Parent Tips

As promised I am continuing my focus on Dyslexia this month. If you haven’t already been to www.dyslexiadaily.com, I urge to you do so. Liz Dunoon’s article called ‘What is Dyslexia?’ is worth a read.

In this article, she outlines Dr. Sally Shaywitz’s 5 critical components of a reading program that all readers must master. These critical components are in strong alignment with how we teach reading here at Kip McGrath Hunter.

Another article written by Liz called ‘7 Things You Won’t Know About Dyslexia’ is also worth reading. She shares the story of a very successful Dyslexic young man. She also mentions many lines of work that Dyslexic people excel in; For example: Scientific Researcher, Medical Professional, Business Entrepreneur and the list goes on.

I also suggest you look up famous Dyslexic people; the list is inspirational. All of these people mention having a special someone: a parent, a teacher or a coach, who truly believed in them and who helped them to develop a passionate interest in an area in which they could find success. Here at Kip McGrath Hunter we pride ourselves in being those special someones who are there to help support children and their families in their quest for success.

5 Common Myths about Dyslexia

octI have borrowed these from an Emily Lapkin article on www.understood.org

Myth #1: It’s a Boy Thing.

Dyslexia affects both genders. Girls tend to quietly muddle through challenges while boys become more rambunctious, drawing the teacher’s attention to them.

Myth #2: People with Dyslexia read backwards, that’s all.

Dyslexia makes it challenging to break down words, But reversing letters isn’t always a sign of dyslexia. People with dyslexia may have trouble with a number of skills, including writing, spelling, speaking and socialising.

Myth #3: People with Dyslexia just need to try harder.

The brain functions differently in people with Dyslexia. Traditional reading and language instruction may not work for them. Studies show people with Dyslexia get the most benefit from intensive instruction or tutoring that’s highly structured.

Myth #4: Dyslexia is a sign of low IQ.

Dyslexia occures in children of all backgriunds and intelligence levels. With the right kind of support, many children with Dyslexia go on to higher education and are very successful in their careers.

Myth #5: Dyslexia is curable.

Dyslexia is a brain-based condition and lifelong challenge. But early intervention can have a significant impact on reading ability and academic achievement.

October is Dyslexia Awareness month, so the next two newsletters will increase your understanding of Dyslexia and suggest resources to help both at home and at school.

I found an excellent article, written by Liz Dunoon at www.dyslexiadaily.com, called “What is Dyslexia?” In this article, she references the work of Dr. Sally Shaywitz, who is a professor of Pediatric Neurology at Yale University. She Describes Dyslexia as: “more than just a reading difficulty, it is a way of thinking and of being. Dyslexic people tend to be top-down rather than bottom-up thinkers; that is, they learn from getting the big picture or overall idea or learning first, and then fill in the specific details. They learn best through meaning rather than through rote memorisation of isolated facts.”

Current research suggests Dyslexia is caused bu a disorder in the language system. Dr. Shaywitz explains how we don’t need a curriculum for a baby to learn speak; it is a natural process. However, reading must be taught. Children must learn how to connect the printed letters on a page with the sounds of the spoken language. For about 60-70% of children, this awareness develops by the age of about six years. The remaining 30-40% of children experience difficulty noticing these basic sounds, which are called phonemes. “For most people, these phonemes are clear and crisp, but for reasons yet unknown, in people with Dyslexia, the phonemes are fuzzy or less distinct.”

Pirates Vocabulary

jakesword2Pirates don’t use a cultured, elegant, smooth vocalisation- they mutter and growl…

Ahoy: Hi there!

Avast: Stand still and listen

Aye Aye: Yes OK.

Me Hearty: My friend

Shiver Me Timbers: An exclamation of surprise.

Arrr: Can mean anything you want it to 🙂

Daring characters who swooped on treasure ships and returned home with golden cargoes? Brutal sea-thieves who showed no mercy to their victims? Bold adventurers, who paid for travel by theft at sea? In fact, pirates were all these things and more. For centuries, pirates have sailed across the seas and oceans of the world.

Piracy began more than 2000 years ago in Ancient Greece when sea robbers started flocking around the trading routes. These sea robbers challenged all those who passed from there and looted them mercilessly.

Organized piracy and privateering was finally ended in the nineteenth century as governments of most countries increased the sea patrols and made piracy punishable by death. However, piracy has not completely disappeared. It is still flourishing from Sumatra to Somalia, and today’s pirates are quite different from the lovable rogues shown in movies such as ‘Pirates of the Caribbean.’

At the end of September, on the 19th, there is a fun day called “Talk Like A Pirate Day”.

During the last week of in-centre tutoring (starting Monday 19th September). we will be talking like pirates. Some of you may question the educational value of this decision. For me, one of the important things for learning is making it fun.

Thus the decision was made. It will not change what we teach. The tutors will have some fun by teaching the children a few pirate phrases to share in their session. The expressions: ‘Shiver me timbers. That be a great effort me hearty’ or ‘Arrrr, well done lad/lassie’ will ring out through lessons this week.

Just so you can practise a bit beforehand, here are some common pirate terms…

jakesword2Ahoy: Hi there!

Avast: Stand still and listen

Aye Aye: Yes OK.

Me Hearty: My friend

Shiver Me Timbers: An exclamation of surprise.

Arrr: Can mean anything you want it to 🙂

7 Fun Facts About Pirates

Although Hollywood pirates, such as Jack Sparrow’s friends, like to grumble “arrr” frequently, real pirates were not known to do so.
Pirates may have thrown men overboard, but no one was ever known to have “walked the plank”. Again, this one is a Hollywood myth.
Pirates pierced their ears, with precious metals like silver and gold, because it was believed that it improved their eyesight.
The most successful pirate ever was probably Bartolomew Roberts, known as Black Bart. He captured around 400 ships in the 1720s.
Pirates believed that having women on board their ship brought bad luck. Women, therefore, had to disguise themselves as men. However, there have been some extremely powerful women pirates, such as Ching Shih, Anne Bonny and Mary Reed, documented in the history of piracy.
They also believed that whistling on a ship would turn the weather stormy. The phrase ‘to whistle up a storm’ owes its origin to this.
2000px-Piratey_transparent_background.svgThe Jolly Roger is the most famous pirate flag. The skull and crossbones came from the symbol used in ships’ logs, where it represented death on board.

Create a set of flash cards of difficult times tables questions. Children may enjoy making these themselves. As your child memorises each question, remove it from the pile, giving a visual reminder of the progress they’ve made.

PLAY BALL
Illustration of a Mother Playing with Her SonThis game will test your child’s reflexes as well as their times tables. Two players stand a distance apart and throw a ball between each other. The thrower asks a question and the catcher has to answer before catching the ball.

GRAB A SMARTPHONE OR A TABLET
Download a few times tables apps. Here are a couple that rank highly:
ipdaTimes Table Mountain App
• For iPhone, iPad, and Android
• Costs a few dollars
• Suitable for all ages
• Fun and engaging

fsfEggy Times Table App by Reading Eggs
• For iPad, iPhone and Android
• Suitable for ages 5-10
• 5 highly interactive games
• 2 or 3 difficulty levels for each activity
• 15 exciting Mashies rewards to collect

Fear is described as ‘False Evidence Appearing Real’

or ‘Forget Everything And Run’Screenshot_2

The fear of spiders is called Arachnophobia.

Here are some phobias you may not have heard of:

Hydrophobia (fear of water)
Triskaidekaphobia ( fear of the number 13)
Ecclesiaphobia (fear of Churches)
Pogonophobia (fear of Beards)
Ergophobia (fear of Work)
HIPPOPOTOMONSTROSESQUIPPEDALIOPHOBIA (fear of long Words)

As the days become shorter and colder, we thought we would brighten your day with a list of 7 fun and interesting facts about winter.

When it is winter in the Southern Hemisphere, it is summer in the Northern Hemisphere. This occurs because the Southern Hemisphere is tilted away from the sun at this time.
In Winter, some animals migrate (whales), hibernate (bears), store food (squirrels), change colours (arctic fox), or grow thicker fur (horses).
The lowest minimum temperature in Australia was – 23ºC at Charlotte Pass on 29th June 1994 in the Snowy Mountains.
All snowflakes have 6 sides.winter-clip-art-2
30 cm of snow melts down to 5 cm water.
During winter Australia has more snow than Switzerland.
Chionophobia is a fear of snow.