Habits and Thanksgiving

Hello to my few and faithful readers!

I am realizing that starting new habits is not my strength! I planned on posting to this blog at least once a week, but would strive for twice. As we can all see...I have failed at this goal...but will continue to work toward it.

After getting married, I planned on making a menu 1-2 weeks in advance so I would know what I was going to cook each night and get groceries accordingly. Let's just say I have NO IDEA what I am making tonight. (However, I did remember to lay out some chicken to defrost, so that's a step in the right direction.)

I was going to make a habit of walking my dog 3 times a week. ... We haven't been on a walk for 3 weeks! (But it is getting cold!)

I know that if I worked to make any of these a solid habit, they would occur with little effort eventually. However, without the work, it will always be a struggle!

I think I am starting to see what reading may be like for some of our students. We are teaching them new strategies and rules for reading and spelling, and at first they take a lot of work to implement. The students may even need reminders from their tutors and parents to use these strategies.

However, if the students take the time and put in the effort to try and use the strategies and rules every day, they will eventually "make a new habit" of reading and spelling that way! I have talked to some students that really had to work to remember to do this at the beginning and had to force themselves to sound out words rather than guess, but by doing it correctly over and over, they created a habit. (I do emphasize correctly because practice make permanent, not perfect!)

This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for the extremely hard work of our students as well as other dyslexic students around the United States. Their hard work helps them succeed and build the confidence they need to be great inventors, architects, entrepreneurs, actors, sports stars, and artists.

I am thrilled that I get to help students form a habit of reading and spelling by tapping syllables and sounding out each and every day. I know their habit of reading this way will impact their lives much more than my habit of walking my dog! :-)

Have a marvelous Thanksgiving!! What are you thankful for?