eSpecially Ben

I know my title probably has some of you ready to hear me rant and rave about how I need to be appreciated for all the work I do...well at least not today. (Ryan breathes a sigh of relief.) This post is about reading - just plain old reading words, like you are doing now. Logan has started reading over the past couple of months. I am overjoyed by it, so proud of him I want him to show everyone his new skill. I am writing about this because I do not hear people talk about their child learning to read. Am I missing something? Is my appreciation so much more because of Ben's situation? Do people just not talk about it because it is considered bragging? I wish someone would help me out here. Learning to read was not on my radar as something to be excited about. Of course, everyone asks about rolling over, sitting up, first steps and first words. But never did anyone warn me that hearing my child read an entire book would make me burst with pride. Logan reads signs when we are

In 2009, Ben participated in a pilot literacy program developed at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The program went so well, that Attainment Company is now marketing it as a teaching tool for schools. Last week, Ben's teacher sent a link of Ben in the training video for this product. It is a commitment to watch the longer video, so I asked the Attainment Company to edit it to a shorter version for this posting. You will not regret the time you use to view either of the videos. Ben's 2 Minute Training Video   The Big Commitment: 18 minute version - Ben is in the Level 4 Video Literacy Training Video From Nydia Hoard, Ben's special education teacher, and the facilitator in the video: In this video clip Ben is featured in a training video for a literacy program called Pathways to Literacy , published by Attainment Company.  This literacy program is designed for students with more moderate to severe cognitive disabilities.  Its goal is to have stude

Last year in Kindergarten, Ben was part of a pilot program for a literacy study at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte . His teacher was given specially adapted books to read with her children. The books were enhanced with raised lettering for the children to touch and objects for the children to hold. At points throughout the book, the teacher would ask a question about the page she had just read and the child would choose from pictures or objects inserted in the book to answer the question. One book Ben read talked about rain. The adapted book came with a small spray bottle and at that point in the book, the reader sprayed water into the air. Ben completed the program in just a few months, quicker than expected. Obviously, he was motivated by the methods they used. My sister, a creative and can-do person, decided to make a book like this for Ben, using one of his favorites from the Bob the Builder collection. Using the one from school as a model, she tore the book ap