April 4, 2008

To Whom It May Concern:

I am a 4th grade teacher at San Juan Elementary School in San Juan Capistrano, California and have been teaching for 14 years to only poverty level, low S.E.S., primarily Hispanic elementary school students. My passion is to help students with limited opportunities in life discover, and find the joy and confidence, in their ability to learn. Their first step is literacy in English. For most of my teaching career, I had been searching for the most effective teaching strategies and materials to help my students achieve proficiency in English reading and writing.

Several years ago, I found what I had been looking for. Our school was chosen as a test site for a pilot program being conducted by The Regents of the University of California and the Literacy Project Foundation for an after school reading program designed to help upper-elementary students master English phonics. After proven success, the final product called Get Set Read turned out to be the most effective tool I ever used. It provides my students with exactly the instruction and practice they need for fluency and automaticity, the first steps in improving reading comprehension.

This revolutionary reading program approach helps students develop self-confidence and experience the power of their own success. This success is all the more remarkable since these students are some of the lowest achieving 4th and 5th graders at San Juan Elementary School, displaying what we call, "learned failure."

With Get Set Read, students have fun; learn English phonics, patterns, and sight words, while acquiring automaticity. The emotion of seeing that look of hope in their eyes for the first time as they quickly master each skill is the best feeling I can get as a teacher! They all complain when I tell them it is time to go home. I cannot express my gratitude enough to the Literacy Project Foundation, they have and continue to make, an enormous contribution to the world of English literacy.

Respectfully,

Gina Gearn

April 4, 2008

To Whom It May Concern:

As principal of San Juan Elementary School, I am always researching new and innovative intervention programs for our students. We are a Title I school and our population includes 80% English language learners. Two-thirds of our students participate in our after school intervention classes and summer school programs, and receive additional instructional support throughout the year in order to improve their reading skills.

San Juan Elementary School was fortunate to be able to collaborate with the Regents of the University of California and the Literacy Project Foundation in their initial pilot program designed to help students master English phonics. This reading product helped students achieve higher levels of reading fluency and phonetic awareness. We were very pleased with the results.

This year, we are happy to be using the "Get Set Read" program with our after school classes. Students enjoy using this program because it is fun and interactive, and they are motivated to practice vocabulary and high frequency words. Our assessments show that students gained fluency and comprehension skills and they have developed a joy for reading.

I am very pleased with the "Get Set Read" program and plan to continue using itwith our students as an intervention program to target specific reading skills. It is exciting to know that we can provide an effective program of instruction for students that are struggling with reading.

Silvia Mazzeo Pule
Principal

August 24, 2009

Literacy Project Foundation
3334 East Coast Hwy, Suite 177
Corona Del Mar, CA 92625

Re: Get Set Read! Program at Project Hope

To Whom It May Concern,

I would like to thank the Literacy Project Foundation for allowing us to have Kathleen Hurst teach the program "Get Set Read" in my classroom. I teach a class made up of 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders. Kathleen came in at the beginning of the school year, July 6th, and has been able to take small groups of 4 or 5 and has worked hard to improve

their skills in phonics and reading. In just a few weeks, I have noticed an increase in their skills. I am especially appreciative that the "Get Set Read" program has been provided to Project Hope free of charge. The Literacy Project Foundation has made such a difference because the students practice phonics and reading in a fun nonthreatening environment.

For students that are behind in school, playing a game with their peers and a facilitator, such as Kathleen, really allows them to make great gains.

Thank you again for making such a difference.

Sincerely,

Patricia Helton
Teacher Project Hope School

September 29, 2009

Dear Kathleen,

I would like to take a moment to thank you for providing my class with the opportunity to be involved with the Literacy Project Foundation. The fact that this opportunity is provided free, given the current budget climate, is amazing! As you know, the students I teach lack many of the most basic phonics, grammar, and reading skills. We often enroll students in the 2nd, 3rd, even up to the 6th grade that are not able to read! The individualized skill building, in one-on-one and small group settings, engages the students in a way that traditional lessons do not. The speed at which the students gain skill and their retention of the skills is greatly enhanced because they are having so much fun while learning. I think one the most valuable aspects of the program is that it allows students of different ages but similar skill levels to build their skills without the stigma of being in "leveled groups."

It is an excellent program, and we're grateful to be involved!

Sincerely,

Marcus Gunther
Teacher
(Group home classroom servicing ages 5-13)