her fortune cookie, it read.......

You are about to be tested,

and the results will be life-changing

The daughter turned to her mother, smiling, and said, "I think Langsford is going to be my big test."

We've had many past clients tell us their lives were changed by the work they did with us.  We strive for that with every client we see.

Parent Resources

While we at Langsford Center love working one to one with our clients, the scope of our mission goes beyond that.  We want to be able to help all in our community in whatever way we can. That's why we have parent workshops, professional trainings, newsletters, and this blog!  

Be sure to regularly check this blog for links to resources and information that can help you help your child.  For today's link, click here and you'll find a list of fun books that will entertain your child while at the same time teach important academic skills.  

With fun titles like Eats, Shoots and Leaves: Why Commas Really Do Make a Difference, who wouldn't want to learn something new?

Happy Anniversary to Us!!!

Happy 20th Anniversary!!!

Wow! This month marks the 20th anniversary of the opening of Langsford Learning Acceleration Centers!  We are so excited that we've decided to celebrate all year long!!  Watch here and on our website for upcoming events, as we have many funs things planned.  Speaking of Langsford Center, did you see the recent article on us in the Courier Journal?  If not, click here!