Landmark Parents Association hosts a free presentation, “Dyslexia and the Reading Brain: Challenges and Unusual Gifts” by Dr. Maryanne Wolf Saturday, April 11, 9-11:30 a.m. at the Landmark High School Dining Room, 412 Hale Street, Beverly.
Acclaimed author, literacy expert and professor, Maryanne Wolf will present an evolutionary view of the reading brain that helps us re-conceptualize dyslexia and intervention. Individuals with dyslexia may possess a somewhat different organization of the brain that predisposes them to both challenges and unusual gifts. Wolf is the director of the Center for Reading and Language Research and professor of child development at Tufts University. A book signing of “Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain” will follow the presentation.
Registration is required and can be done online at www.landmarkoutreach.org/saturday.htm. Contact Irena Sinclair at 978-927-1456 or irenasinclair@comcast.net.
The school’s Outreach Program will host a free workshop, “Landmark’s Approach to Developing Phonemic Awareness” Saturday, May 9, 9-11 a.m. at the Elementary-Middle School campus, 167 Bridge St., Manchester. An overview of the Lindamood-Bell® LiPS Program and how it is used to impact decoding and written expression skills will be discussed, with ample time for questions. To register call 978-236-3216 or visit www.landmarkoutreach.org/saturday.htm.
Landmark School Invititation
Dyslexics Images Reversed
It took a while -- almost a century -- for the assumptions made about dyslexia in 1896 to catch up with Dr. Harold N. Levinson's theory, first espoused in 1973, about what he felt to be the cause of the malady.
"Dyslexia has remained a scientific enigma, defying most attempts at medical understanding, diagnosis, prediction, treatment and prevention," explains Levinson, a world-renowned psychiatrist and neurologist considered a pioneer in this field. "Few, if any experts have fully recognized how deeply this disorder impacts sufferers."
But what experts do agree on is the fact that dyslexia is not a form of retardation, but generally a reading and language disorder in which people see letters and numbers reversed. In fact, people with the condition often have average to above-average IQs. Prominent examples include Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Pablo Picasso and George Washington.
But, as Levinson sees it, dyslexia is much more than a reading problem: It's "an inner-ear syndrome," he says, "that can be easily treated with simple and safe combinations of inner-ear improving medications and related nutrients."
Levinson, former clinical associate professor of psychiatry at the New York University Medical Center, is currently director of the Medical Dyslexic and ADD Treatment Center (which is also known as the Levinson Medical Center for Learning Disabilities) in Great Neck, N.Y.
All About the Inner Ear
Through his work with dyslexics and those with learning, concentration and balance/coordination disturbances -- research he began when he first worked for the New York City Board of Education -- Levinson says that he uncovered the fact that all of his patients appear to have one thing in common: a malfunction within the inner-ear system. He credits his discovery with bringing about a dramatic medical breakthrough in the understanding, diagnosis and successful treatment of dyslexia and its many related signal-scrambling disturbances of the inner-ear and the cerebellum.
His work is described in his book Smart but Feeling Dumb: The Challenging New Research on Dyslexia -- and How It May Help You, now in a revised and updated paperback edition.
Complete with case histories and research that led to his medical breakthrough and the medical establishment's recognition of his theories, this book reports how you may be able to get safe, effective, immediate treatment for you or your child.
Detailed in his book are the origins, treatment and inner-relationships of dyslexia; learning disabilities; attention-deficit disorder; and anxiety and phobic disorders, based on the detailed examination and successful medical treatment of more than 35,000 children and adults.
He also says that his work resulted in an unforeseen side benefit: "While treating my reading-disabled patients, many of them confided in me that they had lost their phobias. They were no longer afraid of the dark, of escalators, of heights and much more."
"It seemed that these phobias also seemed to stem from inner-ear disturbances," he continues. "My patients began seeing unexpected improvements in a wide range of phobias, which are, to me, a warning signal from the body telling you you're not well enough or balanced.
"And so," he sums up, "the main message in my book is that there are hundreds of unexplained symptoms with differently named disorders -- all of which can be traced to hidden inner-ear problems [that] can be successfully treated -- even prevented -- by testing early before symptoms even arise."
http://www.jewishexponent.com/
Scientology Members
Scientology is like other religions in some ways. It seems the group believes in educating children in the principles of this religion early. Tom Cruise is preparing his daughter Suri for Scientology school now.
