I am in my tenth year of teaching and nearly 40 years old. I teach. It was my first choice for my future for as long as I could remember, but not the path I originally followed. If I knew you when I was 18, I had no clue what I wanted to do << I wanted to teach>>. If you met me as a college freshman, I was switching my major from Psych to Sociology, still lost <<I wanted to teach>>. Later, you would find I had switched to nursing, then quickly on to Speech Pathology to finish the stretch <<I still wanted to teach>>. No one would have heard the conversations I'd had with my grandmother's sisters who were teachers so long ago that they had punished my grandmother for speaking French in their own classrooms. When they heard I wanted to teach, I'd see a look of pride followed by a quick look of concern. I eventually would earn my teaching certificate.
I never understood the concern until now. I am a teacher. It is the LEAST that I do in a day's work. I teach reading, language, and spelling. It is known that I can teach my kids to read better, spell better, and write better. Sometimes it feels like I am the only one trying to achieve this goal. I (teachers everywhere) do so much more.
You may not realize that I am with your child 8 hours of the day, five days per week, 180 days of the year. I think about them before bed and as soon as I wake up. I worry about their struggles constantly.
In a day's work...I teach reading, language, and spelling. I pass out band aids and ice packs daily. I sneak your kid ibuprofen or acetaminophen when they can't get in touch with you. I'm not supposed to. It's against the law, but when your child is crying in pain, I can't bear it anymore than you could. I guide them to the bathroom with bloody noses, when they may puke, when their tummy hurts, when they have a yucky rash, when their best friend just said something really mean in front of everyone, when they have anxiety attacks. I hug them when they won 1st place over the weekend, on their birthday, when they give me a drawing, when they didn't make the team, when their grandpa died during the night, when their mom moved out of daddy's house. I buy a book sack if you can't, and I find a jacket that is the uniform standard on the sale rack. I protect them when there is an intruder on campus, a thunderstorm, when a tornado is nearby and we are stuck in the dark beneath our desks...and. they. are. scared. We pray together. I pray for them when they travel for competitions and tournaments, when they are nervous about a test. I kneel in church beside them and ask God to make me a better model for them and to help me to guide them to greatness. When they look like they may faint, I support their limp bodies until they are safe on softer ground. I hover near their desks and point to test items that need their attention, careful not to draw attention to what is happening. ((Can anyone see? Will they notice that I need help? I don't know how to do this?)) I ask others to ask your child to play with them since he seems to have few friends. I make them take at least 3 bites at lunchtime when they would rather just stare at the food. I correct them. I make them responsible. I expect more. I expect their best. I discipline....because I am a role model, just as you are. I am not their parent, even if they do slip and call me "Mom" everyday. I am their teacher. I love my job. I love my kids.
The ART of teaching is not taught in schools. Teachers learn so LITTLE in school. Today, teachers are leaving this profession in staggering numbers because of decisions our lawmakers are making, {{non-teachers}}. Teachers are unappreciated, underpaid, doubted, questioned, held solely accountable, and pushed around. There are so many days I find myself wishing I'd done more. Like this isn't enough? Do something about it. Stand up for our educators. They are true heroes. Support them.
Thank a teacher. He or she deserves it every single day.
~ACZ
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Reading...
This post is about the most important thing you will ever do for your child.
It will affect them in all subjects, even math. Math is important as well, of course, but the kid who struggles in math, only may struggle in math. The kid who struggles in reading struggles in every.single.subject.period. By the 3rd, and especially the 4th grade, if they are not reading on level, DO SOMETHING. They will continue to struggle until you do.
Sounds like a lot of work, right? It is. No one said kids were easy. Look at it this way, if your precious child were playing in a basketball game or dancing in a dance competition, would you dedicate the 2 hours per week plus the hours of practice to attend the event? This is their event now...where they need you. The quality time spent while reading together is also a great bonding time. Schedule it, dedicate the time, and attend. If it is within your budget, find a tutor who knows what they're doing. Schedule a couple of sessions per week. If you can only afford once per week, you'll have to step up to the plate to fill in for the extra time required.
If you are paying $60/hr for sports lessons per week, ditch it. Focus on what's more important.
Sports vs. Academics. You can help your child do both responsibly and teach loads of responsibility and confidence. If your child cannot do both responsibly, choose academics. Make all decisions based on what kind of 30-year-old you want your child to be. Sports will leave your child with memories, academics will leave your child with a college degree and a future. Sounds simple? You'd think.
How to succeed: A good starting place is to meet with your child's teacher. Really get to know exactly what skills are troubling for him/her. Commit yourself to the time needed to build your child's reading skills either yourself or with a tutor. Research. Research. Research.
If I didn't convince you, consider your child. They spend many hours of their day hoping that no one will notice how much they struggle. They have less confidence in the classroom, and at times they feel stupid. They won't tell you this. This is the side of your kid that their teacher knows. This is the side that your teacher tries to protect throughout their day by telling them ahead of time what they may have to read, inconspicuously pointing to the right answer in the chapter when a question is asked, so no one will notice that they couldn't find it in the book by themselves. This is the kid that spends a few extra minutes after school, when no one is around, for help. This is the kid that gets crabby for different reasons when they are doing homework. They are not mad at anyone. They are trying to distract from the fact that they don't really know how to get the work done alone. In class, they have partners, a trusted friend, clues and cues. At home they don't have this. It's just them and a book. LOST!
