Summer 2003 Newsletter

Inside This Issue

• Discover Intensive Phonics Teacher's Kit First Major Revision
• The Word On The Street
• Frequently Asked Questions: Can adults and young adults with reading difficulties really become better readers by using Discover Intensive Phonics?
• HEC Advisory Council Spotlight: Ed Schollenberger
• Announcing the Release of Version 3.0

Discover Intensive Phonics Teacher's Kit First Major Revision

HEC Reading Horizons is pleased to announce the release of the first major revision of the Discover Intensive Phonics for Yourself Teacher's Kit since it was first published in 1976. The new Teacher's Kit will greatly enhance your teaching experience and your students learning experience. For the past twenty years, as distributor of the Discover Intensive Phonics manuals and publisher of the computer software, HEC Reading Horizons has welcomed comments from dedicated users suggesting ways that the program could be improved. Our intent, as we have implemented these ideas, is to make the program easier to put into action in the classroom.

We have added 300 pages of teacher helps, such as: teaching units that are color-coded and tabbed, integrated time lines, suggested literature, games to play in the classroom, integrated software correlations, and much more! We have also constructed 185 pages of activities for the students to take home to practice what they are learning with their parents. We call it our Parent Involvement Pack. It, as well as all other additions, is a black-line master, meaning there are still no consumable components in the kit.

A new Discover Intensive Phonics Adult Manual has also been completed. This manual covers the same material as the regular Teacher's Manual, but is designed for use with older students. It includes color-coded and tabbed teaching units, suggested literature, integrated software correlations and 160 pages of activities that correlate with the Teacher's Kit and computer courseware for the students to do in class or take home for additional practice.

We are also pleased to announce the release of Version 3.0 of the Discover Intensive Phonics for Yourself software and Version 3.0 of the Reading Horizons software. Please note: Pricing for both the Discover Intensive Phonics and Reading Horizons software has been changed. Those of you who would like to purchase one station and have been waiting for a price break - here is your opportunity!

Please call HEC Reading Horizons at 800-333-0054 if you would like to request our updated information and pricing with a new Demonstration CD-ROM.

The Word On The Street

In an age when it seems that educators constantly struggle to discover innovative ways in which to engage their students, we thought you would appreciate knowing that your computerized phonics curricula have been a mainstay in our classrooms for more than two decades. We teach Adult Basic Education and English as A Second Language courses in a medium security jail. The majority of our students possess scant reading and writing skills. However, when using your latest program, Reading Horizons, we see our students develop the skills necessary to open doors that were previously closed to them.

Our students particularly enjoy the ability to independently engage themselves and learn at their own pace. After completing the multi-sensory approach to phonics - seeing, hearing and writing - our students often comment that reading "finally makes sense." It is gratifying to witness adult non-readers, many who have spent a lifetime hiding from their lack of reading skills, succeed using your program.

We also have discovered that Reading Horizons is a great tool to augment our English as Second Language groups. Those learning to speak English quickly grasp phonetic concepts and apply them confidently in every day conversation. Your programs have earned an "A+" grade from us!

Hennepin County
Adult Correction Facility
Plymouth, MN

My first daughter and I had been through our third phonics program and were still no further ahead. For all our work and effort, her reading skills were just horrendous and I was at my wits end.

I sat her down at the computer and put the demo program on. After a small instruction segment, the demo came to a short story, which she proudly read out loud to me fluently with ease. Teary eyed, I grabbed the phone and ordered a copy of the program right there on the spot.

My daughter was able to bring her reading abilities up to grade level within just a few months of using this program. My second daughter has used the program from the beginning of her formal education and I attribute it to her ease of reading success.

I highly recommend it to everyone - I even learned some skills I never knew (and that, after having been through three other phonics programs too)!

Michele Modafferi
Homeschool Mother
Gregory, MI

Reading Horizons has a very clean look, which is great for adults for whom reading is difficult. The step-by-step, multi-sensory method works well to improve our adult learners' skills. Our adult learners come to our program from a variety of backgrounds, some of whom are non-native speakers of English. This program works for all of them. HEC Reading Horizons has been a great addition to the BoulderReads! Computer Lab.

Laurie Watkins
Office Manager BoulderReads!

Frequently Asked Questions: Can adults and young adults with reading difficulties really become better readers by using Discover Intensive Phonics?

We can answer that question with an unequivocal, yes!

The reasons for poor reading skills in adults are many and varied. They may stem from lack of education, transient lifestyles during the early years of schooling, learning disabilities, or dyslexia. For the most part, however, all older students have a need to improve in one (or more) of three areas - word attack skills, fluency and comprehension.

No program surpasses Discover Intensive Phonics in teaching word attack skills. The presentations are concrete, sequential, and logical - they 'make sense'. Now we all know that it's not an easy thing to 'make sense' of the English language, but Discover Intensive Phonics presents the foundation for reading in such a way that it IS understandable and logical. Through hands-on interaction, adults soon find that they can not only read, but spell! The biggest problem you'll find with adult students is that they want to progress too rapidly. Each lesson needs to be practiced until it is internalized. The program is cumulative, so reinforcement of previously learned skills is automatic, but progressing too fast won't give students time to really understand the application of what they have learned. Make sure that adults receive adequate practice through the Mastery Drill and Practice offered on Reading Horizons computer courseware or through multi-sensory instruction at the board. It is vital that they thoroughly understand each step before they proceed to the next.

