Testimonies from Public School Teachers
“This is a highly effective reading program. It is being used to instruct all level of students, including those diagnosed with learning disabilities, such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, and autism spectrum. I have found it effective for ESL and ELL students. Students enjoy learning the patterns and all of the vocabulary words. In addition to guiding students into becoming accomplished readers, the program ensures that students will successfully pronounce, spell, and comprehend word meanings.”
Reading Interventionist
Texas
“This is a must have for any teacher. This is the most amazing program. It gets the students excited about reading. The students feel successful and cannot wait to come to reading group to work on their next lesson. I have tried several other intervention programs with my students who were not progressing or feeling successful about themselves. I used this program from the last week in January to the first week of April and I had students who went up six reading levels! These were students who were stuck at the same reading level for at least a year or more and some were ELLs. This program made them know the words – they were no longer guessing. This in turn boosted their confidence when it came to their reading. I would highly recommend this program. It is easy to use and your students will LOVE reading. I am excited about teaching reading again.”
Shannon Smith
3rd grade teacher, Midland ISD
“An aide in our building was assigned a student diagnosed with autism who was refusing to engage in any learning activities. His classroom aide, Ginger, started teaching him using the lessons in Reading and Spelling Pure & Simple. He really liked them! In fact, he began making up sentences to illustrate the meanings of the words! We are delighted with this student’s progress!”
Oklahoma Elementary Teacher
“My students are learning to not only understand but to read and (oh my goodness!) to write English, too! Reading and Spelling Pure & Simple has been great!”
Laura,
2nd grade ESL teacher, Texas
“My students reading scores in December were the lowest of the five kindergarten teachers in my school. My class started doing these lessons in reading group in January. The students began to run to reading group with enthusiasm. Several of my kindergarteners were confidently decoding two and three syllable words by the end of the semester. It was an amazing turn around!”
Midland Kindergarten teacher
“Last summer I worked for only a few weeks with a 5th grader who was struggling in school. We only had time to complete 30 of the 90 lessons. He is no longer struggling with reading in school. In September, I started tutoring a third-grade student once a week for an hour. In February, she took her second practice test for the state required test and increased her scores. Seeing such dramatic results and experiencing real success, she comes to do her RSPS lessons with enthusiasm and a smile.”
D.W.,
Texas Retired Teacher, acting as a Tutor
“I have had the privilege of being in education for 30 years. Three years ago a friend asked me to help one of her students, a once-retained 5th grader who was a struggling reader and had not been able to pass any of his TAKS tests and who was at risk of being retained a second time. This boy had been in the intervention reading program for a few years but his reading remained at kindergarten level. After working with him for only 6 weeks (3 times per week for 30-45 minutes), using the program Reading and Spelling Pure & Simple, his reading level jumped 3 grade levels! By the end of the year, he not only reached grade level but progressed beyond the 5th grade, passed all of his TAKS tests for the first time, and was recognized at the national level as one of the top students in reading improvement! The simplicity of the program makes it both teacher and student friendly. I highly recommend using this program to teach students to read and spell.”
Deehona Minton
Special Services, Texas
“I began using this program a year ago for reading intervention with second graders. I soon realized this program was beneficial for ALL my students. After beginning these lessons in a whole group setting I saw an increase in vocabulary, students were confident enough to begin dissecting words on their own (instead of constantly asking, “What’s this word?”), and some students also started phonetically spelling 3-syllable words on their own initiative. This system helps all individuals (ELL, students with learning disabilities, and slow learners) achieve success in reading as well as provides them with motivation to continue their growth. I would recommend this program to any teacher, tutor, or homeschooling parent, and I will recommend it to my new third grade team members. I can’t wait to get started!“
Chantalle Stevenson
Westlake Michigan Elementary teacher
“The vocabulary is such fun in these lessons. To my delight, my students actually use their new words. One afternoon, two second graders asked me to have Bobby ‘quit vexing’ them.”
Texas 2nd grade teacher
“I have two students [ELL, English Language Learners] from Burma in my classroom and couldn’t be more pleased with their progress. I started them off in the Pre-Unit in Reading and Spelling Pure & Simple. I can tell they are gaining in confidence. Before they were silent and solemn; now they are laughing and joking. They were so proud to tell their mother that they could read (and spell!) seven words in English after only their first lesson.”
