Elementary School Educator

As a teacher in a school located in the middle of a public housing community, Scott Toonder is all too familiar with the challenges that face his students. Learning to read is not on the priority list for most of them. Scott says, "Many are coping with situations that even adults find hard to imagine. For these students, success can sometimes seem unattainable. [They] enter the classroom with an extremely negative view of reading . . . frustrated with their own progress, [they] say they hate reading. With few opportunities to express themselves at home and afraid of the reaction of more proficient peers, many are embarrassed or intimidated to read in front of others."

Scott is convinced that using the tools provided by System 44 and READ 180 such as individualized instruction, background knowledge, and language support, allows his 3rd, 4th and 5th graders to take charge of their own learning. "The students who come into my classroom experience frequent success,” he says.

Indeed he has made remarkable progress. Scott's READ 180 coordinator notes, "All three grades averaged a 184 Lexile level increase. This . . . is evidence that Mr. Toonder's students are receiving instruction that not only makes them successful, but is closing the reading gap these students have . . . [they] are positioned to make between three-and-a-half to four-years' growth in just one year! That's much more than the two years that Scholastic says can occur with on-model instruction."

While Scott is modest about his own role in these amazing results, he lights up with pride when discussing his students’ achievements: “To watch my students transform throughout the years is one of my most prized treasures.”