When the narrator and his sister, Sally, are stuck home alone in the rain, The Cat in the Hat walks into their house and insists on showing them how to have lots of good fun that is funny even though the sun is not sunny. The fish loudly, and futilely, protests the Cat’s offer. Sally and the narrator say nothing at all, and so the Cat in the Hat commences to have fun.
The Cat in the Hat’s idea of a good time is to ignore the fish in the pot’s protestations that he should not be in the house when their mother is out, and that the fish does not like his games, not one little bit. Instead, the Cat bounces merrily up and down on a ball while balancing a cup and a cake on the top of his hat, then adding books, a toy boat, a rake and, most precariously, the fish himself. Inevitably, the Cat in the Hat comes down with a bump from up there on the ball, and Sally and the narrator see all the things fall.
Undeterred by the mishap, the Cat in the Hat continues to ignore the fish in the pot’s orders to get out of the house and fetches his friends, Thing One and Thing Two. The two Things share the Cat's ideas about fun; they ignore all warnings and proceed to make a complete mess, flying kites in the house, bumping them down the wall in the hall.
Finally, the fish in the pot sees that mother is on her way home. The wrath of mother is about to befall them all. The narrator, heretofore a silent observer of the Cat’s depredations, springs into action, trapping Thing One and Thing Two in a net, and throwing the Cat in the Hat and his Things out of the house.
In The Cat in the Hat, Dr. Seuss illustrates archetypal attitudes about fun. The Cat in the Hat believes fun is dangerous, destructive conduct carried out in spite of the warnings of a stick in the mud or, in this case, a fish in the pot. The Cat personifies those people who believe fun is possible only if one risks life and limb, and makes a huge mess. The Cat is insensitive to the idea that perhaps not everyone finds such activities enjoyable.
The fish in the pot can’t understand why the Cat finds enjoyment in irresponsible behavior that will undoubtedly require someone else to step in to either heal an injury or clean up a mess. Surely it is more enjoyable to have fun in a way that does not risk health, and that does not involve equating the amount of fun experienced to the size of the mess produced. Sadly for the fish, he does not have hands, or any other way to enforce his standards. Without any authority in the household, the fish in the pot is reduced to simply shouting at the Cat to get out of this house, an order the Cat ignores.
The narrator and Sally do not appear to be having fun at any point in the book. If the Cat wished to entertain them, he fails miserable. But neither child protests the Cat’s activities until the narrator’s burst of responsibility towards the end of the book. Unable to join in the Cat’s games, they are also unable to articulate their discomfort with the Cat.
The Cat, surprised that no one but himself and his cronies like his games, leaves with a sad kind of look. The fish in the pot, the narrator and Sally gaze at the mess that is so big and so deep and so tall that they cannot clean it up, there is no way at all.
At this point, the author resolves the problem of the mess by having the Cat in the Hat break character and return to clean up his mess. While the Cat's return certainly solved the problem of the big mess, the reader is left wondering if someone as devoted to irresponsible fun as the Cat would really come back just to pick up all the things that were down. While this action may hint at an unexplored complexity in the Cat’s character, it may also be nothing more than the author finding an easy way out of a tricky situation.
The book certainly buys into the popular notion that irresponsible conduct is fun. In the end, no permanent damage is done, and the narrator and Sally do not even get in trouble. The fish in the pot is returned to his bowl. The Cat in the Hat picks up his mess, but no mention is made of him straightening out the rake he bent, or repairing the cake that has had a toy boat sunk into it. Thing One and Thing Two simply disappear back into a box, ready for their next foray into fun at someone else’s expense. No one suffers any long-term consequences from the Cat’s depredations in the name of fun.
In his book, Dr. Seuss creates four categories of attitudes about fun: (1) The Cat in the Hat’s thrill-seeking drive to have a good time; (2) Thing One and Thing Two’s participation that enables the Cat’s bad behavior; (3) the fish in the pot’s nervous, yet powerless, protests against irresponsible fun; and (4) the narrator and Sally’s unwilling participation as a silent, yet still disapproving, audience.
The character I identify with the most in The Cat in the Hat is the fish in the pot. This may simply be a reflection of my current occupation, because moms are typically expected to clean up the mess and take care of the injured. The Cat in the Hat, on the other hand, exemplifies the childish tendency to go hog-wild and think about the consequences later.
In the end, only half the characters in the book have fun. The reader is left wondering if there is a way to have fun that involves all four categories of characters. Perhaps the Cat’s willingness to pick up his mess signals some remorse on the Cat’s part, and a possibility that he may be willing to have fun in a way that encourages the more cautious characters to join him in his games, rather than alienating them.
Which character best personifies your idea of fun?
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
Thwarted Ambition
Some day, Ben will realize that the sole reason he is not a world famous photographer is because I wouldn't give him the camera.
(On an unrelated topic, I think he's right-handed.)
(On an unrelated topic, I think he's right-handed.)
Friday, July 25, 2008
Me
Okay, at long last a few pictures. There are only a few but here they are.
First of all as the Post title says is Me. Never had facial hair for this long.
Next is a Picture of my team just after we got in country. Obviously early as all our beards are little more than a couple days worth of stubble.
Next are a couple pictures for Da of the Olive grove behind our barracks buildings.
A small tree that I could get into the frame from up close.
And Finally a Sunset.
The dust gets so bad that sometimes the sun will set into the dust in the air a couple hours before it reaches the actual horizon. About five minutes after I took this picture the sun was gone for the day.
Disregard the dark line just above the sun that is an error from the camera or something.
So not many pictures. None of us on my team are really taking many. We can't take pictures inside our office tent, and we stagger our shifts throughout the day so we really don't spend much time hanging out. And try as I might, even though I always have my camera with me. I have yet to get a picture of the Monitor Lizards that live around our work tent. These things are huge. The smallest one I've seen was about four feet long. But they don't bother us, and they compete for food with the local poisonous snakes so where there are lizards there are no snakes. So they help keep us safe that way as well.
I will try to find more stuff to take pictures of. I promise.
Hope you enjoyed these ones.
First of all as the Post title says is Me. Never had facial hair for this long.
Next is a Picture of my team just after we got in country. Obviously early as all our beards are little more than a couple days worth of stubble.
Next are a couple pictures for Da of the Olive grove behind our barracks buildings.
A small tree that I could get into the frame from up close.
And Finally a Sunset.
The dust gets so bad that sometimes the sun will set into the dust in the air a couple hours before it reaches the actual horizon. About five minutes after I took this picture the sun was gone for the day.
Disregard the dark line just above the sun that is an error from the camera or something.
So not many pictures. None of us on my team are really taking many. We can't take pictures inside our office tent, and we stagger our shifts throughout the day so we really don't spend much time hanging out. And try as I might, even though I always have my camera with me. I have yet to get a picture of the Monitor Lizards that live around our work tent. These things are huge. The smallest one I've seen was about four feet long. But they don't bother us, and they compete for food with the local poisonous snakes so where there are lizards there are no snakes. So they help keep us safe that way as well.
I will try to find more stuff to take pictures of. I promise.
