Making the Grade

Help Me Read™ is successful for students, teachers and schools because it is:

• Purposeful – to promote reading success
• Simple to Use – for teachers, aids and volunteers
• Fun and Interactive – not just another piece of seatwork

Targeting Skills
Help Me Read™ provides assessment tools and interventions to target areas where individual students may be struggling to read. Once a student is set up in the program, parents, volunteers, aides and the teacher can easily focus on the specific skills needed to help the student begin to read on grade level.

Each season begins with a pretest that resembles the IRI. The skills assessed each season mirror the standards set by the Idaho Reading Indicator – reading readiness, phonological awareness, fluency, and comprehension. If a student scores low on a skill, 8 different intervention activities are provided to target that skill. The activities cater to many different learning styles to provide success for all students.

Proactive Attention to Detail
The key to this program is its proactive approach. Students are pre-tested 8-10 weeks before the next IRI test. You are always working a season ahead to identify problem areas early. This provides time to prepare students for what they are expected to know during that time of the year. We want to move away from reacting to the IRI results from the season past and the pressure of catching students up to preparing students for what is ahead by working through the interventions needed specifically for each individual student.

Immediately in the fall, the Winter pretest and activities begin. This gives the teacher enough time to service all the students before the Winter IRI test in January. This pattern continues with the Spring pretest at the end of January and time for interventions to be completed for those skills by spring break. Next comes the Fall pretest for the next grade level and intervention activities before summer break. With Help Me Read™ you are always working ahead.

Make It Simple
Help Me Read™ was designed to be simple to use and manage. Each kit is all self-contained – no extra work for the teacher – no standing in line for the copy machine. Everything needed for the program is included in each kit – from the pencils to the magnetic letters. Instructions for pretests and intervention activities are written out in detail to make is simple to use for parents, volunteers, and aides. Mylar sheets in the back of each teacher/student book allow for multiple use so nothing is consumed.

Fun, Fun, Fun
When the Help Me Read™ box comes out children eagerly anticipate their session. It's because they know they are on their way to reading better. Better fluency, better comprehension means a whole new world is opening up to them. They embrace the simple and easy to understand exercises. They can't wait to learn more.