Donated reading software spells success

LAYTON — A Davis County company has donated more than $24,000 in computer software, titled "Discover Intensive Phonics," to ensure reading success for students at Layton's Lincoln Elementary School, 591 W. 2000 North.

Tyson Smith, president of HEC Reading Horizons in North Salt Lake, was approached by a teacher at Lincoln who asked if the Discover Intensive Phonics program could help students who had not acquired solid literacy skills.

"Certainly," Smith replied.

In exchange for attending a Discover Intensive Phonics workshop at the University of Utah, Smith agreed to donate the software to the school.

"Not only did that teacher attend the workshop, but she brought the rest of the fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade teachers with her," Smith explained. "The teachers are excited to put into practice the skills that they learned (at the workshop), and we are excited to help them. The school has also agreed to provide data on student progress."

A total of six teachers at Lincoln Elementary have been trained in the Discover Intensive Phonics for Yourself method, and according to principal, Christine Whitaker, these teachers are going "great guns!"

She has seen some really good progress already in the month the program has been used, and the students are anxious to use it.

Becca Ferry, one of the teachers using the Discover Intensive Phonics method, is already seeing improvement since implementing the program in her classroom.

She says, "I'm having success with my students. My lower readers and on-grade level readers are finding patterns and sounding out words better. I love the program for all readers because it teaches them to look at words in new ways. They are picking it up fast."

Lincoln Elementary invested in direct instruction materials for the teachers trained in the method. These non-consumable teacher's kits include posters for use in the classroom to help remind students of the sounds in the English language, reverse listening cards for students to use individually, two volumes of the teacher's manual, and other student and classroom materials.

Katrina Noyes, another teacher trained in the method, describes a student she has been working with:

"I have a student who struggles all around with school. He has missed a lot of school, so that hasn't helped. After I taught (one of the phonetic) pattern(s), I would say a word for (all) the students to write and mark on their white boards. Then they would hold them up for me to see.

"The student I mentioned earlier was spelling the words correctly (as well as many other students). After a few correctly spelled words, he said, 'This is easy!' He smiled and continued working with the class. Now his spelling is not terrific all of a sudden, but he can use that pattern. Most importantly, he succeeded in school. He was excited because he could do it. I was glad to see him find enjoyment in learning."

For information on the Discover Intensive Phonics, go to: www.readinghorizons.com.