Texas Elementary Teacher
“I am teaching kindergarten and this book just clicks for my students. It makes sense of the letters, words and sentences! This year, it isn’t even the end of the first semester and almost half of my students are already on reading level and about 80% (79% to be exact) are on tier 1 on istation!!! The phonemic awareness portion of the test was passed by 95%!! This book eliminates guessing and has them actually reading! The kids love it and feel so proud of themselves. I am so proud of them! I only wish I had done this book with my students sooner last year.”
Emily
Kindergarten teacher, Texas
“I’ve been a teacher in the public schools in Oklahoma for some thirty years. The school assigned me an aide for thirty minutes a day during spring semester. I asked the aide to use the lessons in Reading and Spelling Pure & Simple with several of my students who were not proficient in reading. After only three weeks my students jumped in their SRI [Scholastic Reading Inventory] scores two to four grade levels! The lessons are really easy to teach. I’ve been sharing news about this program with other teachers I know.”
Classroom Teacher, Oklahoma
Testimonies from Homeschool Teachers
“Wow, just wow. I picked this book up and wow. Clean, organized, simple and EVERYTHING is in this ONE book! So, before this book, I was buying several different programs for three different age groups for both phonics/reading and another for spelling. No more. This one book has all | need to meet the different levels of my three kids. | have no idea why this little gem of a book is not front and center on every homeschooling website, book store and blog. It’s really the have all end all right here – one book – three kids (all at different levels) – no lesson planning.”
Devon Olson
Texas mom
“I have tried several highly recommended and expensive reading curricula in an attempt to find a fit for our family. I teach four, ages 5 – 11, one of which has always struggled with reading. My teaching and prep time are limited. Finally! This program fits. It works! It is truly open and go. No flash cards to fumble through, no lost workbooks to find, no pictures to encourage guessing, no silly activities to dumb down the subject for the older student, no games to learn or prep (games are great for learning, but not during my valuable and limited teaching time). It is completely adaptable for any age or level. I am learning new definitions as well. One book works for all four children and the same book will work until they all read and spell fluently. One book! And the best part is that my children enjoy it too. As the author suggests, the conversations about word definitions lighten the mood of our lessons. The patterns set the learner up for success. The order of letter introduction is well thought out and brilliant. The time I am able to spend with each child is completely relaxed and melt down free. I am encouraged, my children are encouraged. The author has been so helpful with my questions. I can’t say enough good about Reading and Spelling Pure and Simple.”
Maranda De La Torre
“When I first started homeschooling it was very hard to find a curriculum that worked for my children, but with Reading and Spelling Pure & Simple I was able to help my eight-year-old son really improve his ability to read. He now doesn’t have to even think about the large words that he once struggled to comprehend. My son is a second grader and he just finished lesson seventy-two in this book. At first he felt a little overwhelmed because when we started this curriculum he didn’t know how to read. He thought he would never learn, but as time passed, he began gaining confidence and started to enjoy his lessons. Personally as a homeschooling mother I have enjoyed it as well because it is simple, inexpensive, and easy to keep a record of my children’s progress. I can honestly say that it only took about two weeks to see the big improvement in my son’s reading and that Reading and Spelling Pure & Simple has truly been a blessing and I highly recommend it.”
Loyda Sorenson
“I want to say a thousand things about this wonderful program and the very dedicated woman the authored the book and took the time to communicate one on one with a concerned grandmother about the program – but then people might be tempted not to a long review. So, I am trying to keep this short so you can use your time to look at the book itself and the method. It is well researched, and it works! I am thrilled that it teaches reading spelling and comprehension all in one clean simple uncomplicated program – and the price is incredible for all that it covers and teaches. The beauty of the reading and spelling combine is fantastic, and I cannot tell you how much I love that the vocabulary is built in – and in a way other programs just don’t. (And I have used other programs) What other method would have exposed my granddaughter not only to the word “tam” but also given us the opportunity to discuss culture and various traditions of other countries (since a “tam” is a Scottish hat that opened up the opportunity for some great discussion and learning for us). I thank God that I found this program and am grateful that I can use it with my both my granddaughters.”
Kim Rush
“If your children are having trouble in reading class this book will definitely help. Not only did my child’s reading improve but the communication between he and I also improved. I strongly recommend this book.”
