Category: ELL

An Elementary School Principal Leads a School-Wide Literacy Transformation

The Challenges: When Dr. Sonya Campbell first arrived at Alexander Elementary School in Greenville, South Carolina in the fall of 2013, she faced a slew of challenges. The 450 Kindergarten-through-fifth grade student population was 98 percent high-poverty, 52 percent learning disabled, and 60 percent English language learners (ELL). “Just about all our students were below […]

Elementary Learners (K-5) ELL Testimonials

Struggling Third-Graders Make Quick and Dramatic Gains

Reading Challenge: More than 50 percent critical ESL, ELL struggling and dyslexic readers “What’s powerful is that students can see and hear word pronunciations through an actual reading coach,” says Misty Simpson, a 12-year education veteran and Reading and Social Studies teacher at Blake Manor Elementary in the Manor (Texas) Independent School District. “This makes […]

Dyslexia Elementary Learners (K-5) ELL Special Education Testimonials

The Art of Transitioning a District

Reading Challenge: A Superintendent Implements a District-Wide Reading Solution To say that change has been the hallmark of the Manor (Texas) Independent School District over the past five years would be an understatement. Student enrollment has increased by more than 1,000, the population of English language learners is growing significantly, and overall enrollment is projected […]

Elementary Learners (K-5) ELL Middle School Learners (6-8) Testimonials

Students Make Outstanding Reading Gains Using MVRC with Fidelity

An Interview with Shelli Treely, Reading Coach, Moran Elementary School; Osceola, IN During our last school year (2015-16), approximately 60 students worked on MindPlay Virtual Reading Coach (MVRC) with fidelity. The 18 third-grade students who worked on the program contributed to our most successful passing percentage of Indiana’s state-mandated reading assessment. During the first semester […]

Elementary Learners (K-5) ELL Testimonials

Fourth-Grade Students with Disabilities Improve Their Reading Skills

An Interview with Marie Hawkins, Fourth Grade Teacher Trinity Lutheran School, Kissimmee, Florida. Three of my 17 fourth-grade students have received the McKay Scholarship which is offered to students with disabilities, such as, autism, ADHD, ADD, mental retardation, and other learning disabilities. The scholarship is funded by the Florida Department of Education. While these three […]

Elementary Learners (K-5) ELL Special Education Testimonials

Middle and High School “Critical” Readers Succeed on MVRC

From Carrie O’Donnell Students from our inner city school come to us missing a lot of reading skills. I see approximately 49 percent of our sixth through eleventh grade students. If students are at 190 or below in their Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) scores, they automatically come to me. These are the lowest reading students […]

ELL High School Learners (9-12) Middle School Learners (6-8) Testimonials

Students Achieve Outstanding Reading Gains Using MVRC – An Interview with Brandie Genske, Program Support Teacher, Bonduel School District

“About 20 percent of our student population needs academic intervention,” stated Brandie Genske, a Program Support Teacher for the Bonduel School District in Bonduel, WI. “Using the Response to Intervention Approach (RTI), we have over 100 students in tier 2 and tier 3. Last year, our tier 3 students gained 6 to 40 points of […]

ELL High School Learners (9-12) Middle School Learners (6-8) Special Education Testimonials