ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ.... Just 26 letters.

[FlamingoBlue]

That's all there are in the English alphabet. And so many words. What an amazing feat.

blue

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

With so few letters the west was able to accomplish movable type and send its message across the world, capturing most of it. The Chinese, on the other hand, had an alphabet of over 300 characters -- a true logistical bitch for typesetting.

 

[Renegade]

Blue

26 letters in the alphabet = 26 quick posts to up ones total.

Gotta love them letters.

 

[morninggirl5]

Actually, our alphabet is more fun backwards.


ZYXWVUT
SRQPONM
LKJ IHG
FED CBA

Now we know our ZYX's
Next time we will go to Texas!

 

[Kymberley]

the alphabet backwards

I used to work in a daycare. I had a little boy in our school who was such an angry child. He would go ballistic over the smallest things. It was horrible trying to control this child in his fits of rage. Even harder, was to do this without hurting him or allowing anyone to be hurt by his anger.

His father and I had lengthy discussions about these attacks on other students as well as the adults on our staff. It was realized that this little boy was quite fond of me and that he always talked about me at home.

I soon found out that when he had these raging attacks, I was the only who could calm him. He almost choked our director when he wrapped his hands around her necklace and was twisting it so tightly that she was gasping for air.

His fists bruised me more times than I can remember. I finally found the only thing that has ever worked to stop him.

I used to grab him and hold him on my lap while sitting on the floor. I wrapped my arms tightly around him so he couldn't swing at me and kept his legs together while wrapping my legs around his.

After having him immobile, I would start saying the abc's backwards very softly in his ear. His screaming would slowly disapate to the point of him mumbling the letters after I did.

We would continue saying the alphabet backwards. I would make him do it by himself, faster and faster each time, forcing him to think about what he was saying. It stops his fits every time.

His parents recently wrote the school's director to tell her what exactly was the cause of this anger. Some sort of mental chemical stuff. Don't really remember what it was called.

But my teaching him to say the alphabet backwards was how his parents, doctors and future teachers, learned to use in order to calm him down.

His poor little mind was so enrage, that it took a big distraction to slow the aggressive thoughts down, and the alphabet was what worked.

Amazing 26 letters if you ask me.

P.S.
I actually miss that little boy, he had the biggest heart when he was not angry. Used to bring me flowers and candy and hug me every day. Even on days I had to restrain him.

 

[Mischka]

Kymberly, you are an incredibly kind soul. I'm sure that little boy will always remember you as his favorite teacher. No one could top the compassion you showed him.

 

[freakygirl]

i had a friend in high school.. she moved here, i think in my junior year. She was taught BEFORE kindergarten, that it was the ZYX's, NOT the ABC's. She was also taught the sky was green, the grass was blue, red was yellow, yellow was red.. so on and so forth. She was put thru hell when she started school. They all thought she was retarded. That kind of abuse stayed with her for life. Her parents were cruel. They wanted to see if kids actually learned what they were taught or if we were born knowing everything. The were really intelligent people (both were doctors of some sort) but yet they were complete idiots.

 

[Kymberley]

*blushing*

Kymberly, you are an incredibly kind soul. I'm sure that little boy will always remember you as his favorite teacher. No one could top the compassion you showed him.

Not really Mischka, but thank you. I was just doing my job.

I would love to be at his high school graduation though. Just to see him walk across that stage would be wonderful.

He is now in 7th grade. I am so glad he made it so far without an serious disciplinary actions taken against him.

 

[Fly_On_Wall]

Kymberley thanks for shareing that.
that kind of a problem runs in my family(it's actualy a plethera of little problems built together but all of them are hereditary), but the only way doctors ever got me to calm down were drugs let me tell you drugs don't solve shit.
My dad had this so do me and my brother my two sisters carry it but it seems to affect boys alote more. my nephews are starting to show signs of it. and the oldest was just put on pills (like that's gonna help it hasn't anyone else so far)

but i'm gonna try what you did. thanks.


little rittle now what song is this?
ABCDEFGHIJKMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ. the name of this thread should help come to a solution of the song

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

They wanted to see if kids actually learned what they were taught or if we were born knowing everything. The were really intelligent people (both were doctors of some sort)

Reminds me of the doctor who taught his child to read by age three, just to show it could be done. It's so stupid. A child can learn anything by three, but what's the point of all that incessant drilling and pressure when his comprehension skills are still developing?

Kids (that don't have specific mental or physical problems) all catch up to each other eventually. A kid who reads at age four has no real advantage over a kid who reads by age six.

Kids don't need to be superhuman. Human is just fine.

 

[morninggirl5]

Dixon, there's a job opening for the Superintendent of schools here. Your last post convinces me you're supremely qualified for the position. Should I throw your name in the hat?

 

[Kymberley]

Please do try this

Kymberley thanks for shareing that.
that kind of a problem runs in my family(it's actualy a plethera of little problems built together but all of them are hereditary), but the only way doctors ever got me to calm down were drugs let me tell you drugs don't solve shit.
My dad had this so do me and my brother my two sisters carry it but it seems to affect boys alote more. my nephews are starting to show signs of it. and the oldest was just put on pills (like that's gonna help it hasn't anyone else so far)

but i'm gonna try what you did. thanks.


little rittle now what song is this?
ABCDEFGHIJKMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ. the name of this thread should help come to a solution of the song

I have used it a few other times since then on other children that were suffering from such aggressive behavior. You can tell when a good child is in such pain.

