Special Education

Since the 1940s k-12 schools taught the whole language concept of reading- memorizing words, known as sight-reading. When we were a manufacturing society, sight-reading and memorization was the easy quick way to prepare people for the factory as basic reading skills were necessary. Unfortunately, whole language has virtually left generations of students functionally illiterate to struggle with reading every day in this highly complex world.

Dropouts begin the dropping out process as early as fourth grade when it becomes quite apparent they cannot read well enough to keep pace with the curriculum. Or worse yet when they can no longer handle the shame and embarrassment of special education.

Many individuals have moved through their life in special education classrooms or now resource rooms in high schools. They have endured taunting and teasing by fellow students being called stupid often. These students misbehave, talk too much, clown around to protect their heart from the pain and embarrassment of not knowing how to read. They want to read. They are not stupid. They are part of the largest failed educational experiment in the history of the United States. They are pseudo special education students as the school systems did not know what to do with the participants of this failed experiment. So they dumped them into classes with physical disabled or mentally retarded students further impairing them.

Teachers love sight reading as it is easier to teach than phonics and etymology. Remember reading Dick and Jane books over and over until you memorized the sentences. That was sight reading. Or remember the program Drop Everything And Read (DEAR). That was a sight reading program too. If these jog your memory of either your experience or your child's history, do you remember learning to read?

Don't get me wrong! I do believe people expand their vocabulary by reading at least 20 minutes a day. However, I do believe reading is knowing the sounds of the 26 letters in the alphabet. Then using the alphabet to sound out words is the basis for reading. Sounding out words followed by knowing the prefixes, suffixes and root words is the foundation to reading comprehension. There is no other way to comprehend what a person reads without phonics and etymology.

Since you or your child are not alone in your reading dilemma, shake the shame and embarrassment of not knowing how to read. Reading is fundamental to life. In order to survive and thrive, one must learn to read. The economy is wiping out factory and low level jobs. It is your time to read or make sure your child can read and move on to college. It is possible.

Too embarrassed to go to a classroom, try cyber or online classes in the privacy of your own home. STRONG READER is one of those cyber classes video games equipped with an avatar audiovisual class guide, games, quizzes and audio chats. Students who used it during its pilot gained 3.6 reading levels in less than 7 months. Get on with your life. Get your child out of those special education classes. Not sure what to do. Try STRONG READER to improve their reading level. Then ask the school tto test them our of special education classes.

About the Author

Ida Byrd-Hill, founder of STRONG READER and President of Uplift, Inc., has been called an educational innovator having orchestrated double digit increases in test scores at previously low performing schools. Http://www.upliftinc.org http://www.cyberschoolinc.com 877-4CYBER0