Q: We don't have a reading specialist at our school. Would you suggest students work with Dynaread on their own at home?
A: Now you're touching on a field which we encounter basically ALL THE TIME :-) Reading is so totally central to the success of education and to healthy proper balanced self-esteem development of a child that pulling a child out of class to do a test or to doa 20 minute session in Dynaread is wholly justified. Yes, a child can work at the program at home or during lunch or after school, but despite the program's high levels of self-efficacy (child able to work on their own) we all need encouragement and well done's(!) pats on our back. The program (and the test as well) can be perfectly administered by anybody fluent in English reading. So parent or other volunteers could be asked to help as well.
What your Board and Principal must reflect on is that reading remediation will drive overall school performance up. It is not only essential for the child but will also drive upward the school's bottom-line. Higher grade averages in the higher grades,lower drop outs, plus improved social and group dynamics in the higher grades.
Our Dynaread team members are required to hold themselves accountable for serving our clients in adherence with our core values...
Contribute with scientific and overall integrity.
Retain the focus on the needs of each individual child.
Dynaread has been developed in the trenches of actual remediation, with our feet firmly planted on the ground. Scientific research is essential (and we consistently use it), but we also understand the realities at home and in school. Not all homes have two parents, not all Dad's or Mom's are always home, there is oftentimes no money, schools lack staff or funding. We listen, we observe, we discuss, and we build the best solutions we can for older (ages 7+) struggling readers.