I recently began using Unique Reader Secondary with my fourth to sixth graders. I was so impressed with it for many reasons. First, the lessons are well thought out. They are sequenced in a way that makes sense developmentally, following along with a typical school curriculum. Second, the material is presented in a lively and interesting way. Kids are so often "turned off" to lessons. With Unique Reader Secondary, they can’t wait to get started. Finally, as their teacher, Unique Reader Secondary allows me to see exactly what level each child is up to, and is thus easy to incorporate into our own curriculum. At our center, we work towards helping kids not only read at grade level, but towards helping them develop a love of reading. Unique Reader Secondary helps us accomplish our goals. I highly recommend it!!
Laura Reisler, MS, CCC-SLP
Director, Park Slope Communication Center, Brooklyn, NY
I homeschool my four children, and when the oldest was obviously behind in reading, it was hard not to take it personally. Was I doing the best for my child? Were there bigger issues that I was missing? I decided to start searching for resources to assist me in this adventure.
On July 26, 2007 we were introduced to Let’s Go Learn and we began with their diagnostic online reading assessment. At this point, Chandler was eight years old and using a 3rd grade curriculum for all his subjects. However, he was severely struggling in reading. After he took the assessment, I was shocked to see how far behind he was. He was reading at a mid-kindergarten level yet had an oral vocabulary of a high 5th grader. Every area of reading was behind: high-frequency words, word recognition, phonics, phonemic awareness, spelling, and reading comprehension (with silent reading). We began addressing the lowest-scoring areas first by following the detailed recommendations from Let’s Go Learn.
It was so helpful to have written ideas and suggestions on how to move forward with Chandler’s reading. I didn’t have to go to any special classes or learn any unusual techniques for teaching him. The packet I printed from his test results on the computer gave me tons of ideas, suggestions, and instructional activities in each area of reading. We started right away by adding Let’s Go Learn to our existing curriculum for 30 minutes each day, plus one-on-one practice for 2-3 hours each week.
We saw progress but wanted some concrete evidence that what we were doing was working. So, on Nov. 14, 2007, a mere four months since the initial assessment, he retook the online reading assessment. The results were staggering! The line graph showed the positive growth most clearly. He was now reading at a high 1st grade and spelling at a low 2nd grade level, and word recognition was at a high 9th grade level. WOW! I was thrilled, yet our work is not done. We still need to work on his high-frequency words and spelling, but just as before, we have an entire packet of recommendations and instructional activities to enhance our efforts.
My favorite part of Let’s Go Learn is that my child enjoys doing it and I don’t have to be there every minute to help him. He can listen to the instructions and follow the cartoon animals or people to practice several components of reading independently. His younger sister is distraught that she doesn’t "get to play" on the computer like her brother. They think this is a bonus or reward for him.
I also appreciate the fact that I don’t have to pack up the kids in the car and go somewhere for him to get this training. It’s all in my home, on my timeline, and for as long or short a time as we deem appropriate. I can even do this at the grandparents’ home on their computer if we desire that. It’s flexible, adaptable, and works.
Thank you for giving me a tool that has really helped my child read and allowed him to enjoy the process as well.
Sincerely,
Karina Bonn
Homeschooling mom/ Occupational Therapist
Straight A's awarded to DORA!
MultiMedia and Internet @ Schools Magazine, a resource for Media and Technology Specialists, gives DORA A's in Installation, Content/Features, Ease of Use, and Product Support.
“The Let’s Go Learn assessment tool is excellent and easy for children to take. The reports are very parent-friendly and easy to understand. Unique Reader, the instructional portion of the program, can be used very effectively in classrooms since it differentiates to each student’s specific needs. The lessons are also well-executed.”
Johanna Abahoonie, Director of The Learning Curve Educational Center, Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey
Challenges Faced:
LGL: What problems were you hoping to address using Let’s Go Learn products?
Director Abahoonie: Since this program targets sight words, phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension, it helps my students improve their reading skills. The individualized learning path (Unique Reader) provides students with lessons that address their weaknesses.
LGL: Which of our products do you use?
Director Abahoonie: I use Unique Reader, which provides both the diagnostic online reading assessment (DORA) and targeted online instruction.
Strategies Implemented:
LGL: How has Let’s Go Learn helped your instructional practices?
Director Abahoonie: I own a learning center; therefore, each child is taught on an individual basis. The Let’s Go Learn Reading Assessment is instrumental in helping me remediate my students. The parents and schools love the reports that are generated after the assessment. The “teacher report” helps me to pinpoint the gaps a student has in learning to read so that I can direct my instruction exactly to those areas.
LGL: How often do you use Unique Reader’s online instruction?
Director Abahoonie: That depends on the number of times per week a child attends, but all students generally use it at least once a week or more. Once a child has taken the Let’s Go Learn Reading Assessment, I use it almost every time the child comes to the learning center as a supplemental instructional tool.
Results:
LGL: Have you seen growth in your student(s) as a result of using Let’s Go Learn’s products?
Director Abahoonie: My center has only been open for 8 months; however, the students who have been here long enough to retest have shown growth. For example, one of my students took the assessment again after using the online instruction for 3 months. Her sight word and comprehension scores went up over one year!!
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