Suri, the daughter of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, turns three years old this month. According to newspaper reports, father Cruise is very interested that his daughter begin to learn Scientology and its precepts. The Mail reports that the school in question is New Village Academy in Los Angeles. This school was initiated by another actor and friend of Cruise by the name of Will Smith.
The tabloid reports that children at the academy begin to learn and accept individual responsibilities when they are very young. The diet of the school emphasizes nutritional standards that include low sugar, low-carb and low sodium meals. Other sources go on to say that the school includes what is called “study technology.” This technology reinforces the need to be responsible throughout life for one's behavior. The education is reported to cost $12,000/year.
Not long ago Cruise was in the news for maintaining that his dyslexia was cured through Scientology. This became a controversial topic among educators as well as those in the entertainment business. Dyslexia, according to experts, isn't cured but improved through special education methods, not just becoming involved in a religion.
Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis daughter, was introduced as a very young person to Scientology. She and her mother Priscilla learned about it through John Travolta, another famous celebrity who is a Scientologist. There wasn't the Will Smith new school for her to attend but the years of early education in the religious group have provided her with strong support for her beliefs and positions in the Scientology religion. She was reported to have been cured of drug addiction through Scientology.
Although there are frequent criticisms of Scientology in many quarters, primarily for its secrecy and what is alleged to be extreme ideas and brainwashing, Belief.net provides an overview of the group's beliefs that allow mature discussion about this religion that is frequently in the news
http://www.digitaljournal.com/
Learning Disabilites Way Of Henry Winkler
In the world of special education, Henry Winkler is as big a hero today as he was on television's "Happy Days" 30 years ago, when his role as the leather-jacket-wearing, motorcycle-riding "Fonz" made him one of the nation's most popular actors.
Winkler had to overcome a case of severe, undiagnosed dyslexia to pursue his career.
"Every one of you has greatness in you," Winkler, now 63, said recently in Short Hills, at a talk sponsored by the Winston School, a private school that serves students with dyslexia and other learning disabilities.
"It doesn't matter if you don't get a subject," he told the audience, which included many of the school's first-grade to eighth-grade students. "How you learn has nothing to do with how great you are. Your job is to find out what your gift is, what your contribution will be."
Winkler has continued his acting career since "Happy Days" ended its 10-year run in 1984, with dozens of roles on television and in movies. But Winkler's prominence of late has come as co-author of the Hank Zipzer series of books, which chronicle the misadventures of "The World's Greatest Underachiever," a boy with a learning disability similar to his.
In Short Hills, a crowd of about 550 packed the sanctuary at Temple B'nai Jeshurun to hear Winkler. Speaking in rapid-fire, clipped tones that often recalled the cadence used by the Fonz, Winkler came across as a combination motivational speaker, concerned parent and stand-up comic.
During his childhood in Manhattan, Winkler recalled, his German-Jewish immigrant parents didn't understand his learning problem. Their nickname for him was the German expression for "dumb dog."
"I was very bad in math, science, spelling, reading, writing and social studies. I was very good in lunch," he said.
And he wasn't much of an athlete, either: "In tetherball, I always got smashed in the face."
"My parents and teachers told me I was stupid, lazy and not living up to my potential," he said.
Winkler, who had wanted to be an actor since he was 7, never attended special-education classes, but he managed to make it through high school. He went on to earn a bachelor's degree from Emerson College in Boston and a master's degree in fine arts from the Yale University School of Drama.
At age 31, Winkler said, "I found out, I ain't stupid, I have something with a name -- I was dyslexic."
It was a huge relief, Winkler said, and today, he feels grateful for his disability, because it made him work harder and achieve more.
Pamela Bloom, head of Winston School, also located in Short Hills, said Winkler was an important guest speaker because her students have a lot in common with his younger self -- and that his success can serve as an inspiration.
"It's just pencil-and-paper tasks that are difficult for our kids," she said. "The rest of them is fantastic."
During a question-and-answer period, several students asked about the Hank Zipzer books. They were especially interested in knowing if any of the characters were based on real people.
Winkler said he used the real names of two teachers, Ms. Adolf and Mr. Rock.
The hard-hearted Adolf "was an actual teacher," he said.
The kindly Mr. Rock said, "'You're going to be okay,' but he was the only one," Winkler said.
In U.S. public schools, dyslexic students are classified under the category "specific learning disabilities" when they are recommended for special education programs. About 80 percent of students with a "specific learning disability" have a "primary disability" in reading and language processing -- with dyslexia the most common source of that disability, according to the International Dyslexia Association, based in Maryland.