Hope you enjoyed these ones.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Memories
Since others have asked here is our edition:
1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.
I didn't edit the wording to say so, but Melinda and I are both fair game.
Oh and I promise, at least a couple pictures are coming soon. I just have to remember to get the memory chip our of the camera.
1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.
I didn't edit the wording to say so, but Melinda and I are both fair game.
Oh and I promise, at least a couple pictures are coming soon. I just have to remember to get the memory chip our of the camera.
Book Review: Watership Down by Richard Adams
Yes, I know it’s talking bunnies. But that’s what makes Watership Down so amazing. With characters whose line of sight is about 8 inches off the ground, and who can’t hold a sword or do magic, Adams wrote one of the best fantasies in print.
Hazel’s brother, Fiver, has a vision foretelling the destruction of Sandleford Warren. When Hazel brings the danger to the attention of the Threarah, the Threarah shrugs off the warning. Frustrated, Hazel leaves the warren with a group of rabbits in search of safety. They briefly find a haven in Strawberry’s warren, which turns out to be a horrifying counterfeit of safety. After a narrow escape, they settle on Watership Down, and prepare to live the good life. Unfortunately, they forgot to bring any female rabbits with them. Off they go again in search of doe rabbits. They find does, but they have to fight the dictatorial General Woundwort to get them.
Because you can’t talk about fantasy without talking about Tolkien, I’ll talk about Tolkien. Lord of the Rings is the best fantasy series every written. It was so good that floods of authors who want to write fantasy found a formula in LOTR, and essentially create Tolkienesque derivative fantasies. Some of them are fantastic stories. It’s a testament to Tolkien’s accomplishment that even second and third generations copies of his work are so much fun to read.
Watership Down is not a Tolkien fantasy derivative. Unlike LOTR-based works, Adams does not create several different races and then draw one representative in each race to join an uncertain and angst-ridden leader on a quest to destroy the enemy. There is only one society in Watership Down. And while the rabbits are affected by humans, birds and mice, their story isn’t about learning to work with different races. Their struggles are in learning to work with the familiar faces they’ve always known. Working with familiar people can be just as challenging as working with people who are obviously different.
Hazel is not a heroic leader because that is his destiny. He is a leader because someone has to do the job, and if the stronger rabbits take over, they might not treat his brother very well. Unlike the leaders in Tolkienesque fantasy, Hazel has no angst. Occasionally he is uncertain, but he is too practical to procrastinate a decision in order to agonize about whether or not he ought to be the one making the decision.
We know leaders like Hazel. He isn’t out to prove his worthiness to rule the world. He’s just trying to get the job done. And he’s got to do the job with the people at hand. He doesn’t get a sidekick with magical powers or otherworldly wisdom. You can see leaders like Hazel in the ward leadership, or on the local community council. They are average guys working with average people who somehow keep things moving forward by day-to-day decisions instead of by vanquishing all their foes in one cataclysmic confrontation. Hazel is a leader you know face to face, not one you read about in the newspaper.
Another difference between LOTR-based fantasy and Watership Down is the complexity and familiarity of the evil. LOTR-based evil is very one-dimensional. Sauron is unredeemably evil, and never had the capacity to be any different. His followers share his flat evil, and have no purpose but to be sword-fodder for the good guys.
The rabbits in Watership Down never meet one-dimensional evil. They deal with the careless evil of man, who shrugs at the rabbits’ existence and destroys them. They deal with the complacent evil of the Threarah, who will not listen to counsel because it will discomfit him. The evil at Strawberry’s burrow is a different kind of complacency, one even the Threarah would never countenance.
Then there is General Woundwort, the one actively evil villain of the book. But even General Woundwort wasn’t always evil. Fear turned him into a dictator. Even now, he sees himself as a benefactor and protector of his warren. When Hazel confronts Woundwort with a choice, there is enough depth in him that the outcome is not a foregone conclusion. Woundwort could choose either way, and either way would be believable for his character.
Total Sauron-level evil exists in our world, but it isn’t anything I’m likely to encounter. I live in a happy little bubble. I’m more likely to run into Threarah-level evil: “I’m too comfortable to really think anything bad will happen.” Or Strawberry’s warren-level evil: “As long as the bad things don’t happen to me, it doesn’t matter if other people suffer.” Or General Woundwort-level evil: “I’m afraid and I’ll turn into a control freak just to eliminate my fear.”
Watership Down is a prosaic fantasy. Evil is not going to end the world in one blaze of hatred. The humans who destroy Sandleford Warren aren’t doing it to be evil. The rabbits, poignantly, realize their own unimportance. “It was just because we were in their way,” says Captain Holly, one of the only survivors of the destruction of Sandleford Warren. You can’t force a dramatic showdown with your own insignificance.
Adams’ book is a fantasy about living in the world, not about saving the world. It’s a fantasy that is surprisingly close to the life we actually live, even if it is about rabbits.
Hazel’s brother, Fiver, has a vision foretelling the destruction of Sandleford Warren. When Hazel brings the danger to the attention of the Threarah, the Threarah shrugs off the warning. Frustrated, Hazel leaves the warren with a group of rabbits in search of safety. They briefly find a haven in Strawberry’s warren, which turns out to be a horrifying counterfeit of safety. After a narrow escape, they settle on Watership Down, and prepare to live the good life. Unfortunately, they forgot to bring any female rabbits with them. Off they go again in search of doe rabbits. They find does, but they have to fight the dictatorial General Woundwort to get them.
Because you can’t talk about fantasy without talking about Tolkien, I’ll talk about Tolkien. Lord of the Rings is the best fantasy series every written. It was so good that floods of authors who want to write fantasy found a formula in LOTR, and essentially create Tolkienesque derivative fantasies. Some of them are fantastic stories. It’s a testament to Tolkien’s accomplishment that even second and third generations copies of his work are so much fun to read.
Watership Down is not a Tolkien fantasy derivative. Unlike LOTR-based works, Adams does not create several different races and then draw one representative in each race to join an uncertain and angst-ridden leader on a quest to destroy the enemy. There is only one society in Watership Down. And while the rabbits are affected by humans, birds and mice, their story isn’t about learning to work with different races. Their struggles are in learning to work with the familiar faces they’ve always known. Working with familiar people can be just as challenging as working with people who are obviously different.
Hazel is not a heroic leader because that is his destiny. He is a leader because someone has to do the job, and if the stronger rabbits take over, they might not treat his brother very well. Unlike the leaders in Tolkienesque fantasy, Hazel has no angst. Occasionally he is uncertain, but he is too practical to procrastinate a decision in order to agonize about whether or not he ought to be the one making the decision.
We know leaders like Hazel. He isn’t out to prove his worthiness to rule the world. He’s just trying to get the job done. And he’s got to do the job with the people at hand. He doesn’t get a sidekick with magical powers or otherworldly wisdom. You can see leaders like Hazel in the ward leadership, or on the local community council. They are average guys working with average people who somehow keep things moving forward by day-to-day decisions instead of by vanquishing all their foes in one cataclysmic confrontation. Hazel is a leader you know face to face, not one you read about in the newspaper.
