Lolli's Lovely Letter to Langsford

A Peek into our Email

Nothing makes our day better than when we hear from a parent that they are pleased with our services and that their child is doing well.

Here's a peek at an excerpt from a recent email we received:

Katie had a great time at her "last day" at Langsford yesterday!  She loved the little party you had for her-thank you.  And we will be reading the Fancy Nancy book you gave her....

Thanks for everything!  I have such a little reader on my hands!  I never though I'd be at this place right now when we started at Langsford last October, so I am so thankful to you all!

Best,

Katie's Mom

Lasting success

"Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today.

Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime."

Tutoring and homework help are like giving a student a fish. They get the student through today, but tomorrow, the same problems remain.

At Langsford, our testing figures out precisely where the underlying problem is, and then we strengthen the student's skills in that specific area. We teach our students to fish. We give our students the skills they need for long-lasting success.

We call this "The Langsford Difference."

On this blog, we frequently feature former students who have contacted us to let us know how well they are doing and how thankful they are. We thought it might be helpful to collect in one place some of the older students' stories of long-lasting success. Read and be inspired. And congratulations to them all!

Rachel

THEN: family was told she wouldn't go to college

2009: Outstanding Student of the Year,

duPont Manual High School

Max qualified for the

Duke Talent Identification Program

in Critical Reading

and 3-year winner of the

Oldham County Young Authors Competition

Max update:

Youngest playwright ever in

Actor Theatre's Humana Festival

of New American Plays (Ten-Minute Plays)

& now a 4-year winner of the

Oldham County Young Authors Competition

D.J.

THEN: in 6th grade, read at 1st grade level

NOW: student at Bellarmine University

Danny

THEN: 7th grade special education student

NOW: straight A student at Wittenberg University

Michael

THEN: worked with Langsford 8 years ago

NOW: reading award from

Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth.

Maggie

THEN: came to Langsford ten years ago

NOW: Governor's Scholar

From www.weteachreading.com:

Feb. 11, 2009 --- Thanks again for your contribution to my child's success story! At each grading period of my daughter's school career, my thoughts go to Langsford... She was able to achieve a 4.14 GPA this quarter in her Freshman year... For a child who wasn't really reading until 3rd grade, this is a success story! She is reaching her potential and it is a joy to watch!"

--- Lynn J., Parent & Public School Educator

Nov. 13, 2008 --- "There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about the great outcome [my son] has had from his time there. It has changed his life in so many ways. He is turning 17 Saturday and he is inviting about 11 kids over for a "Risk" tournament. Several new friends are on the list from school. It has helped him academically as well. He got all A's this quarter and is so confident now. ... Hope the word [about Langsford] continues to get out."

--- Marilyn

* * *

The first step in helping your child is figuring out precisely where the problems are occurring in the reading process. Learn more about getting a map to help you and your child: Langsford Assessments

We will do all we can to help your child.

What Brion Has to Say About Langsford Center

I recently asked some of our current clients if they'd like to write about their experience at Langsford. Brion was the first to finish his paper. He actually worked on it at home! Brion is in the 3rd grade and has been coming to Langsford for a little over 3 weeks.

Here is what Brion had to say:

About Langsford

Langsford is good. It helps you with all the sounds. I have not been here very long, but I have learned a lot. I'm already getting better at reading.

The teachers are great here. They teach you a lot about sounds.

You have a reading folder and a sight word box. The reading folder is for when you read at home with your parents. You and the parent you read with, sign off on the paper in your folder. You also have to write the title on it. They give the book to you to read. You also read there with them. The sight word box is for when you read off a paper there. The words you don't know they write it on a card and put it in the box. You go over it until you have five marks on it. You also take spelling tests and this is how you do it. They ask you to spell the words they say. If you get it right you don't write it down on the paper. If you get it wrong, you have to write it down on the paper and spell in until you get five A's next to each other.

You learn a lot about the vowel sounds. They want you to do your best handwriting on all the papers you do there. Air writing is fun because you write and it doesn't show up, but you have to imagine in in your head.

It is fun here at Langsford!

Thank you, Brion, for your thoughtful response.

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!

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!

A Thank You That Warmed Our Hearts!

We just love getting feedback from the kids we work with! This is Will and he wrote something special for us and read it at his last day celebration.

It said: "I can't believe how much better my reading got. Thank you Langsford."

Will: we are so glad your reading got better! We truly enjoyed working with you!

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!

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.

Failure Is Necessary for Success

For some reason our society often teaches that failure is something to be avoided at all costs. We fear failure.

To avoid failing, many of us simply stop trying. We stop taking risks. We play it safe and never go outside of our predefined boundaries. Even worse, we may let others define these boundaries for us.

When we put all of our energy into avoiding failure, we are missing out on the best opportunity we have to reach success.

Failure is simply a natural part of the learning process. We try, we fail. We learn from the failure and try again. As this process continues, we learn and we grow...

And we succeed.

The video below clearly demonstrates how several successful and famous people were not just born that way. They had to fail. And fail. And fail again.



Here's another video describing Michael Jordan's success through the perspective of his failures.



Finally, take a look at this video of Michael Jordan talking about failure and our inclination to make excuses rather than continue trying.



Failure deserves more respect.

So go ahead, be inspired by failure.

Staff Spotlight

Gemma Newland

Where were you born and how long have you lived in Louisville?

Born in Louisville, spent 2 years in Germany, reluctantly became a Hoosier 22 years ago.

My school/work background is:

Associate degree in Science Allied Health, UK; Lab Tech, Respiratory Therapist, phlebotomist. Home-schooled 2 of 4 children for 5 years. I discovered Langsford when we were referred here for my son.

When I was a child, when I grew up I wanted to be…

Wanted to be a teacher. I just took the road less traveled to become one.

People say I…

Never met a stranger.

In my free time, I…

Love to read books, see plays and hike in the woods.

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

Frekles and Girl of the Limberlost. These are set in the early 1900s and show how with faith and determination you can overcome obstacles.

One of my hidden talents is…

I know all the lyrics for songs from the early 1900s onward. It drives my children crazy!

I love and I hate…

I love music theater but hate the song "Memories" from Cats. It just grates on my last nerve. ;-)

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:

Why Kids Want to be Able to Spell

Carter is a charismatic kid who will be going into 3rd grade in the fall. He just started sessions this week. While he's been great once he gets here, he's been giving his mom a little bit of a hard time in the mornings about why he has to come.

Today Mom came in and said she thought he wouldn't be avoiding coming any more. Last night they were watching Carter's favorite show, Wheel of Fortune. Carter solved the puzzle before Mom!

She asked, "Carter-how did you figure that out?" He said, "a-u. We've been doing letter combos at Langsford. a and u go together in some words." Then, "Whoa......maybe Langsford will pay off for me after all!"

Successful Sisters

Several months ago, we posted a blog entry about Mallory having some fun in her session. You can read it by clicking here. We received the following update and letter from mom:

Dear Langsford,

As you know, we were very pleased with the results we had when we brought our first daughter, Courtney to the Langsford Center. She came to Langsford in the summer after second grade and you really made a difference. She still needed extra help for a time, but after 5th grade, she needed no help at all. She is in the 8th grade now and doing well.

So of course we came to you when her younger sister, Mallory, began having similar struggles with reading. Mallory has really improved! Like Courtney, she still needs some assistance but her confidence has changed so much and she knows she can do it.

Every teacher Mallory had at Langsford found a way to click with her. Mallory needs time to get used to new situations and once she realized you were going to take her where she is and move through at her own pace, she relaxed. She never complained about going to her sessions.

Both of my children did continue to need assistance after the bulk of work at Langsford but that was no surprise because from the beginning you helped my husband and I understand that this is a process and not something that necessarily gets ‘fixed’ immediately.

All of that was explained so well in the consultation we had to discuss the results of the testing. Certainly there are always concerns about whether or not something will help, but realizing that it is a process made all the difference to us.

We were also fortunate in that our daughter’s teachers also attended the consultations. Mallory’s teacher was so supportive of the additional assistance and worked well with us. She was great. That is priceless to us.

I definitely recommend The Langsford Center, it did wonders for my daughters. So thank you. Twice!