Of the nearly 1.4 million students who attended New Jersey public schools from kindergarten through grade 12 in 2007, there were 90,356 students enrolled in special education programs for specific learning disabilities, or more than 6 percent of the total school population, according to data provided by the state Department of Education.
"There is no difference between a reading disability and dyslexia," explained Kathleen Selvaggi Fadden, a neurodevelopmental pediatrician and medical director in the Child Development Center at Morristown Memorial Hospital. Students thought of as dyslexic generally have a "severe" reading disability, which shows up in several symptoms, Fadden said.
Although the popular perception of dyslexia involves reversing letters, or reversing words, that's just one of the symptoms, Fadden said.
Dyslexic children are slow to learn the sounds made by letters. After they learn to "tap out" words phonetically, they may find it difficult to remember words without tapping them out each time they see them. Also, they have trouble reading and remembering words that don't follow phonetic rules.
Winkler and his wife, Stacey, raised two sons and a daughter. Winkler said he decided he would be different from his own parents and he made a point of constantly praising his kids and listening to what they had to say.
Winkler's learning disabilities persist to this day, but he said he's learned to deal with them. When he accepts a new TV or movie role, he said, "I get the script early and I read one ... word ... at ... a ... time."
Also, he said, he enjoys reading mystery novels and thrillers, even though reading remains a challenge. "I keep every book I have read on a special shelf," he said. "Every book I have read is a triumph."
by Ben Horowitz/The Star-Ledger
http://www.nj.com/
Answer For Dyslexia
Pittsburgh, PA, April 06, 2009 --(PR.com)-- It is estimated that 10-15% of the population struggles with dyslexia. Unfortunately, a large majority go undiagnosed – despite struggling to read or write throughout their lives. Usually bright in every other respect, dyslexics are often misunderstood, leading to frustration and low self-esteem.
Breakthrough research by Ronald D. Davis, author of the internationally acclaimed book, The Gift of Dyslexia, indicates that dyslexia is not a malfunction of the brain, eyes, or ears - it is a compound of simple factors which can be dealt with step by step.
Davis will be touring the US and Canada to conduct a series of lectures to present his breakthrough methods for treating people with dyslexia. Davis has helped many thousands of adult and child dyslexics all over the world to read, understand the dyslexic learning style, and enhance their natural creative ability.
Davis explains, “Dyslexics have a visual, multi-dimensional, picture-thinking style, and are less predisposed to word-based thinking.” It is this difference in perception and thinking style that causes dyslexics to have difficulty recognizing printed symbols - such as letters of the alphabet and written words. Their lack of verbal thinking also poses problems with teaching approaches which emphasize phonics and phonemic awareness.
According to Davis, confusion with symbols and abstract words cause a dyslexic’s perception to distort - resulting in the well-known transpositions, mistakes, fatigue, and frustration seen while reading and writing.
In order to successfully assist a dyslexic individual, one must address both the perceptual distortion, and the underlying confusion with symbols and words.
Davis asserts, “If control can be gained over perceptual disorientation by using simple mental processes, and language skills taught with methods adapted to picture thinkers, then someone who is dyslexic will be able to read and write without problems.”
Considered autistic from infancy, Davis grew up labeled a “dummy” at home and “mentally retarded” at school. Despite his severe learning disabilities, he became a successful engineer, businessman and sculptor. Davis was functionally illiterate until the age of 38 when he discovered a method that allowed him to stop the distorted perception that rendered words impossible to decipher - and to read a book cover-to-cover for the first time in his life without struggling.
Davis went on to research and develop training procedures known as the Davis Dyslexia Correction Program for dyslexic adults and children which are now changing the face of special education and learning disability correction throughout the world. These methods are geared towards the unique learning style of dyslexics. The unique aspects of his work include a series of perceptual and kinesthetic exercises called Davis Orientation Counseling, which quickly and easily enable people prone to disorientation, and who suffer from learning difficulties, to control the mental processes that cause distorted perceptions of letters, words and numerals.
Davis has also developed creative learning procedures called Davis Symbol Mastery which allows dyslexic students to think with symbols and words so they can learn to read easily, and with full comprehension. The process involves students modeling symbols and word concepts in clay, a multi-sensory process that enables them to exercise their creativity. With this approach, learning is permanent.
