Randy Feldman has been a Hollywood movie and television writer for over 30 years. He will discuss the journey that led him to write the Hallmark Channel movie “The Reading Room” and how that ultimately inspired him to form his own nonprofit -- P.O.R.T.A.L. (People Offering Reading, Teaching and Literacy). He will also examine the evolution of current storytelling trends in popular entertainment and its possible effects on this generation of learners.
For over two decades, the Reading Horizons program has taught tens of thousands of adults and youth to read. In literacy programs nationwide, even non-readers have advanced several grade levels using this interactive, multi-sensory program based on the effective Discover Intensive Phonics for Yourself approach. Based on data, students average two-to-five reading grade level gains of improvement in three to six months. There is nothing childish or condescending about the program. It is interactive, fast moving, and respectful.
Teaching phonics to older students can appear somewhat condescending, so it is important to select a program specifically designed for them. Older students need flexibility and privacy. They usually have various levels of interest in reading and limited time with a desire to learn as quickly as possible. Students may have diagnosed reading disorders and undiagnosed skill gaps.
ELL/ESOL students struggle with the need to rapidly master conversational English and the educational vocabulary necessary to pass exit exams, GEDs or other post-secondary entrance examinations and job applications. In addition, like struggling readers, ELL/ESOL students must sort out the unfamiliar sounds into pieces that make sense. They have problems perceiving and using English sounds and their corresponding letter symbols effectively.
Unlike many approaches, Reading Horizons teaches a solid, sequential framework of phonics. Based on scientific research and Orton-Gillingham principles of multi-sensory instruction, this explicit phonics reading system provides a foundation for reading success. ‘Proving’ words using the unique Discover Intensive Phonics marking system, they learn to recognize likely and unlikely sequences of letters and develop the ability to easily break words into syllables. This empowers students with the ability to decode new and unfamiliar words with accuracy and confidence. Students are engaged and motivated through seeing their own progress. Increased progress and confidence leads to increased motivation to learn. Students will simultaneously improve spelling, vocabulary, grammar, handwriting, listening, and comprehension skills. All these needs and results combine to make Reading Horizons the perfect solution for remediation for students aged 10 through adult.
The first step in mastering any language is learning its letter sounds. A special software component allows students to see animations showing tongue placement and whether the sound is voiced or voiceless. They see and hear how the sounds are formed with the use of live video. They can also hear the sounds of the alphabet and record themselves saying the sounds. Research has found that when struggling foreign language students were explicitly taught the phonology of the foreign language, they were able to learn the language successfully and also improve their phonological skills. The English Language Enhancement workbook provides additional exercises and enrichment activities to reinforce concepts. Students enjoy the learning method, which helps them proceed through the course quite rapidly. Since they are continually seeing their progress, they are encouraged and have the desire to stay with the program. Reading Horizons emphasizes phonetic structure and quickly gives students the skills they need to read English. Consequently, they adjust to their new environment more easily and experience less frustration than students who are forced to learn English much more slowly. Even those with no English reading skills can succeed with this system. They simply turn on the computer and begin. No instructions need to be read.
Dr. Neil Anderson, former International TESOL president and current English Immersion director at Brigham Young University, says, "(Now) I feel able to explicitly teach phonetic skills. In most teacher preparation courses or in-service sessions, how to teach phonics is not covered. I'm very anxious to begin using this new knowledge."
The primary goal of phonics instruction - learning to recognize words rapidly and automatically - can be accomplished in a variety of ways using the following components:
Reading Horizons is a sophisticated, interactive multimedia course. The course is intended for independent student use but also correlates with any desired classroom instruction. It actively engages students in seeing, hearing, speaking, and writing and provides immediate corrective feedback. Highlights include:
The Reading Horizons instructional materials are also cost effective, correlate to the computer software and include:
One or two-days of explicit, hands-on instruction in the Discover Intensive Phonics approach provides teachers with the requisite knowledge and skills to effectively teach this superb phonics system. Teachers are given training in:
