Improve reading| Autism therapies| autism services| reading instruction| Dyslexic children

As Published: Ld-Online.org Washington Parent Magazine Imagery The Sensory-Cognitive Connection for Math Nanci Bell and Kimberly TuleY http://www.lindamoodbell.com/ Why can’t everyone think with numbers? Why do some children learn math readily, handle money and time concepts with ease, retain information from year to year, and think with numbers effortlessly? What cognitive processes do some have that others do not? Mathematics is cognitive process-thinking-that requires the dual coding of imagery and language. Imagery is fundamental to the process of thinking with numbers. Albert Einstein, whose theories of relativity helped explain our universe, used imagery as the base for his mental processing and problem solving. Perhaps he summarized the importance of imagery best when he said, “If I can’t picture it, I can’t understand it.” For the people who “get” math, the language of numbers turns into imagery. They use internal language and imagery that lets them calculate and verify mathematics; they “see” its logic. Imaging is the basis for thinking with numbers and conceptualizing their functions and their logic. The Greek philosopher Plato said, “And do you not know also that although they [mathematicians] make use of the visible forms and reason about them, they are thinking not of these, but of the ideals which they resemble…they are really seeking to behold the things themselves, which can be seen only with the eye of the mind?” The relationship of imagery to the ability to think is one of the preeminent theories of human cognition. Allan Paivio, author of the Dual Coding Theory (DCT) and a cognitive psychologist, stated, “Cognition is proportional to the extent that mental representations (imagery) and language are integrated.” Research from the 1970s and into the 1990s has validated Dr. Paivio’s work as a viable model of human cognition and its practical, as well as theoretical, application to the comprehension of language (Bell, 1991). Dr. Paivio believes that in order to think and understand, humans must be able to simultaneously generate imagery and corresponding language to describe that imagery. Mathematics is the essence of cognition. It is thinking (dual coding) with numbers, imagery and language; reading/spelling is thinking with letters, imagery and language. Both processes, often mirror images of each other, require the integration of language and imagery to understand the fundamentals and then apply them. Dual coding in math, just as in reading, requires two aspects of imagery: symbol/numeral imagery (parts/details) and concept imagery (whole/gestalt). Numeral Imagery Visualizing numerals is one of the basic cognitive processes necessary for understanding math. For example, we image the numeral “2” for the concept of two. When we see the numeral “3,” we know that it represents the concept of three of something: three pennies, three apples, three horses, three dots. If someone gives us two pennies for the numeral three, we have a discrepancy between our numeral-image for three and the reality (concept) of three. The first imagery needed for math is the symbolic (or numeral) imagery that represents the reality of a number concept. What does numeral imagery look like? Here’s one example. Cecil was very good in math. He could think with numbers, arrive at answers in his head, and mentally check for mathematical discrepancies in finance or life situations easily. He explained this ability, “I just visualize numbers and their relationships. Certain numbers are in certain colors, and the number-line in my head goes specific directions.” Not only could Cecil visualize numerals and concepts, both types of imagery, but he also had an unusual talent for color imagery. He assigned colors to specific numbers! “What color is the number 14?” he was asked. His eyes went up, and in all seriousness, he said, “Light blue.” Similarly, number 3 was reddish pink and the number 88 “kind of a purple.” Quizzed again months later, Cecil assigned the same colors to the same numbers. Chronological relationships appear in our minds on a number line, the days of the week, the months in the year. Imagery is our sensory systems’ way of making the abstract real. It is a means to experience math. Concept Imagery While imaging numerals is important to mathematical computation, another aspect of imagery is equally important: concept imagery. Understanding, problem solving and computing in mathematics require another form of imagery--the ability to process the gestalt (the whole). Sometimes children or adults can visualize the numerals, the parts, but cannot bring those parts to a whole, just as they can sometimes visualize individual words but cannot bring those words to a whole to form concepts. Mathematical skill requires the ability to get the gestalt, see the big picture, in order to understand the process underlying mathematical logic. “Concept imagery is the ability to image the gestalt (whole),” Bell (1991). Concept imagery is basic to the process involved in oral and written language comprehension, language expression, critical reasoning and math. It is the sensory information that connects us to language and thought. The ability to create mental representations for mathematical concepts is directly related to success in mathematical reasoning and computation. However, because some children do not have this imaging ability, they are often mislabeled as not trying, unable to retain information, or having dyscalculia (the inability to perform arithmetic operations). Manipulatives May Not Be Enough Joanie’s second grade class covered a review of recognizing numbers, addition, subtraction, and even some multiplication. They worked a lot with concrete manipulatives and Joanie was doing well at the end of the year. But her third grade teacher complained that Joanie didn’t know anything about numbers. Concrete experiences-manipulatives-have been used for many years in teaching math (Stern, 1971). However, like Joanie, many children and adults have often experienced success with manipulatives, but failure in the world of computation (NCTM, 1989; Moore, 1990; Papert, 1993). They have what has often been described as “application problems.” Joanie’s second grade class had spent a lot of time with manipulatives. Some of the children moving on to third grade continued to “think with numbers.” Their experience with manipulatives became part of their mental deposit of imagery. Like a bank deposit, these images could be drawn upon at will. However, not all children create mental imagery as they work with concrete manipulative. For these children, the process of turning the concrete experience into imagery must be consciously stimulated. On Cloud Nine® Math Concrete to Imagery to Computation Arnheim (1966) wrote, “Thinking is concerned with the objects and events of the world we know…When the objects are not physically present, they are represented indirectly by what we remember and know about them…Experiences deposit images.” Numbers can be experienced and the relationships between them can be made concrete by using manipulatives. What appears abstract can be experienced and imaged to concreteness. Math’s roots are in the realm of the concrete, and imagery is the link to mathematical processing, retention, and application. To develop concept and numeral imagery, the On Cloud Nine® math program (developed by the authors) integrates and consciously applies imagery to the cognitive process of computing and conceptualizing math and mathematical principles. As individuals become familiar with the concrete manipulatives, they are questioned and directed to consciously transfer the experienced to the imaged. They image the concrete and attach language to their imagery. The integration of imagery and language is then applied to computation. Individuals develop the sensory-cognitive processing to understand and use the logic of mathematics. The program moves through three basic steps to develop mathematical reasoning and computation using: 1) manipulatives to experience the reality of math, 2) imagery and language to concretize that reality in the sensory system, and 3) computation to apply math to problem solving. On Cloud Nine® manipulatives serve two purposes: 1) to concretize numbers and mathematical concepts, and 2) to serve as a base for establishing imagery. When asked to add the numbers 3 + 2, children who are drawing on their vault of images may see 3 apples and 2 more oranges to show 5 pieces of fruit. Others may draw on an image of a number line and place their mental finger on the 3 as a starting point. The “+” tells them to move forward and the “2” indicates how many places. They know the answer because they can “see it” in their mind’s eye. These children may look up as they access their images (defocusing). Children who don’t seem to have a vault of images may say things like “I don’t remember that one.” They need explicit instruction in imaging the concrete and applying that imagery to the computation. How does imaging as a conscious process work? The On Cloud Nine® math program begins with numbers in isolation—numeral imagery. A student is asked to view the written numeral, and then it is taken away. The student must demonstrate the “number” underlying the numeral by showing how many cubes represent that number. The student sees, says, and writes the number in the air. The goal is for the student, when she sees the numeral, to immediately create an image of the formation of that number and the value behind it. The process continues with experiencing the number line, first as a concrete manipulative, then as a flexible mental image. “Show me where you see the number 15?” “What’s the number one step up from that?” “Is the 3 close to the 15 or quite far away?” “What number is closer to the 15 – the 10 or the 5?” Students develop a number line they carry with them in their vault of images. These students can access their vault of images at will. Conscious imagery and the ability to simultaneously create images and verbalize these imaging—dual coding—are continued as children are taught addition, subtraction, word problems, multiplication, division and more advanced math. On Cloud Nine® math integrates and consciously applies imagery to the cognitive process of computing and conceptualizing math and mathematical principles. Children image the concrete and attach language to their imagery. The integration of imagery and language is then applied to every aspect of mathematical computation. All children can develop the sensory-cognitive processing to understand and use the logic of mathematics. In every aspect of math, children can have access to what becomes an innate bank vault of imagery for memory and computation. Nanci Bell, owner and director of Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes, is the author of two books on imagery as the base for language processing. Kimberly Tuley, the director of operations for Lindamood-Bell is a trainer and consultant in the application and refinement of Lindamood-Bell® programs. Bibliography Aristotle. (1972). Aristotle on Memory. Providence, Rhode Island: Brown University Press. Arnheim, R. (1966). Image and thought. In G. Kepes (Ed.). Sign, Image, Symbol. New York: George Braziller, Inc. Bell, Nanci. (1991). Visualizing and Verbalizing for Language Comprehension and Thinking. Paso Robles: NBI Publications. Moore, David S. (1990). On the Shoulders of Giants: New Approaches to Numeracy. Steen, L. (Ed.). Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press. Papert, Seymour. (1993). The Children’s Machine: Rethinking School in the Age of the Computer. New York: Basic Books. Paivio, Allan. (1981). Mental Representations: A Dual Coding Approach. New York: Oxford University Press. Stern, Catherine and Stern, Margaret B. (1971). Children Discover Arithmetic. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc. More Information: http://www.lindamoodbell.com/ http://inforequest.lblp.com/

Parent-Teacher & Child

Parent-Teacher & Child The first contact with your child's teacher, in many ways, is the most important, This is the time you are building rapport and developing a relationship of trust. Therefore, an appropriate time and setting is important for the first brief encounter. A phone call, a note, or, best of all, an initial face-to-face meeting is best. A good time to contact your child's teacher is during the first week of school. This gives you an opportunity to meet one another when neither has any complaints. Otherwise, the first teacher contact can be unpleasant. The teacher is usually calling to describe some unacceptable behavior or report a child's tack of progress and her concern that a learning problem may exist. This kind of contact usually puts a parent on the defensive, and communication can be hampered. Neither party wins, and the biggest loser is your child.However, during the first week of school, the teacher probably knows very little about your child. Thus, you are in a position to provide some helpful information. This is the time to mention then identify these. And, last but not least, assure the teacher that she has your full support and cooperation. Provide the teacher with your phone number and tell her to feel free to call when help is needed from home. Let the teacher know from the start that you want to work with her, not against her, so your child will learn. Do not feel you are intruding or asking for special treatment. You are simply indicating that you are truly concerned that your child receives a good education.After your child has spent six weeks in school, again call or drop a note to check on your child's progress. If a conference needs to be set up, do it immediately. Even if your child is doing well, you may still want a conference. If your child is in kindergarten or first-grade, the following questions may be the most appropriate:

Is my child able to get along with others? Can my child participate well in group activities? What can I do to encourage or help my child learn to read? Can you describe my child's reading program? In second and third grade you may want to ask these additional questions: Is my child experiencing difficulty with any specific skills? If so, what are they! How can we help him with these skills? Is my child experiencing any difficulty that may hinder him in the future?

Speech & Language Therapists..... Exactly What Do They Do?

