Two Friends Celebrating

Garret (red) and Caulin (green) became fast friends while attending sessions at Langsford!   They both came at the end of a school day, starting and ending close to the same time. Caulin and Garret ended up having their last day celebrations on the same day and at the same time too. 

The guys were surprised and delighted to find their families had brought  a  big cookie treat to congratulate them for all their hard work.  (Needless to say, the Langsford staff was also quite happy about the big cookie.)

P.S.

Rumor has it Garret and Caulin were spending time hanging out outside of Langsford, too.

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

Beware of the Developmental Lag Excuse!

The National Institutes of Health state that 95 percent of poor readers 

can be brought up to grade level 

if they receive effective help early.  

The reality is, time is of the essence when it comes to addressing reading issues.  Yet parents are often told not to worry, that Johnny or Suzy is just suffering a developmental lag and all will come together at some point in the future.  Research indicates this is usually not the case.  If you think your child is having difficulties with reading, act now!

The three key research conclusions that support seeking help early are:

• 90 percent of children with reading difficulties will achieve grade level in reading if they receive help by the first grade.
• 75 percent of children whose help is delayed to age nine or later continue to struggle throughout their school careers.
• If help is given in fourth grade, rather than in late kindergarten, it takes four times as long to improve the same skills by the same amount.

Click here to read the article providing this information.

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.

Dyslexia

Dys------trouble lexia------words

Dyslexia=trouble with words

Langsford Learning Acceleration Centers recently had the honor of participating in a teleconference with dyslexia expert, Tim Conway. Tim Conway is director of the Morris Center in Gainesville, FL, (which evaluates and treats language-based learning difficulties) and an investigator at the Brain Rehabilitation Center, also in Gainesville.

Some important facts about dyslexia:

Dyslexia is neurobiological in origin. (In other words, it is genetic and tends to run in families.)

Dyslexia is a lifelong diagnosis, although one's environment may alter its course. (Meaning that intervention can, in some cases, significantly diminish the effects of dyslexia.) Click here to read about what kind of remedial plan Langsford offers.

The core deficit of dyslexia is an instability in the phonological component of language. (In other words, the primary symptom of dyslexia is difficulty with distinguishing and manipulating the individual sounds in words.)

Research shows that regular and intense multi-sensory work to develop a brain process can result in strengthened neural pathways that are observable on a brain scan. (Put another way, "what fires together, wires together." Linking visual, auditory, and articulatory processes can result in improvement in how one's brain processes input.) Click here for more about brain rewiring.

Lastly, having dyslexia does not mean that one won't be successful in life. (John Kennedy, Thomas Edison, Leonardo DaVinci, Cher, Harrison Ford, Whoopi Goldberg, and Steven Spielberg all have dyslexia!)

Staff Spotlight On Tony

Tony Pursley

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

Born in Cincinnati and grew up in Goshen, OH and later Independence, KY. I’ve lived in Louisville for 5 years.

My school/work background is:

Bachelor’s in Music Ed Cumberland College; Master of Divinity at Southern Baptist Seminary. Minister of Music at Hebron Church and now at Victory Memorial Baptist Church.

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

An air force fighter pilot & NASA astronaut. Then a traveling Christian singer.

People say I…

Am a multi-talented person.

In my free time, I…

Read books, write songs & hymns, walk in the woods at Cherokee Park.

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

The Bible of course! And The Lord of the Rings and the Great Gatsby.

I once won an award for…

Most team spirit on my high school football team.

I love and I hate…

I love studying and writing and I hate studying and writing.

New York Times list of 100 Notable Books of 2010

Winter is here and the holidays have passed.  Many of us find ourselves with extra time and not feeling particularly enthused about going anywhere that requires leaving the house and braving the elements.  So why not while away a snowy afternoon with a good book?

Click here to see the New York Time's list of 100 Notable Books of 2010.