Have you heard?

Ron Davis and Cathy Cook in Columbia, Missouri

We hear the stories. You know the ones I'm talking about -the ones about great artists, the geniuses of the world; the inventors, athletes, actors, and all kinds of talented people. We flock to the movies they produce and star in; we devour the technology they market, and pay outrageous sums to acquire. Speaking of money, we pay premium dollar$ to watch them play with baseballs, basketballs, hockey pucks, footballs, soccer balls...; we wear the clothing they create and endorse; read the novels they write; eat the food they've invented, produced, sculpted, diced, tossed -you get the idea!

We love what the inventive, creative minds of this world have to offer us. To prove it, doesn't it just seem that the world is spinning around at an even faster pace as we produce newer and more highly improved computers, smartphones, phablets, and more, at an amazing rate of speed? 

People are as likely to be drawn to watching red carpet shots of these famous and talented people as they are to be learning about world happenings. 

Yet, these very same creative-types, if we could transport ourselves back in time, were the ones who often didn't make it in school.  They are the very ones who didn't learn to read. Who couldn't count coins. That struggled with math; who struggled to just talk, learn to ride a bike, tie their shoelaces... the list goes on and on. 

Why is it we idolize the material aspect of dyslexia yet when it comes to teaching these same kinds of learners in the school system, we want nothing to do with their creativity? 

Oh, we say we are doing everything necessary to help them. But that level of help only seems to go as far as we can comfortably fit it within our already in place learning system. 

So I'm challenging myself to look for bigger and better ways to reach out and help.  Suggestions? What can I do to help you?

Reading to Superheroes

Cathy at Midway Heights. Photo by Michele Spry

Reading. I love it. I read everything and anything in sight. Leave an old newspaper spread out on the floor, like for painting, and I'm totally distracted: I have to read it!

So the other day when I was going to be a guest reader at Midway Heights Elementary School to help my friend Michele Spry*, I got really excited.

They were celebrating superheroes and I'll admit that my first thought about the event was "Can I dress up like a superhero?"

But, as thoughts of a superhero costume and a superhero book filtered through my mind suddenly a different trail drifted by.  It began like this: what's the definition of a superhero?

Wikipedia says: A superhero (sometimes rendered super-hero or super hero) is a type of stock character possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers."
And: By most definitions, characters do not strictly require actual superhuman powers to be deemed superheroes...normally, superheroes use their powers to counter day-to-day crime.  

Counter day-to-day crime?
Crime stuff? Now that's what I'm talking about. Well, in this case we're using crime stuff as a play-on-words for a very difficult situation. But let me ask a question: Do you consider the act of reading to be a difficult type of case?

For many, reading is simply something they learned at an early age. It came naturally to them.  To others, the simple act of reading was anything but simple.  To another whole group of people, reading has not yet happened!

For about 20% of the population, learning how to read is in fact, a feat of stupendous, superhero-like proportions! And for those who have not yet learned how to read I think it is a crime that they have not learned! (And of course we're talking about people who are of at least school age!)

Superhero book!
Then as quickly as the dressing-up-like-a-superhero thought had come, it left; and the thought of which book should I would read, flew in to replace it.

Suddenly reading Patricia Polacco's books, Thank you, Mr. Falker and The Junkyard Wonders was in place to stay! Yes, these books, too, are about superheroes, though not the kind of superhero described by Wikipedia. Nor superheroes like Spiderman, Batman, Superman .... but real life superheroes.

Real life superhero as in a young girl who struggles to learn how to read. A young girl who, even once she does learn how to read, struggles with self-esteem and more.

So as I began reading I asked the kids if learning to read was hard. Almost everyone loudly said, "YES"! "It's still hard!" And I told them that to me, they are the superheroes when they do their best and keep working at the act of learning to read. Even when it's hard.

As the young 'superhero' in Ms. Polacco's story comes into her new special class for the first day of a brand new year, in a strange new school, the teacher comes into the room and begins reading in a no-nonsense voice:

"The definition of genius," 

"Genius is neither learned nor acquired.
It is knowing without experience.
It is risking without fear of failure. 
It is perception without touch. 
It is understanding without research.
It is certainty without proof.
It is ability without practice.
It is invention without limitations.
It is imagination without boundaries.
It is creativity without constraints.
It is ... extraordinary intelligence!"

"...write the definition..."
"Post it on your mirrors."
"Look at it everyday."
"Memorize it!"
"The definition describes every one of you!"