Wake up. Pay attention. There is nothing more important than what your child will be at 30-years-old. Plan for their future. You won't get a do over.
~ACZ
Help them to learn to READ.
Whether they are the oldest, only, middle, youngest of 8 kids...take the time. There is absolutely NOTHING more important than this skill to serve them throughout their entire lives.It will affect them in all subjects, even math. Math is important as well, of course, but the kid who struggles in math, only may struggle in math. The kid who struggles in reading struggles in every.single.subject.period. By the 3rd, and especially the 4th grade, if they are not reading on level, DO SOMETHING. They will continue to struggle until you do.
Sounds like a lot of work, right? It is. No one said kids were easy. Look at it this way, if your precious child were playing in a basketball game or dancing in a dance competition, would you dedicate the 2 hours per week plus the hours of practice to attend the event? This is their event now...where they need you. The quality time spent while reading together is also a great bonding time. Schedule it, dedicate the time, and attend. If it is within your budget, find a tutor who knows what they're doing. Schedule a couple of sessions per week. If you can only afford once per week, you'll have to step up to the plate to fill in for the extra time required.
If you are paying $60/hr for sports lessons per week, ditch it. Focus on what's more important.
Sports vs. Academics. You can help your child do both responsibly and teach loads of responsibility and confidence. If your child cannot do both responsibly, choose academics. Make all decisions based on what kind of 30-year-old you want your child to be. Sports will leave your child with memories, academics will leave your child with a college degree and a future. Sounds simple? You'd think.
How to succeed: A good starting place is to meet with your child's teacher. Really get to know exactly what skills are troubling for him/her. Commit yourself to the time needed to build your child's reading skills either yourself or with a tutor. Research. Research. Research.
If I didn't convince you, consider your child. They spend many hours of their day hoping that no one will notice how much they struggle. They have less confidence in the classroom, and at times they feel stupid. They won't tell you this. This is the side of your kid that their teacher knows. This is the side that your teacher tries to protect throughout their day by telling them ahead of time what they may have to read, inconspicuously pointing to the right answer in the chapter when a question is asked, so no one will notice that they couldn't find it in the book by themselves. This is the kid that spends a few extra minutes after school, when no one is around, for help. This is the kid that gets crabby for different reasons when they are doing homework. They are not mad at anyone. They are trying to distract from the fact that they don't really know how to get the work done alone. In class, they have partners, a trusted friend, clues and cues. At home they don't have this. It's just them and a book. LOST!
Wake up. Pay attention. There is nothing more important than what your child will be at 30-years-old. Plan for their future. You won't get a do over.
~ACZ
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
I Don't Want to Label My Child
I hear you. I get it. We don't want our kids to grow up thinking there is something wrong with them and being treated differently for it. It's hard just for us to accept that this baby we once dreamed big dreams for as we rocked them to sleep may have such a tough time achieving that goal.
Consider this, though...
As a teacher, a label does not put a stigma on a child in my room. The label tells me that he may need me to visit his desk during the spelling test to make sure his d's and b's aren't backwards and his letters and words aren't all mixed up. It may tell me that I need to sit him in the front of the classroom so that I have his attention, or the back of the classroom so he can move around a bit. I may need to spend extra time on a writing assignment or forgive his constant use of lowercase and uppercase in all the wrong places. The label may tell me that he REQUIRES extra time during testing, oral testing, quiet testing, small group testing. It tells me that I need to watch him on the playground to make sure he's being sociable enough, instead of closely examining each insect he finds. He may have times that anxiety overwhelms him to the point that he can't remember the answers on the test. I need to know that I need to be understanding. I may need to allow him to skip every other number in a homework assignment or let you write it out for him sometimes when homework has become so difficult and overwhelming that you just want to pack all of the books and hold him.
A child without a label, under the protection of mom and dad, tells me that I am being asked to treat him like every other kid who requires none of this. Our Special Education teacher says, "If a child needed glasses to have an even playing field as his peers, would you give him glasses?" Of course we would. This "label" is glasses to those kids.
A label is only a bad thing, in my opinion, when it is viewed as a negative. When the label is actually used to label the autistic child, the Aspie kid, instead of the kid with autism or the kid with Asperger's. A child should not be told they ARE ADHD, but that they have ADHD or anxiety. They have dyslexia, rather than always being called dyslexic. They should have a true understanding that none of this is a measure of their intelligence. Their brains are wired differently (in the words of one of my favorite kids with Asperger's). They should know that there is a way to help all of these things. They should also be prepared to work harder than everyone else.
I feel that a parent who hides a "label" sends the message that it is something they should be ashamed of or that mom and dad may be ashamed of. We know we could never be ashamed of our children, though. I realize that the decision to hide the label comes from a good place of love and protection, but can be perceived as something very different by the child. A friend of mine helped me to understand this as an adult whose label was hidden from her. When she actually found out that she had ADHD, she was relieved. She wasn't stupid as she thought she was for so many years.
If you are under the impression that your child goes to school and thinks he is like all of the others, think again. Kids know. They know they are different, and they hate it. However, giving them the gift of understanding their diagnosis allows them to feel that they are smart enough, they just have to work harder at it.
