One Happy Homeschooling Mom

One Happy Homeschooling Mom

 Parent Educators and Classroom Educators Love Teaching with Silent Elephant “e”! 

I thought you’d enjoy hearing what purchasers of Phonetic Reading with Silent Elephant “e” are saying. 

When I opened this email, my heart was filled with such happiness!!!! 

“Hello Linda,
We have some exciting news from our house. We have two readers!!!!!! Thanks so much for your program and your encouragement. My daughters are now 5 and 7 years old and they are able to read the stories that connect with the 5 vowel sounds in Part 3!!! 

They are also able to spell some words by sounding them out. My older daughter wrote a note to her dad yesterday. He loved it!
I’ve also included pictures of their “i” practice words and the creative pictures they get to draw in between words. I love that they can each be creative in their own ways and both learn to read together and help each other as partners. 

Thanks so much for keeping in touch. We will soon be purchasing the next book, Part 4. 

I’d love to use Silent Elephant “e” to teach our son when he gets bigger. He is almost 2 now. 

Talk to you soon. 

Thanks. 
Wendy” 

I couldn’t stop smiling after I read Wendy’s email.  

I couldn’t wait to answer her and tell her how thrilled I was for all of them.  

I told her to tell the girls, “Both of you are so beautiful! I love your happy, proud smiles! I am so proud of you wonderful, awesome readers!”  

Aren’t their notes to Dad so cute? He really must have loved them.  

And I couldn’t be more thrilled that Wendy intends to continue with Silent Elephant “e” and to use it with their son when he’s ready. A family of readers – my heart is singing! 

I can’t quit smiling as I share this with you. I’m so proud. I can’t wait to visit with them and hear the girls read stories.  

In the coming months, I will share more success stories.

I would love to share your success stories! Please email them to me or call me. Or both! I love visiting with you.

If you are questioning whether Silent Elephant “e” is the comprehensive reading, writing and spelling program you’d like to purchase, feel free to contact us.

Linda Katherine Smith-Jones                            Nina Henson

FaceTiming with Young Readers! This was a First!!

FaceTiming with Young Readers! This was a First!! 

I felt so honored, so special!!  

Wendy, Zoya and Audrey’s mom, suggested that we FaceTime because the girls have been so excited about their amazing progress in reading. They wanted to share their success with the author of Silent Elephant “e”. 

I was excited and delighted.  

We set up a time and, through the fun magic of FaceTime, there were Zoya and Audrey’s bright eyes looking back at me. My heart swelled. Their eyes sparkled with a love of life and a joy of learning. 

Wendy had thoughtfully prepped her daughters for our meeting. (What an awesome mom!!) They were ready and eager with stories to read to me and questions for me to answer. 

I felt like a famous author visiting a classroom!! 😊 

The girls have both completed Parts 1-3 of Phonetic Reading with Silent Elephant “e” and had each picked one of my stories from a short vowel lesson to focus on during our time together.  

Both Zoya and Audrey had a “spotlight time” to share their own handwritten copy and illustration of the story they had chosen. Their sweet faces beamed with pride as they carefully and thoroughly shared their individual work.

 I thoroughly enjoyed seeing each of their personal drawings of the story they had chosen—each completely different from the other. Their visualizations of what they had read and comprehended were beautiful and detailed. Clearly, they are seeing the stories in their minds.  

The joy they expressed in their drawings made my heart sing! Is there anything so precious as a child’s artwork? 

Each girl had developed a list of questions to ask me about her particular focus story. Here are some examples of their well thought out questions:

·       What caused the log to fall on the box?

·       What job were you imagining Tom got?

·       How did that job help Tom get the log off of the box?

·       Did you imagine Rex to be a dinosaur? (I did!)

·       Why did you choose red for the color of the jet?

·       What food would you have fed the ten men, the pet and Rex?

·       Why did the pet get ill? 

I felt honored and special as I answered each of their questions and asked them to share how they had imagined the story. 

Both Zoya and Audrey completely comprehend what they are skillfully reading. Further, they are going beyond the text with personal creativity and an eagerness to learn more. 

Although Wendy didn’t have a time in the spotlight, her joy, pride and love of her girls and their progress was beaming in the background.

She loves teaching her girls with Silent Elephant “e”. It shows in their success and her bright smile.  

I LOVED our time together. I felt so privileged, but most of all, I loved seeing first-

Please send me your success stories. If you would like to FaceTime to share your success stories, please contact me.

P. S. Both you and your children will love Silent Elephant “e”.

They will LOVE their feeling of success and EASE in learning to read.

YOU will LOVE their success and how EASY teaching with Silent Elephant “e” is for you.

If you are questioning whether Silent Elephant “e” is the comprehensive reading, writing and spelling program you’d like to purchase, feel free to contact us.

Linda Katherine Smith-Jones                            Nina Henson

THANK YOU for Your Excellent Reading Program

Thank you for your excellent reading program.

We purchased Parts 1-3. We are using it for our 4 and 6-year-old girls and they are doing so great understanding sounds in words.

My girls have been breaking down word sounds the last few days just for fun.

My 4-year-old especially loves to try to write out the sounds. She was so proud to show me how she sounded out my name and wrote it down all by herself!

We are looking forward to getting Part 4 and beyond this summer for our girls to continue learning. Thank you again for writing this wonderful program and sharing your experience to start us on this great reading journey. 

— Wendy Levanway - homeschool parent 

If you have any questions about Silent Elephant “e” or teaching reading, contact us.

Linda Katherine Smith-Jones Nina Henson

I May Have Teared Up

I May Have Teared Up 

My dream for children learning with Phonetic Reading with Silent Elephant “e” is that they will excel in reading, writing and spelling.  

I imagine parents cuddling up before bedtime with their children. The children are reading more and more words in the books to their parents. 

I imagine parents coming back into their child’s bedroom to check on them—expecting them to be sound asleep. Instead, they discover their child hiding under their blanket with a flashlight shining on the book they just cannot stop reading! 

I imagine a parent beginning to remind their child to finish their chores, but discover their child curled up in a cozy chair immersed in a wonderful book. 

My dreams are coming true for children I teach with Phonetic Reading with Silent Elephant “e”! Please enjoy a wonderful story I want to share with you! 

This past September, I walked into a school to teach an in-service workshop to teachers and parents.  One of the teachers of one of the students I had tutored from home raced up to me. 

She said, “I just have to tell you this! When I walked into my classroom last week, “Carol” was asking another girl if she needed help reading the characters’ names with a summary of each character’s description that I had written on the board for our up-and-coming play. 

“In the past,” she continued, “Carol would have had her head down with her shy eyes barely lifted. She would have been struggling to read the words and most likely would have given up.” 

This compassionate teacher’s voice rose with excitement as she exclaimed, “Now Carol’s shoulders were back, her head held high, a confident smile on her face, and loving gentleness in her voice as she beautifully and confidently read to the children that gathered around her!” 

As I listened to this amazing story, my eyes filled with tears of joy! 

About two years earlier, this sweet then 4th grade girl had begun tutoring with me. She was at a Primer reading level. As of last June, when she graduated from tutoring with me, this now 6th grader is at a 10th grade reading level! I am so proud of her and so honored to have been her tutor for 18 months of her life! 

Help me spread my dream to children around the world who struggle with reading, writing and spelling. Together we can make an incredible difference in their lives!

If you have any questions, contact us.

Linda Katherine Smith-Jones                                  Nina Henson

Elliot's Story In His Own Words

A Success Story to Warm Your Heart! 

I’d like to share a heartwarming letter I received last spring from one of my students that I tutor from my home.

 I have watched Elliot grow and develop from an insecure, struggling reader, writer and speller to a confident, mature, successful student heading into ninth grade!  

Here is Elliot’s letter:

In the sixth grade, I had a hard time with reading and writing. Then an amazing person named Mrs. Jones helped me. 

I have had an awesome experience for 2 years with her. 

I started tutoring with Mrs. Jones when I was 11 years old. I am now 13 and in the eighth grade. 

I was very shy when I first started tutoring, but now, I really enjoy going to tutoring. I am greeted with a warm welcome. 

Mrs. Jones began tutoring me using her very cool and helpful Silent Elephant “e” reading program to teach me phonics.  

The rule of VCe where Silent Elephant “e” taps the vowel on the head really helped me learn how to pronounce and spell words ending with silent “e” and how to add suffixes to silent “e” words. 

The “C” and “G” Game helped me learn whether to pronounce a “c” or “g” with the hard or soft sound. 

The eight rules for dividing words into syllables were important, because they helped me understand how words are put together and how to pronounce the words. 

She also began helping me comprehend what I was reading as we read the first book in the Magic Tree House Series, Dinosaurs Before Dark by Mary Pope Osborne (beginning 2nd grade level). I was in sixth grade then. 

This fall and winter we read Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken (7th grade reading level) using phonics rules to divide and correctly pronounce the multi-syllabic words. I truly comprehended this book! 

Sometimes we would laugh and sometimes we would be serious, but I have always had an amazing time being taught by her. In just 2 years, I have greatly improved my intelligence.  

I will really miss Mrs. Jones when I leave. I have had a blast learning with her! I have learned so much, and I really appreciate it! 

It was so cool to be her student, and use her Silent Elephant “e” techniques! 

Sincerely,

Elliot, Your Best Student

Elliot’s kind words melt my heart. I love teaching! I’m humbled and honored everyday I have the privilege to be a part of making a difference in a child’s learning! 

When Elliot began tutoring with me, he was in 6th grade. His instructional and frustration reading level was at a third-grade level. Now, as he begins 9th grade, he is reading at a 10th grade level in comprehension and a college level in word recognition. He’s confident, self-assured and ready to have a great time in school. When I think of him, his progress and his path of success ahead, I am so proud. 

Phonetic Reading with Silent Elephant “e” is truly making a BIG difference in children’s lives—teaching them to read, write and spell and helping them gain confidence in themselves as capable, successful learners!

If you are questioning whether Silent Elephant “e” is the comprehensive reading, writing and spelling program you’d like to purchase, feel free to contact us.

Linda Katherine Smith-Jones                            Nina Henson

Sometimes We don’t Realize How We Touch Someone’s Life

Sometimes We don’t Realize How We Touch Someone’s Life 

At this season of giving, we are reminded that the best gift is the gift of giving. 

I received an incredibly heartfelt gift from one of my students a few years ago. 

She had wrapped the gift in fun, brightly colored paper with a pretty bow on it.  A proud, happy smile adorned her face as she handed it to me. 

I excitedly tore off the paper! 

In my hand I held an exquisite angel figurine. “Oh, this angel is lovely!” I exclaimed. “She has such a sweet, loving smile! Thank you!” 

This ten-year old girl shyly said, “I used to have broken wings.”  

I quickly interrupted her (and actually quite rudely, if truth be told), because I did not want her to think even for a moment that she had broken wings. “Oh, sweetie, you have never had broken wings! You are one of the most genuinely kind, thoughtful, loving people I know!” 

“No,” she continued. “I did have broken wings when I first began tutoring with you.” 

“No. Truly you are absolutely, perfectly wonderful!” I insisted. 

“Please let me finish,” she politely said.  

It was so hard to let her continue, as I just couldn’t bear the thought that this lovely, young girl felt she had broken wings. 

“When I first came to tutoring, I could hardly read even a few words. I so wanted to read! My mom, dad, teachers, friends, everyone I knew could read so easily. 

“I thought that there was something wrong with me. I felt dumb and stupid. I was embarrassed and ashamed of myself.” 

My heart was breaking as I listened to the pain and hurt in her voice. I wanted to reach out and hug her. 

I painstakingly refrained from blurting out again that she was a wonderful, awesome person.  

I swallowed my tears as she continued, “The angel is you. You taught me to read! I can really read now! I never thought that would happen. 

“The little, white dove in the angel’s hands is me. The dove is ready to fly free.  

“Because of you I can be anything I want to be now—anything!” 

Tears filled my eyes. My heart swelled with love for this beautiful person!  

I reached out to hug her. I pulled her to me as I wrapped my arms around her. I wanted her to know how much I love her. I wanted to take all of her pain away. 

Then I realized that her pain was leaving her due to her own intense desire and focus as she diligently worked with me through Silent Elephant “e”.  

Slowly the full meaning of her gift and words began to sink in. 

I cried.  

This is why I became a teacher. 

She is now free to bravely explore the world. She has the tools, and she knows it.  

As you teach your children (and adults), think of this sweet girl, her beautiful gift, her eloquent words. 

You are a gift to each and everyone you teach. 

Thank you for being an angel to all of your students!

If you are questioning whether Silent Elephant “e” is the comprehensive reading, writing and spelling program you’d like to purchase, feel free to contact us.

Linda Katherine Smith-Jones                            Nina Henson

We Hold Their Hearts in Our Hands -We are Counselors as Well as Teachers

We Hold Their Hearts in Our Hands -We are Counselors as Well as Teachers 

Recently one of my dear neighbors asked me an interesting question. 

“I know your reading program is helping so many children learn to read. I am wondering, do you also have to help them emotionally build their self-confidence? 

“The reason I’m asking is because I saw my Matthew’s pain and tears when he was just in third grade. That was 35 years ago. His teacher actually recognized even then that he is dyslexic and knew he needed extra help in reading. 

“When I told Matthew that he was going to get more help at school from a special teacher, he cried. 

“I hadn’t realized how far behind he was.  Matthew was always so happy-go-lucky. I didn’t know his struggles in school were bothering him so much. 

“Matthew had actually realized how far behind he was. He was comparing his reading abilities to the other children in his class. He was wondering why they could read so quickly and effortlessly. He was wondering why it was so difficult for him. He was thinking that he wasn’t as smart as the other children! He felt embarrassed and ashamed! My heart broke! 

“His caring, thoughtful teacher worked diligently to plan her lessons emphasizing phonics to correlate with the material Matthew’s class was learning, so he would gain the skills needed to catch up with his classmates. 

“The tutoring he received had a life changing impact. His confidence skyrocketed. I’m sure that the students you tutor feel the same.”  

The answer to this question is something my husband always wants to share with parents that are considering having me tutor their children and with prospective purchasers of my program. 

He sees the answer daily as I tutor my students from our home. He empathizes with every one of my students, as he’s been in their shoes! 

He tells people about how children come to me with their shoulders drooping and their heads down not wanting to make eye contact with me. He tells them how some of my students hide under my desk, use the bathroom six times in an hour, hug our decorator pillows to their chest for comfort, answer my questions by shrugging their shoulders and saying, “I don’t know.” 

He proceeds with a joyful, enthusiastic voice! “It doesn’t take more than a couple of weeks before the children are holding their heads high, making eye contact, and confidently answering questions.” 

The answer to my neighbor’s question: Yes, YES, YES! 

Definitely a goal for all of my students is to build self-pride and self-confidence! 

I begin from the first moment we meet. I spend our first tutoring session getting to personally know each child and their parents. I want to know about the family, their pets, their interests and hobbies. I want to know what the child enjoys doing in and out of school when alone and with friends, does he/she play a musical instrument and or participate in sports, what responsibilities does he/she have at home, what achievements/accomplishments has he/she celebrated. 

During assessment, I always tell each child in specific terms the positive things he/she did:

·       read with expression

·       read smoothly

·       read quickly

·       showed enjoyment of reading

·       paid attention to punctuation marks

·       used phonics skills to decode unknown words

·       used the context to choose an appropriate word

·       thoroughly answered questions. 

Throughout each lesson I again look for and tell the child in specific terms the positive things he/she did:

·       I appreciate that you came to tutoring today with so much enthusiasm!

·       When you look at me when I’m giving directions, I know you are listening to me.

·       I appreciate it when you carefully and neatly mark the words with your colored pencils, because I can quickly read your answers.

·       When you use nice handwriting, it is just like receiving a special gift from you for my old eyes.

·       You took time to look carefully at each letter so you could correctly blend the sounds in each word.

·       You read the word quickly.

·       You read the sentence smoothly.

·       You read with expression, so I knew you truly understand the meaning of the sentence.

·       You read the sentence using phraseology! It sounded just like you were talking to me.

·       You are an amazing reader!

·       I love your beautiful, happy smile!

·       You are using the phonics rules to spell words correctly.

·       I can tell you are doing the sentence dictation exercises at home, because your spelling is improving.

·       Thank you for always trying your best when learning something new and difficult.

·       You learned a lot of new skills today.

·       I wish I had video taped you when you first came, so you could see just how much you have learned.

·       You are brilliant!

·       Thank you for working so hard today!  

Children with dyslexia can easily become discouraged, because although they put an extraordinary amount of effort into learning, that effort is not often rewarded if they are not taught using the right kind of tools that actually help them learn.  

You can easily teach ALL children to read, write and spell using Phonetic Reading with Silent Elephant “e”, but that’s truly only part of it! 

Always conscientiously develop their self-pride and self-confidence! 

On several occasions my next-door neighbor (yes, a different neighbor) has commented to me, “I always know when a new student is starting tutoring with you. They slowly shuffle up the sidewalk as their parent is encouraging them to come along. Their sad faces are looking down at the ground. 

“But it’s not long before they are skipping up the sidewalk, heads held high, with twinkling eyes and smiles on their faces!

“And when they leave each tutoring session, I hear their bubbly, excited voices telling Mom and Dad everything they have just learned.”          

It’s priceless!

If you are questioning whether Silent Elephant “e” is the comprehensive reading, writing and spelling program you’d like to purchase, feel free to contact us.

Linda Katherine Smith-Jones                            Nina Henson

“Mrs. Jones, I’m On Fire!!“ - Yes, We Can Build Confidence!

“Mrs. Jones, I’m On Fire!!“

Can you Build Self-Confidence and Self-Pride with a Reading Program??? Really??? 

As a follow-up to my last blog post about developing self-confidence and self-pride with Phonetic Reading with Silent Elephant “e”, I want to share some quotes from my students and their parents: 

“I never thought I’d learn to read, but I really am reading!” 

“’Angie’ is actually picking up books and reading them at home for enjoyment now! We never thought that would happen. We’re so proud of her!” (Just 4 months after starting tutoring with me.) 

“I have an ‘A’ in my 7th grade English class this trimester, and I’m not in special education anymore! Can you believe it?” (Two, YES TWO of my 7th graders told me that just last week!) 

“I have to tell you about writing my (10th grade) English paper. I only had four words come up with red, wiggly lines under them! I’m such a good speller now!” 

“My husband and I came home last night to find ‘Marcus’ and his sister sitting at the kitchen table reading Harry Potter together! Two years ago, he couldn’t read at all!” 

“Mrs. Jones, when I’m reading with you, I’m on FIRE!” a second grader constantly and proudly tells me. 

So how does this happen?  

How can a reading program elicit such success that it bubbles right out of the children learning with it? 

The very first key IS the program—a program that really does teach the learner the way the learner learns. 

As you know, I developed Phonetic Reading with Silent Elephant “e” to do that very thing. I spent years researching, writing, editing, rewriting, piloting, and rewriting again to make absolutely sure that Silent Elephant “e”’s activities were dynamic, thought provoking and taught the learner the way he/she learns.  

The second key that I have not really emphasized before is how I wrote Silent Elephant “e” to set a solid unshakeable foundation for each learner.  

To be successful, readers MUST have that stable unshakeable footing and to achieve this “cement-like” foundation that will not wobble around on them, Silent Elephant “e” begins by assessing to find their personal level of success, wherever that may be.  

Finding their personal level of success begins for ALL learners by assessing their knowledge of phonemic awareness. Silent Elephant “e”’s phonemic awareness assessments begin with the basics—individual sounds within a word. Just individual sounds and where the individual sounds are in a word.  

From that starting point, we continue assessing, taking note of their strengths and their successes and watching for that spot where they begin to be challenged—where their foundation has cracks or crumbles. 

When we find where they “wobble”, we back up and settle down into their personal level of success and begin teaching from there. 

When we teach from their personal level of success, they learn easily and retain everything. They are not grasping, confused, or stumbling trying to understand what is being presented. They learn each concept presented and how it links to what they already know. Their foundation strengthens, solidifies. 

The third key is how Silent Elephant “e” presents each concept. Silent Elephant “e” moves forward methodically, carefully, as slow or as quickly as the learner needs making absolutely sure that each new concept becomes their new personal level of success.  

In this deliberate way, concept-by-concept their foundation becomes solid, their understanding of themselves as successful readers grows, their self-confidence blossoms, and they become eager to take risks—to try the new. Their pride in themselves is unmistakable and a joy to behold!  

Every student (Kindergartners through high schoolers) I tutor at home or work with at school when I volunteer have needed to begin with Lesson 1 in Phonemic Awareness! Everyone!! Missing this foundational piece in learning to read is the reason they have struggled or failed to learn to read! 

Upon completing just a few lessons in phonemic awareness, many children have said their first words of self-confidence and self-pride to me, “Reading is actually making sense! I can hear the single, individual sounds in words now. I never heard that before! I think I will be able to learn to read!” 

So, how does a reading program effect their self-confidence and self-pride?  

By being the one that was written for them! 

By being the one that makes them burst out, “Mrs. Jones, I’m on FIRE!”

If you are questioning whether Silent Elephant “e” is the comprehensive reading, writing and spelling program you’d like to purchase, feel free to contact us.

Linda Katherine Smith-Jones                            Nina Henson

"I Need Mrs. Jones!" He Knows the Difference!

He Asked For Help! He Knows the Difference!

He’ll Catch On! She’s Lazy! She’s Not Working up to Her Potential! 

As I clicked the button to admit “Eddy”, my next student, to our Zoom tutoring session, I was surprised to find his mom looking at me with a bit of a worried look. 

With barely a hello she burst out, “Mrs. Jones, I have to talk to you before you begin tutoring Eddy. He’s very worried about this coming on-line school year. I have to tell you what he said yesterday.  

“In the middle of the day he came to me with a worried look, ‘Mom, I only want Mrs. Jones to tutor me. She’s not like my other teachers. She doesn’t think I’m dumb or lazy. She understands me. She knows I’m working so hard. She knows I truly want to learn! 

‘She gives me time to think. She lets me read things over and over again until I read smoothly and until I understand what I’m reading.  

‘Mom, she must have enough time to teach me more than 2 hours a week, since I won’t be going to school. I really need her help!’” 

Mom then shared her own feelings, “You really do understand him. We trust that you will teach him what he needs to learn in a way that he can learn. I don’t want to monopolize your time, but do you have any extra openings this fall?” 

My reason for sharing Eddy’s and his mom’s worries about the upcoming school year are twofold. 

First, Eddy is profoundly dyslexic and even though he is hard-working and very smart (dyslexic people are usually bright to gifted), during his short life he has often felt there was something wrong with him. Even in pre-school and Kindergarten, he observed and discerned that others were learning more quickly than he and with such apparent ease. He began to understand the longer amount of time it took him to read words and sentences wasn’t the “norm”—wasn’t like his friends.   

He judged himself and felt the judgement of other students and teachers. Maybe they called him lazy, maybe they said he just wasn’t working up to his potential. Whatever the words or thoughts were, they hurt. His self-esteem, his believe in himself suffered.  

As parents and teachers, it’s very important for us to understand as much as we can understand the difficulties our children may be facing.  

It’s important for us to be uplifting and positive in both our thoughts and our words, because even if we don’t say, “You’re just being lazy!” out loud, they can feel it if we are thinking it.  

I want to encourage all of us as educators—whether parents, home educators or in school educators to strive to understand our students, and if we feel a student isn’t “trying” or “isn’t working up to their potential”, to stop and learn more about that student by assessing more deeply and by just talking to them to learn what may be going on.  

After thanking Eddy’s Mom for their trust in me and her kind words, I told her that I could offer one extra hour at this time. (Eddy is already tutoring with me two hours/week.) I further explained that when I have more available time, I’ll let her know. 

We need more Silent Elephant “e” tutors.

If you are questioning whether Silent Elephant “e” is the comprehensive reading, writing and spelling program you’d like to purchase, feel free to contact us.

Linda Katherine Smith-Jones                            Nina Henson

They All Thrive When Taught The Way They Learn

Want to Feel Like You’re Making a Life Changing Difference in a Child’s Life? 

Consider Teaching with Silent Elephant “e”! 

I am honored and blessed that parents entrust me with such a valuable part their child’s life and education! 

I am humbled by my students and “parents” expressions of thanks as in the following letter I received from one of my “parents” last week: 

“When we first met Linda in the fall of 2016, my daughter was 2 years below her reading grade level. 

I knew she struggled with reading, but I didn't realize she was dyslexic. 

I wasn't aware that dyslexia is not just mixing up d's and b's.  Dyslexia has a myriad of ways to make learning to read difficult. 

Linda not only has helped my daughter, she also helped me to understand how dyslexia affects the way she processes information. 

Linda has a passion for helping kids learn to read. Linda’s patience and teaching techniques make the lessons not only enjoyable for my daughter, but most importantly, she remembers what is being taught!  

My daughter’s self confidence has blossomed since Linda came into our lives. She no longer fears being called on to read out loud in class, as she is now reading one and a half years above grade level!  

My eyes fill with tears, as I can't recommend Linda or her program strongly enough. She has changed my daughter’s life.”          

Emily C.  

My footnote: 

When this delightful, sweet girl came to me, she was unable to successfully complete my Phonemic Awareness Part 1 assessment, so I didn’t give her Part 2. She was definitely not hearing the individual sounds within words! 

For ten to fifteen minutes of her twice a week tutoring session for fourteen weeks, she completed lessons in Part 1 of Phonetic Reading with Silent Elephant “e”.  

At that time, I assessed her progress. She completed Phonemic Awareness Part 1 assessment and Part 2 assessment with 100% accuracy! She now has a strong, solid foundation with which to continue building her reading skills. 

My acquired knowledge from teaching 44 years and my concern and compassion for each child is compiled within Silent Elephant “e”. 

My main objective for writing Silent Elephant “e” is to provide an engaging, highly effective, multi-sensory reading program for teachers and parents to guide students to quickly and painlessly learn to read without years of struggling, humiliation, and self-deprecation. 

Added to this objective is my knowledge, from personal experience and from helping other parents, that for every child struggling to learn to read (one in five), there are twice as many parents anxious and worried about their child’s progress in reading, writing and spelling; their child’s self-confidence and self-pride; and their child’s happiness. 

The truth is every person WANTS to read. People innately know they need to be able to read to succeed in our culture. Therefore, EVERYONE can benefit from Silent Elephant “e” as it quickly guides him or her to successfully acquire excellent reading skills.  

My program is “the way all people learn and appreciate being taught. The dyslexic thrives, the ELL/ESL thrives, AND all others thrive. Everyone benefits,” concluded my editor Nina Henson. 

My reading program makes a difference in dyslexic readers’ lives, in struggling readers’ lives, in ALL readers’ lives! 

Join me in truly making a difference in students’ lives!

If you are questioning whether Silent Elephant “e” is the comprehensive reading, writing and spelling program you’d like to purchase, feel free to contact us.

Linda Katherine Smith-Jones                            Nina Henson

Two Fluent Readers and One on the Way!

Two Fluent Readers and One on the Way! 

For the past couple of years, I’ve had the pleasure of watching Wendy’s girls blossom into happy confident readers and now her young son is having fun with phonemic awareness.  

I asked Wendy if she would write a testimonial for me to use on Amazon, it was so heartfelt I just had to share with everyone.   

“Silent Elephant “e” is a great reading program!!! We started it when our oldest was a kindergartner struggling with identifying letter sounds. Part 1, Phonemic Awareness, helped her isolate sounds and easily learn them. She is now reading 3rd grade chapter books! 

We homeschool our 3 children and have used this program for all of them. It now engages our 4-year-old with the color association of letter sounds. He is having so much fun he doesn’t realize he is learning.  Our 2nd grader who has never struggled enjoys the creative phonetic rules. She especially likes the cupcake story with the colorful poster that explains the different sound variations for the suffix -ed:

I wanted a cupcake. (-ed makes /id)

I called the bakery. (-ed makes /d/)

The baker baked me a cupcake. (-ed makes /t/) 

We started with the first three parts of the program. Upon completion of Part 3, we sequentially continue purchasing the next parts. 

I highly recommend this reading program for all learners and teachers. I do not have an education degree, yet I easily understand the instructions and have been very successful with the results. 

We now have two fluent readers with a third on his way. Mrs. Jones has been available for questions every step of the way and has sent encouraging notes to the kids. Please consider this program if you have a struggling reader who thinks outside the box or if you have a regular reader who has hit a plateau.” 

I’ve enjoyed conversations on Zoom with the girls about their Silent Elephant “e” work and books they are reading, and though they have very different personalities they both have thoughtful questions and insight. They are proud readers.  

This is what Silent Elephant “e” is ALL about: proud readers.

If you are questioning whether Silent Elephant “e” is the comprehensive reading, writing and spelling program you’d like to purchase, feel free to contact us.

Linda Katherine Smith-Jones                            Nina Henson

Developing Thinking Skills in Our Children— One of Our Most Important Jobs

Developing Thinking Skills in Our Children—

One of Our Most Important Jobs  

Thinking—remembering information, understanding it, applying it, analyzing it, synthesizing it, evaluating it and creating new ideas with it—is a natural part of being human.  

Developing and strengthening these natural thinking skills of our students is an important part of Phonetic Reading with Silent Elephant “e”. 

In fact, developing and strengthening thinking skills is an important part of our “jobs” as parents, teachers and grandparents.  

As parents, teachers and grandparents we always want to stimulate the thinking of those we love to explore their world near and far. We constantly want to be helping them understand their world at deeper levels.  

What does it take to be ready to take on the “job” of helping our children and our students develop their thinking skills? 

The simple answer is: ASK QUESTIONS! 

We need to think of ourselves as one of the people in their lives who asks them questions—questions that cause them to reflect, think critically, and reflect on their thinking.   

We want to be one of the people in their lives who is wondering about the world with them and asking them questions about their world—questions that will stimulate awareness, curiosity and deep, critical thinking.

Our questions don’t always have to have complex answers. Our intention is to stimulate awareness, curiosity and thought at whatever their age and at whatever concept development learning stage they are in.   

Since developing thinking skills is so important, Silent Elephant “e” promotes discussion of the content being studied by utilizing all thinking levels of questions. Children are asked questions to show they recall what they have read and understand what they have read. Then they are asked higher-level questions to guide them to apply their new knowledge, to analyze their new knowledge, to synthesize their new knowledge and to evaluate their new knowledge. Finally, they are asked questions to guide their thinking to create new ideas with their new knowledge. 

Let me share a little about Benjamin Bloom’s Taxonomy of thinking. Benjamin Bloom was an educational psychologist who in 1956 developed a questioning order for educators. The intent of his question order was for educators to promote thinking skills within their students beyond just remembering facts. He wanted educators to guide their students to practice their ability to apply, to analyze, to synthesize and to evaluate knowledge.   

Bloom shared that although remembering facts about what we read is important (we have to know what we read), to truly utilize a concept we are reading or learning, we need to take that information into deeper levels of thought. 

In other words, we need to think about what we are learning and think critically about our thinking about our learning. We need to analyze and evaluate how our new learning fits into everything else we know and how it changes what we already know.  

We need to analyze and evaluate in order to make sense of the new content and be able to utilize it in our lives and to create new thoughts from it.  

Here are two ways of looking at the levels (stages) of thinking that Bloom shared:  

This form gives us words at every level to guide our questions. These words help us develop an understanding of our student’s stage of learning—concept development. All levels are important, as they build upon each other. We have to have knowledge and understanding of a concept before we can apply it, analyze it, synthesize it or evaluate it.

This is another way of looking at the stages of thinking. This form focuses on experiences within the stages. These questions also help us think about where the learner is now when processing the new concept. Can they recall, explain, illustrate, operate, question, defend, and/or design? 

Even after teaching many years, I refer back to my light bulb grid to make sure I am asking questions to stimulate my students’ thinking.

In my next blog post, I will share how I use questioning to stimulate deeper thinking skills as I teach. It’s so fun to watch my students begin to realize their natural abilities to contemplate what they know and are learning. Their eyes sparkle with the power of this understanding.

If you are questioning whether someone in your life is dyslexic and you’re not sure what to do, feel free to contact us.

Linda Katherine Smith-Jones                            Nina Henson

Guiding Learners to OWN Their Learning

Guiding Learners to OWN Their Learning and

Create New and Original Thoughts with Their Knowledge 

In my last blog post (Developing Thinking Skills in Our Children, One of Our Most Important Jobs), I shared that one of our important “jobs” as parents, grandparents and teachers is asking our kiddos questions using questioning strategies that promote and strengthen thinking skills. 

I shared background information about Bloom’s Taxonomy. I gave you two forms of Bloom’s Taxonomy to help guide your questioning strategies.  

Lets’ look more closely at working with Bloom’s Taxonomy when we are teaching, parenting or grandparenting.  

Every level in Bloom’s Taxonomy is important. Learners must have knowledge of a new concept and be able to recall or remember the knowledge before they can further develop their thinking skills. Knowledge is the basis of learning.  

When learners remember facts and concepts, they can begin to deeply think about their new knowledge. They understand it and begin to apply it in their thoughts and lives.  

Once they have that solid basis developed, they can analyze their new knowledge, evaluate their new knowledge and create new and original thoughts with their new knowledge.   

Being able to apply, analyze, evaluate and create are very important life skills—ones that we always want to be strengthening and promoting in our kiddos’ education and life. 

Let’s think about this: when learners are learning a new concept and they apply, analyze, evaluate and create an answer to a question, they can explain their reasoning behind their answer.  

When they can explain their reasons behind their choice, they KNOW the content fully.  

They are working far beyond comprehending what they have learned (the Knowledge/Remembering level). They actually “own” the content. They can use this content knowledge as they move forward into new concepts.  

As I teach, I model questioning at the application, analyzing and evaluating levels at all times and the children begin to use this same type of questioning during partner work.  

Examples of questions I continually ask in phonemic awareness are:

·       “Shelly, why did you decide to put 2 squares on the line?”

·       “Grace, what sound does the orange square stand for?”

·       “Josie, why did you put 2 yellow squares on just one line?”

·       “Which sound in our new word changed from our last word?”

These seem like simple questions, but I want them to think about why they did what they did—to think about their thinking. I want them to KNOW the REASON why they choose the answer they choose.  

Examples of questions I continually ask in phonics are: 

·       “Thomas, what picture did you make in your mind when you read that sentence?”

·       “What does _____ mean?” (I ask this question or partners ask each other this question for every word on the practice papers in which they are marking the sounds they hear for each phonetic part of a word. I want them to express their knowledge about each word’s meaning(s).) 

Watching their thinking and listening to their answers is great fun.

Watching their faces beam with pride and clarity as they realize that they know why they know is a never-ending pleasure.  

Whenever children read a story to me, I ask questions using Benjamin Bloom’s Taxonomy as my guide.  

I love the “light bulb” design and all of the suggested question starters to help form questions that meet our Bloom’s Taxonomy teaching level objective(s). 

As an educator, I carefully listen to my kiddos answers while taking note of their thought processes and their use of content vocabulary.  

As you ask questions that cause your children to think at deeper levels about their learning and their world, you are guiding them to develop the skill of approaching all subjects in their lives with thoughtful application, analysis, evaluation and an understanding that they can be creative with their new knowledge. You are strengthening their natural thinking abilities. Being able to answer questions at all levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy of comprehension develops maturity in their thinking.

In my next blog post, I’ll give you some examples of how to apply Bloom’s Taxonomy in the stories of Hansel and Gretel and Goldilocks.

If you are questioning whether someone in your life is dyslexic and you’re not sure what to do, feel free to contact us.

Linda Katherine Smith-Jones                            Nina Henson 

“Should Hansel and Gretel be Angry with Their Father?”

“Should Hansel and Gretel be Angry with Their Father?”  

In my last two blog posts, I shared Bloom’s Taxonomy of thinking and why it is important for us as teachers, parents and grandparents to be aware of how our questions are promoting and strengthening the natural thinking skills within our children. 

I am going to share a simple example of using all levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy to compare the fairy tales of Hansel and Gretel and Goldilocks. 

                              Hansel and Gretel                     Goldilocks 

Knowledge         (recall) Why did the father      (list) What 3 things did

leave the children alone in     Goldilocks touch in the

                              the woods?                                 bears’ home? 

Comprehension(explain) Why did                      (predict) How will the

                              dropping breadcrumbs           bears feel when they

                              not help the children                get home?

                              get home?                                         

Application        (apply) What would you do   (sketch) Draw three

                              if you were lost in the                pictures: Baby Bear’s

                              woods?                                        bowl, chair and bed. 

Analysis               (diagram) Draw detailed        (analyze) How come

                              pictures of the witch’s              Baby Bear can sit in his

                              house: outside and inside.      chair without breaking it?

Let’s experiment. 

Synthesis             (plan) What plan did                (relate) How are                       

                              Gretel think of in order to  Hansel’s and Gretel’s

save Hansel from being manners similar to

eaten by the witch? Goldilock’s manners?

Evaluation           (judge) How would you           (defend) Do you think

                              feel if your parents left             the bears had a right to

                              you alone in the forest to        be angry with                              

                              die?                                               Goldilocks?

The above questions are just some examples of questions I ask children about these two stories. 

I am guiding them to become critical thinkers, to use all their thinking skills, and to interact with their knowledge. I am guiding them to make the stories “their own”. I am guiding them to apply this thinking in multiple situations throughout the rest of their lives.  

