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.

Teaching Letter Recognition - A Complete Lesson

,Appropriate for Whole Class,  Small Group,  and Individual Presentations

contains multisensory and cooperative learning activities

This lesson \  also contains worksheets, reading sheets, timed readings and flash cards.

Please note: To accommodate  a variety of learning challenges, the flash cards are written in black and white, without pictures, and key words.  The emphasis is  placed on memorzing the letter name rather than any visual distraction.  

Please click the link below to download the  lesson.

Letter Recognition

 Aboout the Author

 Jacqueline Jo Rhoades

 Jacquie began her life in Chicago and moved to Pomona, California at an early age. After growing up in the country, surrounded by orange trees and truck gardens, she began her  career as a teacher, write of curriculumr, and workshop presenter, in and out of the  United States. She now resides with her family  near her childhood home.   

 ,In addition to ,earning  a Master of Science degree in education from Mt Saint Mary’s College Los Angeles and a Bacelor of Science degree in sociology from Long Beach State University, Jacquie has received numerous awards from local and national leaders and organizations.

 Jacquie has taught general,  special education, and reading  in  elementary and secondary settings. Additional positions:  literacy leade, program specialist,  adjunct professor at Sonoma State University and Dominican College San Rafael. Additionally, she served as an  education specialist for the California Sepecial Education Resource Network.\

Teaching Tools Blog: www.readingcompany.us

Published Books: Simle Cooperation in the Classroom, The Nurturing Classroom, Social and Academic Activities for the Cooperative Classroom, Lessons from Cherry Creek, Outcome Based Learning: A teacher's Guide to Restructuring the Classroom, Rhoades to Reading levels A, B, C, D, Language Arts and Simple Cooperation

Curriculum is based on the theory and practice of the fClassroomllowing pioneers in education:  Madeline Hunter, David and Roger Johnson, Ana Gillingham, Maryanne Frostig, Reuven Feuerstein,  Ray Barsch, Donald Deschler, and Renee Herman.  While diverse,  each approach demonstrates students learn at different rates and in different ways; yet, when given a chance they  can learn.  

A special thank you to Jeannie and Ken Womack, Jenna Kreeger, and Tonianne Merante for editing the Rhoades to Reading program. My gratitude goes to Dr. Maria Palacio for permitting sixteen teachers to field test the curriculum , and to Dr. Linda Gamble for supporting our efforts. A number of lessons from Rhoades to Reading are posted on this blog.