Fluency comes automatically with increased word attack skills, and through consistent practice. Understanding word patterns - the likely and unlikely sequencing of letters - allows an adult to comfortably move forward with confidence.

Adults, and especially adults who are poor readers, are generally good listeners and they already have an understanding of much of the vocabulary used in their work place and in the media. So even though Discover Intensive Phonics does not provide specific exercises for comprehension, you will see an automatic increase in comprehension as an adult's word attack skills improve.

Yes, adults and youth can definitely make tremendous progress in their reading skills through the use of Discover Intensive Phonics — and in a relatively short period of time! (Approximately five to six months) If you've never tried teaching this program to an adult, do it! You'll be amazed!

Linda Eversole
Certified Trainer

HEC Advisory Council Spotlight: Ed Schollenberger

"The constant reinforcement of what was learned months ago keeps students alert and remembering all the phonics rules that they will use their entire lives."

HEC Reading Horizons has undergone a tremendous breakthrough of new products and upgrades. We owe much of our success to the Advisory Council. They show dedication for the Discover Intensive Phonics method by implementing it into their teaching approach and are involved in HEC's everyday marketing and development efforts. For their input and guidance to our questions, we thank our advisory council.

It is a pleasure to spotlight Ed Schollenberger of Salem Elementary, Payson, UT. Ed has a story to tell and it is one that HEC is grateful for.

"I began using the Intensive Phonics program in the spring of 1987 while teaching 1st grade at Barnett School. I went to a workshop in Salt Lake City and ran across a lady who was using the program and I became interested. I was the only male teacher there with about 50 other women sitting in this theater style room. The presenter gave the C/K rule and how "C" loves the vowels, a, o, and u and how "k" loves the vowels e and i. She then asked if everyone knew that rule. After all my BYU college years and all my 12 years of schooling growing up, I never heard of that rule and it got me hooked on finding out more.

I taught Intensive Phonics in my first grade for the next 7 years, during which time I had a videotape of myself teaching my class sent to the Huntsman Award people and was chosen as a Huntsman winner for the first year in 1991. I then taught one year of 5th grade and also used Intensive Phonics with those students to teach them better syllabic rules.

Since then, I have been the principal of an elementary school and have taught all my teachers the program and have gone into each classroom, from 1st grade to 5th grade, for 20 minutes a day over a 25 day period to teach Intensive Phonics. I have also held Parent Nights to give an overview of the program to moms and dads so they can have a better understanding of the program while their students get it at school.

I believe the greatest strength of the Intensive Phonics program is the systematic approach and how one concept continues on through the entire program and builds upon each other. The constant reinforcement of what was learned months ago keeps students alert and remembering all the phonics rules that they will use their entire lives. When I began using the program, I thought the greatest strength was using the chalkboards in every classroom; we became creative with white boards and alternative methods to help students with the chalkboard ideas. Kids can stand up behind their desks and still have fun with Intensive Phonics.

I found that it really didn't matter the age of the student; they still enjoyed learning the various rules of phonics that are needed in life. For a time in my career we battled with who was right, whole language proponents or phonics proponents. I realized that just using only one or the other was wrong, but a combination of both works for students. I still am a strong believer that starting a child off with phonics in Kindergarten, first and second grades and giving them a strong and firm foundation will really help with reading, comprehension and spelling. While introducing that foundation, using whole language activities in reading and writing will reinforce the phonics and strengthen the reading ability."

Announcing the Release of Version 3.0

Reading Horizons Computer Software Version 3.0 (First Mac update in 5 years!)

Version 3.0 of the Reading Horizons courseware integrates many new enhancements. Some of the changes include:

• Material customizes itself to the needs of each student. Students who need additional help solidifying concepts will receive extra practice within the lesson that other students do not see. At the end of each lesson students can review their score, jump back to points in the lesson to review particular concepts, and retake only those concepts with which they had the most difficulty. They may also choose to rerun lessons in their entirety.
• We have added a new MDP (Mac now includes the MDP) Vocabulary section where students match words with their corresponding definitions. Students work until all word/definition matches are correct. In lessons 3-15 we have included dozens of Most Common Words with reinforcement activities.
• Version 3.0 will allow the administrator to select whether or not students hear the 'schwa' sound (or vowel element) during the introduction of the 42 sounds and throughout the program.
• Login Numbers may be customized for each student resulting in increased security.
• The administrator can move student files by exporting the records to a disk/Network Drive and then importing them as desired.
• Students are allowed to be part of multiple groups; Allowing teachers to share student records.
• New Group Progress Reports allow teachers to compare student's performance for up to five lessons or tests at a time. Also there is a new Time on Task Report which shows the time spent in a lesson, practice session, or ESL Say.

Discover Intensive Phonics for Yourself Computer Software Version 3.0

In the new Discover Intensive Phonics for Yourself software we have incorporated hundreds of new animations and graphics, as well as a higher quality audio for crisper sound.

The Discover Intensive Phonics includes the Schwa option, login numbers, and Group/Time on Task Reports that are explained in the adjoining Reading Horizons Version 3.0 announcement.

The Alpha Say component now includes not only the letters of the alphabet but all 42 sounds with the customary full motion video demonstrating tongue placement and proper pronunciation.

*All software correlates with the Direct Instruction manual.

The Windows and Macintosh Versions offer identical functionality in both the Discover Intensive Phonics and Reading Horizons Courseware packages!