Ron and Alice Davis founded Davis Dyslexia Association International (DDAI) in1995. Its goals are to increase worldwide awareness about the positive aspects of dyslexia and related learning styles and to present methods for improving literacy. The Davis methods report a 97% success rate correcting (not curing) dyslexia and related conditions such as dysgraphia, dyscalculia, attention difficulties and dyspraxia. Today, there are more than 400 licensed Davis Facilitators worldwide providing Davis Programs in 40 nations and 30 languages.
Best-selling author, Ronald Davis, will present a public lecture on "The Gift of Dyslexia" on May 6 at Westmoreland County Community College from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Laurel Highlands Dyslexia Correction Center
Marcia Maust
(814) 267-5765
info@dyslexiapa.com
www.dyslexiapa.com
Fundraise For Reading Disablities
Faced with the elimination of its funding, the Understanding Disabilities Program of the Reading Public Schools is fighting for its life.
The directors of the 25-year-old not-for-profit program, which opens up conversations about disabilities with elementary school age children in order to teach about tolerance and acceptance, learned this year that it will not be a line item in the 2010 school budget. The district had contributed $20,000 each year to pay for a part-time director and related costs, according to director Ruth Clogston.
The UD program was originally started by Judy LeBlanc, a visually-impaired Reading resident who learned about a similar program in Newton. With LeBlanc’s support, UD eventually became a part of the third and fourth grade curriculas.
The program has grown to offer 68 programs district-wide, providing education in such issues as food allergies, hearing impairment, and learning disabilities.
Clogston said that the program has been very popular with students and teachers, as well with the community at large, and that she hears from former students who still remember the second grade “guided walk” that teaches about blindness.
“When you do hands on learning, it really stays with the kids,” Clogston said. “It is an incredible life lesson that they learn. Our children may face disability in their own life, in a friend or co-worker. We want them to become people who work with the disabled, who hire the disabled.”
With no funding available for next year, the UD directors have had to begin fundraising for the first time in the program’s history, in a year when donations to other organizations, such as school PTOs, have been reduced due to the bad economy.
“We are still evaluating how much we can raise,” Clogston said. “We are new to this, and we have to raise a lot of money in a short period of time.”
The district has offered “in kind” services such as copying, Clogston said, and School Committee members and administrators have expressed moral support, even while they cannot offer the program financial support.
“We are hoping for the best,” Clogston said.
Contributions to Understanding Disabilities are tax deductible and can be sent to Understanding Disabilities, Inc, PO Box 465, Reading, MA 01867.
http://www.wickedlocal.com/reading/homepage
The Tireless Pensioner
A PIONEERING pensioner has revolutionised help for adults and children with dyslexia during her work in the community over the past 20 years.
Rosemary Palmer, 83, offArgyle Road,West Ealing was nominated for by her colleague, Dineke Austin for her work as a long-serving member of the Ealing Dyslexia Association.
During her 20 years working for the charity, she raised funds for, set up and was course director for the Adult Dyslexia Group. The group runs evening classes which provide support and practical help for adults in Ealing with dyslexia and is the only class of it's kind in London.
Dineke Austin, of Midhurst Road, Ealing, called Rosemary "an inspiration to the teachers and adults" who take her courses and described her as a "worthy contender for the community champion award."
Dineke said adults with dyslexia have had their life chances "handcapped by this hidden disability, and even a six week course can so boost confidence, along with their skills profiles, that adults have gone on successfully to take up college courses and to gain employment in the local area".
"We all hope that we will still have her energy, enthusiasm, dedication and sense of humour when we're 83".
Rosemary, whose son suffered from dyslexia, worked as an English and drama teacher in west London schools for many years and after she retired was determined to try and help those with the condition.
She said:"I thought 'If I can do something, I'd like to do it.' I helped set up a voluntary group called the Adult Dyslexia Group five years ago and we did these six-week courses with a team of specialist teachers to try and assess whether adults had the condition. We'd also give them strategies on how to cope with dyslexia. The courses also provide a chance for people to meet people who are the same as them, for people who have dyslexia to realise that they aren't idiots. They know what they want to write but can't write it down.
"Dyslexia is still not truly recognised as a condition, it makes you angry when MPs come out and deny it exists. Some teachers still think that dyslexic children are just lazy because when they talk in class they seem fine but then they can't write what they're saying.
