Why do so many students say "Skip" when it's their turn to read out loud? Is it laziness--or literacy? Do you have students—even at the middle or upper grade levels— If so, you're not alone, because it’s a common problem and a serious one! If you don't fix these problems, they can only get worse. As students move on into middle school and the upper grades, they will encounter unknown words at an ever-increasing rate. However, many of them have forgotten whatever phonics tools they learned in the early grades, and in any event they never were taught to decode words like “photosynthesis.” If they cannot unlock those words on their own, there’s no way they will be able to comprehend what they are reading.  Hello! I’m Phyllis Burske George, a Reading Specialist with over 25 years of classroom and tutoring experience. I’ve taught in country, suburban, and inner-city settings, and what keeps me going is the charge I get from seeing a student suddenly “get it.” I know I’m not alone in this. The high we get from seeing our students succeed is what keeps us all going, isn’t it? One thing really bothers me: so many middle and upper-grade teachers have their hands tied. They want to help their students become proficient readers; they work and work; but the dramatic turnarounds they long to see so seldom take place. And when reading scores refuse to budge, fingers are pointed and morale sags. Why is it so difficult to break the cycle? One reason is that teachers haven’t been given the straight facts about phonics--or the right tools. Teachers today expect that their students can read the words on the page with no trouble, and that they should therefore concentrate solely on teaching reading comprehension. But while this is the case for some students, for many others, the problem lies elsewhere. 
 I already have instructional resources for teaching reading. What makes PhonicsTools different?Years ago, as a beginning reading specialist, I searched in vain for a set of phonics cards that met my needs. I wanted a set that was comprehensive, versatile, flexible, and easy to use. I wound up designing two sets of my own phonics cards. I have fine-tuned them over the years, and today these sets are just about the most valuable teaching tools I own. They are so versatile, I can use them with students at any grade level and with almost any reading problem. The thing I like most about them is that the kids love them and get really upset when I put them away for the day. I’ve used them with dyslexics, English language learners, and inner-city middle schoolers. Obviously, some kids learn faster than others, but I’ve seldom met a child I couldn’t reach using these tools. In 2004 our school became a "targeted" school under No Child Left Behind regulations. In response, I made up sets of these cards for the other reading teachers on the school's staff and taught them how to use the cards. I was gratified, but not very surprised, when they achieved the same results I had been getting. We are now off the targeted list!  Do you have students who need to gain two to four grade levels in reading?
In my classroom, gains of two, three, or even four or more grade levels are not uncommon. That's because I use a simple, commonsense approach which really works. I've trained others in this same technique, and these teachers have made it work for them, too. And what we've done, you can do. Want to Know My Secret? OK, here it is. First, I don't believe what many professional growth people say: not all students today can decode fluently at fourth-grade level and above. Too many children cannot read at grade level, and a growing body of evidence nationwide attests to this fact. I screen students to see who can decode and who can't. Then I teach those who can't decode to do so. If they can't figure out unknown words, they're sunk. Throughout middle and high school, they will get more and more new words slung at them, and they had better be able to figure them out. Dr. Kerry Heppenstall, a senior lecturer in Psychology at the Royal Melbourne (Australia) Institute of Psychology, puts the matter plainly: - There is now research consensus that reading comprehension problems are most commonly due to problems in decoding words, and not primarily to inadequate higher level comprehension strategies....
-
- Focusing teaching activities solely on comprehension activities (such as extracting the main idea) misses the main cause of the problem--inadequate word-level skills. (Ednews.org, September 9, 2001)
Of course, I also work to get my kids reading on their own as much as possible to build fluency and a love of reading, and I teach comprehension strategies as well. But over and over again I have found that the often-overlooked key to reading success is simply to teach the child how to unlock words on his own.
PowerDrill is a set of 100 phonics sound cards. As we all know, these sounds are the nuts and bolts of efficient decoding. These cards are: Self-teaching: the letters which make up the sound are on one side. On the back is a common keyword along and that word's picture (see example below). This means that several groups in a classroom can work on their own at the same time, calling on the teacher to check their progress whenever they wish.
Nuts & Bolts is a set of over 3,000 cards. These are word cards for students to use in applying the phonics concepts learned in the PowerDrill Set. They are: Organized to correspond to the sounds introduced in the Nuts n’ Bolts Set Arranged so that if you are teaching a child to read from scratch, going through the sections in order, the child will never encounter a word he cannot decode. Comprehensive. With this many cards, your students will have plenty of practice material!
They are divided into three levels: Level A contains almost all one-syllable words, and is appropriate for a first-grader or for any beginning reader. Level B is made of two-to-three syllable words, and is where most middle schoolers need to start. Level C contains multi-syllabic words, which middle and upper level students encounter in their textbooks and must therefore learn to deal with. Students working with these words may need teacher help in determining which syllable to stress, etc. from time to time.
With all this in mind, I’m making my card sets available to you—teacher, tutor, or homeschooling parent. You can download the entire thing right now—up to six sets of self-teaching phonics cards plus the 3,000 card set—for just $97. If that’s not a bargain, I don’t know what is. If you have priced other phonics materials, you know that most phonics sets sell for $200-$800, and though they may consist of several components, they are not nearly this comprehensive or versatile. Have your TA spend a few hours assembling it for you, and you’ll have a premier set. The true value of a set like this becomes apparent, however, when you reflect on the fact that, within the context of a balanced reading program, you can use this set to turn around human lives. I don’t make this claim lightly, because I’ve seen it happen over and over. And to me, that’s $97 well-spent. Or you can buy just one or two components of the Nuts & Bolts set for $27 each. The price structure goes like this: 
 Guarantee: If you download the cards and you think they stink, I’ll give you your money back. That’s a promise. So there’s zero risk involved here. So why not? Order one of our PhonicsTools sets and make one of the smartest buys of your life. Then get started downloading. You’re going to have a great school year! | 
