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Meet Mr. High Hat! Linda Statham is at it again!

Linda Statham

You may remember reading about speech/language pathologist, Linda Statham in an April 2001 article on this website. Come visit the AGS booth at the upcoming ASHA 2001 Convention and you'll meet Linda in person. She will be on hand to share her experience of portraying the character High Hat in the classroom and to talk about the positive response she has received from her students.

Linda began using the original Goldman-Lynch Sounds and Symbols Development Kit twenty years ago to teach language development skills to children. Now with the newly revised Sounds & Symbols Early Reading Program, she creates even more excitement with updated stories and songs. Best of all, an adult-sized hat made to resemble High Hat's is now available separately, making it easy for any SLP to become High Hat!

According to Linda, her students know High Hat as the man with the furry moustache who likes to make people happy. "He's a win-win fellow that comes to our classroom," she says. Anything High Hat needs he finds in his magic hat or pocket.

Every Friday at Hickory Flat Elementary School in Canton, Georgia, Linda transforms herself into the character. She uses a hand-me-down blue silk robe from Great Britain, a fake moustache, and her new hat. Before she enters the classroom, a CD-ROM plays the whirling sound of a helicopter. She remarks that "the children are as quiet as mice," because they know High Hat will soon arrive in his hatcopter!

Keeping 100 students focused on a lesson seems like an impossible task. "Not so," says Linda. "The High Hat stories are so well written that they capture children's attention and keep their attention . . . The children absolutely love the program. Every child in this school knows High Hat."

Linda adds, "I'm glad they updated the program." According to Linda, Sounds & Symbols has become an integral part of the school: "High Hat has been a success for our kids for many, many years." And Linda Statham plans on playing High Hat for a few more years, at least!

For more information on the Sounds & Symbols Early Reading Program, or to take a virtual tour, please go to:

Product Page:
http://ags.pearsonassessments.com/Group.asp?nGroupInfoID=highhat

Virtual Tour:
http://ags.pearsonassessments.com/flash/ss/

Sounds & Symbols Sample Downloads:
http://ags.pearsonassessments.com/flash/ss/sample.asp