As I read to the young students at Midway Heights I wanted them to know they are superheroes when they learn to read.  Theirs may not be the superhero kind of genius identified with the likes of Einstein, Galileo, and da Vinci but each of them is truly unique in their own way.

*Read more about Michele: http://www.michelespry.com/book.php 

Link to Patricia Polacco: http://www.patriciapolacco.com/books/junkyard/index2.html

Mash This Up!

*mash-up magic; www.greggfraley.com 

Striving to rid ourselves of the causes of our mistakes, not curing our dyslexia, is one way to describe what I do. 

I often refer to the tools used in my programming as multi-dimensional.  These multi-dimensional tools, can help us achieve our goals.
In the end, the results can be that we feel better about ourselves, we learn how to read or improve our reading comprehension, or we're just able to maintain focus. 

Over the course of a 30-hour dyslexia correction program some of the tools we use are: 

Clay            (think modeling clay) 
Imagination (nothing to buy for this *tool*) 
Release        (Breathe in, count 1-2-3; Hold it, count 1-2-3; Blow out, count 1-2-3. Also free!).  
Oh, and while you're breathe in, picture or imagine yourself as just right. 

Mash-Up

Recently our Columbia, Missouri Chamber of Commerce held a day of events; it was our annual Business Showcase. While manning my booth that morning of the event I had lots of visitors, including one man. He was interested in my business OnPoint Learning, and my techniques. I happily answered his questions.

After several minutes of me monopolizing the conversation I managed to ask him what he did. 

"I'm going to be your speaker today at the Women's luncheon," Gregg Fraley politely answered.  
I probably turned a few shades of red, feeling a little silly that I'd stood there rattling on and on about myself, while in fact I was talking to the highlight of the afternoon luncheon! 

During the luncheon Gregg Fraley entertained us with clips of his techniques and descriptions of his creative problem solving methods for businesses. I couldn't help but take notice! But when he began describing his Mash-Up idea, I was fascinated! Quickly I saw a resemblance with our "Create-a-Word procedure.  

Create-a-word is a method we use in correcting program.  It's like the gate-keeper for the final half of the correction program; the combining of creativity and the world of precision in language. 

In Gregg Fraley's presentation two overlapping circles were presented ----Circle A, the other Circle B. (See the pictures at the top of today's blog.)

Circle A represents one idea. Circle B represents a different idea.  Creative ‘conceptual blending” mashes up or combines different concepts into one to make a new creation.

Don't just read my mash up of Gregg's ideas, read about it in his own words: http://www.greggfraley.com/blog/2012/06/06/32-opportunities-for-brilliant-mash-ups/

Dyslexia Correction Mash-Up 

Here's my version of Mash-Up for working with dyslexia: 

1.     Pick a challenge. Concept A.

2.     Pick another challenge. Concept B.

3.     Look for connections between Concept A & Concept B. 

4.     Morph these ideas into one idea. Magic. 

5.     Keep noodling, doodling and thinking.  Create something new.

Symbol Mastery

Here's our version of the world of Mash-Ups: http://www.symbolmastery.com/.  Whether it's Mash-Ups or Symbol Mastery we need to take our language from a verbal form to a three-dimensional form and make it easier for those of us who are visual-spatial learners. Its language (not always fun) Mash-Up and clay (always fun)!

So when we're using clay, imagination and release, in the end we're getting to the bottom of the issue with learning differences! Now we have the power to Create-a-(new) word, pronounce it anyway we want; spell our word anyway we want, and define it anyway we want!  We're using creativity and correcting dyslexia. 

What ideas can you come up with Mash-Up?

*Visit Gregg Fraley's blog @ http://kilnco.com/blog

Exercising a Visual Focus -Part 2

Photo courtesy of the Columbia Missourian 

"Exercising a Visual Focus": My last blog post left you with the image of my young five-year-old client rolling clay in his hands, while we were under the observation of a reporter and photographer from the Columbia Missourian Newspaper.

Not only did my client take charge of that piece of clay, he was also fully in charge of this Davis Young Learner's Reading Program that we were venturing upon.

At this point in the program my plan was to be working on Alphabet Mastery, but since I wasn't in charge here I had to just try and keep up!

Once he'd sufficiently formed the clay ball he moved on to shape another; this one a bit bigger. Look closely at the first picture and you'll notice he's placing clay on the desk. Slowly, over time, the clay balls began to line up. Although in which direction we were headed, I still had no inkling!