They HAVE TO work harder at it. That means you do, too. It may never get better, but when you watch him walk across the stage to receive his college diploma, you'll thank God someone told you to do it. Help him and don't accept excuses. Help him to meet (and maybe exceed) all expectations. Never, by all means, express your disapproval of a teacher or homework in general in front of a child who is frustrated. Your opinion means the most to him. If you are negative, he will be also. Will all teachers be fair and understanding? No. That's something you just have to face and deal with. Always fight for the rights that your "label" grants your child under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Find someone at your school who does understand and is in a position to help. Research. Research. Research.
Many prayers for your journey. I hope this helped.
~ACZ
Any questions, emails, or subjects you'd like discussed can be sent to me via email at adriennezembower@gmail.com.
Consider this, though...
As a teacher, a label does not put a stigma on a child in my room. The label tells me that he may need me to visit his desk during the spelling test to make sure his d's and b's aren't backwards and his letters and words aren't all mixed up. It may tell me that I need to sit him in the front of the classroom so that I have his attention, or the back of the classroom so he can move around a bit. I may need to spend extra time on a writing assignment or forgive his constant use of lowercase and uppercase in all the wrong places. The label may tell me that he REQUIRES extra time during testing, oral testing, quiet testing, small group testing. It tells me that I need to watch him on the playground to make sure he's being sociable enough, instead of closely examining each insect he finds. He may have times that anxiety overwhelms him to the point that he can't remember the answers on the test. I need to know that I need to be understanding. I may need to allow him to skip every other number in a homework assignment or let you write it out for him sometimes when homework has become so difficult and overwhelming that you just want to pack all of the books and hold him.
A child without a label, under the protection of mom and dad, tells me that I am being asked to treat him like every other kid who requires none of this. Our Special Education teacher says, "If a child needed glasses to have an even playing field as his peers, would you give him glasses?" Of course we would. This "label" is glasses to those kids.
A label is only a bad thing, in my opinion, when it is viewed as a negative. When the label is actually used to label the autistic child, the Aspie kid, instead of the kid with autism or the kid with Asperger's. A child should not be told they ARE ADHD, but that they have ADHD or anxiety. They have dyslexia, rather than always being called dyslexic. They should have a true understanding that none of this is a measure of their intelligence. Their brains are wired differently (in the words of one of my favorite kids with Asperger's). They should know that there is a way to help all of these things. They should also be prepared to work harder than everyone else.
I feel that a parent who hides a "label" sends the message that it is something they should be ashamed of or that mom and dad may be ashamed of. We know we could never be ashamed of our children, though. I realize that the decision to hide the label comes from a good place of love and protection, but can be perceived as something very different by the child. A friend of mine helped me to understand this as an adult whose label was hidden from her. When she actually found out that she had ADHD, she was relieved. She wasn't stupid as she thought she was for so many years.
If you are under the impression that your child goes to school and thinks he is like all of the others, think again. Kids know. They know they are different, and they hate it. However, giving them the gift of understanding their diagnosis allows them to feel that they are smart enough, they just have to work harder at it.
They HAVE TO work harder at it. That means you do, too. It may never get better, but when you watch him walk across the stage to receive his college diploma, you'll thank God someone told you to do it. Help him and don't accept excuses. Help him to meet (and maybe exceed) all expectations. Never, by all means, express your disapproval of a teacher or homework in general in front of a child who is frustrated. Your opinion means the most to him. If you are negative, he will be also. Will all teachers be fair and understanding? No. That's something you just have to face and deal with. Always fight for the rights that your "label" grants your child under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Find someone at your school who does understand and is in a position to help. Research. Research. Research.
Many prayers for your journey. I hope this helped.
~ACZ
Any questions, emails, or subjects you'd like discussed can be sent to me via email at adriennezembower@gmail.com.
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Why Can't my Child Spell??
Spelling is like anything in life and every school subject there is. Some kids are born with an understanding of words and their sounds, and other kids have to work very hard to understand the relationship.
Good readers are good spellers. Why? They see the words often in the books they read, developing their vocabulary, and seeing reoccurring letter patterns over and over. They may not even be book readers, but they are readers...of cereal boxes, bill boards, signs, menus, etc. My daughter does not read many books, but she reads EVERYTHING else. She's also a good speller.
Poor spellers typically don't enjoy reading as much, if at all. If they do enjoy reading, it's usually more of a take it or leave it attitude. They don't read the cereal box in front of them; they play the game on the back. They don't read the billboards, but they may notice the art on it. They may read, but more often, they don't. Take it or leave it.
I have a BA in Speech Pathology and an Elementary Education certification for grades 1-5. The reason I had an interest in both of these things is because I was the reader in my family. My brother and sister, on the other hand, were not. I was the kid left on the bus hiding behind Charlotte's Web. My brother and sister hated reading. There was nothing fun about it. It was work and it was HARD work. It made them feel stupid when they tried because other kids could do it, but they couldn't. My sister would later be diagnosed with dyslexia in a higher grade. My brother would be diagnosed with dyslexia in 1st grade. In 1980, kids were not often diagnosed with much, but it was obvious.
Because of this huge difference between my siblings and I, it made me extra sensitive to others who struggle, and it still does today. My heart goes out to them, and I want them to be understood. The following is my theory and my theory only based on my education and experience in my classroom. This is not any scientific data, but I think I can help.
