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Have a great day!

Mark Twain. Game on.

Well, I've just picked up a copy of Mark Twain's Autobiography. I have to say it's a little intimidating. We'll see how long it will actually take for me to pick it up, and then actually get it read. Would love to hear your thoughts, opinions, insights, and factoids on the book and on the man himself. I will do my best to keep you posted on my progress.

And the winner is...

How fun is it to be me? Can I have a little brag post? The Tennessean asked for submissions to a contest - they wanted an essay on "Why I Love My Job in Education." Well, that's easy! So, I entered. And, I won. Good times...so, here is my little essay - perhaps it will give you a little insight into why we do what we do, and why I love my job so much:

I am living a dream. My family came across the Beacon Literacy Program while seeking out solutions for my sister’s reading difficulties. I had the opportunity to learn everything there is to learn and to offer the program for the first time in the U.S. Thousands of students later, Beacon is in several schools, outreach centers, and offered privately. What’s so fun about my role in that? I am able to interact daily with administrators, teachers, tutors, parents, and students. I can provide students with resources to help them become successful and confident readers and prepare them for life’s demands. I am able to offer parents real solutions to the stress and struggles of having a child with reading difficulties. In short, I am able to teach children to read without all the red tape. It is the joy of my life to see the look on a child’s face when they finally have that “ah-ha!” moment and realize that they can read and be successful. I watch my students and parents stand taller, smiles beaming across their faces as they can finally breath and simply be. Teaching is an honor and a privilege. I love my job.

Support our Tennessee teachers

http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/billinfo/BillSummaryArchive.aspx?BillNumber=SB0113&ga=107

Above is a link to the summary of a bill introduced to the Senate Education Committee by Sen. Jack Johnson, R-Franklin. Read the bill. Inform yourself, write to your representatives. Though I consider myself quite conservative on most fronts and don't agree with every stance that the NEA/TEA takes, I will say this: the teachers union works to protect teachers and their rights. There are too many teachers in Tennessee to take this away from them, and we all know that teachers do not make enough money to go out and hire a private attorney if they feel that they have been treated unfairly. We all how likely it is that teacher pay, etc, would remain somewhat stagnant were it not for the TEA and those willing to stand up for them. Our teachers put in long hours (despite popular opinion on that subject), work in conditions that would often frighten a UFC fighter, and have families and lives of their own. Please read the bill. Speak out. Let your teachers know you respect what they do and are willing to support them.

We love success stories!

Received this note from the Literacy Council of Sumner County yesterday, and just had to share. These are the reasons we do what we do. Thank you, Margie & staff for all of your hard work and dedication!!

Cindi, I just wanted to tell you it has been very exciting with our adult students. They are all about the same level, and have all reached the same point. Katrina's new student has made tremendous progress in 2 lessons and he and his wife are extremely pleased. He is about 21 and graduated from Central via football. Mark is in his 40's and has been to 2 adult programs. After several weeks he is finally understanding how to use his recorder at home and voila! Tom is beginning to make sense of it all and feels that repeating the lessons is good for him; my Hispanic student is finishing book 2 and it has helped so much with his spelling, pronunciation, writing and vocabulary. All the students have said the same thing, they realized they could do the lessons so much more quickly than before and I assure them that is a good thing! I am seeing smiles and sparkles in eyes and it is all good. I know you don't see the adults too often so wanted to share. They have all worked so hard and failed so many times before, it is really a thrill to see the switch turn on. They look me in the eyes, they smile, they talk, they are not afraid to be wrong, they love catching their errors, as they know that means they are learning. It is all GOOD. All but the hispanic man are at kg level. Thank you, thanks to Wendell, and thanks to Philip!

