Research

Discover Intensive Phonics at Home is right in step with current research. Our effective combination of phonics, vocabulary development, reading, spelling and speaking is endorsed by the National Right to Read Foundation and meets the mandates of No Child Left Behind. Click on the links below to learn more.

North Gem Elementary School, Bancroft, ID

Scope of Work:

Reading scores are assessed by the State of Idaho three times, yearly, for grades K – 3. North Gem Elementary implemented Discover Intensive Phonics in 1997 and continues to use the course.

Tool:

Idaho Reading Indicator Test (IDI)

Conducted 2001–2002

Evaluator’s Observations:

Involving parents is the key when helping students increase their reading levels. Parents have come in to see our first grade students demonstrate their skills in the spring. They are amazed to see first graders confidently discuss such things as murmur diphthongs, digraphs, special vowel combinations, blends and even more amazed to see them use them in their writing.

Students enjoy showing parents their word attack strategies and then reading the word. The harder the word, the greater the thrill of reading it.

Webster Parish School District, Minden, LA

Scope of Work:

The Legislature of Louisiana, in its 1997 session, passed House Bill 2444 (Act 45) that states: “Effective with the 1997-98 school year, each governing authority of a public elementary school shall implement a reading program at each elementary school that is designed and intended to teach each student to read at grade level by not later than the end of first grade.” It further states that the reading program shall include, but would not be limited to, a phonics component. Following this directive, Webster Parish School Board in Minden, Louisiana implemented a four-pronged program during the 1997-1998 school year for all K-3 students in the twelve elementary schools in the district.

Tool:

Gates-MacGinitie Test

Conducted October 1997–May 1998

Evaluator’s Observations:

The reports indicate that greatest gains were shown in first grade and kindergarten, indicating the importance of a good start. Eighty percent of kindergarten students scored 70% or above in reading as measured by the Webster Parish Kindergarten Exit Test.

Gains in the 1998-1999 school year should be significantly higher since ALL teachers will be using the same approach, they will begin at the first of the school year, and teachers will be more familiar with the technique.