How do I help my kid learn to spell?
1. DO Know this. A poor speller does not mean a child is not intelligent. Know it, believe it, and drill it in your child's brain. It's a skill. Every kid has a weak subject. This just happens to be theirs. They can overcome it, but it takes work. Some of the smartest people I know are awful spellers.
2. DO NOT believe "Who needs to learn to spell? That's what spellcheck is for?" You have to get close for spellcheck to recognize it, and if you use a homophone spelled correctly, it will not catch it. Grammar Nazis like me will know the difference when they are an executive later in life and have to put out memos for the whole company, or worse, hand write memos for others. We want our kids to be their best. They don't get there by making excuses or being lazy. (Was that too harsh?) They also go through many years of school and college where they will be graded on such things.
3. DO NOT MAKE YOUR CHILD WRITE THEIR WORDS 5, 10, 20 TIMES EACH!! This may BE the reason they cannot spell. It is also the reason they hate spelling.
4. Do NOT call out spelling lists in the car to a struggling speller. You CAN do this to an achieved speller. The already use the strategy I will get to in a bit. Struggling spellers must ALWAYS write the word. Did I say ALWAYS? Good.
5. If your school does not already offer a list of spelling rules, find some. Our school uses the Spalding Method of writing, but there are other methods that offer the rules. Google it.
This is a link I just found for the 29 Spalding Rules. http://jensclassonline.com/index_files/Spalding.pdf. It is overwhelming at first. Don't be scared. You can do this. You already know some of them! So does your child!
6. Know the sounds that the letters make. In PreK, kids are taught that X says /ks/ and Y says /y/. Then they are taught the word "xylophone". Where's /ks/? They are taught x-ray. This X says /eks/, /not /ks/. X only says /ks/ in the final part of a syllable. The list should be "fox, box, mix". For Y they learn "yarn, yellow, yak" Those all say /y/ as they were told. Then they get in 1st grade and learn "baby, my, by" Where's /y/? Y only says /y/ in the beginning of a syllable.
THEY NEED TO KNOW UNITS OF SOUND, NOT LETTERS. Spalding uses these phonograms. Learn them in order. After # 45, it gets complicated. Learn those when they present themselves in a spelling list word.
These are the videos on you tube. There are cuter ones, but I teach 4th grade. You can google that, too. Save these on your computer desktop for easy access for your child to work alone.
Phonograms 1-26 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLSjWArTh64&feature=player_detailpage
Phonograms 27-45 http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=He2uoL_MawM
Phonograms 46-58 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXyOehXqrH4
Phonograms 59-70 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SEtJggP9P4
7. Review these cards (mastering one set at a time and only the first two sets) nightly if you have a struggling speller. Total immersion is best, not just when we feel like it. It takes very little time to review. Once your child has mastered 1-45, they can start finding them in words. These flashcards are also available in a student set for around $13, I think, at www.spalding.org. Find the "store" tab.
8. The spelling list. Your spelling lists will typically focus on a rule, like the magic e that makes the vowel say its name. Spalding lists are different, but you need to adapt this to your child's spelling lists at school. Underline silent e twice always. Spalding gets more involved in this, but you'll be fine just using this rule with your child. "If the letter does not say the sound it should make, underline it twice."
9. Help your child to mark their spelling list. Underline phonograms with more than one letter. See if there is a rule(s) that matches each week in your list. Learn the rule as it presents itself. For example if the words end in Y, there are two rules possible. Words do not end in i, so we use y. In one syllable words, Y says long /i/. If the word is more than one syllable, Y says long /e/. You will have lists with "ai" and "ay", and "oi" and "oy, etc. Mark (underline) these phonograms and any others that are more than one letter.
10. Sound out the letters as the letter "should" sound, not the way it does in speaking. For example, "vote" sounds like /v/ /o/ t/ /e/, say the e. Then read it the way we say it "vote". "Cheese" would be /ch/ /ee/ /s/ /e/ "cheese". "ee" is a phonogram. Do this nightly. Read the list once they way we write it all the way through, then read the list once just reading it normally, without sounding. The more they SEE the word, the better they know it. This takes very little time as well. If you are a last minute studier, quit reading, none of this will work. You have to be honest about the amount of effort that goes into this. It seems liks a lot at first, but soon they will do ALL of this on their own, without you.
11. Take a practice test nightly. Now, they write it. This is the more time consuming part. Now, you have to "teach" them to use the sounds to spell. You can call a word out and separate the syllables. Tell them to listen to each sound in the syllable. A syllable has one vowel sound in it. Not one vowel, one vowel sound. "Nice" has one vowel sound /i/, one syllable. Sound it for them as they should learn to sound it. Have them sound each sound out to you as they write each phonogram always. "dozen" would be "doz" "en". /d/ /o/ /z/ /e/ /n/. Sound the short e here. The more you do this with them, the more they will naturally go to that strategy during the test (and homework)
12. Be patient! They are learning. The spelling grade may slip at first, but the trade off is that they are learning to spell. After a bit, they will use the strategy more, and grades will come back up. They will not memorize words anymore, they will spell them. They will spell all other words, as well, much better because they have a strategy.
Memorizing has worked for us? Why can't I just keep doing that?