Another difference between LOTR-based fantasy and Watership Down is the complexity and familiarity of the evil. LOTR-based evil is very one-dimensional. Sauron is unredeemably evil, and never had the capacity to be any different. His followers share his flat evil, and have no purpose but to be sword-fodder for the good guys.
The rabbits in Watership Down never meet one-dimensional evil. They deal with the careless evil of man, who shrugs at the rabbits’ existence and destroys them. They deal with the complacent evil of the Threarah, who will not listen to counsel because it will discomfit him. The evil at Strawberry’s burrow is a different kind of complacency, one even the Threarah would never countenance.
Then there is General Woundwort, the one actively evil villain of the book. But even General Woundwort wasn’t always evil. Fear turned him into a dictator. Even now, he sees himself as a benefactor and protector of his warren. When Hazel confronts Woundwort with a choice, there is enough depth in him that the outcome is not a foregone conclusion. Woundwort could choose either way, and either way would be believable for his character.
Total Sauron-level evil exists in our world, but it isn’t anything I’m likely to encounter. I live in a happy little bubble. I’m more likely to run into Threarah-level evil: “I’m too comfortable to really think anything bad will happen.” Or Strawberry’s warren-level evil: “As long as the bad things don’t happen to me, it doesn’t matter if other people suffer.” Or General Woundwort-level evil: “I’m afraid and I’ll turn into a control freak just to eliminate my fear.”
Watership Down is a prosaic fantasy. Evil is not going to end the world in one blaze of hatred. The humans who destroy Sandleford Warren aren’t doing it to be evil. The rabbits, poignantly, realize their own unimportance. “It was just because we were in their way,” says Captain Holly, one of the only survivors of the destruction of Sandleford Warren. You can’t force a dramatic showdown with your own insignificance.
Adams’ book is a fantasy about living in the world, not about saving the world. It’s a fantasy that is surprisingly close to the life we actually live, even if it is about rabbits.
Ring Around the Rosy
I was randomly singing songs at Ben and I found a song he must have learned in nursery. I know I didn't teach it to him. He's not so great on the "ring around" part, but he does a great job on the "we all fall down" part.
Monday, July 21, 2008
On the bright side, he didn't smile anyway
Simon went for his first professional portraits at JcPenney (Motto: Dirt Cheap Pictures and the Customer Service to Match). I got Ben a sitter, timed Simon's feeding schedule just right, and off we went.
Everything was just fine until we actually got there. I'd left my wallet home. No Portrait Club membership card, no debit card, and most importantly, no coupon. JcPenney makes all their money off people who forget their coupons. Without a coupon, pictures are $10 per sheet. With a coupon, pictures are $4 per sheet. That's a 150% markup!
It would be an hour round-trip to go home and get my wallet. JcPenney is always running so far behind that I could easily check in, go home and get back before they ever call my name. I think of the gas. What I save in gas, I will spend on the 150% markup on pictures. I stay.
I've timed Simon's feeding so he will be hungry right at our appointment time. That will give me plenty of time to feed him because we arrive on time for our appointment.
Nope, they get us right in. What's up with that? I expect poor customer service to be consistent, at least! I'm the one who set the appt and arrived on time, though. It would be odd to complain about not having to wait at least 30 minutes.
Simon is not a happy camper baby. He's hungry. He doesn't like the camera, and won't stop staring at it with a stunned (not a smiley) expression. We finally coax a couple smiles out of him, but not very many. I feed him while the photo person uploads his pictures.
Even though I promised I had a coupon at home and offered to mail it to them, they weren't going to give me coupon prices. I watched them scroll through the pictures and thought it was a good thing he was kind of grumpy. I didn't feel too bad about not being able to buy more than a bare minimum.
Later, he was a happy camper baby. So here are smiles, and these pictures are free!
Everything was just fine until we actually got there. I'd left my wallet home. No Portrait Club membership card, no debit card, and most importantly, no coupon. JcPenney makes all their money off people who forget their coupons. Without a coupon, pictures are $10 per sheet. With a coupon, pictures are $4 per sheet. That's a 150% markup!
It would be an hour round-trip to go home and get my wallet. JcPenney is always running so far behind that I could easily check in, go home and get back before they ever call my name. I think of the gas. What I save in gas, I will spend on the 150% markup on pictures. I stay.
I've timed Simon's feeding so he will be hungry right at our appointment time. That will give me plenty of time to feed him because we arrive on time for our appointment.
Nope, they get us right in. What's up with that? I expect poor customer service to be consistent, at least! I'm the one who set the appt and arrived on time, though. It would be odd to complain about not having to wait at least 30 minutes.
Simon is not a happy camper baby. He's hungry. He doesn't like the camera, and won't stop staring at it with a stunned (not a smiley) expression. We finally coax a couple smiles out of him, but not very many. I feed him while the photo person uploads his pictures.
Even though I promised I had a coupon at home and offered to mail it to them, they weren't going to give me coupon prices. I watched them scroll through the pictures and thought it was a good thing he was kind of grumpy. I didn't feel too bad about not being able to buy more than a bare minimum.
Later, he was a happy camper baby. So here are smiles, and these pictures are free!
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Awwwww, that's so sweet!
Simon can hold a toy if you push it into his fist. I gave him a toy. Ben promptly snatched it away. I told Ben that it was Simon's toy, and took it away from Ben. Ben threw himself onto the floor in protest. But later, he picked up the toy and tried to give it to Simon.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Thursday, July 17, 2008
The big Five Oh
It was a sad, sad day the last time I pulled up to the pump. It cost me $50 to fill up the gas tank. I've been filling the tank before it got really empty to avoid the $50 mark. It's been $49.87 and $49.03, but it hasn't rolled over that fateful number. It's just so sad to spend half a hundred for a tank of gas in a car that cost me less than $25 to fill it back when I bought it.
Maybe I should fill the tank as soon as the gas gauge reads 3/4. That way I could avoid that $50 mark again. Yeah! That would work! Look at me figure out a way to make gas cheaper!
And you know what ticked me off? I pulled into a gas station that advertised gas as $4.17 per gallon, and the pump said it was $4.23 per gallon. So I drove to another gas station, thinking I would at least buy from someone who had their real price posted. No luck. They did the same thing. The sign said $4.17, and the pump said $4.23. Creepy gas station people ought to at least be honest about how much they're gouging out of us. *grumble*
When did you hit the $50 milestone? Or are you trying to avoid the $75 milestone and think I'm whiney for complaining about a $50 tank? If so, you have my sympathy.
Maybe I should fill the tank as soon as the gas gauge reads 3/4. That way I could avoid that $50 mark again. Yeah! That would work! Look at me figure out a way to make gas cheaper!
And you know what ticked me off? I pulled into a gas station that advertised gas as $4.17 per gallon, and the pump said it was $4.23 per gallon. So I drove to another gas station, thinking I would at least buy from someone who had their real price posted. No luck. They did the same thing. The sign said $4.17, and the pump said $4.23. Creepy gas station people ought to at least be honest about how much they're gouging out of us. *grumble*
When did you hit the $50 milestone? Or are you trying to avoid the $75 milestone and think I'm whiney for complaining about a $50 tank? If so, you have my sympathy.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Book Review: Reading Reflex by Carmen and Geoffrey McGuinness
The only frustration I had with books like Overcoming Dyslexia (reviewed last week) was the recommendation to take your child to a specialized reading center, or to persuade your school to adopt a new reading curriculum. Those are nice ideal solutions, but they aren’t very realistic for someone with a limited budget and a minor reading problem.
