The key to unlock the code–Student achievement

Here is a letter wonderful letter about student achievement that we received from Rosa Leonard, a middle-school reading specialist:

“Reyna is a 13-year-old female from El Salvador. She came to this country in August, 2006. Reyna had never attended school in El Salvador and speaks only Spanish. She was placed in sixth grade because of her age. She was placed in a special program designed for students who have experienced interrupted schooling in their native countries. Most of those students could read at least on a second-grade level in their native language. Reyna was totally illiterate. She did not know how to write, she didn’t recognize her name when written, and she didn’t know the difference between a number and a letter.

“As the reading specialist, I needed to pull Reyna from three of her classes and work one-on-one with her. I have a bachelor’s degree in speech language pathology and I recognized that Reyna had auditory discrimination and memory issues. Showing her letters and asking her what sound they made was not working for her. I used the Lindamood-Bell method that incorporates mirror work; however, Reyna would forget at times what sounds the letters made. I needed another method of delivery for her. I discovered Tucker Signing Strategies for Reading while attending a Ruby Payne certification workshop. I ordered the instructional CD in the hopes that this would help Reyna.

“After watching the training video and making the cards, I started using Tucker Signing Strategies with Reyna. The visual cues were a success with her. She was able to recall sounds as she made the signs. Often when I dictate a spelling word to her, you can see her make the signs as she writes the letters. Obviously, she is a visual learner, and Tucker Signing Strategies has been the key for her to unlock the code.”

Tucker Signing Strategies for Reading is a powerful decoding tool for struggling readers. I still remember the young teenager who learned to read during a Framework Trainer Certification demonstration. The joy and pride he got from saying those words was tremendously rewarding to him and emotional for the rest of us. He returned to the training the next day and read to us from a book. Talk about your heart swelling! I got that same swell reading about the success that Reyna has had with the Tucker signs. It also makes my heart swell that Rosa was determined to find a way to help Reyna read. What a blessing to have such a dedicated instructor. Thanks for sharing this letter!

-Ruth Weirich, VP Marketing

About the Author: Ruth Weirich

Ruth Weirich has provided insight into the overall corporate strategies of divisions and companies for 30 years. She received her M.B.A. from Colorado State and her B.A. in Business Administration from Goshen College. By maximizing an organization’s operating performance and achieving its financial goals, Ruth has held responsibilities ranging from communicating with and leading all stakeholders to preparing operating budgets to overseeing a strategic plan. Ruth is an active listener, a critical thinker, and has quick judgment and decision making skills. Weirich recently was president of aha! Process. Working for a small company allowed her to have a hands-on experience with all the strategic projects the organization developed.