They Didn't Give Up: Middle School Success!

Excerpt from Rhoades to Reading: A Successful Middle School Reading Program

By Tonianne Merante

California Middle School News Vol.20 No4

I’m happy to have this class.

Thank you for helping me this year.

I feel great about myself. I’m very happy.

Now that I have been in this class, I have been doing my homework.

I feel great that I got into this class because I’m doing better in my other classes.

Reading/writing success is the class that I like most

Now I can read and write better and don’t have to ask what the words are.

These comments and more were made by students enrolled in the reading/writing success classes that are part of the Rhoades to Reading program.

The classes were formed several years ago in an attempt to help the more that 60 percent of students who were seriously deficient in reading ability, performing two or more years below grade level. These students were not achieving academic success in their content area classes.

A schedule was implemented which allowed time for reading instruction, but we lacked a program which would raise students’ reading levels and be user-friendly for teachers with little knowledge of teaching reading.

The need was answered when the Rhoades to Reading program was …implemented. The program was used with up to 35 students in a class. The positive results were significant.

Note from Jacquie: Thank you to Mrs. Merante and the teachers, staff, and students who worked together to achieve success. To learn more about Jacquie's publications you are invited to visit her Author Page