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The quickest way to change your child’s behaviour is to first change your own.

A tantruming toddler is a little ball of writhing muscle and incredible strength. It's like trying to carry a greased pig past a slop bucket.

"Rules without relationship leads to rebellion" (Josh McDowell)

We should not medicate the boys so they fit the school; we should change the school to fit the boy. (Leonard Sax, M.D. Ph.D)

The best inheritance  parents can give their children is a few minutes of their time each day.

"Parents aren't the cause of ADHD, but they are part of the solution." (Kenny Handleman, M.D.)

Criticism is not a motivator.

The teenage years require a delicate balance between the young person's need to gain independence, and the parent's need to retain authority.

The way we talk to our children becomes their inner voice. (Peggy O'Mara)

Whining and crying are employed by kids for the purpose of getting something. If it works, then it was worth the effort and will be repeated.

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Reading Rescue – the sequence – step 2 & 3

Step 2

Once the child can match and produce the correct sounds for the letters in grouping # 1, introduce the short sound “a” from list 2.

Step 3

The blending od sounds together is frequently a problem for some children. A Blending Book is used to address this problem. The child is shown a page with the letter “m” in view and asked to say that sound and hold it for a long time “mmmmmmmmm—-“. The teacher will undoubtedly need to model the correct way of saying “mmmmm”. The child is then shown how to hold the “m” sound and without stopping, slide into the “a” sound. The result should be a drawn out “mmmaaaaa” sound instead of separate sounds “m-a”.

The teacher will again need to model the correct pronunciation of the blended sounds. Once the child has mastered “maaa” sound, the third letter in the word is exposed and he is shown how to blend the 3 sounds together to make a 1 syllable word. Example : man, mat, map

there is a collection of short “a” words in the blending Book. It is again critical that the child achieve success and have fun (keep the lessons short, varied and use reinforcements). Practice the blending of the short “a” words until the child demonstrates a degree of mastery then introduce the other short vowel sounds in the same way at an appropriate pace. The sequence should be “a”, “o”, “u”, “i”, “e”.

The importance of mastering step 2 and 3 cannot be overstated. The blending of sounds together is the key to reading

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Workshops

+ Behaviour Management (now available online)

This full day or 2 evening workshop will introduce you […]

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+ Lick Your Kids

  “Lick Your Kids” (figuratively not literally) (2 hours) First […]

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+ A Parent’s Guide to the Teenage Brain

  A teenager’s brain is not just an adult brain […]

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+ Reading Rescue

A program for children with reading problems

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+ Taming a Toddler

Many parents wonder what hit them when their sweet little baby turns into an unreasonable toddler – ideas for dealing with mealtime, bedtime, temper tanturms, toilet training, noncompliance, etc.

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See more of our workshops


Contact

2720 Rath Street, Putnam, Ontario
NOL 2BO

Phone: (519) 485-4678
Fax: (519) 485-0281

Email: info@rickharper.ca

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Parents' Comments

“Our daughter was the joy of our life until she turned 13, then all hell broke loose. Rick helped us understand what was happening to her and we made some adjustments that helped us get through it. She’s now in University and doing well.”

(D.A. – St. Thomas)