An Out Of This World Experience
When he started asking questions about Jupiter, Saturn's rings and the planets nearest to Earth my view of the planetary direction we were traveling began to open! ...which planet had the red rings? ...which planet had the most moons?

We traveled into the planetary world some more and I did my best to answer his questions along the way. You know, I was totally prepared to deliver a Davis Young Learner's Reading Program, but as an astronomy expert, I had not done my homework!

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars ... eventually we had a discussion about Pluto and the discovery it was a dwarf planet.

None of this was actually about terrestrial planets, moons, the rings of Saturn or clay balls, though. No. This five-year-old was using his personal approach of getting rid of disorientation.  Conquering confusion. Not confusion about the planets, either; about conquering the confusion surrounding language.

Getting To The Core Of The Matter
As his questioning moved on he nonchalantly reached over to pick up the clay-V from his alphabet still on the desk. Then he allowed the letter-V to straddle oh, so carefully the second 'planet' in his solar system. As that task was completed his energy waned.

"No, I'm not tired," were his exact words when I questioned if he needed a break. 

Now I knew what all of this had been about.  
It was about the letter-V; V, a symbol for the sound /vvv/. 
/Vvv/, as in the beginning sound of the word Venus. 
V 

Mission To Worlds Beyond!
As a Davis Facilitator I help clients discover what triggers their disorientation; what causes them to lose focus. Sometimes our missions travel to the far regions of the mind and worlds never before explored! Often, we're not the one in charge. Those can be the best kind of quests!

This astronomical brain work can be utterly EXHAUSTING!

When I again asked if he needed to rest here's what happened: his head bobbled, his body leaned to the right, his eyes fluttered. I asked if he'd like to lie down. Flash! He was instantly ASLEEP! 

I finished the session answering the final questions for the reporter and photographer (who did a great job watching this young genius work!)

For the next hour, in that exact spot, he slept. My attempts to help him lie down were met with resistance, so I left him to sleep there in that chair.

One last thing: Look at the picture of him sleeping.  See the largest figure next to the planets, near the bottom right corner of the picture? Later he told me that's an astronaut out there conquering LETTER V!

For Additional Information

Additional information on the sound of /v/:
In English, V is unusual in that it has not traditionally been doubled to indicate a short vowel, the way for example P is doubled to indicate the difference between 'super' and 'supper'. However, that is changing with newly coined words, such as 'divvy up' and 'skivvies'. --From Wikipedia.

More information about the Davis Young Learner's Reading Program visit: http://www.dyslexia.com/davisreading.htm

Exercising a Visual Focus with the Columbia Missourian

Photo courtesy of the Columbia Missourian 

"EXERCISING A VISUAL FOCUS" is the title of the Missourian's article, written by Marian McPherson that showcased OnPoint Learning Center last November. Ms. McPherson's article was well written, focused on the therapy and implementation of the Davis methods, and included an observation of me working with a client.

My client and I were at the point in the Davis Alphabet Mastery procedure, one of the initial phases of the Davis Young Learner's Reading Program, when the reporter and a Missourian photographer came into the office. My client and I had previously covered the tools for focus and controlling energy levels and had created the uppercase clay alphabet letters.

My agenda was set, based on the Davis programming, but unbeknownst to me, my client had his own agenda! We'd barely begun to work that morning when my five-year-old client asked for paper. So much for my agenda!


Paper
Oh so, simple of a request. I know.
But it was not.
In fact, asking for paper was the precise point, as the captain of the ship where I began to lose control!  

Per his request for paper, I opened the center drawer of my desk and rifled through the papers inside looking for one blank piece.  At this point, I'm still under the false impression that I'm in charge of this ship: after all I had a newspaper reporter, a photographer and a kindergarten client all depending on me! I managed to find a gently used piece of paper that filled the bill.

I offered my young client the paper and a pen.

"Okay," I thought to myself. "Where's he going with this?" On the outside I think I looked calm; on the inside, I clung to the hope I would know which direction this five year old was delving. I prayed I'd understand which way I should be steering this ship!

Photo courtesy of the Columbia Missourian

As his pen hit the paper my client was instantly absorbed into his writing. Anchored into this process of releasing a hidden message, words began streaming out on the paper.

He'd barely spoken since the newspaper crew had arrived, his energy level in an uncharted quiet, low realm.  Deep in thought does not totally describe what I saw.  Totally focused and deep in thought on an internal mission does.

I casually worked a small piece of clay in my hands as he worked the pen on the paper. I have no idea how long he was writing, probably about five minutes, but when he finished he handed me his work and waited for me to read it aloud.


