As a reading evangelist, I’m always thrilled to hear about the positive impact of effective reading instruction. Recently, a mother shared her experience with my tutoring program, and her story is both inspiring and enlightening.
The journey began when her son finished third grade reading below grade level. Despite their efforts at home, progress was slow, and frustration was mounting. The struggle affected not only his reading but also his performance in other subjects and his overall confidence.
Enter phonogram-based instruction. The mother was initially skeptical but quickly became convinced after attending my reading class at Woodlawn UMC. She appreciated learning about the research behind reading instruction and how phonograms could be applied immediately, even with limited knowledge. The podcast Sold a Story was important in the understanding of teaching reading, especially how schools have been teaching it for many years. Often leading to the same type of problems her son was experiencing.
Before I proceed with more feedback from this mother, I want to share her son’s comment after the first lesson. She told me after the lesson was over, his comment was, “That wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.” I can tell you from experience, children like working with phonograms because the learning is explicit. If you learn the phonograms and spelling rules and work hard, you will have success. Children love to experience success! OK, back to the story.
She mentioned in her survey that not only was her son learning these rules so he could read better, but she was learning new tools to help her son decode words. For instance, she mentioned that because of the lessons she now knows why the c in bicycle makes the sound of s. Before she would just tell him, “It just does, you have to remember it.” That is just one of many rules most people don’t know. I don’t tutor just the student, the parents learn right along with them. Just like I learned along with my students the first year I taught this in first grade.
The tutoring process had its challenges, particularly in the beginning when learning numerous phonograms seemed daunting. However, as they progressed, both mother and son found that applying these rules made learning new words much easier. I witnessed the improvement lesson by lesson. It was great to watch his reading abilities improve. I challenged him quite a bit, but he worked hard and improved so much.
The results his mother reported were remarkable:
- Increased confidence in reading
- Improved reading fluency and comprehension
- Reduced frustration when encountering unfamiliar words
- Faster word recognition
Perhaps most heartwarming was the impact on the child’s daily life. He began actively engaging with text in his environment, reading billboards and radio displays. His newfound skills allowed him to participate more confidently in conversations and activities with peers, especially during games.
This mother’s experience underscores the power of structured literacy instruction. By providing students and parents with the tools to understand how our language works, we can transform reading from a source of frustration into a gateway for learning and connection.
