Richards Learning Systems® offers a different and distinctive concept to deliver its reading methods to children and teachers at the same time.
It is an easily-implemented, multi-sensory, systematic phonics program. Richards Learning Systems® blends a cost-effective and time-efficient teacher training program with a research-based, teachable and effective reading program for children.
Children need fun, engaging child-centered videos lessons with many different graphics. Our “Disney-esque” lessons that children will look forward to watching, just like the next episode of their favorite TV show.
Each DVD video lesson begins with a brief concept introduction (3 to 5 minutes) that explains the “skill of the day” to both teachers and students. Then students practice the skill in workbooks using manipulatives to reinforce understanding of the day’s concepts. The teacher moves around the classroom informally assessing mastery and may ask students to do board work to further assess their understanding.
Students that have not adequately grasped the day’s concepts can review the day’s DVD concept and do additional practice exercises. And newly enrolled transient students can be “caught up” to their peers with the video format.
Each concept is taught sequentially, building on understanding from previous lessons with continuous review of previously learned skills. With this innovation, teachers quickly absorb the method to teach reading effectively.
For decades, the Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s (CMSD) reading test scores have not risen. CMSD has had twelve superintendents in the last twenty years. Today Mr. Eric Gordon, CMSD CEO and newly elected “Urban Educator of the Year”, is passionately committed to helping the children of Cleveland learn to read. The Creative Education Institute has partnered with Eric Gordon and CMSD to change the way children read and teachers learn to teach reading. The solution — Richards Learning Systems®.
Initially, 27 K-2 classrooms will participate in the project. A skilled reading researcher will carefully study the efficacy of the teachers’ and students’ success with this innovation approach. Our partnership and methodology will dramatically improve the reading skills for Cleveland children and ultimately beyond to other cities.
Millions of children and adults in the United States cannot read well, or at all. The U.S. Government estimates that 43% of our adult population has a reading problem.
Collectively the federal, state and local governments spend $634 BILLION dollars annually on education. Yet our reading scores have remained the same for decades.
College teacher preparation program do not train teachers in a reading method (a step-by-step approach). Rather, they teach various reading theories (ideas) that the teacher must cobble together into their own “method”. Retraining our teachers is costly, running into thousands of dollars for each teacher.
There are plenty of online reading programs. However, most of the time, students with poor reading skills are placed in front of a computer and expected to learn on their own with little, if any, support from a teacher or even an aide. And the teacher in charge has few ways of supporting the failing child or children because of their poor teacher training.
Our video training concept engages both teachers and students who will learn together. The Richards Learning Systems® innovative approach will measure:
Participating schools will be asked to provide standardized test scores. An independent evaluator specializing in systematic reading instruction will measure results.
Richards Learning Systems® has successfully helped thousands of children and adults in its twenty-five year history in written form.
By adding videos, RLS will reach millions of children. This is a simple solution to a complex problem.