eReadingPro: People, Places & Things

eReadingPro and Dyslexia

2011-12-19T12:15:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share with you some of what I've been doing with eReadingPro in Panama, Central America. In September, I was approached by a school director to assess and work with a child who was struggling immensely with reading and writing. After spending some time assessing her, I concluded that she has severe Dyslexia. I will call the student Jane.

Jane is 8 years old and when I started working with her she was essentially not reading or writing at all. When asked to spell her first and last name, she spelled her first name (almost) but was unable to spell her last name at all. So we began there.

I started by making large flashcards, 8 1/2" x 11" with her first name and last name, along with her family members' names. I flashed them to her three times a day for a few days in a row, saying each word as I showed her the flashcard. She mastered them VERY quickly. Then I cut out individual letters that made up her first and last name. I showed her how to match them up underneath her name flashcards, and then had her try. The next day I had her try them without referencing the flashcards. She struggled a bit in the beginning, but eventually mastered them to the point where she could spell the names aloud without any textile material to assist.

The next step was to introduce the phonetic components for her names. I wrote out the phonemes and had her match these underneath the appropriate flashcards. We moved some of the phonetic components around and created new names - which she found quite humorous!

The next step was to begin with the vocabulary from eReadingPro. Rather than following the schedule as it is in the program, we 'skipped' every other day, thus moving through the program at twice the speed. She has thrived on it! She learned each word very quickly, occasionally 'guessing' incorrectly at words which looked similar to each other. We have now completed the first third of the program, and will begin the next third in January when school reconvenes.

In addition to using the reading program with her, there are some other activities that I've integrated which really helped her:

1. I wrote the names of the week on flashcards. Weekly I have her put these in order on the floor, saying each one aloud, and using the song "Days of the Week" to assist her. The song reinforces things for her every, single time we do it. We look for and discuss similarities in the words, and discuss the sounds that are different as well as the letters.

2. I wrote the names of the months on flashcards and did similar exercises as above with these words. We discuss what events take place in each month such as weather, special holidays, etc. which will help her to remember the months.

3. We have added in a workbook that focuses solely on phonics and sounds. Initially she would reverse the small ones, such as 'up' she would identify as 'pu', 'at' as 'ta', etc. She is improving with practice, although she finds these exercises very difficult and does not enjoy them as a result.

4. I have cut out letters and we 'build' small words by replacing one letter. For example, I will lay out the letters 'p' _ 't', and place the different vowels in the middle, saying the new words aloud with her.

5. Her teacher printed off sheets for learning to print letters, which show the arrows where to start, and the correct formation for each one (starting at the top, etc.). When a child understands how letters are to be formed, it helps to build a better foundation for writing and spelling These worksheets can be found here: http://www.handwritingworksheets.com/. You can choose the vocabulary words that your child is working on for school, and writing them out will help them to remember how to spell them.

6. At the end of our sessions, I often let Jane use my iPad and 'play' eReadingToGo! She learns each word quickly and loves to look at the colorful pictures.

The idea of starting off with the whole words first was simply to train her brain that the words represent something. After she started identifying the words with the images of the 'things' they represented, it was easier for her to recall the words. After this step we can then show the child how to break down the word into letters and sounds, and then put it back together again.

I am thrilled with Jane's progress, as are her teachers and parents! Jane has begun to write words spontaneously in class, and is using her word attack skills to steadily increase her reading vocabulary. Bravo!

These techniques can be used with ANY child learning to read, and I guarantee you that they will make a difference.

eReadingPro Article in SEN Magazine

2011-05-20T15:27:00.001-07:00

SEN magazine in the UK recently published an article that I, Denise MacDonald - Founder of eReadingPro, wrote called One Word at a Time. The article talks about why a 'hands-on, whole-word approach' to reading is the most effective way to teach children with Down syndrome. I hope that you enjoy reading it!

This magazine is a bimonthly magazine that features articles on topics such as:

all major conditions (such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, cerebral palsy and Down syndrome)
mental health
literacy and numeracy
visual and hearing impairments
behaviour
teaching children with special educational needs
general issues of education, care and government legislation
manual handling
special schools and mainstream schools.

SEN Magazine is delivered to ALL Special Needs schools in the UK - isn't that amazing? You can read numerous articles via the website at: http://www.senmagazine.co.uk/.

The eReadingToGo! app OR the eReadingPro CD?

2011-05-18T17:37:00.000-07:00

This is just a short post to clarify a question that has come in a few times since we released our new iPhone/iPad app eReadingToGo!

Parents are wondering which one they should 'start' using with their child first: the eReadingPro 14-month program OR the eReadingToGo! app. The answer is this:

The eReadingPro CD contains our full 14-month program. This program includes 128 single words that progresses the child from single words to couplets, phrases and finally sentences. The flashcards are meant to be printed off (or shown on the computer if you really want to) and shown to your child three times a day. There is a schedule that is included that shows the parent/educator exactly which cards to show when, every day during that 14-month period. It is very systematic and repetitive, guaranteeing success.

The eReadingToGo! iPhone/iPad app is meant to be used as an 'educational tool'. Kids love using iPhones and iPads as they are new and exciting technology. They are incredibly intuitive with them and love to press buttons, try things and look at what the colorful screen has to offer. There is typically no schedule attached to using an iPad. Kids often use them while they're in a vehicle to keep themselves occupied, or on their beds relaxing. When we created eReadingToGo!, we intended it to be something that would be fun, engaging and interactive, hoping it would be one that a child would pick up and go to as a 'fun' choice. The app guides the child through the sentence-building process, one word at a time, then joining them to the other words within the sentence that they have learned. They go through the 'books' one sentence at a time until they complete each book. They can say the words aloud, play interactive games and enjoy the process of learning at their own pace and interest level.

In conclusion, the app is not meant to replace the full program, but rather to assist with it. It can also be used as an add-on after the child has completed the full 14-month program as a way to introduce new vocabulary.

We thoroughly hope that your child enjoys using our app and that you also enjoy using the eReadingPro 14-month program with your child!

eReadingToGo!

2011-04-22T16:25:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in a previous blog, many articles have been written about how beneficial iPads and iPods can be for children - particularly children with special needs. Using an iPad (or something similar) is a stress-free, fun way for a child to learn - and all children tend to be quite intuitive with them - sometimes even more so than their parents! These amazing little gadgets are cheaper than a computer, portable, and most apps can be purchased on iTunes for under $10.

As you may know, eReadingPro is a 'system' for teaching reading that is extremely helpful in teaching children with Down syndrome, Autism, Dyslexia and all other visual learners. In keeping with the trend towards technology, we have created an iPad/iPhone/iPod program called eReadingToGo!

eReadingToGo! follows a similar system as eReadingPro, in that it takes a child from reading single words, then into couplets, phrases and sentences. To my knowledge, it is (as well as our full reading program) is the ONLY app that uses such a system to help a child progress from just learning single words. After all - it is important for children to learn how to use words - not just the words themselves. One of the popular comments I often hear from parents is "my child has a vocabulary of about 75 words, but they just can't seem to use them in a phrase or sentence - they just have single-word utterances". Our system helps a child to overcome that, as it teaches them how words are put with other words in a meaningful way.

eReadingToGo! offers a free sentence so that you can get an idea of how our app works. Then, within the 'free' app, you will see the book options. You can purchase one complete book for $1.99, which contains 5 sentences and 5 matching images. Or, the best deal is to purchase all 5 books for only $7.99. That means 25 sentences with 25 matching images that are clear, colorful and engaging. These books will provide hours of fun and learning for your child.

If you're like me, you don't want your child playing just mindless games on their gadgets all the time. As one of our customers has already said: "With three young children it's always hard to maintain interest while at the same time educate. This app is fun, engaging, and develops reading skills in natural and intuitive way. I would definitely recommend it!".

The app is ideal for those parents who have already been using eReadingPro to teach their child to read, as it has a whole new set of vocabulary. Keep in mind also, that eReadingPro was originally designed for children with Down syndrome - so it is an excellent tool for individuals with special needs. That being said though, this app was intended for use by ALL children learning to read.

If you would like to read more about eReadingToGo!, please visit the website at www.ereadingtogo.com.

CLICK HERE to download eReadingToGo! from iTunes and try it with your child!

Word Rings

2011-02-15T14:28:00.000-08:00

I just had a question from a parent about how to help their typical child with reading, in a way that will help build his vocabulary AND help with spelling.

A method I used with my own daughter when she was in Grade 1, was to create a word ring. Using poster board, cut cards approximately 2" x 6". Then punch a hole at one end of each, write a word on each card using a chisel-tip marker and ring them together with a metal ring.