Building Successful Schools

An article in The Tennessean this morning highlights a poll taken by Vanderbilt University emphasizing that most Tennesseans do not favor a link between teacher pay and student test scores. This is a long running debate in Tennessee, so I won't bore you with the list of pros and cons of each. Just with my opinion on the matter. Our schools spend a great deal of time preparing students to take (and succeed in taking) standardized tests. Does this take away from actual student learning? Would the students learn more if teachers did not have to work so hard to ensure that the students are ready for these tests? Well, I suppose that depends on the teacher. The Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) Acheivement Test covers a multitude of facts and concepts. The goal of the test is to determine if students are meeting grade level standards and, basically, learning what they are supposed to learn. So, the teacher must ensure that the students master the state standards in order to perform well on the test. Is that a bad thing? No, not necessarily. The problem comes when the teacher runs out of time to allow students to learn on their own through creative, hands on classroom techniques because he or she must ensure that they "cover everything." A good, experienced teacher know how to do both. She can find fun, effective methods of allowing students to discover the facts and master the ideas and concepts through a wide variety of activities, lectures, thoughtully planned field trips, individual and group projects, and by encouraging engaging extracurricular activities and reading. Some districts, some schools, and some teachers simply do this better than others.
So, what does it take for a school or classroom to be effective? Well, it takes a village.
School systems and state and federal governments must support our schools, the teachers and the students in their efforts. Sure, part of this can be measuring academic gains. Bonuses for teachers? Sure! We all know they are not paid enough. But let's dig a little deeper and ensure that our teachers are recieving the training and support that they need to teach that wonderful bunch of students in their hands. Give them information, opportunities for growth, and a real support system. Ensure that class sizes are appropriate to fit the subject matter, the age of the students, and the demographics and ability levels of the children in each individual classroom.
Teachers must actually care about the children and the outcome of the time spent in the classroom and beyond - and most do. Good teachers learn as much as they can about their students, their environments, their learning styles, their support systems, etc. And feed off of this information. If something is lacking, they must take the time to find a way to fill the void - do they need an outside tutor? Do they need assistance with getting good, nutritious meals? A quiet place to do homework? Is there an instructional area where they are lacking or just need a little extra help mastering? And what can I do about it?
Parents must be ACTIVE participants in their child's education. Speaking as a parent, this can be difficult at times. We all have seasons. The bottom line, though, is that these are OUR children. We are responsible for their behavior, their successes and failures, where, how, and with whom they spend their time. So what do we do? Volunteer at your child's school. Even if it is only an hour a week, a month, or a year or during weekend activities. This not only helps the teachers and staff to do their jobs more effectively and efficiently, but it fosters a relationship between yourself and those involved in your child's education. It opens doors to communication that might otherwise be lacking. It helps you to be a part of your child's world. You will know what their school day "looks like" and what goes on in the building. Check the homework. Help with the projects. If you can't do it, find someone willing to help you. Can't find someone?? Ask the guidance counselor. Attend PTO/PTA meetings (yes, I know they can be a drag - GO ANYWAY!)
Students must care about their success. They must complete assignments and learn to take responsibility for their work and behavior. We can't do it for them, but we can teach them to do it. We can ensure they get the rest and nutrition they need. We can set boundaries and limit distracting activities (you all know what I'm talking about!) If we don't teach them to be responsible, productive students, who will do that for us once they are out on their own?
So, whatever part of the village you may be, don't wait until the world slows down, and things "level off." Believe me, it won't happen; there will be something else next week. The opportunity to teach a child and change a life is right now.

Good times

Way back in the year 2000, we had the pleasure of traveling to the rural town of Hohenwald, TN. What a wonderful place to visit! Such friendly teachers, staff, and charming students! I still have wonderful memories from those early visits - the least of which is a child dragging the word "cat" out into four syllables (only in the South can we pull that off). We trained a wonderful assistance by the name of Teresa Clayburn, who turned out to be soooo great at Beacon that we made her our Instructor of the year in 2008. And she's still going strong. Lewis County has served over 350 students with the Beacon program, with an average increase of 1.4 grade levels. What is even better about this score is that MOST of the students were in the first grade and received only around 20 sessions! Absolutely incredible progress, and we couldn't be more pleased. So, just wanted to take a moment to say thank you to Lewis County Elementary, to Mrs. Clayburn for her dedication, to former principal Mrs. Henson for letting us in with such welcome and wonderful collaboration. We are looking forward to working with Lewis County for years to come.

Early writing skills

I read a great article today in Reading today from the International Reading Association. It reminded me of how important it is, especially in today's digital world, to teach our children to write. Simple, daily writing can easily become a challenge for our children if we do not demonstrate, use, and teach them how to use print. It reminds me of the PBS commercial in which a young boy helps his grandmother make a grocery list for his mother...the boy adds "puppy" to the list. Not only did the child practice his writing skills, but a special family moment was created as his mother read the list at the store and smiled. There is nothing quite like receiving a handwritten thank you note, letter, or birthday message. So many of our children have never experienced this, as it seems to be a lost art. I hope that you will take the time to write a personal note on each of your Christmas cards this year, instead of hastily signing, sealing, and stamping them only to ensure they get out on time. My children, this year, will be helping with our Christmas cards by writing notes and drawing pictures for our loved ones.

Some of the tips included the following (I have shortened/paraphrased/adapted a bit here)

- ensure that writing utensils & paper are readily accessible & in plain view
- print out address labels for vacation post cards, take stamps with you!
- keep your handwritten grocery list where children can see it & add requests
- have children write notes to put in others' lunchboxes & satchels
- label items around your home, let your child help you with this
- write a note to Santa, and thank yous to family members and to Santa for gifts
- make it a habit to send letters to family members: make pen pals out of cousins, grandparents, etc. that live far away.

Great tips! An extra one? My little ones love to help label Christmas gifts and decorate gift wrap. Enjoy, and have a happy and blessed holiday season!

Source of tips: Reading Today, Oct/Nov 2010 published by the International Reading Association - edited and altered for the purpose of this post.

End of the year...end of the term...

We are closing in on the end of 2010. What a year it has been! So much has happened here in Middle Tennessee, in Beacon, and even at our house. We have had floods and record heat, we have brought new tutors and staff on board, and our little personal Beacon family has added a child. And now as we enjoy the holiday season, we must also look ahead to the new year. Some things for you to think on:

- how is the school year going for your child so far?
- if they are struggling, what interventions have you tried to help them?
- is it now time to try something new or bring in outside assistance?

Remember, that the older your child gets, and the further they progress in school, the more challenging it can be to catch them up when they are behind. How long is too long to wait? Our general rule of thumb is to seek assistance by the middle of the first grade year. If your child is experiencing severe challenges and/or your teacher has mentioned specific concerns, you might want to seek assistance before then. If your child is older, even in middle or high school, it is NOT too late. Seek out the help they need. Find the best fit for their needs, and go for it. Don't wait, and don't run out of time.

Beacon is here to help with reading lessons and screenings for Irlen Syndrome. We'll be here when you are ready. Call us to schedule your appointment before the end of the year, and we will take 10% off the cost of your lessons. Initial consultation is offered at no cost, and we will tell you if we are not the right fit for your child - we will even assist you in located appropriate resources. Don't wait any longer. Life is not showing any signs of slowing down.

2010 Instructor of the Year

Congratulations to the Beacon Literacy 2010 Instructor of the Year! Heather Faircloth, of Rutland Elementary in Mt. Juliet, TN was given this honor. Yesterday, I had the pleasure of having lunch with Heather and some of the students that she worked with. How fun it is to have pizza with children who are excited about school and about the success they are having in their classrooms and reading! All of the children were thrilled to have a little gathering and talk about their work, praise Heather and the work she did with them, and just to get a little break from the ordinary school day.

Heather is a long-time resident of Wilson County. She resides with her husband, Chris, in Hermitage, TN. They have two children, Ashlyn, 13, and Devan, 7. Having been employed with Wilson County Schools for six years, Heather can honestly say, "I LOVE my job!" She thoroughly enjoyed working with the students at Rultand and making a positive impact on their lives. The ten students that Heather worked with at Rutland made an average gain of 1.12 years, all in 16 sessions or less! We, at Beacon, are looking forward to more success stories from Heather and her students.

Thank you, Heather for your commitment to your students, to your school, and to your community! It is an honor to call you a part of the Beacon Family!

Successful Irlen Screenings...

Tom returned today. Looking good & strong. He still has some healing to do, but is ready to get back out in the world. We completed his Irlen Screening. He was a little indecisive about the colors, but we were able to narrow them down and discover his best color combination. If you recall, Tom has struggled with reading for years. Irlen seems to be a big piece of the puzzle for him. It was fascinating to watch his facial expressions and posture change as we went through the screening process, and then the color selection. Tom will be experimenting with his overlays over the next couple of weeks, and then we hope to refer him to an Irlen Diagnostician if he sees significant improvement in his reading and other activities.

Another student just finished his Beacon lessons. Preston's word recognition has improved by one year, and he is also using Irlen overlays. This young man has just begun the second grade. One of the biggest barriers to his success has been his confidence in his ability to read. Once we demonstrated to him how much more fluently he reads with his overlays, we were able to convince him to use them on a regular basis. This combined with his Beacon instruction has had a tremendous effect on his reading. He reads more often, more fluently, more successfully, and with much more confidence. Preston's teacher is so thrilled with the difference that the overlay's make for him that she has purchased several overlays various colors and allows her entire class to experiment with them. This is wonderful, not only for those unidentified students, but also for Preston as it takes some of the stigma off of doing something "different" than his peers. Preston is an absolute delight, one of the best students to ever grace our doors. He had a great attitude (though, like any boy his age, he wasn't always thrilled with the extra work)and always came in ready to work with a smile. It is always bittersweet when we lose a student like him - we know we have accomplished our goals in getting him on the right track, and yet, we will no longer enjoy his company. We will just have to be satisfied in knowing that we were able to play a small role in his success.

Newest addition...

Things have been a little slow this summer. We have added one student since my last post, and he has about five lessons to go until we test him. I'll tell you about him at that point. He is a wonderful student, though!

Our first grader did great! Despite the decision by the school to hold him back in kindergarten for another year, we were able to improve his reading level and confidence enough that he went on to the first grade for the 2010-2011 school year. We are very excited about his progress. Though we did not make quite the gains we wanted, the school was thrilled with his reading and attitude, and testing to ensure readiness for first grade went very well.

Tom, our adult student, had an injury and has not come back to us yet, we expect him back in the next few weeks, and will keep you posted on that.

So, why are things slow this summer? We have a new addition to our family. Our baby girl was born on September 1 and we are beginning to get back into a normal family and work routine after a very long pregnancy, but very easy first few weeks with her. We will be accepting new students after Christmas, with two new tutors on board. We will also be making plans for a Pre-K summer program and hope to assist area families in the transition from preschool to "big-kid school." More about that later!

We grieve the loss of one our favorite tutors, Seana, who has moved away. We hope to have her back with us in the future.

Summer Reading Success

Just in case anyone is curious as to how our summer is going, we doing great! Our Tom, from previous posts, is still with us and doing great. His progress is a little bit slower than that of our younger students, but still tremendous. We are still working on letter sounds, but have also moved into words and sentences. Tom is reading a little bit, and continues to show progress and enthusiasm for his work. Seana is doing a wonderful job with him. Tom is taking a little break at the moment, but should be back with us in a week or two.

We have another student with us now who will be going into the first grade in the Fall. He is doing wonderful. Our goal is ensure that his reading is ready for the first grade level work, and I think we'll be there soon. He is doing a wonderful job with his sounds, and is able to work out and read the words and sentences we are working on. We will let you know how he does!

