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Removing a child from a traumatic environment does not remove the trauma from the child's memory.

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

Good parenting requires sacrifice. Childhood lasts for only a few brief years , but it should be given priority while it is passing before your eyes

It is what we say and do when we're angry that creates the very model our children will follow when dealing with their own frustrations.

Simple rules adhered to when children are young can prevent more serious problems later.

If you are headed in the wrong direction as a parent - you are allowed to make a U-turn.

"Moody" and "unpredictable" are adjectives parents will often use when referring to their teenagers.

Parents are the external regulator for kids who cannot regulate themselves.

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.

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

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The Value of “Reading Rescue”

I would like to give you an update on the progress of a young boy who has been taking the Reading Rescue program. He is a grade 4 student in a regular classroom, who because of significant learning problems has been  falling  behind his classmates in all of his subjects.

The reason for his reading problems is NOT because he can’t learn, it’s because of a  real learning disability. Most children learn to read in school following the usual curriculum and have few problems. Some children however experience a tremendous hurdle applying the reading skills taught in the conventional way. School systems of course recognize these children early in their school career and attempt to provide additional help and many of these “slow to learn how to read” students  do eventually pick it up.

The student that I am referring to however did not pick it up and because schools are reluctant to hold students back he has been promoted to grade 4 but was only reading at the preprimer level with little hope that he would advance beyond this level without some intensive work.

His parents contacted me regarding the Reading Rescue Program and I provided them with special phonics  material that was appropriate for his skill level  ( ie.sounds of individual letters) in a format that interested him and instructed mom and dad on a technique that taught him how to blend 2 sounds together (a consonant and the short vowel “a” sound), then 3 sounds until he was able to sound out 3 letter words with a medial short “a” sound (eg, sat, man, rag, etc.). This skill was then expanded into spelling short vowel sounds words.

He was then introduced to a number of “service words”  (words that may or may not be able to sounded out but make up much of our written language – example “the”, “and”, “come”, “”what”). We played many fun word games  with this ever expanding list of “sight words” and with his improving phonics skills based on vowel sounds (short, long, irregular),   he is now able to  read at the mid grade 2 level. After 4 1/2 years at school this boy had the reading skills of a typical 3 year old child. The school system continued to promote him and he appeared to be destined to be illiterate. After 4 months of 1/2 hour per night of Reading Rescue, this boy is well on his way to becoming a functional reader at the very least.

If you have a child who is not “getting it”, I invite you to give me a call.

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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

“Implementing Rick’s techniques and adhering to them is exhausting, but it is a healthy exhaustion rather than the detrimental exhaustion I used to experience.”

(B.F. – Woodstock)