Start with about 10 words that they are struggling with, or simply words that represent things they are familiar with. This could be things around the house, school things - anything really. Go through the group of words EVERY evening before bed. Once they have clearly mastered a word (say it aloud with no hesitation), remove it from the ring and replace it with a new word. You can have up to 15 words if you like - just don't have so many that it overwhelms them each time.

This simple idea will help to increase your child's vocabulary, and they will learn the spelling of the word as they learn the word.

Technology To Go

2010-12-17T08:02:00.000-08:00

More and more frequently, I have been receiving calls, emails and requests at workshops as to whether we have thought about creating an iPad/iPhone/iPod app.

It is something I have pondered over the past year, as technology persists in being an important part of our lives. One parent in particular pointed out that their young son with Down syndrome, who is 4 years old, picked up a family member's iPad and was extremely intuitive with learning how to use it. One woman, who has a 9-year old son with Autism said he began spending about thirty minutes at a time using the iPad to learn spelling, math, puzzles, etc. - voluntarily! Studies have already begun to examine the effectiveness of the iPad/iPod as learning tools for children with autism and other special needs.

Using an iPad (or something similar) is a stress-free, fun way for a child to learn. They are cheaper than a computer, portable, If you're interested, this is a great article on the benefits of the iPad for children with Autism, as well as some app recommendations. These amazing gadgets are less expensive than a full-blown computer, very portable, most applications are under $10 - and many are even FREE to try. The positive stories of how effective they are seem to be abundant.

So... after spending the time to understand the benefits of using an iPad for educational purposes, it became clearer and clearer that it is time to step up and create a version of our eReadingPro system for the iPad/iPhone/iPod. An iPad is now on my Christmas list, and eReading To Go is on it's way! Our hope is to have it on the market early 2011!

Merry Christmas everyone!

eReadingPro and Specs4Us in New Zealand

2010-10-20T12:51:00.000-07:00

e ReadingPro toured New Zealand in September (2010), and introduced our amazing reading program to parents and educators throughout the country. Wow! What a great trip it was! Maria Dellapina from Specs4Us came with me, and together we shared our special products for individuals of all ages with Down syndrome and other special needs.

The tour was planned and organized by the President of the New Zealand Down Syndrome Association, Neville Strong, as well as the National Coordinator, Zandra Vaccarino, and began with presentations at their National Forum in Auckland. Leaders from parent groups across the country were brought to Auckland to learn about various ideas and tools they could take back to their groups. The forum was extremely well-organized, and we met some wonderful people! Neville was a gracious host who was helpful beyond words!

After the National Forum, full workshops were presented in Auckland, Tauranga, Paikakariki and Christchurch. Great attendance at each workshops brought parents, educators and professionals to see just how eReadingPro works, and how easy to use it really is. We were welcomed with open arms by everyone we met. New Zealand and its people are beautiful and amazing, and if you haven't been there yet, you really should visit!

As a result of the amazing response we are having with our program internationally, we have now added an instant 'Downloadable' version to our range of formats available. This will allow individuals all around the world to have eReadingPro at their fingertips in only moments after visiting our website! Technology truly is amazing! This new downloadable version not only provides you with the complete Instructional Guide, all the vocabulary to present to your child, 14-month Presentation Schedules, AND over 600 printable flashcards that you can either print, or show your child right from the computer. The download also provides you with our 'Step-By-Step' video of how to set up and use the program.

We are always interested in hearing feedback and comments about how we can get more and more children reading - after all, it's just a matter of teaching them in a way that works best for them! Keep spreading the word about how well eReadingPro works! Invite us to come and speak to your parent group, school, or at your conference - you will be amazed!

Expect. Don't Accept

2010-10-02T13:56:00.000-07:00

I awoke on Thursday morning to an email in my Inbox that contained a link to a keynote speech delivered by Paul Daugherty in 2009 at the Remarkable Families Symposium. You can take a few moments to read it here - it is truly inspiring!

In the speech, Paul spoke of his daughter Jillian, who was born with Down syndrome and was 19 at the time of his speech. He spoke of her impressive accomplishments such as performing in the school play, managing the school volleyball team, participating on the junior varsity dance team that entertains at halftimes of basketball games and holding the school record in her weight class for the bench press, the dead lift and the squat.

He went on to state that Jillian once had a special ed teacher who sat in an IEP meeting with him and his wife, stating that Jillian was incapable of learning. Other teachers didn't now how to teach her so they just didn't. Throughout their journey however, they have been guided by one thought: Expect. Don't accept.

Ironically, on Thursday afternoon I received a telephone call from a teacher who said she works with children who are mostly non-verbal, many of whom have Down syndrome. She questioned me about skipping the part in eReadingPro where you introduce 12 names. Her logic for skipping the teaching of names was that "names mean nothing to these children". My response, after I picked my chin up off the floor, was "why not try?" She then replied with "trust me, I've worked with these children for some time now, and I know the names will not mean a thing to them". I was appalled , and persisted in trying to convince this woman that learning what their friends' names looked like would mean a great deal to the children she was working with. The heart-wrenching part was that she truly believed what she was saying! I should have asked this woman for her email address so that I could forward the link that I had received just that morning.

I will be sharing the message of 'Expect. Don't Accept' in my eReadingPro workshops. It is a powerful message that needs to be shared, over and over again!

Friends at the NDSC Convention

2010-07-23T18:47:00.000-07:00

Well, we are now home from Florida, where I spoke and exhibited at the 2010 NDSC convention. What an amazing time! We were reacquainted with friends, made many new friends, and had a really wonderful time.

In my last posting, I mentioned Specs4Us and my friend Maria Dellapina. I am happy to announce that Maria received a President's Award for her contribution and commitment to the Down syndrome community. We attended the awards banquet with her, and are so proud of her! Maria and I will be heading to New Zealand together in September to present and exhibit at the National Forum for Down Syndrome. Can't wait!!!

Specs4Us and eReadingPro had some really great t-shirts created (that included both of our logos) especially for this conference, and had the pleasure of supporting a new company called Down Syndrome Footprint, who employs only individuals with Down syndrome to create their awareness products. Katia Hauser is the brainchild behind this company, and we met in March at the AIA Conference in Kansas. Katia and our t-shirts can be seen in the photo below.

I really love attending the NDSC Convention, being reunited with people that I've met along the way, and meeting new people who are connected to this group in some way. Parents are so grateful for the assistance I can offer in the area of reading, and it warms my heart when they return the next year to tell me their child is now reading!

eReadingPro is continuing to work hard at bringing new products to parents and educators. In June we presented an in-service to a school district in Arkansas. More and more schools are jumping on board with our program after seeing great success by parents using the program with their children at home. Our goal is for it to be used in ALL school districts across the US! We are currently working on the next level and hope to have it in parents' hands soon!

For more information on our products, visit our site at: http://www.ereadingpro.com. View videos of children with Down syndrome using eReadingPro as young as 3 years old!

eReadingPro and Specs4US

2010-05-14T11:38:00.001-07:00

Last year while I was at the NDSC convention with eReadingPro in Sacramento, my husband and I met an amazing woman named Maria Dellapina. Maria, her partner John, and her son Anthony were in the booth next to ours in the exhibit hall. Their booth was called Specs4Us.

Over the three day duration of the conference we spent a great deal of time getting to know them, and we have become great friends. In fact, she opened her home to me when I was touring Ohio last week, and spoiled me rotten for four whole days - it was amazing!

Specs4Us is Maria's company. Her daughter Erin was born with Down syndrome, and is now 10 years old. After spending over 25 years in the optical industry as an optician, and her daughter Erin having no success with glasses being comfortable or staying up, Maria decided to take it upon herself to create a frame that would fit her daughter - and all the other individuals of the world with Down syndrome!

Unlike other frames, the bridge of these eye glasses is adjusted to fit on their smaller noses and the temples (some people call them arms) are designed to help keep the glasses from constantly slipping. 'Erin's World' frames are available in a variety of sizes and styles to fit toddlers to adults. The BEST part is that all her frames are very affordable! Parent's report that their children are now actually leaving their glasses on, and happy to wear their new glasses, and they no longer slide down their noses.

It is Maria's mission to improve the sight and quality of life for children with Down syndrome by providing these custom frames. I think what Maria has done, and continues to do is amazing work! I'm so lucky that through our work we will be crossing paths in live over and over again, and look forward to seeing her at the 2010 NDSC Convention in Orlando this July!

If you haven't checked out her products yet, you should go to www.specs4us.com.

P.S. Maria's daughter Erin is now using eReadingPro and is doing amazing! I will be posting a video of her soon....stay tuned!

University of Pittsburgh and eReadingPro

2010-05-14T07:32:00.001-07:00

I just returned from a driving tour presenting workshops in Pennsylvania and Ohio - 5 workshops in total. During my trip I met with Dr. Chris Lemmons of the University of Pittsburgh. I had met Chris in the lunch line at the World Down Syndrome Congress in Dublin in August, 2009, and was anxious to meet with him regarding his current studies involving children with Down syndrome and reading.

Dr. Lemmons has been studying the use of phonetics with children with Down syndrome, and his general outcome on all studies confirms previous studies that children with Down syndrome are better able to understand how to decode text after they have learned how to read a bank of words by sight (Stanovich, 1986; Lemmons & Fuch, 2010).

During our meeting, we discussed the possibility of him conducting a study using eReadingPro's system for teaching reading using the whole word approach, which takes the learner from reading single (whole) words to couplets, phrases and sentences in a progressive and systematic manner. He is very excited about setting such a study up and we will be working towards this in the very near future!

I look forward to working with Dr. Lemmons on this endeavor!

Dyslexia and eReadingPro

2010-02-24T18:27:00.000-08:00

I often get asked about how children with Dyslexia learn to read, and why it can be so difficult for them.

One of the best books I've ever read about Dyslexia is called "Overcoming Dyslexia" by Sally Shaywitz. She explains that individuals with Dyslexia are very 'right-brain learners', and see words as a pictures. This is why the whole-word approach works so much better in these cases, and phonics is so painful.

Like any visual learner, it is much easier to learn how to phonetically decode a word AFTER the whole word is mastered. It's like assembling the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle - it's much easier when you can refer to the entire picture, and know what the final outcome is supposed to look like!

eReadingPro was created using the whole-word approach, FOR the visual learner, and therefore works very well with individuals with Dyslexia. Once the child has mastered the whole word, I recommend sitting down with the flashcard and discussing the letters and sounds that make up the whole word. Have them match letters up underneath the word as they reassemble it. Once they understand what letters make up the word, do the same exercise with phonetic components. You should find that your child begins to recognize words easier, AND understand how the pieces fit together to make up each word.

NDSC 2010 Conference in Orlando...Here We Come!

2010-02-18T11:13:00.000-08:00

Our line-up of eReadingPro workshops this year is amazing - you should check it out! I'm so excited for many reasons - but especially because so many people will learn about a method for teaching their children to read that really works!

Today we found out that I will be speaking (and exhibiting) at the NDSC 2010 Conference in Orlando, which is being held from July 16th - 18th.

There is so much for us, as speakers and exhibitors, to learn at conferences, such as what parents are looking for in a product. I like meeting other speakers and learning about what they are doing within the Down syndrome community. I also like meeting other exhibitors and learning about their products. Last year at the NDSC conference in Sacramento we met Maria Dellapina of Specs4Us. Since then I haven't stopped telling people about the amazing eyeglass frames she has created - just for individuals with DS!

I have to say that one of my favorite parts about going to the NDSC conference is when parents come up to me, hug me, and thank me for creating a program that helped to teach their child to read. THAT is what makes my job incredibly easy! It's the joy that comes from their hearts, and that of their family when their child reads the words they see on a page with confidence.

The fact that the conference is in Orlando this year will make it fun too - as I'm just a big kid at heart, and have never been to Disney World. I will drag my husband around, and force him on a few rides while we're there I'm sure. I can't wait to see the ear to ear grins on the faces of the children as they encounter Mickey and Minnie and all the other characters that Disney has to offer!

eReadingPro and teachers

2010-02-03T11:24:00.000-08:00

As the founder and creator of a reading program, people always ask me whether I've approached all of the various school boards to get the program used in the schools. My response is that it would be like a little mouse knocking on an elephant's door and saying "look at what I've got!"

So instead, we have marketed our program to the parents of children with special needs - particularly Down syndrome. Why Down syndrome? Well, first of all it is because all of the studies out there confirm that children with Down syndrome are very visual learners and learn best using the whole-word approach to reading, and that was who we originally created our program for. But particularly because kids with Down syndrome tend to be the most overlooked and under-taught group in the school system. Many people still have the sad misconception that children with Down syndrome will never be able to learn to read, and therefore don't spend the necessary time trying to teach them. Others want to teach them, but do not have the knowledge or resources available.

The great news is that we are seeing an emerging trend at eReadingPro, in that the schools are now contacting us! The parents are trying the program and seeing amazing results. The teachers are asking the parents what they've been doing to teach their children, as the results are shining through at school! So as a result, the teachers are pondering over just how many other children they are working with who aren't catching on to reading, and if this child with Down syndrome is learning to read at home with eReadingPro, think of all the other children that can benefit from this system as well!

As a way of opening up the avenues even wider with teachers and schools, eReadingPro has decided to offer a FREE 30-Day Trial of our CD with Printable Flashcards. It is inexpensive to ship, and therefore inexpensive to try! If the school or teacher is not impressed after 30 days, they can simply return it to us and it doesn't cost them anything other than return postage. If they like it however, then obviously they will pay us for the product ($109.90USD).

If you think any of the teachers who are working with your children would be interested in trying eReadingPro, just let me know and I would be happy to contact them myself - or you can give them our website: www.ereadingpro.com.

The Charlotte Clock

2010-01-25T18:37:00.000-08:00

I mentioned in my last post a woman named Vikki Horner from the UK, whom I met when presenting an eReadingPro workshop in Gibraltar. The organizers of the workshop were very busy ensuring that us two speakers met in between my workshop presentation and hers. I'm so grateful that we did, and that I have some math materials that I can suggest to people who inquire.

What I didn't mention in my last post was a creation of Vikki's called the 'Charlotte Clock'. The clock was created to provide children with as many different ways as is possible to learn how to tell time. The concept begins with teaching the 5-minute blocks of time, and then the 1-hour blocks, gradually working into the fractions that enable the 'before' and 'after' the hour readings of time. The clock comes with a number of different 'faces' that can be used on the clock along with a resource pack for teachers.

The Charlotte Clock is a terrific invention that can be used for ALL children learning to tell time. However, it was specifically designed for Vikki's daughter who was born with Down syndrome, and struggled with the very abstract aspect of telling time.

What an amazing resource - I wish it was around when I was learning to tell time!

Math Made Easy

2010-01-18T06:52:00.000-08:00

While in Gibraltar presenting an eReadingPro reading workshop recently, I was fortunate to meet with Vikki Horner of Maths Extra Limited. Vikki was scheduled to speak the evening after I spoke, hosted by the Down Syndrome Support Group of Gibraltar.

Often after I have presented my reading program, parents ask if I also have any recommendations they can use with their children for math. While often offering a handful of strategies they may incorporate, I had yet to suggest a particular program.

However, after meeting Vikki, I believe I now have a math program that I would recommend. Maths Extra is a multi-sensory approach to the first years of mathematical instruction.

The system allows the student to:

See pattern in numbers
See connections between numbers
See structures within numbers
Picture base ten structures

The use of various multi-colored apparatuses is the key to this system, and is based on some Montessori concepts, but particularly on the Structural Arithmetic Programme by Dr. Catherine Stern. The system begins with 'no number' puzzles, 'naming the plastic shapes' and then gradually works into introducing the actual numerals. It is a very gradual but systematic process - much like eReadingPro!

It is a system that Vikki used with her daughter Charlotte, who was born with Down syndrome, and was struggling with counting and the meaning of numerical concepts. Having such success with Charlotte, Vikki went on to introduce this system across the UK. Today she is an international speaker and presenter - which is how I came to meet her in Gibraltar.

Ireland and Gibraltar

2009-12-09T17:57:00.000-08:00

I recently returned from a dual-country trip to Ireland and Gibraltar with eReadingPro. Reading workshops were organized in both countries, with the first one in Dublin, Ireland, and the second in Gibraltar.

The workshop in Dublin brought in 73 participants, and included parents and educators all looking for a way to teach their child(ren) to read. It was a packed room at the Dublin West Education Centre! Special thanks to Marie Brady, a special education teacher in Birr, County Offaly, who organized this workshop with the assistance of Eileen Fitzgerald of the Dublin Branch of Down Syndrome. They both did an amazing job! There is clearly a need for our program in areas like Ireland, and it was wonderful to be welcomed with such a large group.

From Dublin I went to Gibraltar to present a workshop there to the Down Syndrome Association of Gibraltar. Annette Zammit and Jane Payas also did an amazing job organizing this workshop within just two short weeks. I was introduced by the Director of the Ministry of Education, and given a very warm welcome to Gibraltar. Everyone was very friendly and helpful, and I was even able to see most of Gibraltar (it's only 3 miles x 2.5 miles in size!) during my short stay there. Dr. Paul Lyons of Bishop Fitzgerald Middle School even invited me to visit his school and meet some of the children they will be using eReadingPro with. It was a beautiful experience! Vikki Horner, a numeracy advisor for Maths Extra Limited presented a workshop the day after, and I was fortunate to meet with her prior to my departure. For all those parents looking for a math solution for their children with Down syndrome look no further. I will be blogging about Vikki and her program in the very near future, so watch for it!

NEW CD With Printable Flashcards!

2009-11-10T17:52:00.001-08:00

Finally! No more writing flashcards!

We have just released our newest eReadingPro CD with Printable Flashcards that allows EVERY flashcard in our program to be printed right from your home or work computer. In fact each flashcard can even be shown to your child right from the computer if you would rather not print them off!

This new CD contains the full Instructional Guide, labels, 659 flashcards, AND all images for the original 14-month program. Everything is printable onto 8 1/2" x 11" card stock and Avery label sheets. The cost is only $99.95USD plus shipping. It is also available in other currencies.

For those individuals who purchased an eReadingPro eBook in the past and would like to upgrade to the new CD, we will offer you a $25 credit towards the new CD. Simply contact us with your registered username and password for the eBook and we will take $25 off the total cost!

Christmas is only weeks away, and this new CD would make an excellent gift!

eReadingPro, Reading and Teens

2009-10-12T14:24:00.001-07:00

Many times parents email me asking what reading programs eReading has for teenagers.

While we are currently working on a program specific to teenagers and their interests, I firmly believe that our existing program is perfectly appropriate for individuals of all ages who are not currently reading. My reasoning is that our main program consists of 128 words that all teens would be very familiar with. The way our program takes the individual through each word as a single word, then couplet, then phrase and finally sentences will help any teen in more areas than just reading. It will help with verbal articulation, reading fluency, reading comprehension, as well as assist with creating longer phrases and/or sentences when they speak. It truly is a building block process.

That being said, I am going to share a little story with you! A really great thing happened recently at an eReadingPro workshop in Rapid City, South Dakota. Rachel (the 15-year old girl in the above photo) and her mom were present during the workshop and Rachel was eager to participate. Rachel has always wanted to read but has never been able to. Her mom Rhonda was hopeful that the workshop would be of benefit to them, as she was told by someone that our program was only for young children. (She came to the worskhop hopeful, despite this untrue comment.)

Rachel joined in and wrote her own flashcard out along with the other participants. Then it came time in the workshop where the participants practice flashing the cards they've written within small groups of five people. After seeing the cards in her group shown only twice, Rachel wanted to have a turn at reading the cards by herself. Rachel proceded to read all five cards - without error! Her name was the only name that she would have ever seen written down before, and some of the people in her group were individuals she had just met. It was truly wonderful for the other workshop participants to see this, and it brought tears to her mother's eyes.

We will be following Rachel's progress as she uses eReadingPro, since her mother has agreed to document her progress along the way. Thank you Rhonda!

Amazing Individuals with Down Syndrome

2009-09-13T13:41:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my last post, I was very fortunate at the 10th World Down Syndrome Congress to have met many amazing individuals, with and without Down syndrome!

One young woman who really impressed me was Karen Gaffney. Karen is a '30-something' year old self-advocate from Portland, Oregon. Karen has earned a regular high school diploma, and graduated from Portland Community College after completing the requirements for an Associates of Science degree and a certificate to be a teacher's aide. An accomplished public speaker, Karen is also the President of The Karen Gaffney Foundation, which is devoted solely to helping other individuals with Down syndrome. In addition to all of the above, Karen is also an incredible athlete and has even swam the English Channel in a relay swim during the Summer 2001!

Karen's mom, Barbara, said that Karen learned to read at an early age using the whole-word approach and flashcards. She said they are strong advocates of teaching reading this way! They were both very happy to see that eReadingPro had put a reading program together using all of the research that is available on how children with Down syndrome learn to read, making it easy for parents (and educators) to teach their children to read early. She even purchased a program to give to Karen's previous Grade 5 teacher, who had a huge impact on Karen's academic success!

Karen, her family, and The Karen Gaffney Foundation are "dedicated to championing the journey to full inclusion for people with disabilities. Many young families around the country have become dependent on Karen, her messages to help them on the journey to full inclusion for their child." (Quoted from the Foundations's website). I urge you to visit their website for more information on The Karen Gaffney Foundation.

I sincerely hope many of you have the opportunity to meet Karen Gaffney at some point, (if you have not already). She is stunningly beautiful, has an amazing presence, and will inspire you beyond your wildest imagination!

Dylan Kuehl

2009-08-30T07:47:00.001-07:00

While I attended the 10th World Down Syndrome Congress in Dublin, Ireland, I was fortunate to meet some really amazing people with Down syndrome.

One young man really stood out for me - perhaps because he was exhibiting at the booth directly across from us (eReadingPro), and that gave me a chance to watch, listen and understand him more than others indivuduals I only met briefly.

Dylan Kuehl is an extremely talented human being. He is an artist who like others, uses his art to express himself. It allows him to be focused and detailed, while enabling him to build confidence and character. Dylan is a visual and performing artist, a writer, and a speaker. His art is simply beautiful.

When I fell in love with one of Dylan's paintings I pointed out how I loved the way the clouds in the picture parted to form a heart shape. His Mom said that they never even saw that until quite some time after he had created the picture. I realized today when I was staring at the beautiful card that he gave me as a token of our friendship, that the existence of this unintentional heart was like a profound reflection of what I see when I look at an individual with Down syndrome. The heart within is so pure and open, and many individuals overlook the joy that can be found from someone with Down syndrome, simply because they have not taken the time to look within. I am eternally grateful that I have 'tripped' into the world of Down syndrome, and devote every day to helping individuals like Dylan learn to read so they can lead rich and fulfilling lives like him.

If you would like to learn more about Dylan and his art, you can find him at: http://www.dylankarts.com/.

10th World Down Syndrome Congress huge success!

2009-08-26T13:06:00.000-07:00

Just got back from Ireland, and from speaking & exhibiting at the 10th World Down Syndrome Congress. Wow - what a great success in many, many ways! As a result, I will write a few blog entries about this conference, as there is so much to say!

I was very excited about officially launching our new CD/DVD combination at this conference, as what a better way for individuals to take eReadingPro back to their countries than in a compact pack such as this. It was a big success! So much so, that a number of people are taking the initiative to work with us to translate our reading program into the language of their country so that many, many more children can also gain from using it to learn to read!

Pictured with me here is Mr. Stanley Reddy from Down Syndrome South Africa - Durban group. His son Max is an amazing self-advocate who works full time and drives himself to and from work in his own car! The next World Down Syndrome Congress will be held in 3 years in Cape Town and eReadingPro plans to be there!

NEW Products and NEW Lower Prices!

2009-08-13T08:59:00.000-07:00

eReadingPro has a lot of great news to share!

At the 10th World Down Syndrome Congress in Dublin, Ireland we will be officially launching the release of our program on CD, while at the same time introducing a new name for our 14-month reading program. The new '10-Minute Reading Program CD' will be packaged along with our free bonus DVD 'Step by Step with eReadingPro'. (Note: the new name, '10-Minute Reading Program by eReadingPro' simply clarifies what our program is!) This combination package allows our entire program to be in the hands of parents and teachers at a much lower price than ever before!

The new CD-ROM contains our full 14-month reading program and includes:

Instructional Guide
14-month Presentation Schedules (what to show and when to show it!)
Printable label sets for all word cards
Printable full-color images for all abstract concepts!
36 Full-size downloadable color images to complete 9 books (8.5" x 11")

The NEW Bonus DVD is our all NEW Step-By-Step video featuring 'yours truly' (Denise MacDonald, Founder of eReadingPro) taking you through the set-up and execution of the program making it easier than ever to use eReadingPro! Learn how to create flashcards and flash them effectively, how to create your child's own booklets, and how to follow our full 14-month presentation schedule.

In addition to all of this excitement, we have finally succeeded in finding a new, lower-priced supplier for all of our materials. As a result, all of our prices have been been cut - in some cases up to 45%!

Check out our new product page at: eReadingPro NOW! You will be amazed!

