Getting & Keeping the Attention of the Academically Challenged with Lots O' Pegs

About the Book

"I have seen Mrs. Hall's peg system work with children of a variety of ages and cognitive abilities. It is hands on and concrete, something children can understand. It gives children a sense of accomplishment, pride in their choices and accountability when they make poor choices. Children have an active part in managing their behaviors and learn to self-monitor these behaviors. For data collection purposes, it makes keeping trac of behavior improvements easy.”
--Pam Harrison, School Psychologist

“I have known Sandra Whittington-Hall for over 20 years as a colleague and supervisor. During the last 14 years, as her supervisor I have visited her classroom once a month. I can truthfully say I have never been in her classroom when students were not engaged in learning and she was not instructing. Sandra does not have behavior problems in her classroom because expectations are explained and understood by the students and because of her strong commitment to her students. I am very proud of the initiative she has taken in writing this book on ”Lots O’ Pegs” and her willingness to share her expertise on education. She is an excellent example of effective teaching.”
--Dr. Stephanie Walker, Special Education Supervisor

About the Author

Playing school was my all time favorite pass time as a child. As the youngest of five children, I found myself playing school with my dolls and the neighborhood kids. My siblings were much older and into other things, so I kept quite busy playing “teacher.” After graduating from high school in 1973, I pursued a teaching degree from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. I graduated from UT with a B.S. degree in special education in 1977. I began my teaching career for Roane County Schools in Kingston, TN in 1978 where I currently teach an extended resource class. As a veteran special education teacher, I share my thirty years of working with the academically challenged. During the course of those years, I’ve spent over twenty years perfecting my student behavioral teaching system called Lots O’ Pegs. This system has become very effective in keeping students in a classroom setting disciplined and focused. The uniqueness of the system allows students to take ownership for their behavior, work habits, and learning. They learn to get what they want by making good choices. Lots O’ Pegs teach children to make choices so they can be successful. Although I work in Kingston, TN, which is twenty-five miles away, my husband, Jack and I reside in Knoxville, TN with our loving and spoiled yorkie, Samson. When I am not consumed doing school work I enjoy reading, working crossword puzzles, gardening, and boating. As I move from special education teacher to the consulting phase of my career, I’m excited to share my knowledge with those who share a similar vision for helping those unique kids be successful. The stories and events I share changed my students’ attitudes which made them better students and made me a much better teacher. Shad Helmstetter quote sums up the Lots O’ Pegs system when he said, “Choosing to live your life by your own choice is the greatest freedom you will ever have. It is only when you exercise your right to choose that you can also exercise your right to change. The end result of your life here on earth will always be the sum total of the choices you made while you were here.” The methodology and successes that I’ve had and shared using the Lots O’ Pegs system is truly unique and beneficial. It is my hope that all who read the book will take my experiences to help make our children be more productive in life.