Even at the age of 83, Rosemary shows no sign of slowing down and continues to teach even to this day.
http://www.ealinggazette.co.uk/
Image captured by Brain controlled
A special region of the brain’s visual cortex, which is in charge of distinguishing between background and foreground images, called V2, is what makes brain cells remember things, according to a new study.
Neuroscientists at The Johns Hopkins University have demonstrated that nerve cells in V2 can “grab onto” figure-ground information from visual images for several seconds, even after the images themselves are removed from our sight.
“Recent studies have hotly debated whether the visual system uses a buffer to store image information and if so, the duration of that storage. We found that the answer is ‘yes,’ the brain in fact stores the last image seen for up to two seconds,” said Rudiger von der Heydt, a professor in Johns Hopkins’ Zanvyl Krieger Mind-Brain Institute, and co-author on the paper.
He also explained that the image, which the brain grabs and holds onto momentarily is not detailed, and is more like a rough sketch of the layout of objects in the scene.
This may partly explain how the brain creates a stable visual world for us when the information coming in through our eyes changes at a rapid-fire pace-up to four times in a single second.
The study was based on recordings of activity in nerve cells in the V2 region of the brains of macaques, whose visual systems closely resemble that of humans.
Located at the very back of the brain, V2 is roughly the size of a wristwatch strap.
In the study, macaques were rewarded for watching a screen onto which various images were presented as the researchers recorded the animals’ brain nerve cells’ response.
Previous experiments have shown that the nerve cells in V2 code for elementary features such as pieces of contour and patches of colour. And V2 codes these features with reference to objects.
For instance, a vertical line is coded either as the contour of an object on the left or as a contour of an object on the right.
During the study, the researchers presented sequences of images consisting of a briefly flashed square followed by a vertical line, and then compared the nerve cells’ responses to the line when it was preceded by a square on the left and when it was preceded by a square on the right.
The recordings revealed that the V2 cells remember the side on which the square had been presented, which means that the flashing square set up a representation in the brain that persisted even after the image of the square was extinguished.
Von der Heydt said that although the research is only a small piece of the “how people see and process images” puzzle, but it’s very important.
The results of the study may eventually make it possible to understand the mechanism of this phenomenon and to identify factors that can enhance or reduce this important function.
It could further help researchers in unravelling the causes of - and perhaps even identifying treatment for - disorders such as attention deficit disorder and dyslexia.
The study has been published in a recent issue of the journal Neuron. (ANI)
By ANI
Teaching has its rewards
When Yen Wei Shing and Lim Zhi Wei scored an A and a A* respectively for Chinese in the Primary School Leaving Examinations , teachers and pupils at Nan Chiau Primary School were stunned. Their results were unexpected as the 13-year-olds were known to be struggling with the subject. As children from single-parent families, both were too poor to afford private tuition.
Wei Shing also has dyslexia, which had caused him to consistently fail the subject. Zhi Wei, although a good student, had been falling behind in school, distraught that his mother was dying from brain cancer. One woman, however, turned their grades around. Upon learning of their plight, Chinese Language teacher Chin Seow Kiat tutored them a few times each week free of charge, counselled them and even offered Zhi Wei financial assistance.
What Madam Chin did for the two boys has been held up as an inspiring example of what schools and teachers can do for children with family problems.
'Teachers are in the front line, they are in touch with children, and if they can identify students who need help, their schools can reach out to them,' says Nan Chiau Primary's principal, Mr Tan Chung Ming.
With the downturn affecting many families, he says teachers like Madam Chin are even more crucial in helping to turn around boys and girls who might otherwise be overwhelmed by what is happening at home and let their studies slide.
Madam Christine Goh, 49, who is Wei Shing's mother and Zhi Wei's aunt, agrees.
'Madam Chin knew about my financial situation. My son and my nephew were not even her pupils but she went out of her way to help them,' says the unemployed widow with two older children aged 15 and 17. Her husband, a company manager, died from liver cancer in 1999.
It was a year ago that Wei Shing's Chinese Language teacher advised Madam Goh to get the boy tested for dyslexia.
'He was always failing, sometimes even getting zero marks for his tests,' she recalls. 'He struggled with reading and writing, and could not recognise characters. He would even write his surname wrongly.
'It was as though his brain was not wired to study Chinese. I couldn't afford a private tutor to help him.'
When tests confirmed her son did have the learning disability, Madam Goh decided he should drop the subject.
