When I went to my middle son's first grade conference in October (school starts end of Aug/beginning of Sept.) I was told he was in the group that needed more help because he didn't know all the letter sounds and he couldn't put letter sounds together to begin to read. I just stared at her. She started to say more and I said I think you are mistaken (he was reading BOOKS at home). She said no and showed me some phonics work and her notes on him. I started laughing. This was a young teacher, this was her 2nd year of teaching -her first in 1st grade. I apologized for laughing but said he knows all the sounds, and has since mid kinder. Then I went on to explain his outlook on life -do as little as possible. If he doesn't know how to read, he won't have to. He was on the playground so I called him in. You should have seen the look on his face. I even had him read part of Red Fish, Blue Fish to her. She took it well, and added it to her life's experiences. Jan
On 6/14/09 10:46 PM, "[email protected]" <[email protected]> wrote: > Go on .... > Sent from my BlackBerry Smartphone provided by Alltel > > -----Original Message----- > From: Patricia Kimathi <[email protected]> > > Date: Sun, 14 Jun 2009 22:41:13 > To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email > Group<[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] ***SPAM*** Re: Do we really need to teach > explicitstrategies? > > > Should we write a book. I once had a second grade teacher tell me my > son could not read. (Of course she did not ask her best friend across > the hall who had taught him 1st grade and knew he read above grade > level) When I pulled out a book he was reading. The low level/high > interest version (middle school) of The Three Musketeers I opened it > and he started to read pronouncing the French names. She said he must > have memorized it. He continued to read and told her what the story > was about and how he had to call his Godfather to find out how to say > the French words. He had been in her class for 3 months and refused to > read at circle time. She never called me and when I asked, saw her > everyday, she said he was fine. For spelling she had them practice > dictation spelling sentences. He memorized the sentences as one > word. He hated her class. She said he had problems he said she bored > him. We went on and on all day. He finally asked me why did she cry > after she talked to me. I didn't know she cried. And he was in > private school. > On Jun 14, 2009, at 4:40 PM, Joy wrote: > >> >> And the stories do not all have a happy ending. Many of you know the >> story about my son, who is now 24. He had a right temporal brain >> tumor, which was successfully removed. He was second in his class, >> an honor student with 2 part time jobs, manager of the football >> team, band member, good citizen of his school. He didn't want to >> give up his standing, and insisted on going right back to school, >> probably a little too early. >> >> He was on quite a cocktail of anti-seizure, anti-inflammatory, anti- >> depressants, and pain meds. The school held an IEP/504 meeting where >> I was told my son was on drugs (no kidding, they all implied that he >> was on illicit drugs!) and was falling asleep in class (duh, he had >> a doctor's note explaining it would happen.) They yanked him out of >> regular classes, sending him to the alternative school. He completed >> a 15 hour class in a half day, and aced the exit exam. Their >> solution, make him do word associations for the rest of the term. We >> asked could he start another class, and they wouldn't hear it >> (something about seat time) I asked what about just letting him take >> the other class for enrichment, no way. >> >> Plus, they had no one who could teach him advanced calculus II, or >> French. >> >> Long story short, they dropped him from the rolls without telling >> us. He went to school one day, and they said "What are you doing >> here, you're not enrolled any longer." so my son is an involuntary >> drop out. We looked into filing a law suit, but I was advised >> against it since I worked for the school system. He lost all respect >> for education, thinks it's a waste, won't get his GED or Adult HS >> Diploma, forget going to college. So I have a 24 yr old with a 180 >> IQ who sits at home all day playing Warcraft. Tell me about falling >> through the cracks, my son was swallowed. >> >> >> Joy/NC/4 >> >> How children learn is as important as what they learn: process and >> content go hand in hand. http://www.responsiveclassroom.org >> >> >> >> ----- Original Message ---- >> From: Renee <[email protected]> >> To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group >> <[email protected] >>> >> Sent: Sunday, June 14, 2009 5:40:26 PM >> Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] ***SPAM*** Re: Do we really need to teach >> explicitstrategies? >> >> Wow. >> Here we are.... teachers.... discussing our own children trying to >> survive school. >> Think about that. >> >> Renee >> >> On Jun 14, 2009, at 1:56 PM, Ljackson wrote: >> >>> Some people lack a grand scheme of anything., IMO. His old 4/5 >>> teacher, now the math coach and among the coolest people I know, >>> called him to tell him he knew all along that there was something >>> really special about the way his brain worked. Had lots of examples >>> of brilliant, successful artists and musicians with similar issues, >>> and painted the picture in glowing and positive terms--how thinking >>> outside the boz is what makes him who he is and puts him a unique >>> position to succeed in very non-traditional ways. One look at my >>> son, with his bleach-tipped hair dipping over one eye and his funky >>> clothing choice tells me he was right, but hearing it from a >>> teacher he (we!!) adored made all the difference in the world. >>> And Isaac wants to be an artist/photographer/teacher, so he can use >>> his understanding of how to understand differently to tremendous >>> creative advantage--if he can survive high school. ;-=) >>> >>> >>> Lori Jackson >>> >>> >>> ----- Original message ----- >>> From: Renee <[email protected]> >>> To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group >>> <[email protected] >>>> >>> Date: Sunday, June 14, 2009 12:59 PM >>> Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] ***SPAM*** Re: Do we really need to teach >>> explicitstrategies? >>> >>>> And I also have an adult son, 32, a professional musician with a >>>> very >>>> high IQ, whose spelling and handwriting are just about the most >>>> atrocious I have ever seen. Spelling is sooooo unimportant in the >>>> grand >>>> scheme of things. >>>> >>>> Renee >>>> >>>> On Jun 14, 2009, at 10:41 AM, Jan Sanders wrote: >>>> >>>>> Wow Lori, I want to respond, but don't know what to say. It >>>>> truly is >>>>> our >>>>> personal experiences that lead us to understanding -in reading and >>>>> life. >>>>> >>>>> My oldest son (29) who has a very high IQ, can not spell >>>>> correctly to >>>>> save >>>>> his life, and it is difficult to read his writing. >>>> >>>> >>>> "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that >>>> matter." >>>> ~ Martin Luther King, Jr. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> Mosaic mailing list >>>> [email protected] >>>> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >>>> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org >>>> . >>>> >>>> Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. >>>> >>>> >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Mosaic mailing list >>> [email protected] >>> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >>> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org >>> . >>> >>> Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. >>> >>> >> "Sometimes it's a little better to travel than to arrive." >> ~ Robert Pirsig >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Mosaic mailing list >> [email protected] >> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org >> . >> >> Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. >> >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Mosaic mailing list >> [email protected] >> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org >> . >> >> Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. >> > > > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > [email protected] > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > [email protected] > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > Jan We must view young people not as empty bottles to be filled, but as candles to be lit. -Robert Shaffer _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