I was relieved to find Reading Reflex by Carmen McGuinness. McGuinness gives you a way to teach your child to read, and it only costs you $16 for the book, and several hours of your time.
Reading Reflex explains the Phono-Graphix method, which is an Orton-Gillingham based reading technique. Orton-Gillingham multi-sensory teaching techniques are the best way to teach a child with a reading disability.
Multi-sensory teaching techniques also work for children who have not yet learned to read, such as kindergarteners. McGuinness explained where you would change the lesson based on whether you’re working with a beginning reader or a struggling older reader, but most of the lessons don’t change.
Phono-Graphix strips out the rules and mnemonic devices of traditional phonics. I’ll give you a specific example instead of trying to summarize the whole thing.
A phonics rule commonly taught is, “when two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking.” This means that “ai” is pronounced like in “rain.” This rule is an if-then statement. If you see two vowels together, then the sound they make is the name of the first vowel. If-then statements are a type of propositional logic, and children struggle with propositional logic until they are at least 8 or 9 years old. In addition to learning to read, this phonics rule also requires you to teach the child a type of logic that is still beyond the grasp of most kindergarten-age children. It’s a developmental thing. Logical rules that make sense to adults don’t make sense to kids. (You’ve probably noticed that.)
Besides which, the rule is wrong more than half the time. “Ai” isn’t always the “a-e” sound. It’s also the “e” sound, like in “said.” If a rule only works half the time, it isn’t really a rule, it’s a possibility.
Phono-Graphix dumps the rule. Instead, you teach your child that “ai” is either “ay” like in “rain” or “e” like in “said.” Then you have them sort a word list, and separate out the words based on their sounds. So you give the child a list: rain, said, bait, sail, again, mountain. The child sorts the “ay” sounds: rain, bait and sail. Then she makes a separate list of “e” sounds: said, again and mountain.
Instead of learning a rule and all the exceptions for “ai”, the child learns that there are two possible sounds for “ai.” The word “said” is no longer an exception to a rule, and does not have to be memorized as a sight word. It’s predictable now.
That rule “when two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking” doesn’t work for other vowel combinations either. Look at these: Seat-steak-bread. Toe-shoe. Cried-chief-friend.
There are several other ways this book strips out the extra baggage that surrounds reading. Phonics was a good idea that got bogged down with too many rules. Whole language and sight words increase reading difficulties for everyone except children who already read easily. Phono-Graphix reduces reading back to the sounds.
The only thing I found silly in Phono-Graphix was the suggestion to not call letters “letters” but to call them “sound pictures” instead. Saying “sound pictures” is consistent with their theory, but kids know what letters are, so you may as well use the word.
If you go with this method, be sure to read the introductory chapters that explain the theory behind what you’re teaching. Do not start the lessons unless you know the theory.
There is also a chapter on how to help a child read multi-syllable words. About fourth grade, the amount of long words a child is expected to read increases dramatically. It’s common to detect a reading problem during the “fourth grade slump.” Phono-Graphix targets that problem too.
McGuinness maps out the order of the lessons and how to explain the concepts. I supplemented the lessons with some games to work on skills such as looking at the word before trying to read the word (a problem my student had from sight word techniques).
I was relieved to find Reading Reflex by Carmen McGuinness. McGuinness gives you a way to teach your child to read, and it only costs you $16 for the book, and several hours of your time.
Reading Reflex explains the Phono-Graphix method, which is an Orton-Gillingham based reading technique. Orton-Gillingham multi-sensory teaching techniques are the best way to teach a child with a reading disability.
Multi-sensory teaching techniques also work for children who have not yet learned to read, such as kindergarteners. McGuinness explained where you would change the lesson based on whether you’re working with a beginning reader or a struggling older reader, but most of the lessons don’t change.
Phono-Graphix strips out the rules and mnemonic devices of traditional phonics. I’ll give you a specific example instead of trying to summarize the whole thing.
A phonics rule commonly taught is, “when two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking.” This means that “ai” is pronounced like in “rain.” This rule is an if-then statement. If you see two vowels together, then the sound they make is the name of the first vowel. If-then statements are a type of propositional logic, and children struggle with propositional logic until they are at least 8 or 9 years old. In addition to learning to read, this phonics rule also requires you to teach the child a type of logic that is still beyond the grasp of most kindergarten-age children. It’s a developmental thing. Logical rules that make sense to adults don’t make sense to kids. (You’ve probably noticed that.)
Besides which, the rule is wrong more than half the time. “Ai” isn’t always the “a-e” sound. It’s also the “e” sound, like in “said.” If a rule only works half the time, it isn’t really a rule, it’s a possibility.
Phono-Graphix dumps the rule. Instead, you teach your child that “ai” is either “ay” like in “rain” or “e” like in “said.” Then you have them sort a word list, and separate out the words based on their sounds. So you give the child a list: rain, said, bait, sail, again, mountain. The child sorts the “ay” sounds: rain, bait and sail. Then she makes a separate list of “e” sounds: said, again and mountain.
Instead of learning a rule and all the exceptions for “ai”, the child learns that there are two possible sounds for “ai.” The word “said” is no longer an exception to a rule, and does not have to be memorized as a sight word. It’s predictable now.
That rule “when two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking” doesn’t work for other vowel combinations either. Look at these: Seat-steak-bread. Toe-shoe. Cried-chief-friend.
There are several other ways this book strips out the extra baggage that surrounds reading. Phonics was a good idea that got bogged down with too many rules. Whole language and sight words increase reading difficulties for everyone except children who already read easily. Phono-Graphix reduces reading back to the sounds.
The only thing I found silly in Phono-Graphix was the suggestion to not call letters “letters” but to call them “sound pictures” instead. Saying “sound pictures” is consistent with their theory, but kids know what letters are, so you may as well use the word.
If you go with this method, be sure to read the introductory chapters that explain the theory behind what you’re teaching. Do not start the lessons unless you know the theory.
There is also a chapter on how to help a child read multi-syllable words. About fourth grade, the amount of long words a child is expected to read increases dramatically. It’s common to detect a reading problem during the “fourth grade slump.” Phono-Graphix targets that problem too.
McGuinness maps out the order of the lessons and how to explain the concepts. I supplemented the lessons with some games to work on skills such as looking at the word before trying to read the word (a problem my student had from sight word techniques).
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
My Etsy Debut!
I've noticed that lots of people have etsy shops. For the uninitiated, an etsy shop is an online "store" where you can sell cute, homemade items. Most of the etsy shops I've seen sell homemade jewelry. There are some really talented etsy-makers out there.
After a few weeks of feeling badly that I didn't have the creativity to have my own etsy shop, I realized I just needed to be more confident in my own unique style. So here are my available etsy options. And remember, all proceeds fund my boys' college educations (which they will need in order to earn enough money to pay for their own therapy).