National Down Syndrome Congress 2009 Conference

2009-08-08T17:57:00.000-07:00

Well we have just returned from California (2 days ago) and the National Down Syndrome Congress' 2009 Conference in Sacramento. It was truly wonderful being reacquainted with friends that I've made along my way. My husband came with me, and was a wonderful help at our exhibit during the three days of the conference. We made some really great new friends that we have already arranged to be visiting in Ohio in September! The exhibitors around us were wonderful people, and we are very grateful for having the opportunity to meet them. It was such a reminder that we all have things happen in our lives for a master reason - one that we are not always aware of at the time. We each had different reasons for creating 'things' for children with Down syndrome, and it was a beautiful thing.

I have to say, the most rewarding aspect about this conference was having a number of individuals come up and hug me, thanking me profoundly because their children were now reading as a result of my reading program. One wonderful lady had her 15 year old grandson with her. She said that she bought our program when we were in Stockton about 2 years ago (I remember her very clearly), and within three short weeks her grandson began reading - and now he LOVES to read! She was so grateful!

The next hug was from Dr. Rosanne Oggoian-Donnellan. She was just bubbling over telling me her story. Her daughter is 34-months old (with Down syndrome). She had been showing her the flashcards (from eReadingPro), and thought she wasn't really comprehending. So she set the cards down in a corner and had almost forgotten they were there when one day her daughter went over and picked them up. Then she began signing the words on the cards! Rosanne said she just about fell over! She said that she felt the size and color of those cards was extremely important, as she knows that one of her daughter's favourite colors is red. She said that even though she hasn't been as consistent as she had hoped, she has re-started the program with her daughter, as she now knows that she IS processing the information and IS learning to read. Rosanne was very, very happy to share her story with me and said that she is telling everyone she knows about how amazing our program is!

California here we come!

2009-07-22T09:02:00.000-07:00

As many of you may know, the 2009 NDSC Convention is being held in Sacramento, CA this year. As I am preparing to attend and exhibit for eReadingPro, I am thinking about the many friends and acquaintances that I've met along my journey and am looking forward to seeing many of you in Sacramento. I'm also looking forward to taking my husband along with me and carousing through Napa and Sonoma areas exploring various vineyards after the conference!

Calls and emails are beginning to take over my office once again as parents and educators begin to also get ready for their children returning to school in many states. eReadingPro workshops are being scheduled, and the excitement begins once again about the prospect of enabling more and more children in the quest for learning to read! If you're planning to host a workshop, be sure to book early - spaces are filling up!

Summer

2009-07-12T17:00:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been some time since my last post...!

As you can see, I've been enjoying some time at our cottage and practicing my photography skills.

While summer is a wonderful time for exploring the gifts of nature, it's also a time for planning. We are currently booking eReadingPro workshops for this fall, and are excited about our destinations over the next few months! At the end of July we will be heading to Sacramento, CA for the 2009 NDSC Convention, and then only ten short days upon our return we will be flying to Dublin, Ireland for the 10th World Down Syndrome Congress. I'm looking forward to my first European eReadingPro speaking engagement, and to introducing our incredible reading program to a whole new area! Fall workshops will include more new territory for us when we present in places like North Dakota and Bermuda. Stay posted for more exciting locations!

Parents should remember that summer is not the time to set your reading program aside. Rather, it is the time to pick off where the teachers have left off, and continue the learning process with your child! Take your program on holidays with you - it only takes 10-minutes a day!

Upcoming Reading Workshop in Peterborough, ON

2009-05-14T18:57:00.000-07:00

It's funny that I've presented this workshop in over 80 cities - predominantly in the U.S. over the past 4 years, and I've never presented for the local Down syndrome association here in my home town until now.

I'm very pleased to be offering a FREE workshop to participants. The reading workshop will be held at the Peterborough Public Library (Auditorium) on the evening of June 8th, from 6:30pm - 9:30pm.

To REGISTER, click here.

Reading and children who are non-verbal

2009-04-20T17:42:00.000-07:00

"How can I tell that my child is learning the words if they cannot speak?"

This is a very common question, coming from parents of children who are non-verbal, or simply too young to 'prove' they can read the words they are being shown. My response to this is that input and output are two different functions, and just because they cannot speak doesn't mean they cannot process what they are reading. In fact children are often overlooked and undertaught because of this very thing.

The video below is of a young boy, David, who is 5 years old. David was born with Down syndrome, and is also deaf. He has learned sign language, and is using his sign language to show his mom that he comprehends the words she is flashing to him. David and his mom are doing amazing work and we are very grateful to her for sharing this video with us!

Tips for Using Flashcards

2009-04-13T07:29:00.000-07:00

When using flashcards, there are some important points to keep in mind:

Present the cards ONE SECOND per word. Any longer is simply too long, as the brain only needs that long to take a 'snap-shot' of the word.
DO NOT ask the child to repeat the words back to you as you present them. It is about giving information, not asking for it back. Remember that input and output are two very different things. Just because they may not say it back to you doesn't mean they are taking the information in and processing it.
Only present 5 or 6 cards per session. Any more may be too much at a time.
Shuffle the cards after each presentation. Otherwise, your child may begin memorizing the order of the cards rather than learn to read them.
Try and keep the cards still when presenting. (Don't move them up and down, etc.)
Avoid obvious distractions during your presentation. (television, etc.)
Present the words in a 'sing-song' voice to encourage enthusiasm!

Remember, if your child is learning sign-language, they are also old enough to learn to read. The written word is a visual representation of a word just as much as a sign is and they can learn to read just as easily as they can learn to sign!

eReadingPro workshops are being presented around the world. Parents and educators learn how to prepare flashcards, how to use them, and above all, how to teach their children to read. Visit our Workshops page to see if there is a workshop coming to your area. If not - contact us to arrange for one!

Happy Easter

2009-04-11T19:33:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Easter. I hope that everyone is able to gather with family and take a few moments to realize how fortunate we all are!

I have been busy presenting eReadingPro workshops and planning even more workshops (Bermuda is in the works)! Last weekend I was in Jefferson City, Missouri and had a fabulous workshop. We had the highest percentage of educators out and it was a wonderful thing! I even got to visit with my friend Amy Allison in Kansas City, and join her for a fundraiser trivia night for the Down Syndrome Guild. (Good thing she didn't know how pathetic my trivia knowledge was before she put me on her team, lol!) Next weekend I will be presenting in Plattsburgh, NY. This is one of the few workshops that I will be able to drive to rather than fly, and I will be looking forward to visiting my long-time friend in Montreal on my way home!

The best part of all the travel is that more and more children will be learning to read! I recently received the following testimonial after presenting a workshop in Lansing, MI last month...

"We just got back from Orlando vacation. Cameron is loving playing the “Word game”. He knows at least 5 words when he sees them. (he has been at this for 3 weeks at the most) Cameron, age 4 and 3 months
(we are not quizzing him...as you reminded us NOT to do :) He just says the words before we do when we flash the cards. EXCITING

I know he learns visually...his first word was “Disney”. He saw it printed at my optometry office on the frame board and he pointed and said “Disney” plain as day...I was speechless, amazed...jumping for joy.

Thanks for your help in getting the reading going in our house. You have provided amazing, understandable tools to do this. My husband is excited as well...he is one of the analytical types but sees the amazing progress just after 2 weeks!" ~Cheri~

Have a blessed Easter my friends!

Is eReadingPro Research-Based?

2009-03-12T13:12:00.001-07:00

I often get asked whether eReadingPro is a 'research-based' program. The simple answer is that the research has all been done by people like Sue Buckley, Patricia Olwein, Glen Doman, etc., we’ve just simply provided the tools based on the existing research.

You know I have to tell you I was at the gym today, and picked up this magazine to read. I opened it to a page that was titled “The man who made the whole town lose weight!” It went on to talk about a man who was a health food store owner. He was recommending mulberry tablets to a customers for various reasons, and began to notice they would lose weight. So he went back and did a bunch of reading about the effects of mulberry on fat burning, etc. He then made the realization that if people took two mulberry tablets before each meal they would lose weight. He ended up having about 1500 customers lose weight using this regime!

My point is this: the man was not a doctor; he didn’t do the clinical testing; he didn’t do the research. He simply took the research that had already been done, and instructed his customers on what the best way to benefit from the research already existed!

With my program, the research has already been done. I’ve simply taken that research and provided parents and educators with a systematic product that makes use of that research.

