Testimonials

Dear Principal Foster:

I’d like to thank you for the opportunity to use the Richards Read Program in my classroom this year.

This is my 29^th year of teaching. I’ve taught al those years in the Cleveland Public Schools. And I’ve always taught first grade. So, I’ve really seen reading programs come and go. Richards Read is the best one I’ve ever used.

The program uses a multi-sensory phonetic approach to reading and my kids have bloomed with this method. It seems to have empowered them to read, and they love it. It would warm any educator’s heart to see my class’s enthusiasm and love for reading.

I really hope I can use Richards Read next year.

The title teacher came to me last week and said, “What are you doing with those students!!??!!” They are outscoring the gen ed kids!” I replied, “I am NOT using LLI. I would love to show what I do and I would love to have Sue (our principal) join us.” In my post evaluation conference the principal said, “You clearly know how to teach kids how to read. You are never allowed to leave our building.” I plan to use the data from this year to ask if she would consider adopting Richards Read for the core reading curriculum at Eastwood. I will certainly keep you posted! Thank you again for all you do!!

My fourth period class is made up of high school students who read at a 1^st to 2^nd grade level.  We have been using Richard’s Read Systematic Phonics since September.  It is very apparent that all of them have improved their reading level.  (I can’t wait to give the post-test in May!)  The program is structured, easy to use, and fun.  As a teacher, I appreciate the fact that the program includes everything needed to teach.

            It is difficult to motivate teenagers who have struggled through years of failure.  With Richard’s Read, they start “getting it” very early and are motivated by their success.  I am particularly proud of one boy in my class who was frequently suspended from school last year.  This year he has been a leader during fourth period.  He is genuinely involved in the program and by example others follow suit.  I am looking forward to working with the same students next year so they can keep progressing.

Systematic Writing

My experience with the Richards Read program has been very beneficial and successful for students in my classroom.  My class was reluctant to write and was also poor at expressing themselves when they tried to write.  I used the writing portion of Richards Read to help my students understand the sentence structure and to help teach them how to compose a paragraph.

One of my students began the year able to write only very simple sentences or incomplete sentences.  He exhibited autistic like tendencies, and was nonverbal in class.  We began with the grammar and built simple “bare bones” sentences from pictures that the students selected.  We then took created paragraphs of bare bones sentences as a class expanded the sentences to complex descriptive sentences.  We then moved on to paragraphs.  The students enjoyed and had fun elaborating on the dull uninteresting sentences.  They were then asked to compose a paragraph.  We discussed the paragraphs which were simple and not very interesting to a reader, and then began to expand the sentences within the paragraph.  I was not sure what my autistic student would be able to do.  He grasped the concept, which really helped him to write better paragraphs.  He began writing complete sentences.  He learned how to expand sentences and write a simple paragraph.  He was able to take a new vocabulary word and write a complete sentence using the new word.

This was an extremely helpful and beneficial program both for the students and for me.  I would highly recommend its usage for those difficult writers.

One particular student was affected by the Richard Read program was a ninth grader who came to us with low self-esteem and self-worth.  When tested, we found his reading level to be at the first grade.  Basically, he had only learned to memorize some key sight words.  He would not read for us in the classroom and had absolutely zero confidence in his ability to succeed in this area.  This carried over to other subjects.

When we began the reading program, and he was placed with others that struggled in reading, he quickly bought into this program and participated.  His ability to memorize concepts quickly was a great asset and celebration to his achievement in this program.  I saw him attempting every new skill and picking up on the skills that he had missed.  The best part was that he would volunteer in class to read selections and asked to do certain activities with adults that reinforced the skills taught in class.  I saw him smiling more in my class and teachers reported a better effort in their classes.

I think the key wasn’t just the program but that every teacher he had understood how it worked and knew how to implement strategies to reinforce and embrace this concept in their classrooms.  He was filled with successes in every classroom by using the tools in the reading program.

I feel the network of teachers involved in these programs, the commitment in implementing these programs and the materials were key to our students’ success.  I envision this to be an ongoing process within our department.  I hope to share the materials and ideas to the teachers in the regular classrooms who are struggling with students that are at different levels.  I feel these materials can enhance and bridge gaps between learners while giving every student the feeling of achievement and self-worth.

Yesterday we read "The Phantom Hitchhiker" by Daniel Cohen. After reviewing some facts the kids couldn't wait to get the graphic organizer with the protagonist and antagonist hearts. Before I passed them out ALL of them were embroiled in a fabulous discussion of who the main character and antagonist and protagonist were.

            Carole it was wonderful listening to them embrace reading and discussion. They took their personal skills and ability to think critically to a higher level and they didn't even know they were doing it. What a challenge they embraced.

            Your Richards Reads Systematic approaches have been the best thing to hit them. They bought into the approach and my excitement to teach it.

            No college class has ever taught me how to teach reading especially to high school kids. I now know. I used the reading assessment to supplement the multifactor evaluations to determine continued need for special education services and to find the "instructional" level of materials needed in the regular education rooms to help our students learn more fairly and with more quality.

            The regular ed teachers now know what "present materials at the instructional level" means in the service column on the IEP. Thank you so much for developing a college class that actually makes sense and is usable not only to the students but also to Me!!!!!!!

I really enjoyed each of the workshops in the RICHARDS Reads’ Program.  I thought each were very beneficial to me as well as to my students.  Since I do have different levels of students in my classes, Cheryl Schossler and I decided to combine our kids and co-teach the program.  Since it is during my preparation period, Cheryl is the one teaching the kids a(and doing a great job at it, if I may add), while I peek my head in a few times during the period to see how the students are responding.  Her students, as well as mine, love it!  Their levels of reading are all about the same, so no one is ever embarrassed or made to feel inferior.

In my higher English class, I have used the Systematic Comprehension approach quite a few times.  The students really enjoy using the different graphic organizers.  They also enjoy voicing their opinions about the different elements in our stories; this helps to build on their social skills, life skills, cooperative learning, etc.  This quarter, I plan to use the “Systematic Writing” approach with my class.  The majority of them do not even know how to write a paragraph properly. Since this program is very clear and concise, I feel my students will benefit from it immediately!

I am very glad this program was offered to us here at the high school.  A number of our high school special ed students really needed help fast.  Each workshop gave us the tools we need to teach them in such a short period of time.  They are able to learn and understand each concept without feeling demeaned in any way.  This is so important for our students to succeed and feel good about themselves.

Thank you Carole for all that you have done, and good luck always.