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The Huron Expositor, 1983-10-19, Page 3`Ii1E HURON EXPO$ITOI%, OCTOBER 19, 1933.... A3 r �,1,ljiererts'no Mere•impottant. No skill t Icb Can cau#q beginners and parents more saxiety, er wlth success, more enjoyment, yiel d' r reed reu Insch of and eventual Y'�' � P Bre participation as a citizen. Reading is still THE essential -skill and will be for the for seeable future, if only to decipher the instructions on the computer's video display terminal. In elementary school .staff rooms and around kitchen tables you'll hear aruments about. reading and how it's taught. -"Maybe rlte';bright kids can pick it up jst fine with these new discovery methods. But ordinary ids•need drills," says a retired teacher. ',What they're doing in Grade I looks a lot ino(e, like flaying than learning' to me," says a. parent. My daughter is wetting letters to het''.grandma and loves reading us the books we've read her," says another, "somebody mutt be doing something right." HOW DO WE LEARN? ' So, how do our kids learn to read these days? And how can parents help them? The thing to remember, those who teach small children say, is that learning to read is like learning to talk. Small kilo, most of them, learn to talk in a warm, loving atmosphere where they get plenty of praise.Nobody tries to break down kerning to talk into tiny steps andinsist babies go through them in orderly fashion. But that's how we have taught reading, breaking it down into tiny bits that bored and frustrated children. The learning was tightly wgtrolletld by teachers. That's not how we learn to. talk. "All of a sudden'out it came," says primary co-ordi- nator Louise Wilson about a baby's first word. And the reaction of a baby's family to that first word says a lot about what atmosphere is best for learning. Parents are delighted with that first "da da". It's accepted as natural that a baby calls everything "da da" for awhile. The happiest reaction comes of course when it's address- ed to daddy so eventually the baby throws out the incorrect uses and "da da" means daddy. SELF -CORRECTION This self -correction is important in learning to read too. When a beginning talker says "da da," "nobody replies 'you'll sit right here and practise until you can say daddy' ", says Mrs. Wilson. Supportive teachers and parents adopt the same attitude with beginning readers. "Don't be too quick to correct. See if they can figure it out, if they read 1 was a house' instead of '1 saw a'°house'." Beginning readers do eventually correct themselves. Then finding the error is a discovery instead of the humilation that can result from someone else pointing out your mistakes. Calledthbdatural language approach, the reading program now underway lin Grade 1 et Seaforth Public School uses a wide variety Of 'skills like phonics and the child's own laugugge. Emphasis is on gettingg the message across rather than on individual letters and words. A story about 'a threeJieaded monster, illustrated with big- ger than adult -size monsters climbing up the classroom wall, was all done by students. More exciting, and more meaningful to them than Dick and Jane and Snot. . Learningto read parallels learning to talk, says Mrs. Wilson. There aren't rules at first but the qualities a beginner needs include curiosity, persistence; self-reliance, a good memory and concentration. "It doesn't matter what your I.Q. is. Stimulate all those things and you'll help your child learn to read." As children write and illustrate their own stories in their own words, Grade 1 teacher Mike Park transcribes them into English in the final polished version, complete with "About the author". A quiet corner is filled with easy, lively kids' books; the kids can listen to tapes and follow along in a book, and there are science (with two rats, formerly a snake) and workbench areas. Kids read each other's books. One, My Bumble Bee, includes a song that anybody in Grade 1 will sing if you ask. AIS WORDS Another child's book is made up of signs and logos he's collected. The words, like Coke, Sears, V-8, are his words, ones that most kids learn to recognize in this print -bombarded world. Students draw pictures, write their stories themselves and read them to the teacher who will give them the model for their words in polished form, The idea is that the more they write, the closer their efforts will get to the model. Sometimes Mr. Park divides the child's sentence into word cards. The students practise mixing up the words and getting them into the right order to describe the picture. As well, teachers use big books the whole class can see to read to everyone at once. A quick look in a classroom which has a variety of activities going on instead of the traditional children -at -desks -in -rows, can lead people to assume what goes on in Grade 1 these days isn't learning.. That's not so, Mike Park says. "Sister Valerie, from the London Separate School Board talks about play as discovery and the difference between excitement and enthusiasm. There are signposts in drama, in how they play with blocks, in painting, that tell you lots about a child's intellectual, physical and emotional development." You've also got to have respect for peoples' abilities and levels. Pointing to Tuckersmith tax collector on the warpath in 1883 On tib® y © aggno 1 OCTOBER 12,1883 Mr. McConnell, the clerk of Tuckersmith has completed the collector's roll and has handed -'it over to Mr. Carnochan, the collector who has already commenced his duties and will continue on the warpath until the uttermost farthing is paid. But as the farmers of Tuckersmith are wealthy and always have plenty of money the collecting of taxes in this township is never a very tedious or unpleasant operation. Mr. J.P. Brine will have his usual Saturday sale at the Commercial Hotel in this town on Saturday next, when a lot of furniture and other traps will be offered for sale. OCTOBER 16, 1909 Perched near the top of a 20 foot ladder, Mr. Michael Downey of St. Columban was filling a bag with apples. Suddenly the ladder toppled over and he fell to the ground. Michael is still bruised and sore, but all are pleased to see him walking around again. A few days ago Mr. and Mrs. Martin Ryan enroute for Seaforth collided with a runaway team on the Huron Road. The old couple were badly shaken up, their buggy was demolished and Mrs. Ryan's arm was broken in three places. READ),(JG TOGETHER—Marg Lamont and son Chad, six, who's In Grade 1 at SPS share a story. "Chad likes making up stories and telling them. I wanted to find out how I could help Chad ready" and attended the meeting at the school to get different Ideas. "1 Just color in scrap books and then make up a story for my coloring," Chad says. (Wasalnk photo) one Grade 1 student's sentence that was apparently random letters, and another's paragraph which was close enough to formal English to be easily read, by anyone, he says "how can you put both on the same page with the same book and expect them to learn?" \To discover how we learn to read, educators studied children who learned to read before they came to school. Among the things they all had in common were parents Mr. James Cumming has sold his fa�rrmrit on the 7th concession of Tuckersmith to Kennedy, The farm contains 100 acres and the price, paid was 55000. OCTOBER 13, 1933 Mayor A.D. Sutherland has received word from the office of the secretary to the Governor General that their Excellencies Lord and Lady Bessborough will stop in Seaforth on Wednesday Oct. 18 at 5 p.m. while on tour of the area. Mr. and Mrs. Wilfred Colerhan were pleasantly surprised on Friday evening last when over two hundred neighbors and relatives held a reception for them following their recent return from their honeymoon. The badminton club had a large turnout at its annual meeting. J.M. McMillan was elected president and A.Y. McLean vice president. OCTOBER 17, 1958 Two youthful Huron farmers took 8th place at the international Plowing Match on Friday. Robert Fotheringham. Brucefieid and Donald Petrie, Brussels, teamed up to tie for 8th place 'in the intercounty competition. A .ribbon cutting ceremony marked the official opening of the newly named Gibbings Bridge and of the recently completed pavement from No. 8 highway to R.C.A.F. Station. Clinton. Mr. Jim Murray. accountant at the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce in Seaforth since 1948 left here on Wednesday for Dundalk where he becomes manager. His wife and two children will be following shortly . Terms From page terms of the bylaw, Mr. Charron agreed, but said, "the granting of a variance would allow for greater privacy in the backyard by allowing a backyard of 23 feet in width, rather than 13 feet. The variance would increase the separation from the easterly neighbor. On reviewing this matter we .cannot see how anyone in the neighborhood will be prejudiced by this proposed development. Mr. Charron did make mention of the garage in his decision. "it is our opinion that the sketch of the proposed development which accompanied the application for this variance and which showed a 900 square foot attached garage to be built fronting on James Street, worried the neighbors unduly and probably prompted the objection which we heard. Even without the variance, if the proposed garage meets' the bylaw require- ments, it can be built." "On the planning evidence, we see no reason why this variance should not be granted." DEMOLISHED Before the OMB decision was received, Mr. Medd sold the James St. property to David and Loral Cobb of Toronto. The new owners demolished the new foundation and levelled the backyard. They have since applied for a heritage designation for the Victorian -style house. After the committee's approval of Mr. Medd's request for a variance back in June, foundations were poured for the new house without a building permit. A stop work order was put on the construction by building inspector Herman Van Wieren. Mr. Medd's second appearance in provincial court in Goderich is scheduled for Thursday. The OMB decision upholding the commit- tee of adjustment's approval of the minor variance was no surprise to Mr. and Mrs. Medd. "We expected no other decision than 5 that," says Mrs. Medd. "After dealing in real estate for several years, we have found the most important thing is location," she says. "You don't build near a waste disposal site or bad neighbors. They both smell." The OMB decision proves. says Medd lawyer. Paul Ross that "you can't for no good reason. prevent someone else from doing what he wants." His client was hurt by the appeal and those who made it should realize that with democratic rights go responsibilities. he added. UNNECESSARY? "The OMB hearing was unnecessary," says David Tremeer, one of the objectors. "According to the deed, the property was being sold four days prior to the hearing. The deed was signed on the day of the hearing and registered two days later. "The taxpayers of Ontario ate paying for an unnecessary hearing and we had to pay for an appeal that was unnecessary. it's too bad for the neighbors and the Medds." "1 was disappointed the OMB chairman upheld the committee's decision," says Bob Rogerson, lawyer for Mr. and Mrs. Tremeer. "in light of the sale of the property which was completed on Sept. 15, it looks like the hearing was unnecessary. Perhaps that is why Mr. Medd did not testify at the hearing." A second objector to the minor variance, Richard Burgess, was satisfied with the OMB' s decision. "1 accept the situation with no malice or ill -will to anyone. 1 made the appeal -because it vas an avenue freely open to citizens. I wanted to make sure what 1 had to say was heard. I'm satisfied that 1 did have my say. "it was the process that was important to me • the right to appeal beyond the local decision. I'm satisfied the process is a valid one." who expected them to succeed, and gave them praise even if they weren't perfect. The kids were used to being read to and they were encouraged to take risks. "Surely risk taking is needed all over the place in this day and age. Let's start early helping our kids to have that confidence," says Louise Wilson of the Huron board of ' education. A good strategy for living as well as reading. pan I help my child read at home? How can 1 help my child learn to read at home? It's a fairly new question because for years the schools weren't in favor of learning to read at home. Leave it up to us, the expterts, the schools said. But 'whoa asks 'sh M lel I teach my child to talk at home?' says New Zealand author and reading authority Marie. Clay. An atmosphere at home that helps a child learn to read is almost as basic as an atmosphere that encourages speech. And the schoolsnow encourage parents' participation. About 15 of them sat on tiny chairs at SPS grade 1 classroom and heard reading consultants- ideas on how to encourage reading at home on a recent evening. it's important- that children expect success, not failure, from trying 'again. Constant failure and parentgf anxiety about reading (or about anything)) mean a 'child will refuse to try. Arrange challenges kids can- meet, because they need the experience of success,",says Ms. Clay. Children surrounded!, by books and people who read for pleasure will want to learn to read. Read with them, read to them as much -as you can, says Carol Simons of the Huron Board of Education. Encourage their questions, answer them fully and help them express themselves: Talk to them, explain what you're doing. encourage them to communicate with you. UPSIDE DOWN Encourage reading and writing, even if as with a pre-schooler, the book is held upside down. That child knows books contain a messagea�nd that's an important beginning. Have materials around - papers and pencils, — expensive things aren't necessary. Provide plenty of experiences. A trip to the gr&ery store can develop reading skills as a parent sends a child to find the Mr. Clean." Even a two-year-old knows from looking at the box when he's getting Cheerios instead of his favourite Rice Krispies, one of the reading consult- ants pointed out. Story hours, such as those many schools now organize for pre-schoolers and the Saturday afternoon sessions at local libraries, are helpful. Bedtime stories are great too, but reading experts say not to turn them into teaching sessions. Enjoy- ment , fpr parent and child is more important. Don't try tb teach a child to memorize stories, but don't correct one who's trying to "read" stories from memory. POINTING Although you can point to unusual words or repetitive words once in awhile during the bedtime story, it's not necessary to point it out word by, word. "I tiled for awhile," says the father of a four-year-old, "but we both got really bored." Skill at predicting things is Useful for reading, so encourage a questioning attitude towards what you read, and occasionally ask "what's going to hppen next?" To emphasize the impact reading at home can have on a child, junior coordinator Carol Simons showed, the grade 1 parents a box of her daughter's earliest books and toys, stored for years in her basement. From bedtime story books to reference works for an ' older child, puzzles and scrapbooks, almost all were about animals or science. The, daughter is now an animal health technician. With 24 children in the class, four or five minutes a day one, to one "is all that's possible for me," teacher Mike Park told the parents. Spend 15 minutes a night with your child and a book, he suggested. "The extra help you give them by doing that just can't be measured." Bq46;t14pt;rsMe • 0ay 4\1.\1) v w qk 8 i war `, 'be e, wok wg5 t he Mcika` i vbs 'in !e0BA ch s,\gyp Twos 591-1)viggrUbJ Me deaek r o b I V) Qrciv ; f jcjth cf O ctP i7.Bet �nn11 ` D she psngi 5 no+ 6 i 9 fop* SOW+ A.beginning reader wrote this story in her own words. It says: "Big Foot Captures Me. One day when 1 went to bed 1 heard a big crash. 1 went to see what was the matter. I was only a baby. When I saw Big Foot, i was scared. Hegrabbed.me. !didn't cry for I was brave. 1 liked it with Bigfoot except 1 beat him up. Snip,' snap, snout, Bigfoot Is out." Plan for the future in waterworks, PUC told Though Seaforth's waterworks system is in good shape, the Public Utilities Commis- , sion should be preparing for the future, recommends the final report of the water- works system prepared by B.M. Ross and Associates. . r ,,• .411 ,1 rp, ,ow The report. which cost the PUC 58500, says the 60 -year-old elevated water' tank should be replaced in 10 to 15 years and suggests increasing the reserve fund to pay for a new tank. "The situation now is not critical. We've got a good water system but we have a 60 -year-old tank and we have to look down the road and make preparations," says PUC manager Tom Philips. The commission decided to seek financial advise from its auditor for, possible funding of the new tank. The report recommended increasing the water rate by 43 'per cent if the tank is built in 10 years or by 34 per cent if it is built in 15 years. Making the hospital more like home A 43 per cent increase would bring the rate from 56 up to 58.10 a month which is inexpensive compared to many other towns, says Mr. Phillips. A report done ip ,1969. made ,,,)PUC etiairmiui,, Gord' I ii))nt,aii question the lie expectancy of the water tank. The 1969 report recommended that the tank be replaced by 1972 to supply enough water to the increased population it projected. "I'II bet that tank is still standing long after we're all gone," he says. "The tank's in good shape now but in 15 years it'll be 75 -years -old and we may be asking for trouble." says Mr. Phillips. , The commission decided it was not equipped to install the street lighting at the Seaforth and District Community Centres as the arena management committee request- ed. Though the PUC would be able to install the underground wiring for the 11 lights at the/arena; the manager says it is not Mayor Alf Ross agreed that the PUC quafied, to install the concrete .poles would be competing with area contractors if . requested. it did the job since the arena management . "We're not concrete experts; that's a committee'sletter asked the PUC to do the contractor's job. The PUC is part of . the job rather than asking for a price or a tender. community so we should half ti,efogtnegdpy �: Yif rlebod g a area canide is job, effort but in concrete w-, re sie[elpin oobr t `fine",r' at we . g t med. aur b ounds somebody else's toes, ii "says. here," says Mr. Pu man. County plans museum study. Another step towards determining the to cover the study cost. future of the Huron County Pioneer Museum The consulting firm chosen will be has teen taken by county council. considering community needs as part of the Tenders will be called from at least five study. The terms of reference outline two consulting firms for a feasibility study of the considerations - a place needed to house museum, county council decided Oct. 5. historic artifacts and a location for them. The county's agriculture and property The consulting firm