This trick saved him from having to take any more drugs. It was all they needed to calm him after that.

Make sure you use a calm soothing voice. And while holding them, keep your mouth as close to their ear as you can without getting hurt by them flinging their head towards you. Keep repeating their name softly to get their attention. Once you can feel their muscles relaxing a little, start in with the alphabet.

Good luck!

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

Dixon, there's a job opening for the Superintendent of schools here. Your last post convinces me you're supremely qualified for the position. Should I throw your name in the hat?

Is it an Open Court school? Do they start tracking in first or second grade? Is there arts exposure before Junior High? Do they classify ketchup as a vegetable? These are the things I need to know. LOL

 

[morninggirl5]

Is it an Open Court school? Do they start tracking in first or second grade? Is there arts exposure before Junior High? Do they classify ketchup as a vegetable? These are the things I need to know. LOL

District wide, I don't know about Open Court. There is no tracking in our school. Our kids get music once a week (will get Art again when we get a teacher). Ketchup is NOT a vegetable. It's served as a condiment. Almost every damned day. The next superintendent needs to do something about those packs that the kids can't open. It's one of the top priorities.

 

[Mensa]

Re: the alphabet backwards

I used to grab him and hold him on my lap while sitting on the floor. I wrapped my arms tightly around him so he couldn't swing at me and kept his legs together while wrapping my legs around his.

Why didn't I ever get a teacher like this? I didn't have rages, just urges!

 

[Kymberley]

Re: Re: the alphabet backwards

Why didn't I ever get a teacher like this? I didn't have rages, just urges!

I still tutor!

 

[Southern37]

Actually, our alphabet is more fun backwards.


ZYXWVUT
SRQPONM
LKJ IHG
FED CBA

Now we know our ZYX's
Next time we will go to Texas!

man i dont think i could even type the alphabet backwords..much less sing it!

 

[FlamingoBlue]

Kym, your insight into problem solving..

with love and the alphabet, is inspiring. You are kind lady.

bkue

 

[april-wine]

Re: Re: Re: the alphabet backwards

I still tutor!

signing up for a class right away.........

A kind soul indeed

 

[morninggirl5]

man i dont think i could even type the alphabet backwords..much less sing it!

It was actually harder for me to type than to sing. My kids love singing it backwards. Will throw off the Missouri State Police if they're ever arrested for DUI though. One of their sobriety tests is to sing the alphabet song backwards.

 

[lilminx]

Is it an Open Court school? Do they start tracking in first or second grade? Is there arts exposure before Junior High? Do they classify ketchup as a vegetable? These are the things I need to know. LOL

Do you mean Open Court as in the reading program that they use? Just curious, b/c my school makes me use that and i can't stand it... on another note, I have a child in my class who goes into rages sometimes as well, but otherwise a really cute, passive child. I've never witnessed any of his aggressive rages but his mother told me about them. She says that if it happens, to have him start listing the presidents in order and that it will calm him down. Not only can he do that, but he absolutely loves them- now THAT's what I call a patriotic kid.

 

[morninggirl5]

Lilminx,

Don't ask me what our school uses. There are two separate programs in K, a third different one in 1-3, and we are supposed to be implementing Four Blocks (which doesn't use basals at all).

I pretend like I'm using one of their programs and then shut the door and follow my Building Blocks guide.


I have heard wonderful things about Open Court from other people though. I've decided that it depends on your style. I personally would NEVER teach in a school that uses Saxon Phonics or Math, but there are teachers that love them, too.

 

[lilminx]

Lilminx,

Don't ask me what our school uses. There are two separate programs in K, a third different one in 1-3, and we are supposed to be implementing Four Blocks (which doesn't use basals at all).

I pretend like I'm using one of their programs and then shut the door and follow my Building Blocks guide.
I have heard wonderful things about Open Court from other people though. I've decided that it depends on your style. I personally would NEVER teach in a school that uses Saxon Phonics or Math, but there are teachers that love them, too.

I agree- but I think it depends on the individual child. Open Court is very phonics based in the beginning and then moves towards whole-language. The problem with it is that many of my kids who have disabilities have difficulty associating the picture on the alphabet card with the sound... for "short a" there's a lamb b/c the lamb says /a/ /a/ /a/ when he's calling for his mom in our "short a" story- very weird, and not good for our visual learners...
It's also not practical for the kids who already can put sounds together to make words... and we HAVE to use the dumb program... if not, Ihave people breathing down my neck about it...

By the way, sorry if this post doesn't make much sense- I'm in first grade teacher mode right now- lol...

 

[morninggirl5]

Makes perfect sense to me. And from that brief description, I couldn't use it either. I believe we must teach phonics but it needs to be balanced with real reading and writing activities. The kids that need the phonics the most are the ones who usually struggle with it in the beginning and they've got to have other activities to feel successful with.

Our school may be chosen to be an "America's choice" school next year and we're already dreading that. There are monitors in your room, everyday. I'm a teacher, I don't need someone looking over my shoulder telling me what to do.

 

[Ask For More]

With so few letters the west was able to accomplish movable type and send its message across the world, capturing most of it. The Chinese, on the other hand, had an alphabet of over 300 characters -- a true logistical bitch for typesetting.

Um, actually we don't have an alphabet...