We are proud to feature work by artist Meghan Ambrose in Syllables’ lobbies.  Meghan has been a member of the Syllables family for nearly ten years – serving as a tutor, associate director, and in her current capacity as graphic designer. Meghan is the creative force behind the art found on Kendore Learning card decks and curriculum materials.

Meghan’s journey with dyslexia began long before her affiliation with Syllables. As a child, Meghan worked harder in school than other students, yet she often was labeled “unmotivated” and “lazy.”  This continued through her freshman year of college, where once again Meghan worked harder than her peers but still struggled academically.

Notes Meghan, “A children’s literature class my sophomore year was my turning point. I was asked to read aloud to the class, something I had always dreaded. After class, the professor pulled me aside and asked if I had ever been diagnosed with dyslexia.” Subsequent testing revealed that Meghan was “profoundly dyslexic” and that it was remarkable that she had achieved so much without remediation or accommodations.

Meghan displays her art at local festivals and on her Etsy site.

Always a gifted artist, Meghan changed her major to art and began to excel.  She transferred to the Atlanta College of Art, where she graduated third in her class. Meghan also pursued training in dyslexia remediation and became a reading tutor at Syllables.  “I knew I wanted to help kids like me,” Meghan reflects. “I would tell students that I understood their struggles and I explained how Syllables would make a difference.”

Today, Meghan combines her artistic talents with the love of teaching she developed at Syllables. When she is not at home with her son Gabriel or designing art for Syllables, she is busy teaching art to children and adults.  Meghan sells her art at local festivals and on her etsy shop, Inklings And Hues. She is also available for commissioned work. Contact Meghan at InklingsAndHues@gmail.com.

Brain Freeze is one of our favorite tools for multisensory fun. This ooey, gooey gel keeps students engaged and actively learning as they practice sound and word dictation.

A cup of water transforms Brain Freeze from tiny crystals to squishy gel. After a day or two, the crystals dry up and can be reconstituted or stored for later.

Watch Syllables Learning Center/Kendore Learning Executive Director Jennifer Hasser demonstrate Brain Freeze.

 Buy Brain Freeze

What is Phonological Memory?

Phonological memory is the ability to hold information (numbers, sounds, words) in working or short-term memory for temporary storage. Students must be able to hold information long enough to process it, use it, and then transfer it to long-term memory.

Why Poor Phonological Memory is a Problem

Poor phonological memory can hinder a student’s ability to accomplish most tasks including:

• mastering early reading skills
• learning new vocabulary words
• comprehending new and lengthy material
• following multi-step directions

For example, when decoding an unfamiliar but lengthy word, a student must figure out each sound and then each syllable. The student must recall these word components in exact sequence, and finally, blend them back together.  The longer the word, the more parts there are to remember. Children often have to rehearse each syllable first until they know it well enough to blend all of the syllables together to complete the entire word.

If a child with poor phonological memory is hearing new words as someone is talking, the speaker may be well into the rest of the message while the child is stuck making sense of the new word.  Or, the child may miss the new word as he or she tries to keep up with the story/message. Either way, vocabulary development is at risk.

How to Help a Child with Poor Phonological Memory

Helping a child with weak phonological memory to be successful in the classroom requires us to be mindful of the following:

• how much information we deliver at one time
• what senses we engage when delivering and reinforcing information
• how often we repeat key ideas

C.A.R.S.:  Remember this mnemonic and your students will be off and running!

Chunk Information into smaller parts for mental storage.  Only introduce one or two concepts at a time and pause strategically when talking.

Allow for Success by teaching, modeling and practicing (and practicing some more!). Practice skills in different contexts to reinforce.

Repeat, Repeat, Repeat!  Restate key elements or new information in various ways.  Have students repeat back to you.  Use purposeful pausing as you repeat.

Sensory: make lessons multisensory!  Children with poor auditory memories need to SEE, ACT OUT, and FEEL the lesson in order to understand better. Their weakest mode of learning is by sitting and listening.                        

Katherine, Claire and I recently returned from a trip to Africa. We can honestly say it was one of the most impactful experiences of our lives and we are looking forward to returning. The kids we spent time with were kind, enthusiastic, fun, helpful, hardworking, and grateful. Their positive outlooks in the face of their life circumstances taught us lessons in gratitude that have forever changed our lives.

Watching the sheer joy the teen boys radiated when learning to play “Monkey in the Middle” with Claire and Katherine made me realize how much we take for granted in our everyday lives. Watch our video to hear about how one boy in particular touched my heart.

Taraja Boys Home (just outside of Nairobi, Kenya) is a social outreach program and transitional orphanage for abandoned or orphaned street boys (8-18 years) from the Kibera Slums. Fifty dollars per month sponsors one boy at Taraja, providing education at a boarding school. For only $50 a month a boy will go from a homeless child to a student at a boarding school! Fifty dollars a month provides education, accommodations, food, counseling and loving care. Yes, I know it sounds like a Sarah McLachlan song should be playing in the background, but I do a lot of volunteering/fundraising and I have never seen so little go so far!!! YOU can make a difference in the life of a young man.

Please consider sponsoring a child monthly or making a one-time donation. Theresa, the amazing organizer of this program, will assign a student to you and you may correspond with the child you sponsor. If you have children, this is an amazing opportunity to expand their world view (and practice their writing skills!).  Visit www.how101.org for more information or to make a donation.

We witnessed first-hand the difference one person can make in a child’s life. Thank you for considering my request. If you have any questions let me know.

Kind regards,
Jennifer Hasser
Executive Director
Syllables Learning Center, Kendore Learning

770-752-1724