Reading and Down Syndrome

2009-03-04T13:20:00.000-08:00

While presenting a workshop in Utah this past weekend, a woman approached me telling me about her friend who had video-taped her son as he read words off of flashcards. She went on to tell me that the woman had been using our reading program! It was as a result of seeing her friend's video that she came to our workshop, as she wanted her child to be reading as well as her friend's child. She said that I should try really hard to get more people to see that video as they would be 'blown away'!

Upon returning home I emailed her friend. She was very happy for me to share her video and to encourage other parents by having them see it too! She said that her son " is now on day 313 of the program (yay!) and he is still going strong! He is very stubborn :), but we have tried to be very consistent and make it fun! We are now involving his little sister (21 months old) and he thinks that is great! So now our daughter is starting to pick up on it, too... we couldn't ask for anything better!"

Thank you so much Tiffany for sharing this video with me, and for allowing me to share it with everyone. I'm sure the work you have done with your children will be an inspiration to many!

Workshop Success!

2009-03-02T18:52:00.000-08:00

We had a very successful workshop in Salt Lake City on Saturday, hosted by the Utah Down Syndrome Foundation! Over 90 participants attended, including both parents and educators. Many people raved about how informative and helpful they found the workshop!

Chris Russell is pictured here as he practices flashing cards to others in the group. Participants learned about reading and Down syndrome, had an opportunity to try writing flashcards, and then were able to practice moving the cards in their hands as they worked in small groups.

A special thank you goes to Suzie Smith of the Utah Down Syndrome Foundation for organizing such a successful workshop!

Workshop in Utah

2009-02-25T13:28:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to remind everyone that I'll be presenting an eReadingPro workshop in Salt Lake City, Utah this upcoming Saturday. The details are as follows:

February 28th, 2009 - Salt Lake City, UT (9:30am - 12:30pm)
Hosted by: Utah Down Syndrome Foundation
Location: Murray High School, Salt Lake City, UT
Cost: FREE
To Register: click here.

Look forward to seeing you there! We already have over 80 people registered, so be sure to come early and get a great seat!

Denise

10th World Down Syndrome Congress

2009-02-20T11:58:00.000-08:00

The 10th World Down Syndrome Congress will be held in Dublin, Ireland in August 2009. The main congress dates are the 20th to 22nd of August, with additional events taking place on the 19th of August. eReadingPro will be presenting a workshop (details will follow at a later date) at this conference!

Personally, I'm very excited about going to this conference. It is an incredible opportunity for individuals outside North America to see our reading program and understand the amazing results it produces - especially for children with Down syndrome!

Back from Cuba

2009-02-09T19:04:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to tell you that I just returned from a week in Cuba where Kirk and I got married! We had all of our children with us, and everyone had a really great time. Getting married on a beach is such a beautiful experience - and far less stressful than the traditional style. It was truly magical!

Cheers,
Denise

Awesome testimonial! Thank you!

2009-01-21T09:22:00.000-08:00

I recently discovered this posting on the Canadian Down Syndrome Society's Online Community and wanted to share it with you. It was written by a woman who has been using the Out of the Box Reading Program (as you know, after the dissolution of that partnership I re-opened under the name of eReadingPro). I hope you enjoy reading this...

"Hello out there! I purchased the Out of the Box Reading Program in Nov '06 when my daughter was 5. It took me 8 months to get around to writing out the cards and getting them ready for her. Since the first day it has been a complete success!! .... I'm getting twice the mileage out of the program because it is helping both of my children learn to read!!" (click here to read the entire post).

It is by people like this sharing their stories that we can ensure that ALL children learn to read! I encourage any users of our reading program (eReadingPro AND Out of the Box Reading) to share their stories of success with other parents and eductors! Feel free to post them as a 'Reply' to this Blog!

eReadingPro Instructional Guide is now available separately

2009-01-21T09:15:00.000-08:00

Another frequent request that we receive (especially at workshops) is whether our Instructional Guide could be purchsed separately.

Now that we have everything changed over from 'Out of the Box Reading' to 'eReadingPro', I wanted to let everyone know that our eReadingPro Instructional Guide is NOW available for purchase separately! The price is $149.95.

Enjoy!

Starter Kit now available!

2009-01-21T08:07:00.000-08:00

People have asked us for some time to try and bring the cost of our kit down. Unfortunately, the bulk of the cost is in the printing of the book, images, and of course the materials.

To respond to this, we now have a 'Starter Kit' ($199.95) available for those who want to use the program but have access (and the desire) to cut their own cards. It will mean that you'll have to find your own card stock, cut your cards, organize them, and find a place to store them. However, it does bring the cost of the using the program down.

What I fear happening though is that people will purchase this new Starter Kit, save money, and then a delay will happen because they haven't found the right card stock, or haven't had the time to cut the cards. Either that or they will try and make the flash cards smaller to try and cut costs. Remember that the size of these cards is important - they need to be large! Ours are 4" x 20". Remember that any time there is a large delay in executing a plan of any kind, the less likeliness there is for success. It's kind of like a diet - "I'll look at it tomorrow". So IF you plan to use the Starter Kit, please promise yourself that you will get started cutting your flash cards and preparing your program right away!

Upcoming workshop in Salt Lake City, UT

2009-01-20T14:54:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to let you all know that we have a workshop coming up in Salt Lake City, Utah on Saturday, February 28th, hosted by the Utah Down Syndrome Foundation. The 3-hour workshop will be held from 9:30am - 12:30pm at Murray High School.

Workshops attendees will learn:

· The importance of teaching a child to read early;
· An understanding of learning styles and learning strategies;
· Reasons why your child may be struggling with reading and how to help;
· How to set up a reading program;
· How to create flashcards and books;
· How to use flashcards effectively;
· How to progress with teaching your child to read single words, couplets, phrases, sentences and books using our program, and why this method is so effective;
· How teaching reading improves speech, language and memory development! (see: Teaching Reading to Teach Talking - Sue Buckley )
· How to teach reading to teens and adults. (see Reading & Writing for Individuals with Down Syndrome )

To register, click here. Hope to see you there!

Out of the Box Reading

2009-01-20T14:17:00.000-08:00

I had a phone call a couple of days ago from a woman in Manitoba, Canada (we have a great number of people there using either eReadingPro or Out of the Box Reading program with their child or students). She commented that their school Psychologist had recommended using the Out of the Box Reading program, but that she tried to look it up online (outoftheboxreading.com) but was unable to find it. Therefore, I thought I might try and clarify things...

I was a founding partner of Out of the Box Reading. However, the partnership was dissolved almost a year ago, at which time I created eReadingPro. The actual eReadingPro Complete kit is based on the original Out of the Box Reading kit, with the program and kit content being exactly the same (except for the logo). With eReadingPro, we now offers more options as far as what people can purchase (for example you can purchase eBooks).

If anyone has any further questions, I would be happy to address them! Thank you :-)

Another Great Read!

2009-01-13T07:50:00.000-08:00

It's amazing how much reading can be done while you are sick! I am finally back up and working, but I wanted to mention one more book that I read during the holidays and while I was coughing, sneezing and nose-blowing.

The book is by one of my favorite authors - Bryce Courenay (he also wrote Potato Factory, which is a long time favorite book of mine!). The book is called The Persimmon Tree. It is a beautiful love story of a young man and woman that originates in Java 1942, when the Japanese were beginning an invasion. It is beautiful story that has no gender boundaries - could be equally enjoyed by both men and women, as there is much a soldier's story as their is a love story. It combines evocative surroundings with an engaging story line that will keep you reading all 500+ pages! I hope you enjoy!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-06T09:28:00.000-08:00

Well it seems that I've had quite a reprieve from writing in my Blog. Between preparing for Christmas, becoming engaged, celebrating New Year's Eve, and nursing a horrible cold that has hit almost everyone in the house, a great deal has happened in the past month!

Now that I'm back at it, I wanted to share a special blog with everyone. I came across it while reading another blog: My Life With Gabriel, which is a blog by a mom named Lianne and is about raising a young boy with Down syndrome, and is a lovely read. In Lianne's blog, she mentioned a blog called Daniel Drinker. Dan Drinker is a young man with Down syndrome, and his brother, Will, is documenting different times and experiences in Dan's life. It is truly enlightening! I urge you to pay a visit to the blog!

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-07T14:25:00.000-08:00

Gift Certificates are now available at eReadingPro!

What a wonderful way to assist somone you know who wants to use the eReadingPro system to teach a child to read! Once you decide on the amount of your gift, you have the option of printing the gift certificate and delivering it in person, or you can simply email the certificate! The recipient can redeem it toward ANY eReadingPro product. How simple is that?

We hope that you enjoy this amazing opportunity, and wish you a wonderful holiday season!

