Reading Success Plus is here to help you and your student on your journey to overcome learning difficulties, whether the child is facing new challenges or you are trying to remedy a problem that has been going on for years. Do any of these common situations sound familiar?
- You notice that something just isn’t right. Your child no longer enjoys going to school; new behavior problems are showing up; grades aren’t what you think they should be. Or you aren’t sure that the school curriculum is working for your child. This is a bright kid who used to love going to school. What changed?
- You’re doing everything correctly at home. You’re reading to the child often, working on their ABCs, helping them with their numbers. But at age 4 or 5, you notice that they can’t spell very well, or perhaps they are having difficulty understanding what they are reading, something that never had been a problem.
- Perhaps reading fluency and spelling are struggles, but the child’s comprehension is great. How is it possible that a child who has difficulty sounding out words or correctly reading four words in a row has such a complete understanding of the text?
- The student does well with reading in spelling but lacks writing skills. They don’t know how to do a topic sentence or transition sentences. And they’re lost trying to organize a sentence, let alone a paragraph or an essay.
- When doing math problems, the student has trouble lining up the numbers (ones go here, tens, go here, etc.). Or they find story problems to be a super-tough challenge.
These are problems that few parents are equipped to handle – they aren’t psychologists, educators or specialists in special education. They need help. We suggest giving Reading Success Plus a try.
Hope built on experience
The first thing RSP tries to do is give families a sense of hope. Instead of leaving you to wander through a thicket of educational jargon and intimidating experts, we will walk you down a path we have traveled ourselves, both professionally and personally. Our programs are built on experience.
“I’m dyslexic,” says Lawrence Kloth, co-founder of Reading Success Plus. “I have ADHD, dysgraphia, dyscalculia. And I remember the struggles of not being able to read or spell as well as my peers. There was a huge difference between me and my classmates, and I knew it.”
So, Lawrence and his mother, Anne, the other co-founder, put together a program that would fill in these gaps for struggling learners and help them reach their goal. Our students have unlimited potential, but they must be taught in the way that they best learn. Our programs are research and evidence based, teaching students by engaging them with visual, auditory, kinesthetic and tactile methods that match their learning style.
In reading and spelling, we use the Barton Reading & Spelling System, an Orton-Gillingham influenced “multisensory, explicit and systematic phonics program.” Its emphasis on visual learning is a strong fit for students for whom traditional classroom instruction is ineffective, especially learners with dyslexia.
Additionally, for students who have difficulties with phonemic awareness, we offer the Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing program, or LiPS, as well as Foundations in Sounds. These don’t just teach sounds, but how the mouth feels when making these sounds – a kinetic style of learning. Building these fundamental skills prepares students for Barton.
“Barton can help your kids catch up and even move ahead,” Lawrence says.
Likewise, the RSP math program is Orton-Gillingham-based, geared for students who are visual learners. We make math concrete, breaking concepts down into their building blocks – indeed, we literally use blocks to make hard-to-learn ideas something that our students can literally hold in their hands. Students manipulate these blocks so they can “see” the problem being solved. Again, we accommodate their tactile, visual learning styles.
Not just labels
Accommodations for other learning disabilities are built into our programs. For example, RSP’s emphasis on visual and tactile learning is a good fit for students with ADHD. We understand the learning styles of those students. We know they need to move to learn. They must be physically involved in the lesson, not simply sit there and listen. Likewise, people with autism may have difficulty with reading comprehension. We’re prepared to help with that.
“I know some people don’t like labels,” Lawrence says. “And we never forget that our students are all unique, with their own weaknesses to overcome and strengths to build on.
“But these terms aren’t just labels. They give a reason for why something is going on. Your child’s struggles aren’t something that just fell out of the universe. It’s not anybody’s fault – it’s just how they are genetically wired.”
Reading Success Plus has programs that are designed to help those kids become successful.
“Yes, these kids learn differently. Yes, they must work harder on what they’re doing. Yes, it’s going to take time and patience. But it’s worth it. Our programs work. It’s not a quick fix, but they work.”
At your side
Overcoming a learning disability can be a long, difficult struggle. But you don’t have to do it alone.
“Our goal is to be a partner on your journey,” Lawrence says, “to coach you along the way and give you the support you need. Because it’s tough. You have to fight for accommodations. You have to fight for academic support. Sometimes you have to fight with your child. It’s a never-ending cycle – a treadmill that’s going super, super fast.”
Reading Success Plus can get you off the treadmill with resources beyond tutoring. Our coaching program can help families deal with a child’s learning disability. We regard the disability as a family issue that affects everyone differently. For the parents, we help them understand how their child thinks and learns, and to recognize that what worked for them in school 35 years ago may not be effective for their child today. Also, we can assist them in setting up a homework routine that will reduce the stress and conflict that often accompanies studying.
We also can be your advocate in dealing with your child’s school. Schools, and especially special education programs, can be intimidating. Parents who are just coming to grips with a child’s struggles then must face varieties of accommodations, educational jargon, and legal requirements. We can tell you what it all means and even be at your side during meetings with educators, being your advocate so you can make the best decision.
For the student, coaching means helping them get to know themselves better. We can explain the causes of their struggles and help them get rid of the “Why am I so stupid” feelings that drag them down in school and in life. We can suggest study strategies, explain how to take advantage of accommodation and assistive technology, and help build their self-confidence so they can succeed in and out of school.
Additionally, RSP offers a variety of free support available to anyone, not just families of students. Our newsletter, blogs, and social media accounts provide information that is useful to families dealing with a learning disability, whether they are taking their first steps toward understanding it or are veterans of the struggle.
We’re here to help
Dealing with a learning disability isn’t easy, but you don’t have to do it alone. Reading Success Plus was created by people who have taken the same journey, who have had the same fears and frustrations. But they found a way to break out of that cycle. They want to share it with you.
“We know what it is like to see a brilliant kid that you care about so much and love so much struggle and be unhappy,” Lawrence says. “We want the same thing that you want – to see them catch up to their peers, go to their dream college or pursue the trade that they’re passionate about, to have a full life and a satisfying career.
“It can be a hard journey, but we want to be at your side.”