Spring Break
Students help those in need improve their handwriting
By: Jarrod Bogan
Issue date: 4/12/07 Section: News
Phyllis Hodges, a kindergarten teacher and grandmother of a child with Down syndrome, was sent to Dallas to be trained so she could teach and organize the Handwriting Without Tears method that the A&M students used to teach the kids. She also set up the class by making individual plans for the kids and set them up with their A&M mentors. The reason why it is difficult for children with Down syndrome to learn to write is because of their low muscle tone, which makes it hard to grip the writing utensil, she said.
"This problem makes forming letters difficult," Hodges said. "The system used helps the kids to learn how to form letters in a fun way that also allows them to remember how to do it later."
Knight said the A&M students ended up helping out tremendously. They raised the same amount of money that the Down Syndrome Support Group paid to send Hodges to get trained and donated it back to the Down syndrome group.
The students raised money by sending letters to people they know and approaching businesses in College Station, Knight said.
When it finally came time to teach, some of the A&M students, did not know what to expect, but they were willing to take on the challenge. They learned that patience and repetition was the key to facilitating the best learning environment, she said.
Hodges said the class was a great success.
"I thought it was very beneficial to the A&M students as well as the kids with Down syndrome," Hodges said.
Lauren Owens, a freshman kinesiology major, started a club of her own called Our Siblings Ourselves, which is for Aggies with disabled siblings.
"Our organization is a support group for Aggies that are dealing with the transition to college and moving away from their handicap siblings," Owens said. "It is great what the Down Syndrome Support group is doing, I believe that we should all be treated equally and am glad that they are getting the message out there as well as providing the education," Owens said.
The group also puts on other activities that bring the disabled children and their siblings on various trips. These trips give their parents much needed alone time and provides as a training ground for the A&M students that help with these trips, she said. Many of the students that help are special education majors.
"Books don't give you real world experience," Knight said.
There are also going to be more Handwriting Without Tears classes in the fall.
"We are getting the kids ready for the future and other people ready for our kids," Knight said.
"This problem makes forming letters difficult," Hodges said. "The system used helps the kids to learn how to form letters in a fun way that also allows them to remember how to do it later."
Knight said the A&M students ended up helping out tremendously. They raised the same amount of money that the Down Syndrome Support Group paid to send Hodges to get trained and donated it back to the Down syndrome group.
The students raised money by sending letters to people they know and approaching businesses in College Station, Knight said.
When it finally came time to teach, some of the A&M students, did not know what to expect, but they were willing to take on the challenge. They learned that patience and repetition was the key to facilitating the best learning environment, she said.
Hodges said the class was a great success.
"I thought it was very beneficial to the A&M students as well as the kids with Down syndrome," Hodges said.
Lauren Owens, a freshman kinesiology major, started a club of her own called Our Siblings Ourselves, which is for Aggies with disabled siblings.
"Our organization is a support group for Aggies that are dealing with the transition to college and moving away from their handicap siblings," Owens said. "It is great what the Down Syndrome Support group is doing, I believe that we should all be treated equally and am glad that they are getting the message out there as well as providing the education," Owens said.
The group also puts on other activities that bring the disabled children and their siblings on various trips. These trips give their parents much needed alone time and provides as a training ground for the A&M students that help with these trips, she said. Many of the students that help are special education majors.
"Books don't give you real world experience," Knight said.
There are also going to be more Handwriting Without Tears classes in the fall.
"We are getting the kids ready for the future and other people ready for our kids," Knight said.
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