"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!!

Practice Deficit

There are times in one's life when a little help is needed

Some kids don't read as much as others.  There can be a variety of reasons why:

They may have inefficient skills and have to work harder than others to decode. 

Who wants to do something that is difficult for them? 

 

If their decoding skills are inefficient, they may be working so hard at decoding the words that they miss the meaning.  

Who wants to read much when they aren't getting anything out of it?

Some readers are slow processors and cannot read the same amount as good readers can in a given time period.  

Who wants to read if it takes forever?  And even if I do read, I can't seem to read as much as everyone else!

Any of these common problems can lead to what has been termed a "practice deficit."  What this means is, a reader who is not reading a lot may have seen any given word maybe 100 times in print, whereas a good reader who likes to read may have seen the same word 1000 times! 

 This practice deficit means that the first reader will be less automatic and skilled at identifying those words when he or she encounters them in text, and will also be less likely to know the proper spelling of those same words.

This is one of the reasons why it is so critical to seek early intervention for decoding or fluency issues.  Every month that one waits, the practice deficit is growing.    If you are concerned that a reader in your household may have any of these problems, an evaluation with us could give you clarity and a plan of action to make reading easier for your child.

3 Critical Skills for Emerging Readers

Quiz Question for parents and teachers of emerging readers:

What are the 3 critical skills that reading researchers have identified as the most important predictors of future reading success?

Not sure? Find out what they are at:www.WeTeachReading.com/3CriticalSkills

Also, listen to what G. Reid Lyon says about the reading process:

Meet the Experts: G. Reid Lyon (The Reading Process)

Summer Suggestions

Wondering what you should do to keep your child's skills sharp or to better prepare him or her for school next fall? There are 5 key areas you should think about.

Each will take only minutes a day. Why not set aside an hour a day this summer to keep your child's academic momentum going?

SUGGESTIONS FOR READING AND WRITING PRACTICE

1) Read! 20 to 30 minutes daily. Sometimes challenging material (to further their decoding skills), and sometimes easier material (to work on fluency).

2) Build a sight word base for reading! Use a word list from school or other list with common words. Print words on 3 by 5 index cards and review daily. As words are mastered, review less often and add new words to cards for daily practice.

3) Build a sight word base for spelling! Use the same word lists as for the reading sight word base. Practice spelling the words daily. When a word is correctly spelled for a week, replace with a new word. Work on about 10 words a day.

4) Vocabulary! Learn the meanings of words discovered in reading or spelling tasks. Improving vocabulary skills can lead to improved comprehension! Put new words on 3 by 5 index cards with short definitions on the back to practice. Use the words in sentences or use as part of the daily writing activity.

5) Write! Write 2-3 sentences or a short paragraph describing what was just read, or anything of interest! Be sure to proof for spelling and punctuation.

Now go out and have some summer fun!

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

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!)

Reading Rocks!

Check this out and see how much fun reading can be! This video reflects how we feel about reading at Langsford Learning Acceleration Centers!

Creating Readers in Dolly Parton's Hometown

Wouldn't it be great if you could figure out a way to foster a love for reading in children?

Dolly Parton, of country music fame, did when she launched an effort called  the Imagination Library. 

Dolly wanted to foster a love of reading among her hometown's preschool children and their families in east Tennessee.  She wanted children to be excited about books and to feel the magic they can create.  She wanted to make sure all the children in her hometown had books to read, regardless of their family's income.  So, in 1996, she started her Imagination Library.

Thanks to Dolly, every child under the age of five in Sevier County, TN receives a new age- appropriate book in the mailbox each month.  Just imagine the joy they must feel each month when their new book arrives! 

Since that time, many other communities have followed her example and now provide the Imagination Library to their children.  To learn more about this awesome program, go to www.imaginationlibrary.com. 

When Stars Read Video

During the Dyslexia: Beyond Reversals presentation, Stephen mentioned this video. We wanted to make it available to everyone, so we uploaded it here in two parts. Produced by the National Institute of Health, this video depicting the improvement possible with effective remediation, is a Langsford staff favorite. It's a total of about 12 minutes and well worth the time.

Part 1



Part 2