She had left her administrative assistant job about a year ago to look after her children, as well as her sister, Zhi Wei's ailing mother. Although she has sent out numerous application letters in the last six months, she says the recession has made it very difficult to get a job. She did not need another battle, helping her dyslexic son cope with Chinese.
But Madam Chin, who used to teach her daughter, advised her against doing so and offered to coach Wei Shing.
Madam Goh - whose children are all receiving financial assistance from their schools - recalls: 'I told Madam Chin that I wouldn't be able to pay her. She said: 'Who's asking you to pay?''
A graphic designer who took up teaching six years ago, Madam Chin says she decided to help Wei Shing for several reasons.
'If there is hope, you have got to pursue it,' she says. 'Knowing Chinese is very important and useful since China is such a powerful economy. Moreover, we are Chinese, how can we give up the language?'
Married to a graphic designer, she also believes that every child can be taught and that a teacher just needs to find the right method to do so.
In Wei Shing's case, she spent a lot of time encouraging him to speak, using everyday situations to explain the meaning of words, phrases and proverbs. She also used a lot of graphics and visuals to help him remember words.
They met two or three times a week, whenever Madam Chin coached her only child, Yi-Chao, who is of the same age.
Now a student at Sin Ming Secondary School, Wei Shing says Madam Chin was a patient teacher who made studying Chinese fun.
'She understood how I felt, knew when I was happy or sad,' says the bespectacled boy, adding that she would even take him out on little excursions when he did well.
'Yi-Chao also motivated me. When I did badly at tests, he would comfort me and tell me that there was always a next time.
'I never expected to score an A. I would have been very happy with a C.' Wei Shin obtained Bs for English and Science, and a C for Maths.
Zhi Wei also came under Madam Chin's wing last June. He was then staying with his aunt and cousin as his mother was critically ill from brain cancer, and was in and out of hospital. His father - whom he declines to talk about - was not around to help him and his elder brother cope with the trauma. His studies started to suffer.
Madam Goh says: 'He was very down and couldn't concentrate on his schoolwork. Sometimes, he would cry himself to sleep.'
When Madam Chin found out what he was going through, she got him to join Wei Shing and her son.
'She was very kind and encouraging, telling me not to give up. She motivated me to study hard for my mother,' says Zhi Wei, adding that the sessions cheered him up.
Unfortunately, his mother's condition took a turn for the worse.
'On the day I took my PSLE Chinese Comprehension, she slipped into a coma,' he says softly.
However, he aced the exams, scoring A* for Chinese, and As for English, Science and Maths. His results got him into Chung Cheng High School, a Special Assistance Plan school.
He keeps quiet when asked if his mother - who died in January this year without waking up from her coma - knew he had done so well.
Madam Goh says: 'She knew. One of my other sisters told her that her wish for Zhi Wei to do well came true, and even though she could not respond, tears fell steadily from the corner of her eyes.'
Nan Chiau Primary's principal, Mr Tan, hopes that more teachers could be like Madam Chin, especially during this downturn. Besides applications for financial assistance, there are other signs which indicate the recession has made life tough for many of his pupils.
'For instance, we've suddenly got a lot of parents questioning why the school is subscribing to certain publications for their children. It's a clue that they are trying to tighten their belts and cutting down on expenses.
'I tell my teachers to look out for tell-tale signs such as rebellious behaviour or slipping grades among the students. The issues could be a lot deeper,' says Mr Tan, adding proudly that some of his staff even dig into their own pockets to help needy pupils buy books and other necessities.
The fourth of six children of a businessman and a housewife, Madam Chin says her late father always taught his children to repay society.
It explains why the grassroots leader at Punggol 21 Community Centre has always been active in community work.
'He said I have to follow my grandfather's sense of justice. My grandfather studied in Japan and was a supreme judge in Guangzhou. His name is in the history books,' says the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts graduate who switched to teaching because she felt that nurturing young minds was one of the best forms of community work.
To help families in need during the recession, she plans to round up a group of teachers to conduct extra classes after school.
Madam Chin says if teachers set a good example, their pupils will follow. 'I tell Wei Shing and Zhi Wei that just as I have helped them, they should also help others when it is their time.'
She still keeps in touch with her two charges even though they have left Nan Chiau Primary.
Wei Shing sheepishly admits that he is struggling with his Chinese again. Zhi Wei, meanwhile, also says that Higher Chinese - which he is now taking - is a lot harder than expected.
Madam Chin is already making plans to help them. 'If they need help, of course I will help.'
http://www.asiaone.com/