I have a unique, colorful style. If you buy my etsy fashions, you won't have to worry about your jewelry being too subtle to catch someone's eye. It just jumps out at you and shouts, "I am jewelry! Compliment me!" And you will be complimented. Would you pass by someone wearing this bold combination of colors without saying anything? No, you would not. And you would say something nice, wouldn't you? Yes, you would. Because you would understand that anyone wearing this needs encouragement.
I am experimenting with an eye-catching look in earrings. The mismatched colors proclaim the wearer to be a non-conformist, a true individual. (The mismatched colors may also proclaim that you got dressed in the dark, but people will give you the benefit of the doubt, I'm sure.)
I have two different bracelet styles available. The long, droopy bracelet will accentuate the attractive qualities of your elbow, which should be held at a 90-degree angle so your bracelet doesn't fall off. The one-link perkier bracelet is easier to wear, for those of you who still flail your arms around without much control.
I also have a colorful selection of toe rings available. Don't bother with shoes! You'd hate to cover up one of these works of art. If you should happen to trip on your toe ring and skin your knee, make sure your band-aid matches your toe ring for an unforgettable look.
My designs for body piercing are still in the conceptual stage. And while I think the belly button ring shows real promise, I'm not sure I'll ever get the nose ring to the point where it's comfortable enough to wear. Of course, "comfort" is not the point of a nose ring anyway.
Get your orders in now! These fashions won't last long!
After a few weeks of feeling badly that I didn't have the creativity to have my own etsy shop, I realized I just needed to be more confident in my own unique style. So here are my available etsy options. And remember, all proceeds fund my boys' college educations (which they will need in order to earn enough money to pay for their own therapy).
I have a unique, colorful style. If you buy my etsy fashions, you won't have to worry about your jewelry being too subtle to catch someone's eye. It just jumps out at you and shouts, "I am jewelry! Compliment me!" And you will be complimented. Would you pass by someone wearing this bold combination of colors without saying anything? No, you would not. And you would say something nice, wouldn't you? Yes, you would. Because you would understand that anyone wearing this needs encouragement.
I am experimenting with an eye-catching look in earrings. The mismatched colors proclaim the wearer to be a non-conformist, a true individual. (The mismatched colors may also proclaim that you got dressed in the dark, but people will give you the benefit of the doubt, I'm sure.)
I have two different bracelet styles available. The long, droopy bracelet will accentuate the attractive qualities of your elbow, which should be held at a 90-degree angle so your bracelet doesn't fall off. The one-link perkier bracelet is easier to wear, for those of you who still flail your arms around without much control.
I also have a colorful selection of toe rings available. Don't bother with shoes! You'd hate to cover up one of these works of art. If you should happen to trip on your toe ring and skin your knee, make sure your band-aid matches your toe ring for an unforgettable look.
My designs for body piercing are still in the conceptual stage. And while I think the belly button ring shows real promise, I'm not sure I'll ever get the nose ring to the point where it's comfortable enough to wear. Of course, "comfort" is not the point of a nose ring anyway.
Get your orders in now! These fashions won't last long!
Monday, July 14, 2008
The Futility of Being Motivated
I asked a friend if she was reading anything interesting. She said she was reading a biography of Elder Henry B. Eyring.
“Is it good?” I asked.
“Yes, except it’s frustrating.”
“Why is it frustrating?”
“His life and sermons are so motivating that I think of all the things I want to do.”
I nodded. We were sitting in her son’s bedroom, watching our toddlers play together. My son cries if I leave the room, so here we are. Both of us had a baby on our respective laps.
The next morning, I decided I would go help my sister-in-law wash walls and clean her house in preparation for putting the house on the market. Her kids adore Ben, and like to hold babies. I would be able to work while Ben played with his cousins and another cousin held Simon.
It didn’t work out that way. The cousins were eager to help with my kids, but my kids wouldn't cooperate. Ben is cutting a molar, and won’t eat even though he’s on Ibuprofen and Orajel. I woke Simon up from his nap to put him in his carseat, and he never forgave me. I did about seven minutes worth of work at Kristanne’s house. I was there for over an hour, though, trying to coax Fuss Baby to eat, comforting Molar Boy, and changing diapers. Finally, I decided the most helpful thing I could do was leave.
By the time I got home I was too tired to even be frustrated that I can’t do anything besides take care of babies.
At Church, I was invited to help clean the Church building this Saturday. I could bring the boys with me. I thought about it. Then I said no.
I love my boys. I enjoy them. They are the cutest things ever (as you can see from my endless blog posts about them). I wanted babies for at least a decade before I had them, and I am so grateful they are here. And I am also glad that this teeny-tiny stage is just a stage. I'm sure I'll be nostalgic about it right around the time I get to hold a grandbaby.
“Is it good?” I asked.
“Yes, except it’s frustrating.”
“Why is it frustrating?”
“His life and sermons are so motivating that I think of all the things I want to do.”
I nodded. We were sitting in her son’s bedroom, watching our toddlers play together. My son cries if I leave the room, so here we are. Both of us had a baby on our respective laps.
The next morning, I decided I would go help my sister-in-law wash walls and clean her house in preparation for putting the house on the market. Her kids adore Ben, and like to hold babies. I would be able to work while Ben played with his cousins and another cousin held Simon.
It didn’t work out that way. The cousins were eager to help with my kids, but my kids wouldn't cooperate. Ben is cutting a molar, and won’t eat even though he’s on Ibuprofen and Orajel. I woke Simon up from his nap to put him in his carseat, and he never forgave me. I did about seven minutes worth of work at Kristanne’s house. I was there for over an hour, though, trying to coax Fuss Baby to eat, comforting Molar Boy, and changing diapers. Finally, I decided the most helpful thing I could do was leave.
By the time I got home I was too tired to even be frustrated that I can’t do anything besides take care of babies.
At Church, I was invited to help clean the Church building this Saturday. I could bring the boys with me. I thought about it. Then I said no.
I love my boys. I enjoy them. They are the cutest things ever (as you can see from my endless blog posts about them). I wanted babies for at least a decade before I had them, and I am so grateful they are here. And I am also glad that this teeny-tiny stage is just a stage. I'm sure I'll be nostalgic about it right around the time I get to hold a grandbaby.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Playing Mommy
This is how you feed the baby:
1. Sit in the bright yellow rocking chair.
2. Put a pillow on your lap.
3. Put a book on the pillow.
4. Put the baby up your shirt.
1. Sit in the bright yellow rocking chair.
2. Put a pillow on your lap.
3. Put a book on the pillow.
4. Put the baby up your shirt.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Not an Olympic trainee
Simon has to do lots of tummy time to strengthen his neck muscles. He's usually a good sport about it, but wasn't all that impressed on this day. The hiccups mixed in with the protests are kind of funny.
Simon figured out how to thwart tummy time! He rolled over on his side. Once, he rolled over all the way, but I think that was an accident.