Happy American Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T14:17:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to wish all of my American friends a very Happy Thanksgiving, and give you a taste of what our day was. We've had lots of snow fall over the past 3 days, and the trees are laden with heaviness. Quite a beautiful site, and impetus for those individuals itching to begin their Christmas shopping!

Enjoy!

Field of Dreams

2008-11-25T17:14:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I travelled to Kirksville, MO by way of Kansas City to present an eReadingPro workshop. It was a two and a half hour drive NE from Kansas City, during which time I saw three beautiful deer, two eagles (I think that's what they were) and this amazing entrance gate. I thought it was so cool! It led me to pondering throughout the duration of the drive, to what each person's dreams actually were that entered through that gate.

MY dream is that all children learn to read BEFORE they begin school. Wouldn't that be amazing? The teachers would have it made in the shade, the parents would be happy, and the children could use this skill to flourish!

What would your field of dreams consist of?

Great Read!

2008-11-18T12:21:00.000-08:00

I recently presented a workshop in Knoxville, TN. While I was in the airport in Toronto awaiting my outbound flight, I came across a book that screamed out for me to read. The book was called "Someone Knows My Name: A Novel". I purchased it, and began reading when I settled into the flight. Needless to say, between meals, a workshop, and excercising, I completed my 500-page read on my return flight. I could not put it down! I have to say this is one of the best books I’ve ever read – and I LOVE to read! The prose is magnificent! I could not skip a word, a sentence or any minute aspect, as I was so enthralled with every ounce of the story! I especially love that it is fiction, but based on so many relevant historical facts that many Canadians (and Americans alike) are ignorant to.

If you are looking for the book in the US, it can be found under a different title: Someone Knows My Name.

I highly recommend this book!

New eReadingPro Kits Are Now Available!

2008-10-27T14:13:00.000-07:00

The new eReadingPro kits are finally ready!

It took a while to find a new printer.
Then it took a while for him to get price quotes.
Then it took a while to edit the Instructional Guide.
Then it took a while for the parts to all come in.
BUT now that we have all of the components, we are ready to roll them out!

The first NEW eReadingPro kit was shipped out last Friday - but we made sure we snapped a few pics first :-). We really hope that you enjoy the new look!

eReadingPro goes to Knoxville, TN

2008-10-27T10:14:00.000-07:00

eReadingPro is going to Knoxville, TN on Sunday, November 9th
from 1 - 4 pm at:
Tennessee School for the Deaf - Middle School Bldg.
2725 Island Home Blvd, Knoxville, 37920
(Directions at www.tsdeaf.org)

To REGISTER, click here.

You will learn to teach your child to read using the whole word approach, to teach your child to progress from reading single words to reading
sentences and books, and to implement a fun reading program that works for you and your child. Admission is free.

Each DSAG family (families that have an individual with Ds and are on DSAG’s mailing list) that registers and attends will receive a $40 voucher to use on take-home materials available at the workshop. (Be sure to check out www.ereadingpro.com for more information on the workshop and products for sale. Materials are for sale in complete kits or downloadable do-it-yourself programs.)

Childcare will be available – but must be reserved. Registration forms for workshop and childcare MUST be received by Wednesday, November 5.

Call or e-mail with any questions: 865.905.2968 or events@dsagtn.org.

eReadingPro donates eBooks in Nigeria!

2008-10-26T14:27:00.000-07:00

eReadingPro has donated a set of eBooks to The mission of Our Lady of Guadalupe (OLG) Health Foundation & Autism Centre in Nigeria.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Health Foundation/Autism Center was founded in June, 2006 by Dr (Mrs.) Doris Izuwah and is currently the first foundation that offers biomedical intervention for children in the Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in Nigeria. OLG Foundation also runs the Defeat Autism In Nigeria project on whose platform they also organized the 1st World Autism Awareness Day celebration in Abuja Nigeria.

As some of you may know, I have a great love for Africa, and a deep desire to assist the children there who are in such unfortunate situations. eReadingPro will be working together with the founders of OLG to improve the lives of children in Nigeria with Autism by providing our easy to follow reading program in the form of eBooks.

A workshop in Nigeria is being planned for 2009!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2008-10-15T11:30:00.001-07:00

Well it is indeed my birthday AGAIN today, lol! It feels like I JUST had a birthday! What amazes me about birthdays is how many people tend to know it's your birthday. I actually had birthday wishes from people I went to high school with 30 years ago - thanks to Facebook!

When I decided to write a post today, I noticed that there was a comment on my post regarding Autism and the "On the Brain" blog by Dr. Merzenich. The gentleman who posted the comment suggested that we look at the Brain Fitness Program created by Dr. Merzenich's company, Posit Science. So I went to their site and eagerly tried the Brain Fitness Demo - in order to see just how far along I have actually aged, lol. I was happy to discover that my brain is still very functional, and that in fact I am able to visually track 5 moving objects on a screen at one time!!

I think that what Dr. Merzenich has created is wonderful, amazing, fun to use, and very necessary - especially with the size of our aging population. While their program is at the opposite end of the spectrum from eReadingPro (our program is for beginning readers, whereas Posit Science - Brain Fitness is for the aging reader), I think both program are equally important. After all, knowledge is power! Try it out for yourself at Posit Science!

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

2008-10-12T13:49:00.000-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving all you Canadians!

The temperature in Ontario, Canada this weekend has been extraordinarily beautiful - and perfect for a Sunday afternoon stroll to wear off all of that extra gravy! So, I took the dog and the camera out for a walk, and made my best effort at catching the beauty of the day. The colours of the leaves are so vibrant, and a multitude of flowers are hanging on to that last essence of sunshine before the snow begins to fly. I really hope that you enjoy these pictures as much as I enjoyed my walk!

Autism on the Rise

2008-10-07T17:46:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite blogs to read is one by Dr. Michael Merzenich called "On the Brain". Dr. Merzinich is a professor at the University of California in San Francisco and is a leading pioneer in brain plasticity research. When I read about him in a book by Dr. Norman Doidge called "The Brain That Changes Itself" I emailed him to tell him about our program. He promptly emailed me back and urged me to continue creating new programs and challenging my brain, lol. I was extremely impressed that he took the time out of his obviously busy schedule to reply to my email.

Dr. Merzinich's blog address all sorts of things to do with the Brain. One that I read recently called "Autism on the Rise; additional factors?" addressed the concerns that we are all facing with autism on the rise, and no near-term solutions to be found. You can read it here at On the Brain. Other recent posts include a discussion about drugs for children with bipolar disorder and the concerns about keeping troops on alert by use of various drugs. Interesting reading indeed!

Tips for Teaching Reading - for ALL ages!

2008-09-28T16:26:00.000-07:00

Teaching reading can be a daunting task - especially for parents with no teaching background! I remember when my children were young I really wished that I had the knowledge and the tools to teach them to read. So I wanted to provide some tips for teaching reading to the visual learner/struggling reader! These tips are appropriate for ALL ages of readers.

Tips When Teaching Reading:

Understand your child’s preferred style of learning (visual, auditory or tactile).
Focus on using the whole-word approach first for visual learners.
Only after mastery of the whole single word should you then show how the word is broken down into letters and sounds.
Begin introducing words to which your child can associate a visual representation (i.e. food they are familiar with, names of people they know, etc.)

Keys to Success:

When using flashcards, flash them quickly! (Approximately one second per word is all that is needed).
Ensure the flashcards are large enough and colourful enough to have a visual impact.
Begin with a well-organized plan that will be included in a day-to-day routine.
Do not test the child or ask them to repeat the words as you present them! This can cause anxiety and then your child may not want to participate anymore.
Keep your program moving along – do not be too repetitive just because you think they are not processing the information quickly enough.
Avoid presenting similar looking words together, as this can be confusing (i.e. Grandma, Grandpa).

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions!

Teaching Reading Early

2008-09-19T14:37:00.000-07:00

Many of the blogs and social networks that I read and/or participate in online center around Down syndrome or Autism due to my own interests. Whether children are typical or have differing abiliites, it is important to teach reading as early as possible.

Here are some important points to keep in mind with regards to teaching reading:

If a child can learn sign language, they are ready to read! A sign is simply a visual representation of a word - which is exactly what reading using the whole-word approach is.
Just because a child is not ready to speak does not mean they are not ready to read. Remember that input and output are two different processes!
Teaching reading early increases brainpower!
Teaching reading increases your child's ability to communicate.
Teaching reading can teach talking and/or improve speech and language development. (Speech Pathologists and Therapists tend to love eReadingPro!)
Teaching reading is an important intervention for helping children overcome learning difficulties.
You can easily begin teaching children to read at 2 years of age.

