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A Safe Place for Joey
From bestselling author and teacher Mary Maccracken comes the engaging and inspiring story of five troubled children who she fought to bring back from the brink
Joey is the class clown, but alone proves to be an intensely dark seven-year old who still can’t read.
Eric is a kindergartener, left withdrawn and speechless by the horrors he’s witnessed at home.
Alice appears the model fifth year child, but secretly scores zero on every maths test.
Charlie, an eight-year old, struggles to understand his place in the world, leaving him confused and alone.
Ben comes from a comfortable life at home, but has been called stupid so many times he now believes it.
These are some of the learning-disabled children who were in deep trouble until Mary MacCracken, an extraordinary therapist and teacher, works her magic with them and transforms their lives. Her heart-warming book is a testament to her talent, compassion and love.
Joey is the class clown, but alone proves to be an intensely dark seven-year old who still can’t read.
Eric is a kindergartener, left withdrawn and speechless by the horrors he’s witnessed at home.
Alice appears the model fifth year child, but secretly scores zero on every maths test.
Charlie, an eight-year old, struggles to understand his place in the world, leaving him confused and alone.
Ben comes from a comfortable life at home, but has been called stupid so many times he now believes it.
These are some of the learning-disabled children who were in deep trouble until Mary MacCracken, an extraordinary therapist and teacher, works her magic with them and transforms their lives. Her heart-warming book is a testament to her talent, compassion and love.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1986
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115 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 15, 2008
Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to unobtrusively sit in on a tutoring session with a master teacher, so as to glean insight into the art of teaching?
Mary MacCracken opens the door on her private tutoring sessions with learning disabled children via her book, Turnabout Children. Mary is a learning disabilities specialist and has devoted her career to helping children who face such challenges as dyslexia, language processing disorders, attention deficit disorder, and the like. Because she has struggled with and overcome her own learning challenges, Mary brings to the table extraordinary compassion. I can't help but feel that the love that shines through her every action is the secret of her success. This does not negate, however, her obvious giftedness and patience in the area of teaching.
I knew I would like this lady, when, in the very first chapter she says, "The label is the least important part, and I have finally stopped fussing over which term is best. It is the child himself who matters."
Mary does use a battery of tests in order to pinpoint a child's strengths and weaknesses. Once that is done, she sets about helping the child to use his/her strengths in such a way as to compensate for the weaknesses. Often, organizational skills are the first thing to be addressed. This also gives the child a tangible way in which to take responsibility for their own learning; at no time does Mary spoon feed these children; they are called upon to put forth a great deal of hard work.
Throwing themselves heart and soul into that work has a side benefit. It redirects the anger that often shows itself in the child who is challenged. Another quote:
"...with children who have very mild learning disabilities. The problems are so subtle that they go undetected until the child herself or himself begins to feel that something's wrong, and then the emotional problems set in and grow and grow until they disguise the original learning problem."
YES! Subtle problems like not reading facial expressions, difficulty remembering right and left, not getting inferences in reading~~~although these things may be classified as "mild" problems, they can elicit emotions that are anything but mild. Especially when you consider that a child often recognizes they are "different" at about the same time adolescence hits.
Each chapter in this book introduces us to a different child and the unique approach taken to strengthen that child's abilities. I found it fascinating.
Although there are no sure-fire, magic pills to cure these problems, Mary closes by giving us her wise philosophy in these words:
"Love, help from someone specifically trained to remediate learning disabilities, ending every session with success, and a safe place."
And how would you define a safe place? This is how Mary defines it:
* A place where people are kind
* A place where there is laughter
* A place where there are a few, fair rules
* A place where people listen to each other
* A place where the adults are examples to the children
I suspect this book has a bit of dated information and terms, having been written in the 1980's before there was a plethora of information available on learning disabilities. But love is never dated. The world needs more teachers like Mary MacCracken.
Mary MacCracken opens the door on her private tutoring sessions with learning disabled children via her book, Turnabout Children. Mary is a learning disabilities specialist and has devoted her career to helping children who face such challenges as dyslexia, language processing disorders, attention deficit disorder, and the like. Because she has struggled with and overcome her own learning challenges, Mary brings to the table extraordinary compassion. I can't help but feel that the love that shines through her every action is the secret of her success. This does not negate, however, her obvious giftedness and patience in the area of teaching.
