The Best Christmas Gift

Sometimes the best Christmas gifts don't come in a package wrapped in shiny paper with a big red bow.  Sometimes, like this year, they come in the form of a phone call or an email.  We at Langsford like to think that we give the gift of learning to our clients.  But we get back as much or more than we give when we hear things like the following.  It is stories like this that fill our hearts with joy and give meaning to our lives.

The email I received today:

Rhonda- Hello! Glad to hear from you. It was funny that you emailed because just the other week we were looking at Allie's report card (which is all As and Bs) and my mom commented, "We need to send this to Ms. Rhonda at Langsford!"

She's doing great! It's amazing to see how much better the related areas(science/ social studies/math) are just because the reading comprehension is so much better! I truly feel so blessed that we decided to go with Langsford instead of switching her to a specialized school!  Thanks again for all your help! Merry Christmas!!

(By the way, she asked for a Smartboard and a projector for her classroom at home for Christmas!! By the time she gets a real job she'll already have 15 years teaching experience!! Ha!). 

Lolli's Lovely Letter to Langsford

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.

Jacksen: A Star Student

Jacksen came to Langsford Center with an amazing thirst to learn. He came in each day with a dazzling smile and ready to work. Dad, in a conversation with Jacksen's Learning Coordinator, shared that after three short weeks he knew they were in the right place for Jacksen.

Jacksen improved his reading significantly while here, and school reported that his reading rate had increased from 47 WPM (words per minute) to 87 WPM in just 4 months time! Since 90 WPM is the goal for the end of 2nd grade, Jacksen was right on target. With the improvement he made while here, coupled with the practice he's getting this summer, Jacksen should be able to start 3rd grade feeling confident and capable.

Good job, Jacksen!

A Magical Young Lady

Ode to the Mystical Unicorn

O, unicorn with coat so white

Your beauty is divine.

With all my heart and soul

I wish you could be mine.

For if you were, I'd love you so

And protect you from all harm.

So all the world would come to know

the magic of your charm.

--Author Unknown

Callie mesmerized us all from her first day at Langsford with her soulful eyes, serene presence, and mysterious smile.  She has all the charm that the mystical unicorn represents.    

We hope that her improved reading skills allow her to travel in her mind via books to far away, fantastical places, and for her to be as charmed by the written word as the world is by the magical and magnificent unicorn. 

If You See a Friend Without a Smile, Give Him One of Yours

Zac is a 7th grader who's been doing work in reading and spelling at our Middletown office. It's hard not to be charmed by him when he flashes his big awesome smile. While Zac says that he was very surprised to find that he wasn't bored coming here, it's not to say he didn't try to use his smile on us from time to time.

Zac says that his smile doesn't work for him at home or school, but it always does at his Grandma's. Grandma sometimes picks up Zac and from the the pride I see in her eyes when she looks at him, I imagine it does.

When I asked Zac what he'd like me to say when I posted his picture, he said "tell them it's not boring here and that when I came I wasn't a good reader, but now I am."

(Hearing that would have charmed me even without the smile.)

For the Love of Reading

"So please, oh PLEASE, we beg, we pray,

Go throw your TV set away,

And in its place you can install,

A lovely bookshelf on the wall."

— Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Nothing is more rewarding than seeing children become excited about reading. Will is a first grader who recently completed sessions with us. You can see by the look on his face in this picture that he was happy to receive a book at his ending celebration. Kristin, his Learning Coordinator, picked one special for him that she thought he'd enjoy. What you don't see, is the sense of pride Will displayed in sessions as his reading skills developed.

When checking in with Will's mom a short time later, Kristin learned that Will had already read the book she'd given him and moved on to one from the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series! Mom reported that, while the book is challenging for him (it's above his grade level!), he really wanted to read it and is able to work through and decode most of it on his own.

"So, please, oh Please, we beg, we pray,

Read with your children every day.

Keep books on hand for lots of fun,

They'll be so proud, once they're done!"

---Langsford Learning Acceleration Centers

Dressed for Success!

This is Jack! Jack did work to improve his reading and spelling skills at Langsford Center. Mom reports that his grades have improved and he's now near the top of his class! With his dapper good looks and his improved skills, we think the sky's the limit for Jack!

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!

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!

Ode to Ian

There once was a boy named Ian,

with a smile that could light up the sky.

He came to Langsford for reading,

and left with his head held high.

He accomplished his goals,

and made friends to boot!

He captured our hearts,

like a robber does loot!

We will miss him like crazy,

'cause boy, was he fun!

But alas, he is leaving,

his work here is done.

So Good-bye, Ian!

Thanks for all the good times!

Keep on reading those books,

and writing those lines.

But mostly keep smiling,

that light-the-sky smile,

and come back to see us,

every once in a while!

Congratulations on completing your Langsford work, Ian!

Everything is More Fun With a Friend!

Allie and Kara go to the same school. Kara started at Langsford about a month beforAllie.

On Allie's first day, she and Kara were totally surprised to run into each other. They excitedly ran up to each other and shared a huge hug!

They ended up carpooling to and from school and each provided moral support for the other. It was hard when Kara finished before Allie.

But Allie stuck with it and accomplished her goal of reading a Junie B. Jones book before she finished sessions. It's true! Everything is more fun when you share it with a friend!

Putting his Spelling Skills to Good Use!

You never know when you'll run into someone you know. Over Christmas break, one of the Middletown clients did sessions at our Highlands office and ran into one of his friends from Tae Kwon Do!

Griffin recently returned to the Highlands office to retest and see what kind of gains he made while attending sessions here. He asked about his friend and found out that it just happened to be his friend's last day of sessions!

So Griffin decided to write his friend a letter of congratulations! One more way to use those new spelling skills!

(Mom and Dad don't know it yet, but I took a peek at Griffin's scores and he increased his grade equivalency for spelling by one whole year while he was here, and his spelling skills now measure above grade level! Yay, Griffin!)

Coincidence? Anomaly? A Mother's Imagination?

Recently a mother of one of our new students was talking to Jenny, our scheduler and office manager, and said, "It is probably a coincidence, but maybe not. I am not sure what is going on, but my husband and I have both seen some very positive changes already in Griffin."

She said that it did not make any sense to her that after only 3 days at Langsford they could already be noticing changes, but they were.

Hmmmmmm..........After only 3 days?

Actually, with the type of work we do to develop reading and spelling skills, parents often do see noticeable differences in a short period of time. This is because we start with the foundational processes necessary for success in reading and spelling with every client we have, regardless of their age.

We then ask them to apply this knowledge at a level that is consistent with their current level of functioning, gradually increasing the level of difficulty as they progress through sessions. Therefore, our students experience success every day they are here, starting with day 1. They see early on that they CAN be successful, which increases their willingness to attempt what was once considered challenging.

Perhaps most important of all, is the air of enthusiasm for learning that is present at Langsford. The children become enthusiastic as they experience success, and that makes us even more enthusiastic when we see their progress!

Sometimes it's almost palpable. Students often discuss what they are learning or which books they are reading while they are on break, and one child's enthusiasm carries to the next.

What we do is not "magic." It doesn't always take away all of the struggle, and it does require hard work. But it's much easier to be motivated when you can see light at the end of the tunnel.

The Chicken Farmer that's a Chicken Charmer!

This summer we had the honor of working with Vance, who lives in Barbourville, KY and loves working on the farm with his granddad, Pap.

Vance is a chicken farmer. Everyday he feeds and waters his chickens and then gathers the eggs!

Vance's family has nicknamed him the Chicken Charmer because the chickens are so calm around him and gather at his feet when he is around. While here in town, Vance visited the Lorikeet exhibit at the Louisville Zoo one day after sessions. Looks like he's also a charmer of all things feathered!

Mom asked Vance one day whether he'd told Kristin, his Learning Coordinator here at Langsford, about his chickens. He replied, "Nope! Because I'll just get asked a bunch of questions about them!"

And he was right! Vance did comprehension work with us and we ask LOTS of questions to encourage students to be clearer with their use of language while making movies in their minds about what they've read.

Kristin hopes that maybe Vance will write her a story about his chickens before next summer when he comes back to visit us again.

Letters From Home

At Langsford, we talk a lot about letters of the alphabet, and we read a lot of stories. But hands down, our favorite letters and stories are the ones we get from parents and relatives reporting success, confidence, happiness, and accomplishment for past clients. Each one is gratifying and heart-warming for instructors, learning coordinators, and administrators alike. Here are a few we just had to share.

Austin is a first-grader working on reading and spelling. Before he came to Langsford, Austin would do anything to avoid spelling. Recently, Austin's dad reported that Austin had come to him after having a privilege revoked at home. Austin had asked dad if he could earn it back by spelling a word. Austin's dad was stunned! Good negotiating, Austin!

Sam is a sixth-grader who recently finished work at Langsford to aid his comprehension. The focus was on developing his ability to mentally picture what he reads (concept imagery). Sam's Mom emailed to let us know about the changes she has seen since he finished his sessions: "I have seen such an increase in his confidence and he seems so much happier with himself; that is priceless to me." Those words made us picture Sam with a big smile on his face. Great work, Sam!

