Speech and learning

Thanks to Karen Chace [ http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_archive.html ]
for this interesting article:

Rising number of primary pupils unable to speak in sentences

Polly Curtis, education editor
Tuesday July 8, 2008
The Guardian

The number of children who arrive at primary school unable to speak in full sentences is rising, according to a government review which today reveals that 7% of children now have a serious communication problem.

A rise in "home-related" speech problems, shown by children who are not encouraged by their parents to speak from an early age, is fuelling the increase, according to the Tory MP John Bercow, who has carried out a review for the government.

In some of the most disadvantaged areas of the country, up to 50% of children had speech problems, he said.

Bercow's review calls on schools to monitor speech development from the start. It will request more information for parents on what to do if their toddlers do not start talking.

Children's problems range from stuttering and a general "impoverishment" of language if not encouraged to speak to autism and speech difficulties among those with hearing loss. "The 7% are those who have big difficulties with speech or language - they are likely to need specialist or targeted intervention," Bercow told the Guardian. "For others, the home is a factor. If a child is exposed to a relentless diet of TV and computer games and deprived of interaction at home, that is very damaging."

He said schools had neglected the issue. "Instead of being an optional add-on, communication skills should be at the heart of the primary curriculum ... speech and listening have been elbowed out of schools for literacy and numeracy for too long."

The report describes speech difficulties as the "unrecognised" problem in the education system, much as dyslexia was 20 years ago. It calls for children to be monitored and for better training for teachers, nursery workers and childcare workers.

Ministers are expected to respond to the report tomorrow with a promise of funding for a school programme that will encourage better communication skills and help teachers identify problems.

Bercow, who has a son, aged four, with speech problems associated with autism, said he was told regularly that his child's issues would "sort themselves out" in time. "It doesn't get sorted out - people have fewer options through life if they cannot speak," he said.

Virginia Beardshaw, chief executive of I CAN, a speech charity, said: "Communication is the fundamental life skill for the 21st century."

Read Boston & Norah's Schedule for this week July 7- 11th

READ BOSTON 2008 Storymobile Full Summer Schedule as a pdf. For more information, please visit www.readboston.org or call 617-918-5290.
All performances are open to the public. Each performance is about 1/2 hour in length. Sometimes, a show be even shorter if there are volunteer readers. At the end, each child gets to pick out a book to read and keep.
Contact me a few days in advance @ doochild6@aol.com if you want to meet me. I travel by bicycle when the weather permits. Look at this blog for next week's schedule. And I recommend googlemaps for directions. The Story Train ( see July 9th) is the brainchild of NOBS - a consortium of North Shore Librarians. Try Sara Collins at Manchester by The Sea Library for info or any Children's Room Librarian on the Rockport T line.

JULY 7th MONDAY
11:15AM
Wang YMCA - 8 Oak Street, West. Boston
1:15 AM
Salvation Army - 1500 Washington St., Roxbury

JULY 8th TUESDAY
10:00 AM
Log Preschool 222 Bowdoin St., Dorchester
11:15AM
Codman Square Library, 690 Washington St, Dorchester
1:15 PM
Murphy Community Center, 1 Worrell Street, Dorchester

JULY 9th WEDNESDAY
Storytrain @ 10 take the commuter rail to Rockport MA from North Station. There will be public performance @ lunch time in Rockport, MA at Millbrook Meadow. For details contact: Sara Collins 978-526-7711: scollins@mvlc.org

JULY 10th THURSDAY
10:00AM
Roxbury YMCA, 285 MLK Blvd., Roxbury MA
11:15AM
HBCooper Community Center, 1891 Washington St., Roxbury
1:15PM
Vine Street Community Center, 339 Dudley Street, Roxbury

Shakespeare + Julius Caesar in Royalston - July 2nd

People think I know what I am doing BEFORE I do it, sadly I haven't a clue. Happily, I really enjoy finding out what we all need to be doing and somehow, it all works out. "It is a mystery!" as the director said in Shakespeare in Love. See the Royalston Shakespeare Company blog for more pics and blather about the project.

J.K. Rowling Rocks Hahvad Yahd

A friend sent this to me. J.K. Rowling, author of the best-selling Harry Potter book series, delivers her Commencement Address, June 2008 "The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination," at the Annual Meeting of the Harvard Alumni Association. Full text attached.

"..... You might think that I chose my second theme, the importance of imagination, because of the part it played in rebuilding my life, but that is not wholly so. Though I will defend the value of bedtime stories to my last gasp, I have learned to value imagination in a much broader sense. Imagination is not only the uniquely human capacity to envision that which is not, and therefore the fount of all invention and innovation. In its arguably most transformative and revelatory capacity, it is the power that enables us to empathise with humans whose experiences we have never shared....." JK Rowling for the full text as a word doc, email me at doochild6@gmail.com

new gig

There was not much time left but Ms.Ewing was kind enough to invite me to see what PHA was like during the last day before finals. I visited with 2 classes, checked in at the teacher's room and hung around at Homework help. I will be the new performing arts teacher starting in AUG 2008 at the Prospect Hill Academy, in Somerville. It is a bustling middle school with a 5th grade in it. Ms. Ewing has some pretty big shoes to fill. She will be a very hard act to follow.

Life as I know it...

Yup, we messed up on the schedule last THURS and some people did not get a chance
to test their spelling skill and throw a cream pie at me. By the way , mad props to Dan for catching a great bunch of action shots. if you missed it, live and in person, I am a woman of my word...

So, here is my offer -

1. If you have the means to clean me up in 5 minutes ( cover me first in plastic - bring a change of suitable clothes - running water of suitable pressure nearby -- pie me carefully ?)
2. and promise to never interrupt a performance or a class
3. and promise to never delay the start of a performance ( so that means - not at the beginning nor the middle but...)
4. And promise to clean up everything
5. And you can spell a word of my choice from the 4th grade spelling book ( you get three words )
6. And you have a pie tin with whipped cream ( no shaving cream for me)
7. other conditions may arise at various sites and you agree not to bother anyone else but me.
8. And you are a 4th grade Inventor 2007 - 2008 who has not had a turn ?

Then I. O. U. one (1) Spelling Quiz Pie-o-Rama.
You spell a word from our list and take as many steps back as the word has letters.
Good spellers get harder words.
Extra step back for each word you misspell. One chance to hit me.
That is it.
Let the games begin.
My schedule is public. Especially in the summer
12 venues a week at at Read Boston. Check my here at my blog for updates.


This offer is valid outside only when temp is above 80° or
must be inside. One pie per student.
Have a great summer!
Norah

People matter and their stories matter...Story Corps

Dave Isay, founder of StoryCorps, speaks about StoryCorps' history, its future, and its importance at the Orlando Public Library on January 12, 2008. He said many wonderful things..."People matter and they want to know that they won't be forgotten." And he said that as a people, we Americans are much better than we would know, if we looked only at the media portrait of ourselves. Our stories, the stories of ordinary people are as important or more important than the "... slush we are fed by the media"