Case Studies

Lewis’s Story

Lewis made a particularly strong impression to us at Easyread by sending us a piece of writing, called The Great Stink, which got him to the district final of a public speaking competition. It is all about the gross smells that used to invade the streets of London in Victorian times. We thought that it was right in line with our humour, so we put on our Easyread system library for other users to read!

Lewis has been a great student. Him and his mother worked together to write about his reading journey. Here it is:

1. What was reading practice like before Easyread?

What was reading practice and spelling like for Lewis before Easyread?

Prior to Easyread Lewis found reading practice boring and dull. It was also very frustrating and upsetting for both he and I. We would practice diligently for up to an hour a night with little or no progress to show for it.

2. What patterns were you seeing?

Did any of the patterns you saw fit the causes of reading difficulty we describe on the site (Optilexia, eye tracking weakness, auditory processing weakness, stress spirals, auditory memory weakness, contrast sensitivity, fluency block and attention deficit)?

As I read the initial overview information describing a child who might benefit from Easyread on the site it was as though I was reading a thumbnail of Lewis and the difficulties he experienced.
We definitely experienced stress cycles on an almost daily basis. Lewis also experienced difficulty with Optilexia and eye tracking weakness.

3. Previous interventions done

What types of reading and spelling support had been tried with him before Easyread?
We had tried a vast range of interventions with Lewis both at home and at school for five and half years. Lewis has gone through the Reading Recovery program, specialised tutoring (for two years), intensive spelling training, phonemic training and a full psychometric assessment. Lewis and I practiced his reading daily. In addition I, as a trained teacher, did additional research into reading problems, dyslexia, phonemic deficits and working memory issues. All to no avail.

4. The Easyread Experience

How was the day to day experience of working through the DM Easyread process like for you both? (the highs… and the lows!)

Working through Easyread has been interesting and fun. Lewis has loved the games. The overall experience has been enjoyable for him and for me. It has only taken 15 mintues each day. The code words and prizes have kept him motivated. He has particularly liked receiving the personal letters from David in the post. Lewis agrees that it has been very beneficial to work towards clear goals and to complete the course from beginning to end as it has taught him the value of commitment and perseverance. These have been side benefits but extremely worthwhile.

5. The Outcomes

What have been the outcomes so far for Lewis, including any remaining frustrations?

Lewis is now able to read a range of texts with confidence. He is now beginning to read novels for pleasure and can tackle everyday instructions independently. We have also seen improvement in his mathematical problem solving as he can now read an understand the word problems.
Lewis has the ability to sound out unknown words now. This means that he is not overwhelmed when reading more challenging texts.
Spelling continues to be a challenge for Lewis. However, we are seeing almost daily improvement in this area too. he will now attempt writing tasks such as letters to friends, emails, texts, shopping lists and homework independently along with growing confidence and success.

Kelly Thoresen Isselhardt

2021-12-24

recommends

As a parent working through the 20/21 school year in distance learning with 3 elementary kids, there were at least some positive upsides. For example, my daughter Laine’s (2nd grade, 8 years old at start) reading ability (when she is such a bright, exuberant, creative, SMART kid) kept me up at night. Something was not connecting. No amount of pressure or more reading was making up for the missing pieces in her ability to read. I was literally awake in the middle of the night, by chance watching Dr. Morgan’s Facebook ad and knew he was talking about my daughter. I started crying and felt I had been given such a gift. By morning in February 2021 she was signed up and on her way to decoding and cracking her reading struggles. It’s not been easy all the time, we have struggled through some lessons with tears and frustration. BUT today, Laine passed her 223 lesson, earned her helicopter (the code words/spy prizes have been a great motivator), and has gone from a 1.5 grade reading level to reading at a 5th grade level with limited assistance in only 10 months. I am so grateful for the Easyread program. Their attention to detail, one on one phone calls and Zoom meet ups, quick response time to questions, and consideration for my kid’s development has made us feel cared for each step of the way. If you have looked into the Easyread program and David’s description of your child’s reading journey hits home, run don’t walk to sign up. It has been one of our favorite blessings of this crazy year and I shout it’s praises to anyone who has a struggling reader.

Laura Stoker

2021-12-21

I was really skeptical about this for my 8 year old, how can 15 minutes a day and video, and games work? He struggled with blending and decoding. He know can use the trainer texts faster then I can figure out the word myself to see if he is correct. The system moves as he needs and the personal support is amazing.

Sara Cunningham-Neuff

What a fantastic programme! Our 8 yr old made such rapid progress I began to doubt myself whether she had had issues in the first place! When we looked at the video recording made at the beginning of the programme, her progress was remarkable within just a few weeks. She asks to do the session every day and complains if I don't have time - a massive difference from a child who used to invent the most incredible excuses to avoid reading before this. She now reads books in her own time and is even starting to get her head around spelling - all in less than 2 months. The personalised support from the Easyread facilitators is much better than I expected from an online course and the prizes are great too! Thank you Easyread!

Jared Amanda Stone

Our daughter has loved the Easyread program. She thinks she is just playing fun games on the computer but she's actually improving her reading and spelling skills. Her Spelling grades have improved from 50% to 90% in only a few months. Thank you Easyread for an amazing program! I would highly recommend your program for any children struggling to read and spell.

Carly Banks

2021-12-14

Wow, this program works! My 9-year old became a more fluent reader within weeks of starting, and she really enjoyed doing the assignments (structured like fun games) every day! She never complained about it once, even 2 months in she was excited to decode the words and play the games in Easyread. And she has so much more confidence now. Thank you Easyread!