Be sure to take some time to check out all of the wonderful free events at you local library. We enjoyed a great magic/comedy show with Anthony the Balloon Kid at the Mt. Juliet Library. It was night to get out of the heat and laugh for a little while, and we will be looking forward to more events.

Also, something fun to check out for teachers and parents of 2nd-5th graders: www.textproject.org and look for "summer reads." These are wonderful stories with practice activities and tips to keep your child's reading skills on track for the summer. Have a great time and stay cool!

Success in adulthood...

...starts with good early reading skills.
We've all heard it before - if you don't catch a problem by third grade, you've got a problem. Hence the relief when a parent brings me a child in 1st, 2nd, or even 3rd grade, and says - "I think we need some help. Our reading seems to be falling behind..." The Annie E. Casey Foundation's Kids Count Project released a report today titled "Early Warning: Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters." I encourage to read this report and learn more on the subject. You can access the full report at http://www.aecf.org/ . The bottom line is this: Up until, and partly through, the third grade - students are "learning to read." After this point, they must "read to learn." If students are not reading proficiently, they cannot master the curriculum in their fourth grade and beyond classrooms, textbooks, etc. due to that barrier that the lack of reading skills puts up. How can I understand my science material or even begin to work out a math reasoning problem if I am struggling to fluently read the words in each sentence?? Much less fluently read a paragraph or passage? It is logical, and we must strive as parents, as educators, as communities to help. I encourage to seek help for your child if they are struggling with reading - be that through the school system, through a an outreach organization, or through a private tutor or tutoring center. Research the help that you receive and ensure that it is fast paced and effective - you need to see a good track record. If you are involved with an adult or older student who is struggling with reading, it is never too late to seek assistance and assistance is out there!
If your family or your "circle" is not struggling with reading, I would encourage to get out there and volunteer to help someone who is!! It's not as hard as you'd think, and training is available to you. If we do not help our students with reading, it far too easy for them to end up on the fast track to drop out of school entirely. It is up to all of us to keep this from happening. Ok. I think I'm finished with my soap box for today. Go read something to your children and have a blessed day.

Adult Student Update

Well, our adult student (we'll call him Tom) is doing absolutely wonderful. He has completed eleven lessons, and we will test after 20. Tom remains very enthusiastic in his work - he is always here as scheduled, always on time, and has always completed his assignments. Tom is becoming more comfortable and confident with his sounds and words, and is slowly beginning to sound out and read words independently. We will continue to work through his Beacon lessons, as well as adding a bit extra for him (extra sight words, extra practice on sounds he might struggling with, things he can try to read/think about during his normal day) to work on. We will keep you posted on that!

Have a blessed day and remember to be the change you want to see in the world.

Girl Power

Yesterday, the Tennessean had an article listing some fantastic books for girls. We love books, and we love girl power! Check out this great list of books - many of which I would recommend for young & old. And remember, your daughter, niece, granddaughter, cousin, sister...etc! is never too old for you to read aloud to them. Many of these would be great fun to read together. Too bad my house is full of boys!

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100322/FEATURES01/3220312/Girl-power-graces-pages-of-beloved-books

Beacon is for kids AND adults!

We are two lessons in with 57 year old student, and already tremendously excited about his progress. Seana is working with him on the basics - sounds, blending, segmenting, etc. I am so anxious to see how he does with all of this. He is very enthusiastic so far, doing his homework (and then some!). Still baffles me how we let folks like this slip through the system, get all the way through school, and yet they have not been taught to read. I don't know that there is a good answer, but I'm so glad we were here when he is ready to do this. This gentleman is excited about this opportunity, as he spends a great deal of time with his grandchildren and wants to be able to read to them and help them with their schoolwork. So here we go on another journey! We'll keep you posted!

Beacon Literacy Welcomes Seana Fisher to the Family...

Former high school teacher Seana Fisher decided to become a reading tutor because she loves words and reading and hopes to make each of her students feel the same way! Seana taught a variety of subjects to grades 9 -12 for 4 years in Los Angeles. She has lived in lots of places around the country and over the years has moved from Chicago to Fargo to Sacramento to Los Angeles to Nashville to Columbia. She was recently filmed for the HGTV show House Hunters because she moved once again, this time to her new house on Old Hickory Lake. You can see your very own reading tutor on TV starting in May of 2010. Now that's almost as fun as reading!

God Lives Under the Bed...

I received this story in an email. It's a lovely story and reflection on our faith, so I wanted to share. I try not to forward emails, so I am sharing it here. May you be blessed today.

I envy Kevin. My brother Kevin thinks God lives under his bed.. At least that's what I heard him say one night.

He was praying out loud in his dark bedroom, and I stopped to listen, 'Are you there, God?' he said..
'Where are you? Oh, I see.. Under the bed...'

I giggled softly and tiptoed off to my own room.
Kevin's unique perspectives are often a source of amusement. But that night something else lingered long after the humor. I realized for the first time the very different world Kevi n lives in.

He was born 30 years ago, mentally disabled as a result of difficulties during labor. Apart from his size (he's 6-foot-2), there are few ways in which he is an adult.

He reasons and communicates with the
capabilities of a 7-year-old, and he always will. He will probably always believe that God lives under his bed, that Santa Claus is the one who fills the space under our tree every Christmas and that airplanes stay up in the sky because angels carry them.

I remember wondering if Kevin realizes he is different.
Is he ever dissatisfied with his monotonous life?

Up before dawn each day, off to work at a workshop for the disabled, home to walk our cocker spaniel, return to eat his favorite macaroni-and-cheese for dinner, and later to bed.

The only variation in the entire scheme is laundry, when he hovers excitedly over the washing machine like a mother with her newborn child.

He does not seem dissatisfied.

He lopes out to the bus every morning at 7:05, eager for a day of simple work.

He wrings his hands excitedly while the water boils on the stove before dinner, and he stays up late twice a week to gather our dirty laundry for his next day's laundry chores.

And Saturdays-oh, the bliss of Saturdays! That's the day my Dad takes Kevin to the airport to have a soft drink, watch the planes land, and speculate loudly on the destination of each passenger inside. 'That one's goin' to Chi-car-go! ' Kevin shouts as he claps his hands.

His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep on Friday nights.

And so goes his world of daily rituals and weekend field trips.

He doesn't know what it means to be discontent.

His life is simple.

He will never know the
entanglements of wealth of power, and he does not care what brand of clothing he wears or what kind of food he eats. His needs have always been met, and he never worries that one day they may not be.

His hands are diligent. Kevin is never so happy as when he is working.. When he unloads the dishwasher or vacuums the carpet, his heart is completely in it.

He does not shrink from a job when it is begun, and he does not leave a job until it is finished. But when his tasks are done, Kevin knows how to relax.

He is not obsessed with his work or the work of others His heart is pure...

He still believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be kept, and when you are wrong, you apologize instead of argue.

Free from pride and unconcerned with appearances, Kevin is not afraid to cry when he is hurt, angry or sorry. He is always transparent, always si ncere. And he trusts God.

Not confined by intellectual reasoning, when he comes to Christ, he comes as a child. Kevin seems to know God - to really be friends with Him in a way that is difficult for an 'educated' person to grasp. God seems like his closest companion.

In my moments of doubt and frustrations with my Christianity I envy the security Kevin has in his simple faith.

It is then that I am most willing to admit that he has some divine knowledge that rises above my mortal questions

It is then I realize that perhaps he is not the one with the handicap . I am. My obligations, my fear, my pride, my circumstances - they all become disabilities when I do not trust them to God's care

Who knows if Kevin comprehends things I can never learn? After all, he has spent his whole life in that kind of innocence, praying after dark and soaking up the goodness and love of God.

And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are opened, and we are all amazed at how close God really is to our hearts, I'll realize that God heard the simple prayers of a boy who believed that God lived under his bed..

Kevin won't be surprised at all!