IntroductionIn order for professionals from any field to work together well, it is vitally important that each one has at least a working knowledge of the others role and ideally a little about their background. They need to understand what each can bring to the situation to help whatever task is on the table. There have been many studies and many projects on this topic. The author wrote ‘Exactly what do they do’ for Special Children Magazine in 1994 which focussed on the results of a questionnaire. This really pointed to the fact that teachers didn’t really know what to expect from the Speech & Language Therapist. Having been out of the profession and working in industry for ten years, I assumed that the situation would have changed radically and improved beyond belief. However, in my day to day clinical work in schools, I found the opposite to be true. The general opinion, I gathered, was that teachers do not realise what speech & language therapists do and how they can work together I decided, therefore, to look at the current situation in more depth.The 2008 SurveyThe original 1994 questionnaire was again sent out to 200 mainstream primary schools chosen randomly by an external administrator who had no knowledge of why she had been asked to select the list. The schools were from across several speech & language therapy (SLT) regions within the Midlands areas. The response rate was 88% which immediately hi-lights the perceived importance of the topic.  The results showed that Teachers had little idea of the training of speech and language therapists. All knew that SLTs saw speech problems but 65% were unsure about what their role in language problems and a frightening 85% didn’t realise that they had a role in social use of language problems or Autistic Spectrum Disorder. 55% did not know how to refer, 89% did not feel confident working on programmes left by the Therapist.Why is it important for the teachers to know about the role of the SLT and how they can work together?The recent Bercow report highlighted the fact that 7% of any class might not have the necessary spoken language skills to begin to access the curriculum. This confirms the Lock study in 1994 which stated ‘any primary school class will have at least 2 or 3 children whose speech development is a source of concern and significantly more who do not listen or talk as well as their peers’. Bercow found that this figure increases to 50% in areas of social deprivation. Obviously, without a certain level of understanding, use of language and general communicative ability, almost every educational task will be affected. Spoken language skills are, quite simply, the building blocks for written language and educational development. The new government directive places the responsibility on children’s services to know about the services and provision available. What is the training?All Speech & Language Therapists study for 3 or 4 years at University to obtain a BSc Honours degree or equivalent. The RCSLT and Health Professional Council insist on proof of continuing professional development so that initial knowledge is continually extended and developed.  Topics studied include phonetics and linguistics, acoustics of speech & hearing, audiology, speech perception, psychology, anatomy, physiology and neurology, speech and language development and pathology, speech and language assessment, and therapy.They work in health centres, schools, nurseries, hospitals, day centres and in the clients own home. There is no lower age limit so that babies with feeding and swallowing difficulties may be seen from birth and no upper age limit e.g. clients who have had a stroke.What types of communication problem can they help with in school?In very simplistic terms, Speech & Language Therapists see children with problems in 3 main areas:·         Speech·         Language·         Social use of communication   Speech ProblemsIt is very easy to identify problems with a child’s speech and Teachers usually feel much more confident when recognising and referring these types of difficulty. The problems may be delayed processes or more seriously disorded i.e. not following normal trends.Language DifficultiesLanguage problems will include both understanding (receptive language) and what the child says (expression).a)      Receptive Language/Verbal comprehensionUnderstanding what is said to them is a problem for some children. This can be related to hearing difficulties or the fact that English is not the native language, but it can be specific problem. The normal rate of development may be delayed or disordered i.e. not following the developmental stages. Children may have problems with listening & attention, auditory memory and understanding of grammatical concepts. They will probably understand concrete ‘here& now’ rather than that which requires simple reasoning skills. These children with receptive language difficulties may be difficult to detect. They can often become skilled at disguising their problems particularly if they are quiet and well behaved. Warning signs may be simply inappropriate responses to requests or not carrying out/responding to the task at all.  