Talking on the Phone

This week Jared and Allison were in Cleveland with the grandparents. Each night we would call them or they would call us to share the events of the day and to say good night.

It was truly amazing to hear them talk on the phone, not just talk but understand what we were saying to them. This was really the 1st time that we had the chance to be on the other end of the conversation. They spoke so clear and we understood everything that they were saying.

Yay for hearing aids and cochlear implants!!!!

Over the River and Through the Woods......

well, it is more like over the bridges and through the construction zones to grandmother's house we go. This week Jared and Allison are blessed to be able to spend the week with Grandpa and Grandma Lemponen in Cleveland. It will be a very special memory making week for them.

Ready to Go.

And they are off.

Pancake Thief

Allison learned the hard way, don't leave your pancakes in the reach of Jordan. She came back to find this........

Last Day of School!!

Jared with his 1st grade teachers

Allison with her teacher

Waiting for the bus. Jared is wearing the same shirt he wore the 1st day of school.

Waiting for school to start

Today was Jared and Allison's last day of school. They each had a great year of learning and growth.

Jared completed 1st grade, reading and writing at grade level. He made many friends and enjoyed many fun activities. He learned how to count money, tell time and started learning basic addition and subtraction facts. He studied fairy tales and wrote his own story. He also did a research project on the chicken, who knew there was so much to learn about that animal. As a way of finishing up the unit on animals, they went to the Columbus Zoo. He enjoyed a day at the park playing with his friends. Today, his class enjoyed snow cones, popcorn and cupcakes. We are so pleased with how Jared worked hard and always did his best. Now it is onto 2nd grade, where we are sure Jared will continue to shine.

Allison completed K, reading and writing at grade level. She enjoyed her class and especially her teacher. Allison enjoyed being the Superstar once a month, where she was able to share with her class items she brought from home. In May, she was able to study how baby chicks hatch and was even able to watch some in her class. Today, she had a beach party complete with beach balls, hula hoops and ice cream. Her teacher told me today, that Allison should do very well in 1st grade.

We just got Allison's IEP report today(6-5-09) and I thought I would post a couple of the comments that her SLP and HI teacher made.

Allison does great answering basic wh questions after a story.

Allsion continues to learn new words quickly and retains what she learns. She retains vocabulary with 80-100% accuracy.

During classroom observations, Allison is often more attentive than her hearing peers and is often the first to follow complex oral directions.( That's my girl, always has to be first)

Allison is consistently in an ideal position for viewing in her classroom observations.

When we get comments like these, we know all the driving to mappings, speech therapy and such was worth it.

Way to Go, Jared and Allison!!