A kid who memorizes the order of letters, mixes the letters up and misses them on tests. They also can't spell that same word 2 weeks later when it's not on the spelling list. After middle school, there are no more spelling tests, and your kid still won't know how to spell. They've put a band-aid on the wound and it never fixed itself. You must plan for the future in everything. One day, they will be expected to soar. You have to give them the tools. Without the proper tools, they will not be as successful as their peers. If my child needs glasses, I get her glasses. If my child can't spell, I help them to learn how to spell. Glasses are quicker, but you get the point. I didn't say it would be easy.
Do not depend on your school. Textbooks design lists this way. They are only following what they are supposed to teach. Since most kids can memorize a list, they let them, give them spelling homework so they write them nightly, and move on to bigger and better things, like reading and math. Oh, by the way, your poor speller is also struggling in reading which is not just something they need in reading. They need it for every test they take. They can memorize answers, but if they can't read the words, they can't figure out the correct multiple choice answer. They probably bomb every math word problem, too.
My child leaves out vowels where you can clearly hear the vowel? What do I do?
YOU can clearly hear that vowel, but they do not. This is my conclusion for it. Vowel sounds are made with your mouth open. Your tongue touches nothing. In the word "cat" I hear and FEEL the sound in my mouth /k/ and /t/. The short "a" gets lost because it feels like a transition from /k/ to /t/ rather than a sound that takes up space in a word. Working on vowels is key for these kids. Pick up a game of "Vowel Bingo" They'll love it and it builds the skill very well.
My child puts random letters where they obviously do not belong in his schoolwork?
He's guessing. Pure guessing. He has too little an understanding of the letter sounds. If it's not a memorized spelling word, he cannot spell it. Sure, he makes straight A's in spelling, but his intelligence is fine, remember? He can memorize the order of the letters!
This is a seriously long post. I apologize. It was much smaller in my head.
Lesson: I have a lot to say about spelling.
~ACZ
Good readers are good spellers. Why? They see the words often in the books they read, developing their vocabulary, and seeing reoccurring letter patterns over and over. They may not even be book readers, but they are readers...of cereal boxes, bill boards, signs, menus, etc. My daughter does not read many books, but she reads EVERYTHING else. She's also a good speller.
Poor spellers typically don't enjoy reading as much, if at all. If they do enjoy reading, it's usually more of a take it or leave it attitude. They don't read the cereal box in front of them; they play the game on the back. They don't read the billboards, but they may notice the art on it. They may read, but more often, they don't. Take it or leave it.
I have a BA in Speech Pathology and an Elementary Education certification for grades 1-5. The reason I had an interest in both of these things is because I was the reader in my family. My brother and sister, on the other hand, were not. I was the kid left on the bus hiding behind Charlotte's Web. My brother and sister hated reading. There was nothing fun about it. It was work and it was HARD work. It made them feel stupid when they tried because other kids could do it, but they couldn't. My sister would later be diagnosed with dyslexia in a higher grade. My brother would be diagnosed with dyslexia in 1st grade. In 1980, kids were not often diagnosed with much, but it was obvious.
Because of this huge difference between my siblings and I, it made me extra sensitive to others who struggle, and it still does today. My heart goes out to them, and I want them to be understood. The following is my theory and my theory only based on my education and experience in my classroom. This is not any scientific data, but I think I can help.
How do I help my kid learn to spell?
1. DO Know this. A poor speller does not mean a child is not intelligent. Know it, believe it, and drill it in your child's brain. It's a skill. Every kid has a weak subject. This just happens to be theirs. They can overcome it, but it takes work. Some of the smartest people I know are awful spellers.
2. DO NOT believe "Who needs to learn to spell? That's what spellcheck is for?" You have to get close for spellcheck to recognize it, and if you use a homophone spelled correctly, it will not catch it. Grammar Nazis like me will know the difference when they are an executive later in life and have to put out memos for the whole company, or worse, hand write memos for others. We want our kids to be their best. They don't get there by making excuses or being lazy. (Was that too harsh?) They also go through many years of school and college where they will be graded on such things.
3. DO NOT MAKE YOUR CHILD WRITE THEIR WORDS 5, 10, 20 TIMES EACH!! This may BE the reason they cannot spell. It is also the reason they hate spelling.
4. Do NOT call out spelling lists in the car to a struggling speller. You CAN do this to an achieved speller. The already use the strategy I will get to in a bit. Struggling spellers must ALWAYS write the word. Did I say ALWAYS? Good.
5. If your school does not already offer a list of spelling rules, find some. Our school uses the Spalding Method of writing, but there are other methods that offer the rules. Google it.
This is a link I just found for the 29 Spalding Rules. http://jensclassonline.com/index_files/Spalding.pdf. It is overwhelming at first. Don't be scared. You can do this. You already know some of them! So does your child!
6. Know the sounds that the letters make. In PreK, kids are taught that X says /ks/ and Y says /y/. Then they are taught the word "xylophone". Where's /ks/? They are taught x-ray. This X says /eks/, /not /ks/. X only says /ks/ in the final part of a syllable. The list should be "fox, box, mix". For Y they learn "yarn, yellow, yak" Those all say /y/ as they were told. Then they get in 1st grade and learn "baby, my, by" Where's /y/? Y only says /y/ in the beginning of a syllable.