Simon figured out how to thwart tummy time! He rolled over on his side. Once, he rolled over all the way, but I think that was an accident.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Helping out Hubby
All of you who have ever received an email from Dirk know that his emails come signed:
Dirk
I’m to lazy to come up with a creative sig
I think we should help him out! Let’s come up with a creative signature line for Dirk.
Perhaps we could have him use an encouraging aphorism:
Dirk
Keep your chin up!
Hmmm. Dirk just isn’t the encouraging aphorism type. He’s more of a Jack Handy type:
Dirk
Keep your chin up, especially if your nosebleed will drip if you look down.
Hmmm. Too corny. Let’s try something responsible:
Dirk
Remember to floss.
Yeah, that doesn’t do it for me either. Maybe we could make him an acronym. Army soldier guys love acronyms!
D.I.R.K.
Definitely an Irrepressible Romantic Kyootie (I have a pet peeve about misspelling “c” words with “k’s” though. I almost missed out on eating Crispy Cream donuts, just on principle, but then I decided I could spell them right in my mind and eat them anyway. Spelling principles should not interfere with donuts.)
Desirable Illuring Rare Knight (Yes, I know alluring is spelled with an “a”, but that would make him Dark, now wouldn’t it?)
Daring Intrepid Rogueish Kisser (Perhaps I should stop before I get too mushy on the blog.)
Dirk
I’m to lazy to come up with a creative sig
I think we should help him out! Let’s come up with a creative signature line for Dirk.
Perhaps we could have him use an encouraging aphorism:
Dirk
Keep your chin up!
Hmmm. Dirk just isn’t the encouraging aphorism type. He’s more of a Jack Handy type:
Dirk
Keep your chin up, especially if your nosebleed will drip if you look down.
Hmmm. Too corny. Let’s try something responsible:
Dirk
Remember to floss.
Yeah, that doesn’t do it for me either. Maybe we could make him an acronym. Army soldier guys love acronyms!
D.I.R.K.
Definitely an Irrepressible Romantic Kyootie (I have a pet peeve about misspelling “c” words with “k’s” though. I almost missed out on eating Crispy Cream donuts, just on principle, but then I decided I could spell them right in my mind and eat them anyway. Spelling principles should not interfere with donuts.)
Desirable Illuring Rare Knight (Yes, I know alluring is spelled with an “a”, but that would make him Dark, now wouldn’t it?)
Daring Intrepid Rogueish Kisser (Perhaps I should stop before I get too mushy on the blog.)
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Signs of Summer
You know your boy had a good afternoon when you get home and find all of his clothes drying on the back steps.
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Book Review: Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally Shaywitz, M.D.
Nursery rhymes are the best indicator of a preschooler’s future ability to read. Children who love nursery rhymes learn to read easily. Children who don’t like nursery rhymes or other rhyming games will struggle to learn to read. Struggling children can be taught to read, but it does take more effort from both child and teacher.
Dr. Shaywitz’s book, Overcoming Dyslexia, is so packed with information that I will touch on only the most general ideas of dyslexia in this post, including a few ways to spot a reading problem. Next week, I’ll be reviewing a book with lesson plans for a struggling reader.
The ideas in this book will help any child who is struggling to read, whether or not he has dyslexia. (There is not a lot of agreement on how to diagnose dyslexia.) Read this book while the school argues about whether or not your child is entitled to extra help.
Dyslexia is a problem at the level of sounds. It has nothing to do with a person’s ability to think, reason or understand. A dyslexic students can get A’s as long as someone reads the textbook to them. Dyslexia affects only the person’s ability to translate spoken language into separate sounds and attach letters to those individual sounds.
Learning to read requires a child to pull a word apart into sounds. Weakness in the ability to pull a word apart leads to weak reading skills. That’s why rhyme is such a good indicator of how fast a child will learn to read. Being able to rhyme means being able to pull the word apart. To identify that cat, hat and mat rhyme, the listener has to be able to take off the first sound, and realize that the last two sounds are the same.
Imagine a nearsighted child getting her first pair of glasses and saying, “I never knew that building was made of red bricks. I thought the wall was just one big smear of red paint.” Dyslexics hear words as one big smear, rather than as separate bricks. Fortunately, the ability to hear sounds as separate bricks can be taught and learned. It takes more effort for both the teacher and the student, but a dyslexic student can learn to read.
The best way to spot a reading problem is to have your child read aloud to you. Pay attention to the types of mistakes your child makes. Does she skip all the function words (an, the, on)? Does she guess? Do all words that start with the same letter get the same guess (like reading “those” for though, then, they, their)? Does she skip the middle of big words (automobile becomes autobile)? Does she read fast and ignore her own mistakes even when the mistake reduces the sentence to nonsense? Does she figure out the word from context and substitute a simpler word (like saying ‘mom’ when the text says ‘mother’)?
Ask your child to verbally pull a word apart. Say “stale.” Now say it without the “t” (sale). Now replace the “s” with an “m” (male).
Ask your child to identify the number of sounds in a word:
How many sounds are in “go?” Two sounds.
How many sounds are in “though?” Two sounds.
How many sounds are in “cheese?” Three sounds.
Please note that while some dyslexic children transpose letters, most do not. A child who does not transpose letters may still have dyslexic tendencies and need help.
If your child is having difficulty reading, do not delay. Dyslexia does not improve over time if ignored. Struggling readers do not catch up. Most will eventually learn to read, but they will not catch up to their peers, and their fluency will remain poor. No one ever regrets starting too early to resolve a reading problem.
Extra one-on-one teaching is vital. The tutor should use a method that specifically addresses reading difficulties, not just more of the same classroom techniques that work fine for most children, but leave behind children with a reading problem. (Whole-word and sight-word reading techniques should be dropped immediately. They exacerbate a reading disability.)
Part I of Overcoming Dyslexia explains the nature of dyslexia, and how reading looks in the brain. Dyslexics have normal brains. MRI scans show that all the regions of the brain are present and work fine. However, dyslexics use a different area of their brain to read than fluent readers do. When taught properly, a dyslexic child shifts his reading from the “slow reading” part of the brain to the “fast reading” part of their brain. MRI scans taken before and after tutoring showed the shift in reading location.
Part II explains how to diagnose dyslexia. This section contains lists of milestones for reading, broken down by age. These chapters help you identify whether your child is normal, or is behind the curve.
Part III explains how to teach a dyslexic child to read. While there are very good concrete suggestions, most of this section is still general. It doesn’t contain lesson plans. It does review several of the reading programs available to schools. This section assumes that the school will be happy to step up and give your child individual attention, even if that requires spending thousands of dollars on new curriculum.
Part IV explains how to take a dyslexic child from being able to read slowly to being able to read fluently. Do not stop once the child can laboriously read accurately. Bringing the child all the way to fluency is possible. Fluency is necessary, given the amount of information adults are expected to read.
As I mentioned, this book is so full of useful information that it’s impossible to do more than hint at it in a book review. If your child has trouble reading, this is the book you want to read to understand your child’s problem. Next week, I’ll review a book with specific lesson plans for teaching a child with a reading problem.
Dr. Shaywitz’s book, Overcoming Dyslexia, is so packed with information that I will touch on only the most general ideas of dyslexia in this post, including a few ways to spot a reading problem. Next week, I’ll be reviewing a book with lesson plans for a struggling reader.
The ideas in this book will help any child who is struggling to read, whether or not he has dyslexia. (There is not a lot of agreement on how to diagnose dyslexia.) Read this book while the school argues about whether or not your child is entitled to extra help.
Dyslexia is a problem at the level of sounds. It has nothing to do with a person’s ability to think, reason or understand. A dyslexic students can get A’s as long as someone reads the textbook to them. Dyslexia affects only the person’s ability to translate spoken language into separate sounds and attach letters to those individual sounds.
Learning to read requires a child to pull a word apart into sounds. Weakness in the ability to pull a word apart leads to weak reading skills. That’s why rhyme is such a good indicator of how fast a child will learn to read. Being able to rhyme means being able to pull the word apart. To identify that cat, hat and mat rhyme, the listener has to be able to take off the first sound, and realize that the last two sounds are the same.
Imagine a nearsighted child getting her first pair of glasses and saying, “I never knew that building was made of red bricks. I thought the wall was just one big smear of red paint.” Dyslexics hear words as one big smear, rather than as separate bricks. Fortunately, the ability to hear sounds as separate bricks can be taught and learned. It takes more effort for both the teacher and the student, but a dyslexic student can learn to read.
The best way to spot a reading problem is to have your child read aloud to you. Pay attention to the types of mistakes your child makes. Does she skip all the function words (an, the, on)? Does she guess? Do all words that start with the same letter get the same guess (like reading “those” for though, then, they, their)? Does she skip the middle of big words (automobile becomes autobile)? Does she read fast and ignore her own mistakes even when the mistake reduces the sentence to nonsense? Does she figure out the word from context and substitute a simpler word (like saying ‘mom’ when the text says ‘mother’)?
Ask your child to verbally pull a word apart. Say “stale.” Now say it without the “t” (sale). Now replace the “s” with an “m” (male).
Ask your child to identify the number of sounds in a word:
How many sounds are in “go?” Two sounds.
How many sounds are in “though?” Two sounds.
How many sounds are in “cheese?” Three sounds.
Please note that while some dyslexic children transpose letters, most do not. A child who does not transpose letters may still have dyslexic tendencies and need help.
If your child is having difficulty reading, do not delay. Dyslexia does not improve over time if ignored. Struggling readers do not catch up. Most will eventually learn to read, but they will not catch up to their peers, and their fluency will remain poor. No one ever regrets starting too early to resolve a reading problem.
Extra one-on-one teaching is vital. The tutor should use a method that specifically addresses reading difficulties, not just more of the same classroom techniques that work fine for most children, but leave behind children with a reading problem. (Whole-word and sight-word reading techniques should be dropped immediately. They exacerbate a reading disability.)
Part I of Overcoming Dyslexia explains the nature of dyslexia, and how reading looks in the brain. Dyslexics have normal brains. MRI scans show that all the regions of the brain are present and work fine. However, dyslexics use a different area of their brain to read than fluent readers do. When taught properly, a dyslexic child shifts his reading from the “slow reading” part of the brain to the “fast reading” part of their brain. MRI scans taken before and after tutoring showed the shift in reading location.
Part II explains how to diagnose dyslexia. This section contains lists of milestones for reading, broken down by age. These chapters help you identify whether your child is normal, or is behind the curve.
Part III explains how to teach a dyslexic child to read. While there are very good concrete suggestions, most of this section is still general. It doesn’t contain lesson plans. It does review several of the reading programs available to schools. This section assumes that the school will be happy to step up and give your child individual attention, even if that requires spending thousands of dollars on new curriculum.
Part IV explains how to take a dyslexic child from being able to read slowly to being able to read fluently. Do not stop once the child can laboriously read accurately. Bringing the child all the way to fluency is possible. Fluency is necessary, given the amount of information adults are expected to read.
As I mentioned, this book is so full of useful information that it’s impossible to do more than hint at it in a book review. If your child has trouble reading, this is the book you want to read to understand your child’s problem. Next week, I’ll review a book with specific lesson plans for teaching a child with a reading problem.
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Monday, July 07, 2008
More Party again
Ben finally got in the wading pool after I went in with him for a few minutes. Then his cousins, Cade and Ethan, took over. They were really cute with him.
Ben's favorite pool activity was letting the water out of the pool.
Ben's favorite pool activity was letting the water out of the pool.
Sunday, July 06, 2008
More Party
Simon had a good time on the Fourth of July too. Here he is hanging out on Kris's shoulder. It's so nice Kris loves to hold babies. I can just hand him off and spend an hour without a baby on my lap! Then Kris had to hand him off to everyone else who loves to hold babies.
Then he got to hang out with Grandma. He's sucking on Grandma's finger voluntarily, even though he looked kind of puzzled about why there was a finger in his mouth. He also loves to suck on his fists. He will have nothing to do with a binky, though.
Then Simon went to visit his Grandpa, and he thought that was just a giggly good time!
Then he got to hang out with Grandma. He's sucking on Grandma's finger voluntarily, even though he looked kind of puzzled about why there was a finger in his mouth. He also loves to suck on his fists. He will have nothing to do with a binky, though.
Then Simon went to visit his Grandpa, and he thought that was just a giggly good time!
Saturday, July 05, 2008
Party on the 4th
First off, this is why we were late to the party:
Ben hadn't napped the last couple days. I wasn't planning on him napping on the Fourth, either. I just plopped him in his crib with a toy while I got everything else ready to go. When I went to get him, he had tucked himself in and was fast asleep. I waited an hour and then woke him up, and off we went.
Simon looks huge in his car seat!
At Grandpa's, Ben just stood and watched the slip and slide for the longest time. Last year, we couldn't keep him out of it!
He finally got a push down the slide. Ben's cousins were so happy to see him, and wanted to play with him. He was pretty whiney, though. Maybe all those missed naps caught up with him. Plus he gets nervous when I'm out of sight. The cousins kept coaxing him to play (bless them), and he finally did manage to have a good time. I'll put some more pictures up tomorrow.
Ben hadn't napped the last couple days. I wasn't planning on him napping on the Fourth, either. I just plopped him in his crib with a toy while I got everything else ready to go. When I went to get him, he had tucked himself in and was fast asleep. I waited an hour and then woke him up, and off we went.
Simon looks huge in his car seat!
At Grandpa's, Ben just stood and watched the slip and slide for the longest time. Last year, we couldn't keep him out of it!
He finally got a push down the slide. Ben's cousins were so happy to see him, and wanted to play with him. He was pretty whiney, though. Maybe all those missed naps caught up with him. Plus he gets nervous when I'm out of sight. The cousins kept coaxing him to play (bless them), and he finally did manage to have a good time. I'll put some more pictures up tomorrow.
Friday, July 04, 2008
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Book Review: The Colony: The Harrowing True Story of the Exiles of Molokai
This is another one of those books that makes me glad I live nowadays, and not in the good old days.