It is so important for parents to understand that teaching reading can be easier than they may otherwise think. My next blog will provide pointers on how to teach reading - for ALL ages!

eReadingPro goes to Riverside, Ohio

2008-09-17T17:16:00.000-07:00

eReadingPro is going to Riverside, Ohio on Saturday, September 27th, 2008! The 3 hour workshop, hosted by the Dayton Autism Society, will begin at 9:30am at the Miami Valley Regional Center, 3rd Floor, 1801 Springfield Street, Riverside, OH 45431. The cost of the workshop is $10.

TO REGISTER, click here. We hope to see you there!

World Peace

2008-09-15T10:48:00.001-07:00

One of the things that I dream about is the possibility of world peace. What an amazing concept, but one that seems so difficult to accomplish!

Well one of my good friends in Florida, Betsy, has started making jewellry - simple, fun and all handmade silver jewellry. When she was showing me her work, the piece that jumped out at me the most was her pendant called 'World Peace' (pictured here). I just LOVE IT! Needless to say I am now donning a world peace pendant as I write this, lol.

If you would like to make a small personal statement about world peace, I urge you to purchase one of these beautiful pendants yourself, and spread the word! Her jewellry is called 'Be' and can be found at: http://www.be-jewelryandcrafts.com/index.html. This link will also be added to the Resources page at eReadingPro!

New Look!

2008-09-08T17:28:00.000-07:00

We are so excited about our new look!

Up until now, eReadingPro has been depleting the remaining stock of reading kits from the former Out of the Box Reading entity. However, with only a few of these remaining, we are about to launch our new look. The picture to the left is our new book cover! It is going to print this week, and should be available soon.

Keep in mind that the content is the same. All of the faithful users of the Out of the Box Reading kits are not missing out on a thing - it is still the same amazing reading program as before!

Downi Creations

2008-09-01T14:28:00.000-07:00

My 12 year old daughter Melissa was reading my MacLean's magazine today - the one I just wasn't finding the time to finish. (I'm always bringing home t-shirts from various Down syndrome organizations that she wears everywhere with great pride. She loves to be an advocate for kids with different needs - just like her mom!) So when she came upon an article about Down syndrome, she marched into my office to show me and said "look Mom, they have dolls with Down syndrome!"

After reading the article (from the August 18th, 2008 Volume 121, Number 32 edition of MacLeans, Page 61), I had to sit back and realize what a difficult world it is that we live in. While the idea of creating a doll that has "the 13 distinct features" typically associated with individuals with Down syndrome was probably done with only the best of intent, there are actually people that are offended by this gesture! The article states that the dolls have "provoked a wide range of opinions" - some feel it is "patronizing and sick", while others (like me) feel it is "incredibly sweet". Personally, I recognize that someone has put a great deal of thought into something that was probably inspired by their own child, and intended to enhance their life. How can that possibly be a negative thing?

You can check the dolls out at Downi Creations and decide for yourself.

Mom Blogs & Reading

2008-08-27T08:36:00.000-07:00

One of the things I've learned alot about in the past few months is blogs - and more specifically mom blogs. It just seems to be the thing to do now! There are blogs about just about everything!!!

My favourite blog, and the one I've found really fun to read is The Mom Crowd. It was created by four women who are moms and moms-to-be who value each other’s experiences and decided to share this with the world. What a great idea!

One of the women from The Mom Crowd, McKenna Powell, has a beautiful little girl with Down syndrome. She has started using eReadingPro and has written about it in her blog. She is so excited because her 3-year old is reading! McKenna said: "The best part of this program is it has improved her speech! When she sees the flashcard with the word on it, she is articulating so much better than she did before. Her little voice is just way too cute when she says “pancake.” I am seeing results MUCH FASTER than with the other program we were doing. It requires much less energy and time on my part as well, and Darah seems to engage very well to this program."

You know, people are so amazed when their children begin to read. It is such a magical time! A whole new world has opened up to them! Keep in mind that your child CAN read - it's just a matter of figuring out how to teach them in a way that works best for them. MOST children are visual learners and need to be taught in a visual manner - (reinforced by both auditory and tactile techniques). Check out Reading and the Visual Learner and 5 Reasons Why Your Child May Be Struggling with Reading for more clarification on this.

This is why I do what I do!

2008-08-21T16:41:00.001-07:00

I received the following email and photo from a Mom who was so excited about her purchase of eBook1 and eReadingPro:

"I sped-read through each topic in the index (of the eBook) and wish I had known about this for Joey years ago. I found out about it when I went to a playdate with a child who has Down's Syndrome and will be in Joey's K class. Her mom has been using Out of the Box (eReadingPro) since she was 6 mos. old. Her typical 21mos. old son was reading when his big sis was playing the word game. I was floored!" ~Audrey, MA~

Receiving emails and photos like this, and knowing how much eReadingPro can help children like Joey is why I do what I do! If you and your child are using eReadingPro or Out of the Box Reading and wish to share your success, please feel free to send me comments and photos as I would love to share them with our readers!

New eRP Affiliates

2008-08-19T17:30:00.000-07:00

eReadingPro already has new 'group' Affiliates!

The Down Syndrome Guild of Greater Kansas City (KCDSG) and Amy Allison are the first Down syndrome parent support group to sign up as eReadingPro Affiliates. As a group affiliate, they will raise funds each time someone purchases an eReadingPro product through the link on their website! They are really excited about this opportunity to raise extra funding for the parents in their group.

The Conway Civitan Club has also signed up as affiliates, and will be hosting the first Train the Trainer workshop for all those Civitan members who wish to learn not only how to get more children reading, but how to present and host their own eReadingPro workshop! The Train the Trainer workshop will be held at the Brewer-Hegeman Conference Center on Saturday, September 13th from 1:00pm to 3:30pm. Many thanks to Rachel Rayl for all of her hard work and vision!

Florida Down Syndrome Conference 2008

2008-08-18T17:04:00.000-07:00

Wow, another great conference! You know, as a Canadian, we always expect Florida to have such amazing weather. However it seems that I take my Canadian weather with me wherever I go, lol. It was raining and thunderstorming almost the entire time I was there! Nevertheless, I was happy to see friends that I had met at the NDSC Convention in Boston last month - Heather, Chad and Michele from Bradenton, FL, friends from prior workshops - Susan Corse Adams of Jacksonville, Sue Davis-Killan of Boca Raton and of course Amy Van Bergen of Orlando. Karen Feduccia and Kelly Brewer, also from Bradenton's Manasota BUDS parent support group, shared fun stories with me as we chatted for hours. Thank you girls!

I presented three separate workshops at the conference, and each were well-attended by both parents and educators.

Amy Van Bergen, Executive Director of the Down Syndrome Association of Central Florida, truly did an amazing job organizing this conference and everyone I talked to said they had thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

eReadingPro Affiliate Program NOW Launched!

2008-08-13T13:49:00.000-07:00

I am so excited about our new eRPAffiliate Program! Kirk (my other half) has done such an amazing job at getting this up and running quickly while I've been preparing for the Florida Down Syndrome Conference in Orlando this weekend. So, all you believers in eReadingPro and Out of the Box Reading can now earn money for yourself, your club or association by telling others about our amazing reading program! You can join us here. Come aboard and help get those struggling readers to read with ease!!

Printing

2008-08-12T10:59:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone! I just thought I'd put this out to the Universe to see what happens...
We are trying very hard to bring the cost of our reading kits at eReadingPro down by lowering our printing costs. If anyone knows of a great printer, and you can show them our kit, please let us know! Afterall, it is by networking, and helping each other that helps to make great things happen :-).

Thank you!
Denise

NDSC 2008 Convention in Boston

2008-07-29T15:52:00.001-07:00

Wow, what an experience that was! Imagine the people you meet when you travel to over 75 cities in three years and present workshops to groups of 40 people or more. Going to the NDSC Convention was like old home week! I received hugs from so many wonderful people that I've met over the years, from various corners of the United States. Many brought their children and made a holiday around this event, just so they could learn as many new ways to make the lives of their children more enhanced. This was truly a magical experience and I thank the NDSC and especially Coleen Popp for all of their hard work in putting such an enormous event together. Kudos to y'all!

Welcome!

2008-07-29T14:59:00.000-07:00

My goal is to have a whole lot of fun with this blog! Over the last three years I have met some amazing people, seen amazing places and done really great things and rarely got the opportunity to share these events with people other than my family. I hope you grow to enjoy my ramblings and feel free to offer your two cents where you can. Enjoy!