THEY NEED TO KNOW UNITS OF SOUND, NOT LETTERS. Spalding uses these phonograms. Learn them in order. After # 45, it gets complicated. Learn those when they present themselves in a spelling list word.
These are the videos on you tube. There are cuter ones, but I teach 4th grade. You can google that, too. Save these on your computer desktop for easy access for your child to work alone.
Phonograms 1-26 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLSjWArTh64&feature=player_detailpage
Phonograms 27-45 http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=He2uoL_MawM
Phonograms 46-58 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXyOehXqrH4
Phonograms 59-70 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SEtJggP9P4
7. Review these cards (mastering one set at a time and only the first two sets) nightly if you have a struggling speller. Total immersion is best, not just when we feel like it. It takes very little time to review. Once your child has mastered 1-45, they can start finding them in words. These flashcards are also available in a student set for around $13, I think, at www.spalding.org. Find the "store" tab.
8. The spelling list. Your spelling lists will typically focus on a rule, like the magic e that makes the vowel say its name. Spalding lists are different, but you need to adapt this to your child's spelling lists at school. Underline silent e twice always. Spalding gets more involved in this, but you'll be fine just using this rule with your child. "If the letter does not say the sound it should make, underline it twice."
9. Help your child to mark their spelling list. Underline phonograms with more than one letter. See if there is a rule(s) that matches each week in your list. Learn the rule as it presents itself. For example if the words end in Y, there are two rules possible. Words do not end in i, so we use y. In one syllable words, Y says long /i/. If the word is more than one syllable, Y says long /e/. You will have lists with "ai" and "ay", and "oi" and "oy, etc. Mark (underline) these phonograms and any others that are more than one letter.
10. Sound out the letters as the letter "should" sound, not the way it does in speaking. For example, "vote" sounds like /v/ /o/ t/ /e/, say the e. Then read it the way we say it "vote". "Cheese" would be /ch/ /ee/ /s/ /e/ "cheese". "ee" is a phonogram. Do this nightly. Read the list once they way we write it all the way through, then read the list once just reading it normally, without sounding. The more they SEE the word, the better they know it. This takes very little time as well. If you are a last minute studier, quit reading, none of this will work. You have to be honest about the amount of effort that goes into this. It seems liks a lot at first, but soon they will do ALL of this on their own, without you.
11. Take a practice test nightly. Now, they write it. This is the more time consuming part. Now, you have to "teach" them to use the sounds to spell. You can call a word out and separate the syllables. Tell them to listen to each sound in the syllable. A syllable has one vowel sound in it. Not one vowel, one vowel sound. "Nice" has one vowel sound /i/, one syllable. Sound it for them as they should learn to sound it. Have them sound each sound out to you as they write each phonogram always. "dozen" would be "doz" "en". /d/ /o/ /z/ /e/ /n/. Sound the short e here. The more you do this with them, the more they will naturally go to that strategy during the test (and homework)
12. Be patient! They are learning. The spelling grade may slip at first, but the trade off is that they are learning to spell. After a bit, they will use the strategy more, and grades will come back up. They will not memorize words anymore, they will spell them. They will spell all other words, as well, much better because they have a strategy.
Memorizing has worked for us? Why can't I just keep doing that?
A kid who memorizes the order of letters, mixes the letters up and misses them on tests. They also can't spell that same word 2 weeks later when it's not on the spelling list. After middle school, there are no more spelling tests, and your kid still won't know how to spell. They've put a band-aid on the wound and it never fixed itself. You must plan for the future in everything. One day, they will be expected to soar. You have to give them the tools. Without the proper tools, they will not be as successful as their peers. If my child needs glasses, I get her glasses. If my child can't spell, I help them to learn how to spell. Glasses are quicker, but you get the point. I didn't say it would be easy.
Do not depend on your school. Textbooks design lists this way. They are only following what they are supposed to teach. Since most kids can memorize a list, they let them, give them spelling homework so they write them nightly, and move on to bigger and better things, like reading and math. Oh, by the way, your poor speller is also struggling in reading which is not just something they need in reading. They need it for every test they take. They can memorize answers, but if they can't read the words, they can't figure out the correct multiple choice answer. They probably bomb every math word problem, too.
My child leaves out vowels where you can clearly hear the vowel? What do I do?
YOU can clearly hear that vowel, but they do not. This is my conclusion for it. Vowel sounds are made with your mouth open. Your tongue touches nothing. In the word "cat" I hear and FEEL the sound in my mouth /k/ and /t/. The short "a" gets lost because it feels like a transition from /k/ to /t/ rather than a sound that takes up space in a word. Working on vowels is key for these kids. Pick up a game of "Vowel Bingo" They'll love it and it builds the skill very well.
My child puts random letters where they obviously do not belong in his schoolwork?
He's guessing. Pure guessing. He has too little an understanding of the letter sounds. If it's not a memorized spelling word, he cannot spell it. Sure, he makes straight A's in spelling, but his intelligence is fine, remember? He can memorize the order of the letters!
This is a seriously long post. I apologize. It was much smaller in my head.
Lesson: I have a lot to say about spelling.
~ACZ
Life lesson
My son has been playing football and baseball during the fall. This means 2 baseball practices per week, 2 football practices per week. Games start next week. His heel has been giving him trouble as boys of the this age will sometimes experience. We plan to call the doctor tomorrow to check it out. Today, when I picked him up from practice, he was not on the field. He was sitting on the sideline with a "limp". I was furious.