In 1866, Hawaii criminalized leprosy. Officials arrested lepers and shipped them into exile at Molokai, without even a way to protest a misdiagnosis. Exiles were treated as dead - their spouses were considered widowed, their wills were executed and their property distributed. John Tayman tells their story in "The Colony: The Harrowing True Story of the Exiles of Molokai."
The law of exile was based on the fear that leprosy was highly contagious, and there was nothing that could be done for infected people. Neither fear was true. There are two forms of leprosy - a form that settles in the nerves and is not contagious at all; and a form that manifests on the skin as lesions and tumors and is contagious only when in its active state.
The disease is passed by airborne particles, very similar to how tuberculosis is passed - the contagious person has to cough on you an awful lot. Even if exposed, 95% of people will never develop leprosy because their immune system destroys it. There is a genetic tweak that makes about 5% of the population vulnerable to leprosy. The tweak shows up in most races, but is more common in native Hawaiians than in, say, Asians or Caucasians. So Hawaii was particularly hard hit by leprosy. Hence the fear that led to the law of exile.
The original settlement was a travesty. Hawaii was sending sick people off to die in an inaccessible village that the government purchased. The health officials tricked the first exiles - they lured them in with promises of treatment, then stuck them on a boat and shipped 12 of them away in the first load. By the time they reached Molokai, the crops had rotted in the ground and the houses had suffered from disrepair.
Hawaii did not have the money to take care of the leper colony. They planned on the colony being self-sufficient, raising all their own food. Subsistence farming is difficult for the dying, and malnutrition and starvation hastened the process. Hawaii sent the sickest people away first. Not surprisingly, many of them died of starvation and exposure, not leprosy. There was no doctor at Molokai because the health officials believed treatment was useless.
Over the decades (not months, not years, but decades), public pressure slowly improved conditions at Molokai. Building materials were shipped in to build houses so sick people did not have to live in the fissures of the lava rocks. A doctor visited by boat or plane once in a while. An orphanage was built for children sent into exile. The exiles received an allowance to buy clothing and a general store opened.
The Catholics sent a priest who spent the rest of his life at Molokai, eventually dying of leprosy himself. He is in the process of being canonized. A group of eight nuns also spent their lives on Molokai.
Hawaii had unending problems with finding a reliable superintendent for the colony. Lawlessness reigned more often than not, with all the crimes you'd expect in a place where food, shelter, clothing and women were in short supply.
Those first 40 years, Molokai was so awful that lepers were known to murder the doctor who diagnosed them, and the bounty hunters who came to drag them away.
In the early 1900s, the leprosy bacillus was identified, which made diagnosis more accurate. Dozens of exiles who had spent decades in Molokai appealed their diagnoses and were freed. They had lost most of their lives in exile due to skin conditions like eczema. In the late 1940s, an effective treatment for leprosy was finally found. The treatment cured the disease, but could not repair the damage already done.
In 1969, Hawaii repealed the law of exile. Having leprosy was no longer a crime. The exiles were allowed to leave the island. Some did, but the social stigma and terrible deformity caused by leprosy kept many at Molokai, which by now had a decent little village.
In 1980, Molokai was designated as a historic preserve to keep it safe from developers who wanted to turn it into a resort. As of 2004, the average age of the residents of Molokai was 76. It is peopled solely with lepers who lived their whole lives at Molokai, and the people who work in the hospital.
The first half of the book was a history of leprosy and Molokai. In the second half, Tayman followed the personal stories of four lepers from their diagnosis to the time of the book’s publication. The book is very long, but well-written.
In 1866, Hawaii criminalized leprosy. Officials arrested lepers and shipped them into exile at Molokai, without even a way to protest a misdiagnosis. Exiles were treated as dead - their spouses were considered widowed, their wills were executed and their property distributed. John Tayman tells their story in "The Colony: The Harrowing True Story of the Exiles of Molokai."
The law of exile was based on the fear that leprosy was highly contagious, and there was nothing that could be done for infected people. Neither fear was true. There are two forms of leprosy - a form that settles in the nerves and is not contagious at all; and a form that manifests on the skin as lesions and tumors and is contagious only when in its active state.
The disease is passed by airborne particles, very similar to how tuberculosis is passed - the contagious person has to cough on you an awful lot. Even if exposed, 95% of people will never develop leprosy because their immune system destroys it. There is a genetic tweak that makes about 5% of the population vulnerable to leprosy. The tweak shows up in most races, but is more common in native Hawaiians than in, say, Asians or Caucasians. So Hawaii was particularly hard hit by leprosy. Hence the fear that led to the law of exile.
The original settlement was a travesty. Hawaii was sending sick people off to die in an inaccessible village that the government purchased. The health officials tricked the first exiles - they lured them in with promises of treatment, then stuck them on a boat and shipped 12 of them away in the first load. By the time they reached Molokai, the crops had rotted in the ground and the houses had suffered from disrepair.
Hawaii did not have the money to take care of the leper colony. They planned on the colony being self-sufficient, raising all their own food. Subsistence farming is difficult for the dying, and malnutrition and starvation hastened the process. Hawaii sent the sickest people away first. Not surprisingly, many of them died of starvation and exposure, not leprosy. There was no doctor at Molokai because the health officials believed treatment was useless.
Over the decades (not months, not years, but decades), public pressure slowly improved conditions at Molokai. Building materials were shipped in to build houses so sick people did not have to live in the fissures of the lava rocks. A doctor visited by boat or plane once in a while. An orphanage was built for children sent into exile. The exiles received an allowance to buy clothing and a general store opened.
The Catholics sent a priest who spent the rest of his life at Molokai, eventually dying of leprosy himself. He is in the process of being canonized. A group of eight nuns also spent their lives on Molokai.
Hawaii had unending problems with finding a reliable superintendent for the colony. Lawlessness reigned more often than not, with all the crimes you'd expect in a place where food, shelter, clothing and women were in short supply.
Those first 40 years, Molokai was so awful that lepers were known to murder the doctor who diagnosed them, and the bounty hunters who came to drag them away.
In the early 1900s, the leprosy bacillus was identified, which made diagnosis more accurate. Dozens of exiles who had spent decades in Molokai appealed their diagnoses and were freed. They had lost most of their lives in exile due to skin conditions like eczema. In the late 1940s, an effective treatment for leprosy was finally found. The treatment cured the disease, but could not repair the damage already done.
In 1969, Hawaii repealed the law of exile. Having leprosy was no longer a crime. The exiles were allowed to leave the island. Some did, but the social stigma and terrible deformity caused by leprosy kept many at Molokai, which by now had a decent little village.
In 1980, Molokai was designated as a historic preserve to keep it safe from developers who wanted to turn it into a resort. As of 2004, the average age of the residents of Molokai was 76. It is peopled solely with lepers who lived their whole lives at Molokai, and the people who work in the hospital.
The first half of the book was a history of leprosy and Molokai. In the second half, Tayman followed the personal stories of four lepers from their diagnosis to the time of the book’s publication. The book is very long, but well-written.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
More bath time
Simon loves his bath. He just sits in the warm water and lets me wash him. He's not such a fan of getting dried off and dressed, but he's still pretty easy to handle. Good baby! Love the michelin man look!
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