READER’S CORNER
Learning to Read Can Be Complex
by Caryn Edwards
Reading can be a struggle for many students of all ages. However even though it is difficult and complex to learn how to read, it is a necessary skill that people use throughout their lives. Unfortunately, English is a complex language because it was developed from several other languages. The Romans contributed a lot through the Latin language. Over 50% of the English language is based upon Latin. The Greeks gave us our vowels and 12% of our language. The French, the Germans and several other countries influenced our language too. This is what makes our language so difficult to read and to write.
Over the past thirty years I have taught many students and specialized in working with students who have disabilities. My current student is eighty-one years old and has a severe learning disability. I began teaching him when he was fifty-four years old. He couldn’t read and he couldn’t write. He wanted to be able to read the Bible. We worked together until he was sixty-two years old. He made wonderful progress and left with a Bible he could read (it was a teenage version of the Bible). He returned to me five years ago after his wife passed away. He needed to learn how to write checks and keep track of the checks. He now writes all his own checks and reads and writes daily.
He is able to continue his tutoring program because he receives financial assistance through the Erickson Learning Foundation. We have serviced many students throughout the years because of the foundation. These students vary in age from five years old to eighty-one years old. Learning to read and write makes such a difference for students. They can believe in themselves and pursue the job market or further their education.
An Article from Pacesetter Magazine
by Judy Moses
Identifying strengths, being flexible
Help youth enter job market
With the economy in a down turn and unemployment levels rising, this may seem like a difficult moment for your son or daughter to enter the job market. Despite the economy, there are still many options and opportunities for youth with disabilities who prepare for the new world of work and are flexible in their approach to employment. Preparation begins by encouraging youth to earn an advanced degree or certificate if they are able so they can compete in this tough job market. Some students find employment immediately upon graduation, but most students need to use their job seeking skills for six months or longer before becoming employed. Keep in mind that a postsecondary education may result in employment in an unexpected position or career area. According to the Department of Labor statistics, adults change their careers 10 times or more during the course of their lifetime. Awareness of this when entering the job market may help youth think more creatively about transferring their strengths and skills to areas they or their counselors may never have foreseen.
Parents can help in the following ways:
Many people plan for one career, but through surprise opportunities or necessity, end up entering a totally different line of work. This is not failure: People are simply transferring skills and interest to meet new opportunities. In the middle of a job hunt this may be difficult to recognize without the larger perspective a parent can provide.
Reflect upon experiences:
Community service as a pre-teen or teen is invaluable when preparing for careers. Many youth have more work experiences and skills than they realize. Discussing your youth’s past hobbies, volunteerism, social groups, entry level jobs, family chores, and faith-based contributions will do more than fill out an other wise brief employment resume. It will increase your youth’s vision of who he or she is and who he or she might become. Start with your youth’s concrete skills and experiences. Volunteering at a community library might result in skills such as answering phones, filling out overdue notices, entering new books into a database, shelving materials, or helping individuals find materials. This could be categorized on a résumé as “organizing according to a system” or customer service.” Moving from concrete skills to a more abstract descriptor helps both the youth and future employers visualize additional employment possibilities. More important, it increases the range of employment opportunities for your youth when signing up for college-arranged company interviews or researching job data banks online and at employment centers.
Encourage work opportunities:
The biggest barrier for all youth entering the job market is lack of experience to detail on a résumé or to share during the job interview. College students sometimes may think they do not have the time to take part in work-study programs, internships or part-
time employment. Focusing all their energy on their course load may be necessary, but it’s also important to make time for work experiences. This could be accomplished through summer work, by adding extra semesters to take advantage of an internship, or by reducing credits to allow for a part-time job. Students who focus all their energy on receiving good grades and little energy on practical experience will be at a significant disadvantage compared to students competing for similar jobs who have had a variety of work-related experiences.
Develop cover letters and a résumé:
The cover letter usually makes the first impression with potential employers and yet is often neglected. It needs to immediately and clearly answer the question “Why should I hire you?” and refer to information in the résumé. In today’s competitive job market, it might be wise to consult with an employment specialist on developing a cover letter and matching résumé that professionally highlights the student’s strengths and skills. The cover letter and classification of work skills and goal descriptions on the résumé can determine whether the youth will receive an interview. The résumé should be simple to update, have a clear font style so it’s easy to read when faxed, and have no grammar mistakes or misspellings. Have several people review the letter and résumé. Transition from high school to postsecondary education or training can be an unsettling experience that causes many students to feel uncertain about their choices. Job hunting and the first months at a new job are also difficult times when youth may doubt their career choice. It’s not unusual for youth to fear failure or the unknown, or worry that the career may not be right for them. An appointment with a career counselor can often help during this period. Post-graduate career counseling is a service that may be requested from your state transition rehabilitation counselor through a Workforce Center and needs to be included in your youth’s plan for Employment. In Minnesota, links to career counselors can also be found at stpaul.lib.mn.us/weblinks/career-counseling.html.
Upcoming Workshop at Erickson
DECODING-ENCODING WORKSHOP:
This is an intensive workshop consisting of class lectures, demonstrations, and assimilated learning experiences. The curriculum is based on an adaptation of the Orton-Gillingham multidisciplinary approach emphasizing multi-sensory teaching techniques researched and used for 50 years with students who have unique learning needs. Participants successfully completing the 30-hour workshop will be prepared to apply these strategies at a basic Decoding/Encoding level to be used in support rooms and/or regular education rooms (kindergarten - eight grade). Attendance of all classes is required to successfully complete this workshop. The approach is an adapted version of Orton-Gillingham. Samuel T. Orton, M.D. and his associates and successors have pioneered these methods, which are scientifically sound and practically effective. The multidisciplinary approach uses the skill and knowledge of experts from numerous fields including education, medicine, psychology, social work and language therapy. The program’s essential elements: It is an individualized, multidisciplinary, multi-sensory approach that is synthetic and analytical. It recognizes linguistic power and is emotionally sound, systematic and sequential. Each step is based on those already learned. The process is a cumulative sum or cycle of growth. The student is helped to understand the reasons for what he is learning. He will then have the confidence that he can think his way through language problems instead of counting only on memory – a cognitive approach. Its purpose is to get information from one person’s mind to another’s. Communication is the most important point. The method teaches reading and spelling to those students who have had difficulty learning these skills using traditional methods. Includes notebook, textbooks, phonic cards, blending board, tray with sand, and handouts.
DATES: Aug. 10 – 13, 2009 TIME: 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. COST: $500.00
ORTON-GILLINGHAM REFRESHER COURSE:
This one day workshop will review key elements of the 30-hour course. For this course to be meaningful, a participant must have had basic Orton-Gillingham training at the decoding/encoding level. Skills that will be reviewed include: The three drills, key spelling rules, multi-sensory technique as the 3-3-3, finger spelling, etc., schwa and accent, lesson planning techniques and new materials including Erickson Reading System. There will be time for practice and questions. Includes a packet of materials.
DATE: Aug. 14, 2009 TIME: 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. COST: $100.00
FROM ALL OF US
TO ALL OF YOU
HAVE A HAPPY AND SAFE SUMMER
ERICKSON LEARNING CENTER
MISSION STATEMENT
“AT ERICKSON, LEARNING IS POWERFUL, OUR STRENGTH IS
IN OUR TEACHERS, AND OUR EXPECTATIONS ARE HIGH”