I know I sound heartless, but he had not limped until I told the coach he had been having pain, and he did not limp at the end of practice during field clean up. I asked about it when he got in the car, and he said the coach was not very nice. I knew what he meant. The coach was tough. In this world of "let's give everyone a trophy and call them a winner", this is the age where the athletes survive. So, it's time to make a choice. You'll suck it up and hang in there, or you'll quit...but if you quit, you can't go back. Make a decision.
Again, I know it's tough, but our kids need someone to tell them to be better than they think they can be.
It was time for the David Thibodaux talk.....
and so it goes...
My first year of college was an eye-opener. I realized that my high school education had not much prepared me for what was to come. I had Dr. Thibodaux for English 101. As most students know, you scout out your professors before scheduling, getting the low-down on the workload, testing, etc. Well, I didn't know this strategy yet. This class was tough. He graded HARD! No grammatical error slipped by him, and he had high expectations. He took no learning differences into account. He graded everyone as an equal. I worked so hard for that first-year English class. In fact, I never worked that hard in any other class for my whole college career. I hated every second of it. I had homework all the time. I could not wait until it was over.
...When it was finally over, I breathed a giant sigh of relief...and signed up to have him for English 102. Was I crazy? I just knew he had challenged me, taught me, and I wanted to know more.
You see, this man was not an ogre. He was gentle, caring, and intriguing. He had a large family, served on the Lafayette Parish school board for years as a voice for teachers fighting for smaller classroom sizes and higher teacher pay, a political activist, ran for Congress several times while I was his student (and nearly won). In fact, during one of these campaigns, his opponent claimed that Dr. Thibodaux, an author as well, had written pornographic works. In fact, it was his dissertation that had earned him tenure at UL, or something like that. This political trash talking came out days before the election and probably costed him the seat.
I learned more from 2 semesters as his student than any professor taught me. I am an English teacher today and a self-proclaimed Grammar Nazi all because of what I learned in his classroom in Griffin Hall.
Dr. Thibodaux lost his life in a motorcycle accident in 2007. It was devastating. He had so much to offer to our students and community. Today, he is still remembered as a school board member who fought for his beliefs regardless of popular vote. Today, there is David Thibodaux Magnet Academy in Lafayette. A technical school named for the late Dr. Thibodaux.
I had the honor of being his student. I am so grateful.
Lesson: When the going get tough, the tough must get going. They have to want it. They have to earn it.
When my grandmother (and best friend) was fighting cancer, I wrote a note for her and posted it by her chair, "Tough times never last, but tough people do." We read it together every day when I would visit.
God Bless!
~ACZ
I know I sound heartless, but he had not limped until I told the coach he had been having pain, and he did not limp at the end of practice during field clean up. I asked about it when he got in the car, and he said the coach was not very nice. I knew what he meant. The coach was tough. In this world of "let's give everyone a trophy and call them a winner", this is the age where the athletes survive. So, it's time to make a choice. You'll suck it up and hang in there, or you'll quit...but if you quit, you can't go back. Make a decision.
Again, I know it's tough, but our kids need someone to tell them to be better than they think they can be.
It was time for the David Thibodaux talk.....
and so it goes...
My first year of college was an eye-opener. I realized that my high school education had not much prepared me for what was to come. I had Dr. Thibodaux for English 101. As most students know, you scout out your professors before scheduling, getting the low-down on the workload, testing, etc. Well, I didn't know this strategy yet. This class was tough. He graded HARD! No grammatical error slipped by him, and he had high expectations. He took no learning differences into account. He graded everyone as an equal. I worked so hard for that first-year English class. In fact, I never worked that hard in any other class for my whole college career. I hated every second of it. I had homework all the time. I could not wait until it was over.
...When it was finally over, I breathed a giant sigh of relief...and signed up to have him for English 102. Was I crazy? I just knew he had challenged me, taught me, and I wanted to know more.
You see, this man was not an ogre. He was gentle, caring, and intriguing. He had a large family, served on the Lafayette Parish school board for years as a voice for teachers fighting for smaller classroom sizes and higher teacher pay, a political activist, ran for Congress several times while I was his student (and nearly won). In fact, during one of these campaigns, his opponent claimed that Dr. Thibodaux, an author as well, had written pornographic works. In fact, it was his dissertation that had earned him tenure at UL, or something like that. This political trash talking came out days before the election and probably costed him the seat.
I learned more from 2 semesters as his student than any professor taught me. I am an English teacher today and a self-proclaimed Grammar Nazi all because of what I learned in his classroom in Griffin Hall.
Dr. Thibodaux lost his life in a motorcycle accident in 2007. It was devastating. He had so much to offer to our students and community. Today, he is still remembered as a school board member who fought for his beliefs regardless of popular vote. Today, there is David Thibodaux Magnet Academy in Lafayette. A technical school named for the late Dr. Thibodaux.
I had the honor of being his student. I am so grateful.
Lesson: When the going get tough, the tough must get going. They have to want it. They have to earn it.
When my grandmother (and best friend) was fighting cancer, I wrote a note for her and posted it by her chair, "Tough times never last, but tough people do." We read it together every day when I would visit.
God Bless!