Peter Juarez, Pecos
Texas dad
“We started long vowels today (Lesson 33). I gave my first grader (Rebekah) the explanation of the vowels saying their name and the silent e as you described in your notes. And we started reading “cap, cape, gap, gape” etc. She didn’t skip a beat. She got through Roman number I and I was praising her, telling her how hard that could have been, but how she did it so wonderfully. She got a glint in her eye and said, “Want me to do another section?” I told her she could keep going, but I had to go upstairs and change Abigail’s diaper. I could hear her reading while I was gone, but not clearly. She came to me in a few moments and said, “Mommy, I got carried away and read the whole page! Except the challenge words. Can we please not spell them all today?” We will go back and read them again when I’m with her, and she will spell them bit by bit. But I am just so pleased how seamlessly she’s moved to long vowels! Pretty exciting.”
Sarah Curtis
San Antonio, Texas mom
“We’ve used Reading and Spelling Pure and Simple from kindergarten to third grade so far. My daughter isn’t AFRAID to pick up ANYTHING and read it. We are currently in lesson 60 and are still having fun! This book not only has helped my daughter be confident in reading but has added a vocabulary richness to the world around her. She gets excited when she recognizes words she has learned in books, clever worded bill boards, the newspaper… You name it! Her favorite thing to do is act out the words, write sentences and poems using her newly learned words. The best part for me is that this program is well written with explanations along the way, making it easy to teach! It is so fun to watch your children grow!”
Brandon D. Smith, Texas
“My son had to repeat kindergarten because he was not able to read the 50 words required to be promoted to the first grade. We started Reading and Spelling Pure & Simple in July and my son loved doing the lessons. He started school about two months later. The second day of class, | was called by the school to be informed that my son was doing so well in class that he was no longer eligible to be in Special Ed. This is very exciting!”
McCamey
Texas mom
“My son had completed the sixth grade but could only read at a second-grade level. | started doing the lessons with him over the summer. When he went back to school in the fall, the teachers noticed how much he had improved (his test results showed that he had jumped 4 grade levels with only a few months of lessons)! He’s a totally different kid today—he actually enjoys school and is making A’s on his report card. | can’t say enough good things about this program.”
Christie Carr
Mother in Texas
“My stepson refused to read out loud and needed help in reading. At a friend’s suggestion, | started tutoring him with Reading and Spelling Pure & Simple. He loved doing the lessons. He couldn’t wait for school to start, so that he could read out loud in class. He’s now vying with another student to be the best reader in his second-grade class.”
Maria Varela
“This book has been an absolute blessing for my 13-year-old autistic son! With all Deede’s tips and guidelines outlined clearly in this book, we have taken a nonverbal non writing boy to writing and reading for the first time. I highly recommend this book!”
Gina Moore
Success Stories
The summer before one student entered the seventh grade, he tested at a second grade level. His mother began working with him using Reading and Spelling Pure & Simple during the summer. His next test showed that he had improved in his reading four grade levels. The mother shared her excitement with us as she started to receive notes from his teachers that she had never seen before, “Doing good work.” She recently sent us a copy of his college acceptance letter.
A twenty-one-year old flunked the city police exam. In three weeks, working two or three days a week, for two to three hours a day, he read and spelled through to Lesson 33 (of 90) in Reading and Spelling Pure & Simple. He took the County Sherriff’s exam and confidently passed it, realizing he was reading and spelling from left-to-right, syllable to syllable, and understanding what he was reading. He was able to read his oral vocabulary with ease and was thrilled.
One student started his fifth grade year reading on a kindergarten level. By Christmas, working with one teacher between twenty minutes to an hour, two or three times per week, he had tested at his own grade level. By the end of the fifth grade, he was testing above his fifth grade level, having completed only 55 of the 90 lessons in Reading and Spelling Pure & Simple.
One autistic third grader in Oklahoma refused to participate in any classroom work. He was introduced to the lessons and began to focus and work very hard. The aide assigned to him was thrilled. Other parents of autistic children have found ways to build reading and spelling skills with their students when using these lessons.
Five students shared time, one-on-one with an Aide (thirty minutes in a classroom every day – second semester of 3rd grade). These students improved between two and four grade levels (according to SRI) in three weeks, using these lessons during that thirty minutes exclusively.