Building Strong Readers
OLD SCHOOL HIGH SCHOOL WITH NEURO-DIFFERENCES
​​There are few times that are sweeter than feeling a soft, warm baby snuggled up against you. The close tenderness of those moments can stay with you for a lifetime.
A baby comes attached to a parent's hopes and dreams of what they wish that baby's life could be. Whether the parent thinks about it, or not, the success of most of those dreams hinges on whether that little baby grows up to be an effective reader. What makes a baby love reading?
One lesson a parent figures out is that children learn to love reading by being read to. You need to read to them at a young age. Babies love the closeness of being held and hearing their parents' voices.
Reading should be pleasurable for all of the participants. Relax. Breathe. Read. Choose something that you want to read that is appropriate for the baby's mood.
Hold the baby closely in a comfortable position. Read with expression. Read for as long as the child is enjoying the experience. When the baby gets restless, bring the reading to a sweet ending. That's the beginning of building a strong reader!
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Unfortunately or maybe not so unfortunate I didn’t get to experience much High School. I did make it through the first two weeks of the 11th Grade but was thrown out permanently or in the Principal’s own words, “You’re Expelled”. But the short time I was in High School I did enjoy a couple of subjects.
The school I went to in Kansas City, High School that started in the 8th Grade. By the time I was in the 10th Grade I was in a small town in Kansas. My curriculum consisted of four hours of Study Hall, then General Math, English, Woodworking, and Metal Shop. I didn’t learn much, but I did enjoy Metal Shop because I could get away with smoking when I was welding. Too bad I didn’t learn how to Weld.
Now flashing back to the 8th Grade, I probably enjoyed Art Class more than anything else, at least until the teacher threw me out because I drew a “Weirdo” instead of a bowl of fruit. A “Weirdo” is my signature cartoon character. She told us to draw what we saw “emotionally”, I saw a “Weirdo”, she didn’t!
Moving on to another small town for my 9th Grade experience, it was quite a ride. I didn’t learn much, skipped school a lot, and I held the “Swat Record” and I was only there a half of a year. I believe my record was up there in 100-200 Range. The paddle was a beauty, about two foot long from tip to tip, with a leather grip handle, and the butt smacker was 3/4” thick, and half inch holes drilled strategically through it. The Vice Principal was responsible for enforcing the rules and he was a Master Paddler. He had a very unique technique, with the impact becoming harder each time. Believe me by the time I hit 50 they were almost drawing blood.
But if it came right down to it and I had to pick a subject I really liked, it had to be History, but I only had it for one semester and I had a fantastic teacher. He taught it in a way that made it very interesting. He wasn’t hung up on dates of certain events like so many were. He made you feel like you were part of the event. I really enjoyed it.
So as we come to the end, remember I started out this story by writing that maybe I was not so unfortunate by not finishing High School. In fact, on the day I should have graduated, I was on a mission in Vietnam as a Marine.
What I went through in several different schools gave me the confidence I needed to become a Marine. Plus, the High School Principal who expelled me was a Marine! I showed him didn’t I? He taught me my favorite subject, “Fortitude!”
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This story was written by Brownie, the nom de plume of a Vietnam era Marine who has lived a life full of creativity and adventure.
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Long before there were IEPs, kids with neuro-differences had a pretty tough time in school.
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If you have a story to tell, let us know through the Contact Page.
Readers' Corner - exploring reading for pleasure.
Reading for Pleasure - a reading strategy that changes lives
When I was in my grad school program, I learned a reading strategy called "Reading for Pleasure." It is an amazing program that can improve the lives of struggling readers. It's easy! Have the reader select a book of their choice at their reading level. How can you tell if the book is appropriate? You don't need to be a reading teacher. If they can easily read a random passage of about 100 words from the book, it's a good choice for them. If they stumble over words and hesitate while reading, then it is too hard. They need to find another book.
Reading for Pleasure is done daily, at least five days per week. Once the reader has their book, they need to read it for at least 20 minutes per day. After the 20 minutes of reading, the reader writes in her journal. The journal can be a notebook or she can use a computer. She puts the name of the book (the first time she writes about the book), the date, and which pages were read. Then, the student paraphrases what they have read. They tell about the story in their own words. They do not copy any sentences from the book. In fact, it helps them learn to retain information when they seldom look at the book after they finish reading. I discourage, but do not forbid, looking back in the book. One thing that helps is if they can discuss what they read with somebody else. That helps them get their thoughts in order. Then, they write in the journal. Have the reader share with another person what they wrote in their reading journal . That's it!
I have known middle and high school students to increase their reading scores 2-3 grade levels in one semester, when they are doing this program daily. Their academic lives improved greatly!
Words Bring Wisdom!
"It does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop."~Confucius
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"I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying."~Michael Jordan
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"Believe that you can and you're halfway there."~Theodore Roosevelt