Asking critical thinking questions of our children as we read with them, watch a show or movie with them and experience life with them provides us the opportunity to share our thoughts and values with our children. This is both a joyful and important part of our job as teachers, parents, and grandparents. 

In my next blog post, we’ll explore promoting and strengthening children’s thinking skills outside of “formal” education. I’ll share why my grandson exclaimed, “Grandma is EVERYWHERE!”

If you are questioning whether someone in your life is dyslexic and you’re not sure what to do, feel free to contact us.

Linda Katherine Smith-Jones                            Nina Henson

“Grandma is Everywhere!”

“Grandma is Everywhere!” 

“Your oldest grandson just exclaimed, ‘Grandma is everywhere! I can’t be anywhere, look anywhere, or do anything without Grandma there asking me questions!’” 

I had to smile when my husband shared that comment with me. I thought to myself with pride, I’m doing just exactly what I’m supposed to be doing.  

Want to know how I have the capabilities to be anywhere and everywhere? Read on! 

First, let’s remember this important fact: our time spent with our children is extremely important! In just the first three years of life they lay the foundations for comprehending the world around them. Their environment affects their lifetime of learning.  

Memory; language development; self-awareness; emotions; cause and effect; understanding past, present, future; drawing conclusions; sequencing; understanding consequences for behavior; and much, much more learning takes place from birth to 36 months. 

Still curious to find out how I can be everywhere? 

Think back for a moment to my last blog posts about Bloom’s Taxonomy and questioning strategies that help our kids develop deeper understanding of their world and what they are learning.  

I love asking questions that stimulates their thinking at all levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy. I love asking questions no matter where we are or what we are doing. I love asking questions! 

I love seeing the excitement and joy of learning in children’s eyes! I love the surprise and pleasure that beams from their faces when they realize they understand something new with deeper understanding.  

Why did my grandson exclaim in exasperation to Grandpa, “Grandma is everywhere”? It’s all because “Once a teacher; always a teacher!” and because understanding Bloom’s Taxonomy and how to ask questions to elicit different levels of thinking is a gift we need to give to all our children.  

When we understand how to ask questions that guide our interactions with our children throughout our day, our children will think beyond what is right in front of them. We will experience that awesome feeling of watching their eyes sparkle and their faces beam, as they understand their world better. 

I’ll share some examples of me “being everywhere” that demonstrate how Bloom’s Taxonomy can play out in our day-to-day lives: 

At home: Once I cut apart a disposable diaper and put the polymers from inside the diaper into an opaque cup. Later, I asked my grandsons to come in the kitchen with me to get a drink of water. I filled the cup holding the polymers with water and then pretended to lose my balance and dump the cup over my oldest grandson’s head. Of course, he was shocked when no water spilled out onto his head and he immediately began to ask questions about where the water was since he had just watched me fill the cup. I ran with his questions (How did that happen? Where is the water? etc.). His questions led to research and more questions from me, such as, “Why is it wonderful to have polymers in diapers?” 

At the store: I ask questions that get my grandboys to think about what is around them—questions that get them exploring their surroundings, such as: “What is that thing? What does the sign say it is? (For example, an eggplant.) What shape is it? Could it be a combination of shapes? What food group is it in? Would you like to taste it? Let’s find recipes for this when we get home. Do you think we can eat it raw or should we cook it? Maybe both?”

“Maybe dip it in a dip!” exclaimed my youngest grandson. He’s always game for trying something new. 

Hiking in the mountains: Wow, that tree is growing right out of that boulder! How in the world could it do that? I thought plants needed to grow in soil.   

At home: Why does the wooden front door open into the house? Why does the screen door open out from the house? 

At school: Why do we have to walk on the right side of the hallway? 

In an auditorium: Last fall my oldest grandson and I were waiting for his seventh-grade friends’ play to begin. He was excited about what he was learning in his beginning physics class. (And I was excited about the teachable moment!) I asked him to find examples of pulleys as we looked around the auditorium. I asked him to imagine what was behind the curtain. 

I then asked him why he thought the hanging amplifiers were tilted in different directions. He looked at me not wanting to answer another question, but just as he said, “Grandma, . . . “, the curtain began to rise. I whispered, “We’ll have to talk about that later.” 

He really was “saved by the bell”! Although we never did get back to discussing that topic that evening, you’d better believe that I got him thinking about it. It was only a matter of time before he dropped by at the end of a school day and said, “Grandma, remember when we were talking about the hanging amplifiers in the auditorium at my friends’ play? Well, I’ve been thinking . . . “ 

When traveling: My husband and I asked our then 21-year-old daughter to go on a vacation with us. There was a long pause. “Okay, but . .  . “

“But what?” I asked.

“I’ll go under one condition. “

“What condition?” I queried.

“That we do not visit any museums and there are no teachable moments!”

“WHAT?????

No teachable moments!?!?

How can you have a vacation without teachable moments?” 

I now have a 3-year-old granddaughter. We are having so, so, SO much fun discovering, learning and questioning! The possibilities are endless, and the learning is exhilarating! Her eyes sparkle as she gathers each morsel of knowledge and understanding of the world around her. 

My grandchildren (and children) may not always want to answer my questions, but I always want to be asking them. It’s an important part of being a parent, grandparent and teacher.  

We are guiding those we love to be critical thinkers in all parts of their lives using all of their natural abilities of thinking. It is a wonderful gift to give our children, grandchildren and students.

If you are questioning whether someone in your life is dyslexic and you’re not sure what to do, feel free to contact us.

Linda Katherine Smith-Jones                            Nina Henson