The paper read:

"Common focus it is fun. Doing it with Koosh balls is fun!" -interpreted. 

Across the bottom of the page, was a series of drawings. Bottom right, is my client focusing with 'hands on shoulders'. In the middle, the two of us are doing the Koosh ball activity of throwing and catching the Koosh ball. Finally, the two of us focused.

"Okay, maybe now we can get back to the Alphabet Mastery, working with the uppercase clay letters," I thought.  And we came oh, so close to doing just that.


CLAY
But right before my eyes, my young client now totally in charge of this ship, begins to roll a small ball from his clay that we use in the therapy.  "We came so close to getting back to working with the clay letters!" I thought.

He silently rolled the three-quarter inch clay piece while I searched my brain for ideas.  But my need to steer this ship had long passed.  This five-year-old had it all under control now!

There's more to this story, come back soon and find out what happened!
In the meantime check our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/OnPointLearningCenter!

Looking back #2...

FINALLY! it was time to wrap up my master's program and teacher certification for special education.

I wasn't at the university this one day that I'm going to write about in my blog today, instead I was substitute teaching at my kids' elementary school, Chance Elementary. Later I discovered that the building's principal, Judy Musgraves, hadn't been at Chance that day, she was in Columbia attending a meeting.

At her meeting she happened to strike up a conversation with a principal from Columbia. At the time I never would have predicted anything would come out of their conversation. However, their conversation would affect the rest of my life. No, not affect my life, dramatically change my life!

Mrs. Musgraves' conversation had been with Dr. Jack Jensen, who at the time was the principal at Two Mile Prairie Elementary School. Their conversation went something like this:

Dr. Jensen: "Judy, I need to hire a special education teacher.  I have a teacher who is leaving immediately. Do you know any special educators looking for a position?"      

Mrs. Musgraves: "Yes. She's substitute teaching in my building right now." 

By the time I arrived back home that evening the light on my answering machine was flashing, indicating a message was waiting for me.
They say there are no such things as coincidences. I agree.  It was no coincidence that day; everything happened the way it was meant to happen.

The next day I was back substitute teaching and Mrs. Musgraves arranged for me to take a call from Dr. Jensen.  The rest, as they say, is history!  From there I went to Two Mile Prairie, interviewed for the teaching position, and was offered that very position the following day.

Wait. Remember, all I really wanted was to rest for a bit? Rest. What a luxury it seemed to be. And the thought of simply doing NOTHING did flash through my mind the second I heard Two Mile Prairie needed a Special Educator. But I never looked back.

From the moment I went into that interview for the position everything began to fall into place!

From here the journey took on a new route.  Well, maybe not as much a new route or a new beginning as much as a continuation along the path that I was meant to travel!

Looking back...

It was the fall of 1998 and I was nearing the end of my master's degree program for special education. It had been a long process happening over several years of time and I could not wait for it to be done so I could ... do absolutely NOTHING!

I know, master's degrees don't normally take four or five years to complete, but I had been a single mom through much of this school process -raising my four children on my own, along with working a part-time job, and substitute teaching for grades from special education preschool, to at risk high schoolers, to everything in-between.

Getting this degree had been a very long process, needless to say. I took several classes every semester, oh, but did I tell you that right in the middle of it all, I quit.  I'd had a growing feeling there was more to learn, more that I needed to learn, and that I wasn't learning all I should in the program I was in. But as time went by I knew that I had to finish what I'd already started, so I returned.

And now, somehow, the end of my program finally came in-sight.  How that happened I can only speculate because it seemed that the end only grew further and further away as time progressed on.

Did I mention that all I wanted to do when the end did finally roll around ... after years of raising four kids, in the woods where we had goats and trees galore; helping my children with their schooling, and activities and interests ... where we did 4-H projects and I lead 4-H groups, Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, youth groups, Sunday school classes ---man, the list goes on and on and on. Now my degree was finally coming to the stopping point and all I could imagine was

-NOTHING.

Nothing but resting; finally, resting! 

Do you know those times when you think you've got everything all figured out.  Times you're certain that finally the order that's meant to be has arrived. Times when the ending point is right around the corner. That's how I finally felt. It was so close all of a sudden I could taste it.

I was wrong, so wrong. Because just when I was sure I had it all constructively accounted for I was let in on a little secret: it wasn't the end, it was only the beginning. 

Because one day as graduation neared I got a phone call that would change everything.
Come back tomorrow to read about that phone call that changed everything.