will listen to county committee presented the terms of reference council, residents, Service clubs, boards of for such .a study. Also approved was the education, genealogical societies, chambers authorization to apply for Wintario funding of commerce - business improvement areas, historical societies, tourist associations and other cultural groups. Other aspects to be considered are the needs of the collection. programming. the type of building needed to house the artifacts, the future operating costs and the cost of both a renovated or new facility. COi'JV►SLJVYOJRII Y CALIEREDAR • Seaforth Community Hospital is home to about 11 chronic care patients so Mary Margaret Nash is working at making the hospital feel more like home. As part of the hospital's 21/2 year old activation program, she is decorating the sun room with Hallowe'en masks, bales of straw, vegetables and a 236 pound pumpkin. "It gives the patients something else to look at rather than the four walls; it's something different. A hospital doesn't have to be justa white, sterile environment," she says. An RNA at the hospital, Ms. Nash has been working with the activation program for a year now. The program gets the long-term patients -who for medical reasons must stay in the hospital rather than a nursing home involved in activities such as music, crafts, skits and parties on special days. A garden planted at the hospital this spring produced enough plants for three plant sales which brought 530 each time for the activation program. The profits bought decorations and supplies for crafts. An orientation board has also been made recently which displays the weather, the date, and the upcoming holiday to give the patients something to look forward to, says Ms. Nash. RECIPES A current project for the program is a recipe book which staff and clergy are contributing to before the deadline at the end of October. Once the chronic patients put the book together, they may attempt the recipes. Every Monday and Thursday, theatients meet with Ms. Nash for activities or entertainment by local talent. Thursday is the best day for conversation since it's the day The Huron Expositor is read aloud. Ms. Nash says columns like In The Years Agone spark conversation about the youth of the patients. "it's fascinating listening to them talk. if 1 only sat down to listen to the living history they could tell. 1 should get their stories recorded with a tape � der," she says. The activation program is designed to keep patients motivated and participating as much as possible. "One lady used to play the piano and do If you're organizing a non-profit event of interest to other Seaforth area resid nts, phone the recreation office at 5 7-0882 or the Expositor at 527-0240 od mail the information to Community -Calendar, The Huron Expositor, Box 69, geaforth, Ontario NOK 1WO well in advance of the scheduled date. Space for the Community Calendar is donated ' by The Huron Expositor. Wednesday, October 19 1.3 p.m. Parents & Tot Skating Friday, October 21 Lucan vs Centenaires, 8:30 p.m. Saturday, October 22 Public Skating. 1:30-3 p.m. The public is invited to Open House at the brand new Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority building at the, Morrison Dam in Exeter, ABCA shares the administration building with the Township of Usborne and the two are co -sponsoring the open house. It's from iD a.m. til 3 p.m. and coffee and donuts will be served. AUTUMN ATMOSPHERE -.Hallowe'en masks, a bale of hay, a scarecrow and a 2343 pound pumpkin donated by Edwin Bach, of Brodhagen decorate the sun room of the Seaforth Community Hospital as part of the activation program. Patients Mike Coyne of Seaforth end Steven Poppe, of Dublin, alt with program coordinator Mary Margaret Nash and enjoy the decorations. (Photo by Hundertmark) bead work but after her stroke she had a lot of difficulties doing either. When we had a duet here playing the piano and the violin, you could just see her remembering how she played the piano when she was young. We also held a bead workshop where she supervised and she really erlj, oyes flat." Although the program is progressing -well, Ms. Nash says she could always use the help of volunteers. "We can always use someone sincere who loves . to help people out. Just having someone there to read to them or talk really helps," she says. Sunday, October 23 Tavistock vs Centenaires. 2:00 p.m. IHL: 7 p.m: Penguins vs Canadians 8:30 Rangers vs Bruins 10:00 -Flyers vs Hawks. Tuesday, October 25 Ladies Fun Day at Curling Club, 4 p.m. start. Call Joan .Beuerman 345- 7209. Egmondville United Church, Fowl Supper, Wed. Oct. 26. Saturday, October 29 Hallowe'en party at Seaforth Branch library, at 1:30 p.m. Ages 3 to 8 welcome. Prizes for best costumes. Free admission.