Reading Horizons Review: Deborah F. Wright
In 1989 I began teaching first grade in a small, private school in Kennesaw, Georgia. The headmistress’s son had had a difficult time learning to read. The school he attended recommended a tutor who used Reading
My interest was piqued, but I approached training with a cautious attitude. Many programs promise much but, in reality, deliver little. I left training impressed and energized. I put it to work in that first-grade classroom and saw immediate results.
The following year, I returned to teaching special education in a public middle school and took Reading Horizons with me. My students all had documented reading disabilities. I pre-tested, taught the program consistently, and then post-tested. Results were amazing: Every student's decoding ability had made between nine to 18 months of growth in one single school year! If only these young people had made that kind of progress from the beginning of their school education, they probably would not have needed to be in my resource room.
Over the years, I have used Reading Horizons. I am now teaching second, third, and fourth graders in a resource setting and I continue to see astonishing results. The most exhilarating moments of all are when I hear my students say, "Mrs. Wright, did you know I can read now?"
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for such a tremendous program. It really helps keep me going to see something that works. Most of all thank you from all those children who have been given the key which opens the door to reading!
***This success story (above) references the Reading Horizons structured literacy that has been taught in over 10,000 U.S. schools. Reading Horizons produces, distributes, and provides training for other types of reading curriculum such as ELL reading instruction, and a reading intervention program.***
Grade Level: Elementary, Secondary