They may follow other children and be the last to respond to instruction even in non language activities such as PE. Poor attention span at story time may be another indication (over and above the typical wrigglyness of the 4 – 5 year old!).Some children with receptive language problems will have diversion tactics which could include verbal ploys i.e. changing the subject or going off at a tangent, while others may employ physical diversions! Behaviour problems will therefore be associated with poor comprehension of language.Understanding spoken language is not the same as situational understanding. Situational understanding is the same concept as if adult was placed in the middle of Russia; he would understand routine, gesture and such things as facial expression which would enable him to function in some way. However, children with poor receptive language skills may often have problems with this too.b)     Expressive languageObviously if a child does not understand language there will be problems producing it, so that if a child is not grasping certain vocabulary or concepts, he is hardly likely to be using them correctly. Expressive language difficulties are easier to detect and may well indicate receptive difficulties. Some children have difficulty accessing vocabulary, so that although and they may know a word they either give an alternative or talk around it. If a child is missing out words from sentences or using incorrect sequences within sentences it could be a cause for concern.Social Use of LanguageIf a child has problems with social use of language they are likely to have problems with appropriateness of language, discourse & conversational skills and using language for interaction.  Many children with language difficulties have problems keeping their language relevant to the situation and contexts or may be inappropriate to the situation and people to whom they are speaking. They may give too much information or have little truth value. In discourse they may have problems with eye contact, initiating or responding, taking turns and establishing a referent. Use of language includes expressing needs and feelings, asking for help, greeting people, terminating conversations appropriately.Social use of language involves being able to ‘put yourself into another’s shoes’. ‘Poor conversational skills can be interpreted as stemming from a lack of understanding that other people have access to different information or knowledge, and that communication occurs through the exchange of information’. (Alex Kelly). Hale et al (2005) says that this lack of understanding, or theory of mind deficit, will result in difficulty engaging in reciprocal social discourse. These children may present as ‘unusual characters’ or the class teacher may suspect that the child is on the autistic continuum. These children need suitably experienced professionals to specifically identify the way forwards.How can they assist the class teacher or SENCO?The SLT can assess the child’s communication to determine the nature of the problem and draw up targets for remediation. They are trained to use many, many different formal and informal assessments. They will also look at the environment to see what opportunities are available. It is vitally important that targets for communication are built in to the child’s everyday life at home and at school. The Slt will usually draw up a programme of work which can be built into the IEP. She/he will then monitor the programme and revise accordingly. Different PCTs have different services available, so that some areas have specific teams to work within mainstream schools, while others have to be managed from the local community clinic. The funding for children with speech, language and communication varies massively cross the country as does the priority status.  Last years IDP focussed on Speech, Language and Communication but has now moved away to Autistc Spectrum Disorder.Confidence is a very important factor in determining the success or failure of any venture. Therefore, the SENCOs and class teachers need training to:·         help identify SLAC difficulties·         understand the difficulties faced by the child·         be able to use general strategies for the classroom and specific techniques to helpIt is vitally important that the Speech & Language Therapists are able to do this. If the local authority cannot provide access to such training, there are independent training courses available, which can be tailored to individual area need e.g. www.private-speech-therapy.co.uk or www.speakclearly.co.uk.Conclusion          ‘The ability to communicate is central to all that we do, to who we are, how we learn and how we relate to others’ (Ross, Leeds Metropolitan University, 2007). Communication problems of any kind, however mild, will certainly lead to isolation, frustration and an inability to fully integrate into society. Children will have a harder time making friends and fitting into school. It is our joint responsibility to find the best way to work together to achieve the best for each child. Understanding what each other does is an important first step.Libby Hill BSc (Hons), MRCSLT, LRCSLT, MASLTIIP, HPC Reg.Consultant/Specialist Speech & Language Therapistwww.private-speech-therapy.co.uk

How to Reduce the Risk of Losing Your Child to Almost Zero

Every day between the hours of 9:00am and 5:00pm in busy shopping centers all over the country, young children are separated from their parents. Usually its because the child has seen something interesting and decided to go and take a closer look or they have simply gotten separated in a crowded area.If you have ever been unlucky enough to encounter this problem while you've been out and about. You'll know that the instant you realize your child is missing, time seems to stand still and you completely freeze. The hairs on the back of your neck stand up, your heart starts pounding, your hands start to shake and your stomach begins to churn. Every passing second feels like a life time, then after standing there motionless for what feels like an hour the panic sets in...You start to frantically pace up and down the store searching high and low, continually shouting your child's name and asking random people questions. Have you seen my little boy? He is about this tall with blonde curly hair and blue eyes. He is wearing a red jacket and blue trousers. This usually continues until your child is found. By this time you have worked yourself into such a state that you don't know weather to give them a big hug or scream at them for leaving your side.More often than not after experiencing such an emotional episode your day is ruined. You try to forget about it and carry on like it never happened but all-sorts of silly things begin to run through your head. You start asking yourself questions like, why did I take my eyes off him? What if he had been picked up by someone? What if he got seriously injured? What if I never found him again?"What would happen if you are out one day and your child runs off again, only this time they can't be found! Could they help someone to locate you?"Every day in the UK around 300 children go missing. Thankfully the majority of these children are found within minutes, but there are some children who go missing for hours, days even weeks in some cases. Many of which could have been reunited with their family within minutes if they had learned the answers to a few simple questions. 1. What is your name? 2. What is your address? 3. Do you have a telephone number I can ring? 4. What is your mummy's name? 5. What is your daddy's name?Recently I've seen a few reports on the news and in the papers about missing children who had been found but could not tell anyone their names or even their parents names, let alone their address and telephone number. This makes it almost impossible for the authorities to locate the child's family. Just think what these fail to realize how important it is to help their children memorise the answers to these everyday questions.Through no fault of their own these children have to go through an extremely frightening experience which could haunt them for the rest of their life. All because their parents fail to realize how important it is to help them memorise the answers to these everyday questions."These questions are the child's equivalent to a drivers licence. You would never think about leaving home without yours, so why would you let your most cherished possession leave home without theirs?"How well would your child do, can they answer any of these questions? I challenge you to ask them! I bet a lot of you will be surprised by the outcome. If you do ask them and your child doesn't do so well I would strongly recommend you start teaching them before it is too late. One of the easiest ways to teach your child is through photo recognition e.g. show your child a photo of a you and say for instance, this is your mummy her name is...............Once your child is able to answer all of the above questions you should start teaching them how to use their new found knowledge to help someone locate you. You should explain to your child that if they ever get separated from you they should approach certain people for assistance e.g. police person, security guard or shop assistant and tell them that they are lost. A lot of parents also recommend teaching your child to approach another parent (someone with a child) if any of the above cannot be found.Explain to your child that this person will ask them their name, your name, their address and telephone number in order to find you. When you are out with your child and you see any of the persons listed above point them out and get your child to tell you their profession. A little role play game is great for preparing your child for this situation e.g. you play the security guard and your child pretends to be lost. Run through all of the questions then switch and you pretend to be lost. Children love it when the are the one's asking the questions."If you don't already, please start to implement these lessons into your child's daily routine with immediate effect. You never know they could end up coming in handy!"   Free information on how to reduce the risk of tour child going missing to almost zero!

Delhi's Best Institute For Teacher Training Courses

Indoss institute, a premier institute offering teacher training courses NTT, NPTT practical training in Schools. The qualified and experienced teachers train the future teachers to work in reputed schools. It also provides the diploma in teacher training from UGC approved University. The teacher training programme in addition to various theoretical & practical subjects focuses on Different skill development in students through workshops & seminars. The nursery teacher training course and nursery primary teacher training course curriculum includes the topics from child psychology to school management.The curriculum is meticulously appropriately designed as per the need of the present day teaching profession. It has in it incorporated the latest methods and trends of teaching which enables you meet the demands of the school and the students. It comprises of the theory as well as practical subjects.The theory includes Child Psychology, School organization, teaching methods& teaching aids, health and nutrition, early childhood care& education, Pedagogy of different subjects like Eng, Hindi, Math, and EVS.The practical includes mock classroom sessions, art & craft (Origami, Printing,), performing arts (rhymes, stories, songs, and prayers), competitions, co-curricular activities, field trips, etc….One month teaching practice in schools is also done for the practical exposure.Basic computer knowledge, interview handling skills, spoken English and personality development sessions, grooming sessions are a part of the curriculum.The nursery teacher training course enables you to teach students till class 2nd and the nursery primary teacher training course enables till 5th. The institute provides all the facilities under one roof .The institute is situated in the heart of the city, well connected by metro train to even distant places like Noida, Gurgaon, Ghaziyabad, Faridabad, and Dwarka.             The Students Who Join the Nursery Teacher Training & Nursery Primary Teacher Training Courses get 100% Placement Assistance from the Institute. They are also trained to prepare their resumes & appear in the interviews.

YOUR BABY CAN READ--Really??

As an experienced parent of 6 children and grandparent of eight, I’m really skeptical l about any product that claims to teach your baby to read.  It seems like the proven method of teaching reading ability to your child has always been to start reading to them at an early age, and then introducing them to phonics. WHOLE WORD RECOGNITION I recently saw a product "Your Baby Can Read" on an As Seen On TV spot. It’s unique in that it’s the first reading program combining videos, flash cards, books and other aids specifically designed to help teach infants and toddlers how to read.  This       “YOUR BABY CAN READ” program was developed by Dr. Robert Titzer of Southern Louisiana University, and has been featured on Good Morning America and other national TV shows.I bought this set of videos for my daughter’s 22 month old, Heather, on the trial basis of $14.95 just see if it had value. My daughter told me that the first starter video immediately made Heather take notice.  Heather seemed to be really interested as the words appeared in the videos; the movements of the words and the accompanying music really caught  her attention.  My daughter said it’s probably the first time that she’s seen Heather show an interest in anything for more than two minutes. I guess having the words demonstrated by children in the short videos may have something to do with it, too.  The "Your Baby Can Read" process uses many proven learning tools: Repetition:  Each word is on the screen multiple times and in different fonts Sight:  An arrow scrolls under the word from left to right as the word is read Sound:  The music background added to the repetition of the word is another learning key.  The background music uses happy songs like “If You’re Happy and You Know It”, and others to make this sound like a “happy” time for her. SEEMS TO HAVE VALUEBefore I spent the $200 for the whole set, I went over to take a look for myself.  Sure enough, Heather was enjoying the DVD, trying to mimic the movements of the children and beginning to mouth the words as they appeared.  I did order the Your Baby Can Read set, but I made my daughter promise that she would also introduce the phonic learning system to Heather as well.  I heard there is an excellent site for phonic instruction, starfall.com, and suggested that to her.  So now, Heather gets to watch the YOUR BABY CAN READ DVD every afternoon, and soon will progress to the second disc.  Her verbal skills have increased and she does recognize and say several of the words.  I just hope this technique gives her the desire to become an avid reader, something she will enjoy all through her life.

Lesson of Empathy

Lesson of EmpathyBy Angela CruzIt was a typical, hot day in Fresno, California. I was about ten years old. I had asked my best friend to ride our bikes to our favorite spot, the canals. I felt like a real adventurer in my overalls and with my hair pulled back in a ponytail. We raced down the rode on our rusty bikes. The neighborhood was mediocre but it was our place of adventure. Once we reached the canals we got off our bikes and began exploring. When we finished wading in the shallow waters we sat on a pipeline that was behind a concrete wall. The concrete wall acted as a barrier from the overpass. Out of boredom we came up with what we thought was a genious plan. We decided that we were going to fake out the next car that drove over the overpass. My best friend climbed over the concrete wall onto the street. She was clearly visible to the cars that drove over the overpass. I stepped up on the pipeline so that half of my body was above the concrete wall and the other half was below. I had a good footing on the pipeline.As soon as the next car drove past I began pretending that I was struggling to hold on. I wiggled and held onto the ledge of the wall as if I was falling. My friend held my hand as though she didn’t have the strength to pull me up. The car shrieked to a stop and the man from the driver’s side jumped out and at that same moment I stood up on the pipe. I raised my hands and shouted “hooray.” The look of stricken horror on his face stays with me to this day. I was completely oblivious to the fear that I would cause when I came up with plan. But at that moment I realized how cruel it was. It was my first lesson in empathy and it wasn’t my last.Why did I share this story? I often see in the classroom that children honestly can’t foresee the consequences of their actions. It isn’t until we have real life experiences that we internalize values and morals. Essentially, I believe that as educators, community leaders, and parents we need to offer our children a safe place to make mistakes. Sheltering our children only leads to children learning these crucial values later in life and hindering them from developing coping skills. When I experienced my first lesson in empathy I didn’t need a long lecture. I internalized the consequence because I saw the expression on the man's face that wanted to help rescue me. It is okay to let our children make mistakes and it is okay for them to experience real life consequences for those mistakes.