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!

Kristin's Decade at Langsford

Recently, one of our Learning Coordinators, Kristin, celebrated her tenth anniversary working with Langsford. As a celebratory gift, Kristin received a beautiful cut-glass bowl engraved with a special thank-you for her years of enthusiastic commitment.

Regarding her decade at Langsford, Kristin says, “This is by far the best job I've ever had AND the best working environment. Working with people who are truly invested in a common purpose, with little regard for personal gain, is a delight.”

Before coming to Langsford, Kristin specialized in Special Education, with a particular focus on children with severe behavioral and emotional difficulties. For twenty years she worked in a variety of settings in many different states, before finally leaving JCPS to work full-time at Langsford. She still thinks it was the best decision she ever made.

We agree! Thanks, Kristin, and here’s to another ten years!

Langsford Progress Updates

When a student is working here, we want to give feedback periodically to the parents so they know how the plan is moving forward. And of course during the course of work here, the Learning Coordinator is constantly seeing the students and talking to them in sessions about the plan, where they are, how far they have to go, etc.




Okay, so USUALLY a progress update is something Langsford Learning Coordinators do with the parents.

But in this case, Nadia and Ola wanted to have their own private update in Kristin's office. And we would never deny a request for more information from a student!

Staff Spotlight: Kristin

Kristin is one of our Learning Coordinators.

Where were you born and how long have you lived in Louisville?
Louisville is my hometown. I left town for about 8 years, then returned home.

My school/work background is?
Bachelor’s degree from Eastern Ky. University- dual degree in Special Ed./Elementary Ed. Also dual Master’s degree in Special Ed./Elementary Ed. from Adams State College in Colorado. Work experience mostly in special education settings and started at Langsford in 1999. Best job I ever had!

When I was a child and thought about what I wanted to be when I grew up, I…
was never quite sure I wanted to grow up.

In my free time, I….
am very involved with the Taoist Tai Chi Society, I enjoy working on my house and in the garden.

One of my favorite books of all time would be….
Ann Morrow Lindberg’s “Gifts from the Sea”

One of my hidden talents is…
Oh, there are too many to mention…

I love and I hate…
I love the many opportunities for growth this life offers. I hate eggplant and beef liver.

People say I…
am even keeled but full of surprises.

I once won an award for…
Best award ever was my Master’s Degree! It was very hard won!

Start Learning Those Vowel Sounds Early

Leslie, one of Langsford Learning Acceleration Centers' Learning Coordinators is also is in charge of Assessment. She oversees our Examiners and makes sure all the details that go into figuring out the learning processes of each individual client are covered.

Click here to see a video of her granddaughter and after watching the video, see if you agree with our assessment that Leslie's grandbaby is doing a fantastic job with her vowel sounds. Nice job Rose!

Jonah Reads Everything in Sight

This is Jonah with his Learning Coordinator, Kristin. After doing work here, Jonah's family reported that he tries to read everything in sight and the other day he was reading the air bag warning on the visor in the car!

I also hear that he has now taken up guitar lessons and is working quite hard at that. I hope he'll stop by sometime so we can all listen to him play.

Elizabeth Knows Horses

Elizabeth and her mom traveled here all the way from Tennessee to do sessions with us. She was great fun to have around and knew a lot about horses. One day as I worked with her, we were reading a story about Lippizaner Stallions. Elizabeth already knew quite a bit about them but we were both curious about why they are now so rare. Well later that evening, she did some research on her own and the next day she brought me a printout of information she found on the internet explaining the history of this breed of horse.

That's one reason why it's great working here, it's not just the students that learn a lot!



This picture above is Elizabeth and her mom.



This is Elizabeth and Claudia, who was her Learning Coordinator while she was here this summer doing sessions.

Following Up: The Learning Continues

Kristin, one of Langsford's Learning Coordinators, recently followed up with a family of a student who will be entering 8th grade this fall. At the end of his work here, Kristin prepared further recommendations so he could continue to benefit and strengthen the gains he made from his work at Langsford.

Kristin's main recommendation was that the student continue to work on writing this summer. So as summer arrived, she contacted his mother to remind her about that and to offer specific suggestions. She wanted to offer ideas that would be fun, help motivate and give him more control over the process, so she recommended creative writing. She gave the mom the following link to help along those lines. Readers of this blog may want to check it out as well. Click here.

Another recommendation Kristin made for this particular family was to investigate the possibility of using a Franklin Speller. Technological advances such as these electronic dictionaries and spellers can be helpful depending on the situation. Sometimes these tools are used soley for accomodation or compensation. Langsford believes it's important to concentrate on remediation first and then move to technology to assist in learning and the Franklin Speller can be a great tool.

Finally, Kristin recommended that this family have some fun with a Group Story. A Group Story is where someone starts a story and then passes it off to another person who writes a few sentences and so on. The stories can get quite crazy and you never know how it's going to turn out. I know I (Debbie) did this several times with my children and I still have my favorite. We suggest everyone give it a try.

Kristin received this feedback from mom after her follow up:

Good Morning Kristin,

I hope this finds you well. Yes, Brock did finish with a great report card. All his grades were 88 and above. He made second honors for the very first time! YEAH!

I purchased the Franklin speller for him and he seemed to benefit from it. Thanks for that good suggestion.

To say the least I am impressed with your follow up! I always appreciate people that hold me to my word. I purchased the notebook for the combined story writing weeks ago. Now, making the time for the writing. Thanks for the nudge.

Please pass along my thanks and appreciation to your staff for their part in Brock's success!

Take care,
Courtney

Benjamin's Surprise

People sometimes ask if Langsford is part of a franchise and the answer is no. Since its beginnings in 1992, Langsford has been owned and operated by Stephen and Claudia McCrocklin.

One unique difference about Langsford is that Claudia and Stephen want to remain very involved and hands-on in the work that goes on here, even though they also have broader responsibilities as owners/directors. So when Benjamin's family decided to sign up to do work at Langsford, Claudia became his Learning Coordinator.

Benjamin happens to attend the same school as Stephen and Claudia's son. The day Benjamin found out it was his buddy's mom who would be helping him, he said "Wow, this is cool!"

Rhonda Rocks

Our clients come to us with a wide variety of challenges and needs. Sometimes parents need help and assistance as they figure out how to be an advocate for their child and make sure they get the help they need as they move forward in their schooling. Below is a recent card Rhonda received from a past client who knows that Langsford will remain available to help her in any way we can:

Rhonda, How can I thank you for the countless hours of helping me through this challenging transitional year. Your guidance and listening ear has been so appreciated! Thanks because I know I can count on your in years to come. We so appreciate you!

Staff Spotlight: Rhonda

Every month, we like to highlight one staff member so clients and other staff (and now you, blog readers!) can learn a bit more about the people who work here at Langsford. This month we highlight one of our Learning Coordinators, Rhonda. Let's learn more about her:

Where were you born and how long have you lived in Louisville?
New Albany, Indiana, in Louisville since age 20

My school/work background is?
I majored in English at U of L with a Minor in Philosophy. I worked at
U of L tutoring center and later I was a graduate assistant.

When I was a child and thought about what I wanted to be when I grew up, I…
...fantasized about being a dancer.

In my free time, I….
play with my dogs, go to flea markets, and listen to country music. I love to go to concerts. I have an autographed picture of Dierks Bentley and danced with Jake Owens.

One of my favorite books of all time would be….
...East of Eden

I love and I hate…
I love all things related to cowboys and I hate bananas.

I once won an award for…
…a statewide essay contest for all 4th graders in IN on “Why I like Indiana as my State and Home.”