The reading program that changed my view of reading programs

I have never been a fan of reading programs. Lacking in rigor, authenticity, and originality, the vast majority that I have seen turn teaching from a creative science to a scripted discussion with some follow-up worksheets. I have witnessed reading programs flutter into our district, alluring and colorful, only to limp out at the end of the year, leaving a trail of overspent budgets and disillusion in their wake.

This all changed for me last year, when I began doing research into techniques to increase reading fluency simultaneously with comprehension for struggling readers. My research brought me across Reading Plus, an online reading program, and, for whatever reason, I decided to read on.

From my research, I learned that Reading Plus was based in student choice, combined with best practices about how to increase fluency and stamina, especially for struggling readers. It used eye tracking technology to teach students how to properly track across the page (a task that I had noticed was particularly challenging for many of my below-grade-level readers), and at every reading level, students were given a wide variety of texts from which to choose. From their work on Reading Plus, teachers could gain access to a wide variety of data points about specific standards, reading rates, and overall comprehension.

It seemed perfect on the surface, and thus I was obviously skeptical. Reading programs are the death of creativity! They take the joy out of teaching and learning! There is no way to tailor them to individual students! My list of excuses was ready.

I decided to call.

On an April afternoon, I spoke with Rachel Ring, who convinced me to try a free pilot of the program. With it, she explained, I would be able to form data-based small groups, have rigorous conversations with students about the texts they were reading, and increase student fluency, comprehension, and stamina. I relented; after all, it was almost the end of the year, the pilot was free, and I had nothing to lose.

Three weeks later, I was amazed. The program was even better than I could have imagined. It involved no excessive prep work, beyond looking at my data to determine my small groups. My students were engaged and loved talking about the different stories they were reading; we began keeping a list of students' particular favorites, so that as students ascended levels, they could have story recommendations already in place. They texts and graphics were interesting, and students loved receiving their certificates when they moved up a reading level. Customer service responded to my every email within hours. I was hooked.

At the end of that school year, my school purchased Reading Plus for the entire school to use, and I remain enamored with the program. Not just some colorful fluff designed to hold students' attention or a rigorous series of irrelevant texts, Reading Plus is the best of all worlds. Because of my experiences with Reading Plus, my view of reading programs has changed. With thought, care, research, and creativity, I now know that reading programs can provide students with some of their most valuable learning experiences. While I won't wholeheartedly support a program just because it has been purchased by my school or district, I also no longer push back without careful evaluation of a programs relative merits and weaknesses. I am grateful to have a new, more open-minded perspective.

Happy learning!