~ACZ
The Day I Became a Better Mom
May 18, 2012 is the day I became a better Mom. This did not happen because of me or anything I did that day. It happened because God needed me to pay attention to the blessings in my life.
It was a Friday, nearing the end of baseball season. All three of my kids decided to play baseball this season. This means that each kid has 2 games per week, and maybe one practice between the bunch. Catie also takes dancing on Wednesday nights, and, of course, there’s after school tutoring that I do, homework, and studying. Needless to say, our lives, since March, have not stopped.
It all began in the school day when Abby’s homeroom teacher pulled me aside and whispered to me that Abby had been nominated by her classmates to receive the David Award. This is an award given in each homeroom at their school. It is considered the highest honor a student can receive. It has nothing to do with how smart you are or how fast you are or how popular you are. It is based on your kindness to others. It is awarded to the student who exemplifies a true Christian. The fact that it is chosen by classmates makes it even more special. When her teacher told me, I had to leave the room to hide my tears. I could not be prouder of my middle child who, at times, does not realize the person she can be in life.
After school, I rounded everyone up, beaming with my new secret, and we headed home. It was dance rehearsal night! For a 4-yr-old who attends dance from August until May, THIS is the moment she’s been waiting for all year long. The day she can put on the pretty make up and the sparkly tutu! While we got ready for the big show, my son dressed for his baseball game and he and my husband headed to the ballpark. I would have to miss this game, which I never like to do.
On the way to the dance rehearsal, we were all so excited. I was so proud, again, that my youngest child was finally reaching her long awaited goal. I was also anxious to see how much she’d learned all this time! On the way there, I received a text from my husband. “Zac is PITCHING”. ….Another dream come true. Zac had been asking me for weeks, daily, if I thought coach would ever put him pitching. I kept telling him to ask the coach, but he never would, since he gets his shyness form me. I was missing it, but still so happy to be with Catie for her big day.
Catie performed so well, I was so proud. I was now beaming with THREE major accomplishments: The David Award, the dancer dancing, and my pitcher pitching. I realized, in that moment, driving to the baseball field after dancing, that I had lost focus. Our busy lives were taking away from our family. Since that day, I am more patient, I am more understanding, I am a better mom. These are my blessings. This is my one shot. I get it, God.
Oh, and to add to my pride even more, Zac pitched a good game. When I asked him why coach finally put him in, he said, “I asked.”
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| Abby with her St. David medal |
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| My pitcher pitching |
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| My dancer after her recital |
Embarrasing Mom/Teacher Mistake #3452
(post from mom blog March 2012)
This morming we arrived at school earlier than ever. Ever so proud of ourselves, we leapt out of the Expedition cheery-eyed and bushy-tailed. As we all gathered our 872 things needed for our school day, I realized Abby's booksack was missing! I looked at Abby and asked, "Abby, where is your booksack?" "I put it behind the truck this morning," she replied.........................................................................................
(Mental Note: Text Todd to retrieve book sack from driveway before the rain.)
Upon arriving into my classroom, I get a call....................from Todd...............Apparently the neighbor found Abby's book sack in the middle of the road and rang the doorbell. "Not to worry," Todd said, "they have a kid in Abby's class and will bring it with them to give to Abby."
Enter mortifying eMbArRaSsMeNt!!!! Yes, that's right, this morning I backed up feeling like I'd conquered the world since we were so early, not realizing that I was dragging my poor 8-year-old's sweet flowery blue monogrammed book sack SEVEN feet into the middle of the street. Lurching forward, oblivious to the scene I was leaving for the new neighbors to ogle over. To top it off, to my rescue comes a neighbor whom I've NEVER MET, WHOSE SON I WILL TEACH NEXT YEAR!
Unbelievable. If you need me, I'll be hiding under my desk.
**Update: Just met the Mom in the school cafeteria while she had lunch with her son. She introduced herself as the one who brought Abby's book sack to school and said it was so nice to meet me.
Shoot me.
This morming we arrived at school earlier than ever. Ever so proud of ourselves, we leapt out of the Expedition cheery-eyed and bushy-tailed. As we all gathered our 872 things needed for our school day, I realized Abby's booksack was missing! I looked at Abby and asked, "Abby, where is your booksack?" "I put it behind the truck this morning," she replied.........................................................................................
(Mental Note: Text Todd to retrieve book sack from driveway before the rain.)
Upon arriving into my classroom, I get a call....................from Todd...............Apparently the neighbor found Abby's book sack in the middle of the road and rang the doorbell. "Not to worry," Todd said, "they have a kid in Abby's class and will bring it with them to give to Abby."
Enter mortifying eMbArRaSsMeNt!!!! Yes, that's right, this morning I backed up feeling like I'd conquered the world since we were so early, not realizing that I was dragging my poor 8-year-old's sweet flowery blue monogrammed book sack SEVEN feet into the middle of the street. Lurching forward, oblivious to the scene I was leaving for the new neighbors to ogle over. To top it off, to my rescue comes a neighbor whom I've NEVER MET, WHOSE SON I WILL TEACH NEXT YEAR!
Unbelievable. If you need me, I'll be hiding under my desk.
**Update: Just met the Mom in the school cafeteria while she had lunch with her son. She introduced herself as the one who brought Abby's book sack to school and said it was so nice to meet me.
Shoot me.
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