Lois Letchford: Lincoln Project - Learning in a Jungle

2 Aug 2020 · 2 min

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1:50

In this brief presentation, author and educator Lois Letchford introduces herself as the writer of Reversed Memoir and Literacy Problem Solver and explains why the Lincoln Project’s theme “Slow to Learn, Slow to Forget” matters deeply to her. She recounts her second son Nicholas’s failure to pass first grade, describing the experience as being lost in a jungle—without a roadmap, solutions, or support. Letchford argues that a child’s learning should not depend on a series of accidental events, and she urges parents to convey this urgency to teachers. Emphasizing that children who are slow to learn are also slow to forget, she calls for instructional changes and stronger parent‑teacher communication so that all children can learn to read without feeling abandoned.

Chapters

Hello, I'm Lois Letchford, author of the book Reversed Memoir and Literacy Problem Solver, and I'm here to share with you The Lincoln Project Slow to Learn, Slow to Forget, and why it is so important to me. My son, my second son Nicholas, failed first grade. When he failed, I felt as if I was in a jungle. And dropped in a jungle. With no roadmap, no solutions, and no help provided. What do you as a parent do in this situation when all you see are trees and obstacles and no clear path? It becomes an obstacle course with no roadmap. Of the way out of the jungle. In fact, my son's journey and success happened by a series of accidents which allowed him to grow. Never should a child's learning become or grow through a series of accidents. And it's what makes me passionate. It's what makes What makes me say, parents, let's get this information to our teachers. Let them know that we can teach our children. Yes, they may be slow to learn, just like Lincoln, slow to learn, but they are also slow to forget. So how are we going to change the instruction so that our children do learn to read and parents don't feel like they are lost in a jungle? And have no roadmap. Thank you. Talk to you soon.