Tristan is a seventh-grader and Langsford alum from a few years back. She came to Langsford to work on her reading and spelling. Since then, she has really taken off! According to Mom: "Wow!... She is doing wonderfully. Her reading, writing, and confidence in her ability continue to strengthen. ...We are so lucky to have found the Langsford Center... She does well academically and is able to keep up with her reading and writing requirements and gets many compliments from teachers and friends on her kind and charitable nature. I am forever grateful for how you all set her on this road and cheered her on." It sounds like this road is leading Tristan straight to success!

Last, but certainly not least, there's Maggie (pictured above). Maggie came to us (over ten years ago!) as a second-grader to improve her visual-spatial skills, and later, during high school, returned to work on applying these skills to geometry. This spring, as Maggie prepared for her junior year, she was accepted into the prestigious Governor's Scholar program, and will spend five weeks this summer working to enrich her academic background. Congratulations, Maggie!

Thanks to all of you for sharing your stories. We are so proud!

Broadway Bound

In 2002, this creative young man, Max, was a second grader struggling with reading and spelling. After working at Langsford, Max became a voracious reader and writer. Today, Max is headed for high school as a published playwright. This spring, Max became the youngest playwright ever to have a ten-minute play produced as part of Actor's Theater's Humana Festival of New American plays.

But wait, there's another scene in this show: Max has also won the Young Author's contest in Oldham County four times, and recently received state recognition in the "critical reading" category of the Duke Talent Identification Program.

Recently, Max's mom emailed an update on his exciting progress, and to tell us that she remembers us every time the spotlight is on her successful son: " I often wonder how different his life would have been if he had not gone to the Langsford Center. His life revolves around reading and writing - mostly, related to the theatre. He would have a hard time acting if he couldn't read...and he would have a horrible time writing play scripts, too. He spends all of his free time writing and reading plays. I think about you guys with [everyone] of Max's successes. I really do!"

This story deserves a standing ovation. Bravo, Max! On with the show!

How Three Months Can Change A Life

In the course of a K-12 education, three months usually doesn't amount to much. Three months is hardly a blip for most students. But for a child struggling with reading, three months can create such a tidal wave of change that it sends out ripples for a lifetime.

One of Langsford's past clients, Rachel Stivers-Bender, was recently honored by Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson as the 2009 Outstanding Student of the Year for duPont Manual High School.

We've heard from Rachel's family on this blog before. Click here to listen to a message we received from mom.

Believe it or not, at one point in her elementary career, Rachel's family was told not to expect Rachel to go to college. After all, some kids just aren't cut out for it. She was also discouraged from taking foreign languages.

Then her mom found Langsford.

We know the three months of work Rachel did with Langsford removed the biggest obstacle standing in her way, which was a lack of phonemic awareness, a vital component in learning to read. But past that, it was Rachel's continued hard work, backed by the support of her mom, that makes her so Outstanding.

Even so, Mom continues to credit our Director, Stephen. She says Stephen's willingness to be available for continued support and advice through the years has been invaluable.

Now Rachel's been accepted to at least 5 colleges and has received some amazing scholarship offers. She plans to major in International Studies.

When Rachel was notified that she could invite two people to attend the awards banquet, she knew immediately who she wanted to be there with her in addition to her mom: Stephen.

Stephen accepted with pleasure and reports that it was a wonderful event showcasing the achievements of 47 local students. (You can read more about the winners here.)

Since attending the banquet, Stephen says he can't help but wonder what the future holds for the students attending Langsford this summer. After all, three months can sometimes make all the difference in the world.

Rachel and her mom at the banquet:



Rachel and Stephen McCrocklin, Langsford's Director:



Rachel and duPont Manual Principal Larry Wooldridge:

Our Friends from Colombia

This family came to the US for 2 years to learn English.  Langsford helped Claudia and Santiago break the code of the English language for reading and spelling.   Mom also worked to improve her pronunciation.  

Both made great gains!  Now they are back home in Colombia, where the plan is for Santiago to enroll in an English speaking school where it is required that one parent speak fluent English.  

While at Langsford, Santiago discovered a love for silly books and biographies of interesting people.  Claudia discovered a newfound pride in her English fluency.

A Historian in the Making

This is Tyler and Paul. Tyler is a 1st grader attending Langsford and Paul is his favorite instructor.

They discuss history together on their breaks, as Tyler and Paul are both big history buffs. Tyler was delighted to find out that Paul knows "almost as much" about history as he does!

Tyler's goal from day one here at Langsford has been to be able to read books about weapons in history. With the progress he's been making, who knows? Maybe one day Tyler will be writing history books!