Dr. Marion Blank
Dr. Marion Blank
The Phonics Plus Five Newsletter
Issue #2, 12/06
Help your child succeed in only 15 minutes a day.”

Contents:

Ask Dr. Marion Blank

Dear Dr. Blank: Please explain how this program will help a child with visual memory problems. Is it possible to review some sample products? I have a student who cannot remember the name and/or the sound of letters. – Suzanne, teacher in Bethlehem, New Jersey

Dear Suzanne: That is an excellent question. The development of visual memory is a key element in learning how to read and one Phonics Plus Five has been specifically designed to teach. The answer to your question requires a detailed response and you can find it in The Reading Remedy, the book I wrote to explain my system.

The introductory chapters and the material on visual sequencing and Sequences in Sight will give you the answer to your question. You will also find the chapters of Writing and Letters to Write of use since carefully designed writing activities greatly facilitate the development of visual memory.

In the third section of the book, you will find all the information you need to construct the Sequences in Sight program (the one that starts the training of visual memory)--so that you will have a sample product right there and then. (It is easier to construct than are some of the other programs and so it should not take you a great deal of time.) By the way, while some teachers and parents are creating the full set of programs (based on the information in the book) almost uniformly we are told that the complete kit is a delight to use and saves enormous amounts of time).


Do you have a question?
Feel free to email me.

From the Literacy Library
Homeschoolbuzz
"The Reading Remedy"
Reviewed by Kathy Davis, Homeschoolbuzz.com
http://www.phonicsplusfive.com/publications/homeschoolbuzz.php

"I’m already seeing a major break-through with my son’s reading abilities as we implement Dr. Blank’s Reading Remedy." -- Kathy Davis, reviewer and parent

New Horizons for Learning
"Duz Ackurit SPELLING Matir? Four Meny Thee Ansor Iz NO! Butt R Thay Rite?"
http://www.phonicsplusfive.com/publications/newhorizons2.php
by Marion Blank

New Horizons for Learning
"Teaching Reading: Why Are We Still in the Age of Leeches?"
http://www.phonicsplusfive.com/publications/newhorizons.php
by Marion Blank
Testimonials

"My daughter was struggling to learn how to read. At the end of first grade she was far behind and losing self-confidence. She found success with Dr. Blank's reading program which has helped her to quickly catch up. The stories really captured her interest and, as she started to read more fluently, she wanted to read more."  -- Dori Walton, parent

"Our son is dyslexic and had been struggling to read ever since he started school. Recently his teacher called to tell me how thrilled she was with his progress. He is now reading at grade level. We attribute his success to Dr. Blank's reading programs. It has had a tremendous effect on his reading, on his education and on his self-esteem." -- Sheila Fay, parent

Read more testimonials on our site.

Holiday Coupon
Give your child the gift of reading this holiday season. Get 20% off of our amazingly effective Phonics Plus Five reading kit -- everything you need to teach fluent reading, accurate spelling and solid comprehension. This offer will last for 10 days only and expires on Monday, December 18th.

To get your 20% discount go here.

  • Click “Add to cart” and then the “I have a promotion code” link.
  • Add this promotion code, HOLIDAY to get your 20% discount.
Quote of the Month
"Some people there are who, being grown; forget the horrible task of learning to read. It is perhaps the greatest single effort that the human undertakes, and he must do it as a child.”
-- John Steinbeck (1962 Nobel Prize Winner for Literature)

My comment: If you’d like to generate an interesting discussion with friends or family, simply pose the question, “Do you remember how you learned to read?” Typically, there is a pause, a bemused smile and then a statement to the effect, “I really don’t know.” The fact of the matter is that almost no one has a clear sense of how he or she learned this vital skill.

While we’re unaware of how our learning took place, typically we are keenly aware of the emotions we felt during the process. For the fortunate ones who found reading to be a breeze, the memories are sheer joy. They happily recall the pride and power they experienced at conquering what they rightly sensed was a very special skill.

For those who found the process to be difficult, the emotions are equally sharp—but of a very different nature. For them, as Steineck says, the task was “horrible.” One author, writing of her partner’s difficulties in reading used the following words to describe the pain that pervaded his life, “School had been unremitting torment for him. The scars left by his school experiences reached down to his very soul. No amount of love or admiration on her part ever totally erased his low self-esteem or the conviction that he was unable to learn.” (AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF LOVE, M.Schell, Picador New York 1999.)

Fortunately we have the power to prevent that pain and suffering. But we can use that power only if we recognize that the difficulties are not the result of problems in the children. Rather they are the result of the inadequate and incomplete methods that have for so long dominated the teaching of reading. As the phrase Phonics PLUS FIVE indicates, six essential skills must be taught if children are to have the tools they need. When, as in the Phonics Plus Five programs, those skills are taught in a systematic, controlled, appealing manner, success is there for all to attain.

Wishing you the best success,

Dr. Marion Blank
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