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!)