I knew I would like this lady, when, in the very first chapter she says, "The label is the least important part, and I have finally stopped fussing over which term is best. It is the child himself who matters."
Mary does use a battery of tests in order to pinpoint a child's strengths and weaknesses. Once that is done, she sets about helping the child to use his/her strengths in such a way as to compensate for the weaknesses. Often, organizational skills are the first thing to be addressed. This also gives the child a tangible way in which to take responsibility for their own learning; at no time does Mary spoon feed these children; they are called upon to put forth a great deal of hard work.
Throwing themselves heart and soul into that work has a side benefit. It redirects the anger that often shows itself in the child who is challenged. Another quote:
"...with children who have very mild learning disabilities. The problems are so subtle that they go undetected until the child herself or himself begins to feel that something's wrong, and then the emotional problems set in and grow and grow until they disguise the original learning problem."
YES! Subtle problems like not reading facial expressions, difficulty remembering right and left, not getting inferences in reading~~~although these things may be classified as "mild" problems, they can elicit emotions that are anything but mild. Especially when you consider that a child often recognizes they are "different" at about the same time adolescence hits.
Each chapter in this book introduces us to a different child and the unique approach taken to strengthen that child's abilities. I found it fascinating.
Although there are no sure-fire, magic pills to cure these problems, Mary closes by giving us her wise philosophy in these words:
"Love, help from someone specifically trained to remediate learning disabilities, ending every session with success, and a safe place."
And how would you define a safe place? This is how Mary defines it:
* A place where people are kind
* A place where there is laughter
* A place where there are a few, fair rules
* A place where people listen to each other
* A place where the adults are examples to the children
I suspect this book has a bit of dated information and terms, having been written in the 1980's before there was a plethora of information available on learning disabilities. But love is never dated. The world needs more teachers like Mary MacCracken.
March 1, 2017
When I was in school, there were no names to put on learning disabilities, you were either lazy or stupid and not really trying. There was also no help for children with those problems, other than to send them to the cloak room where they wouldn't disturb others. I did have one high school teacher who helped me find my strengths and build on those, rather than point out my many failings, and was the reason I chose to become a teacher.
Reading this book, I saw a lot of my past and wondered what it might have been like to get help in those areas I still have to deal with. I do feel that we all learn in different ways and one of the jobs of school should be to help each student find the way they learn best and build using those blocks as the base. We know our weaknesses and do not need to have them pointed out continually in front of the whole class, but sometimes it might be a healthy surprise just to hear something positive.
Not all can afford a counsellor trained in this area and teachers are often too busy or un-trained.
Reading this book, I saw a lot of my past and wondered what it might have been like to get help in those areas I still have to deal with. I do feel that we all learn in different ways and one of the jobs of school should be to help each student find the way they learn best and build using those blocks as the base. We know our weaknesses and do not need to have them pointed out continually in front of the whole class, but sometimes it might be a healthy surprise just to hear something positive.
Not all can afford a counsellor trained in this area and teachers are often too busy or un-trained.
February 10, 2008
THIS BOOK CHANGED MY LIFE! It is THE book that told me exaclty what I wanted to do with my life- what my calling was. I read it back in middle school, and since then, I have never veered off my path. The ways in which McCracken was able to affect students' lives by affecting their families' lives are amazing to me. I want to do that!
March 27, 2018
Apart from the fact that at the point it is slightly outdated I found this highly interesting. Each child was completely unique with different problems and VERY different home/schooling situations. I found this really interesting and I'm tempted at some point to read some different books by MacCracken.
July 16, 2011
I read this book in my early 20's and never forgot it. When my daughter was having learning problems I was able to get her the help she needed (in spite of the education system) because I had read Mary MacCracken.
August 19, 2011
A good explanation of both dyslexia and math concepts.
March 9, 2014
I read this in high school and it inspired me to want to be a special education teacher. It's fascinating and a good read.
July 17, 2014
Insight, insight, insight.
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December 6, 2025Her books changed me
February 8, 2019
One of the best books I've ever read. Mary MacCracken teaches a variety of ages who have learning disabilities, who are in elementary school. The stories of these kids lives, and her diligent, patient work with them, is wonderful and highly enjoyable.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews