1.What was reading practice and spelling like for Matilda before Easyread? (main concerns, consistent patterns and frustrations)

Reading was incredibly frustrating- for both Matilda and the rest of her family. She would read a word in a book and then seem to forget how to read that same word on the very next page. I now know she was learning words by sight and did not know how to begin decoding them. She was falling behind at school, and she was very conscious of this. She would avoid reading and spelling games with her friends and family and there were lots of tears and tantrums at home when we tried to get her to read anything.

2. What types of reading and spelling support had been tried with her before Easyread?

We had hoped her reading would simply improve over time through the school system, supported with reading practice at home – but that didn’t seem to happen and she was falling further behind. List of high frequency words hadn’t helped much either.

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

The Easyread program was really easy for us all to follow and very well structured. We were quite disciplined with the daily practice. The short daily lessons were just the right length for both our daughter and her parents to tackle at the end of our busy days. I found the training for parents incredibly helpful as a means of understanding what we were aiming for and how I could support her. I’ve continued to use some of the tips with our ongoing reading practice. The regular prizes sent when various steps were completed were also an excellent motivator- she felt excited and proud when they arrived.

4. What have been the outcomes so far for Matilda, including any remaining frustrations?

While I wouldn’t say picking up a book is Matilda’s first choice of activity, at least she can now read! She can also decode unfamiliar words to work out what they are. Incredibly she can now almost keep up with subtitles on movies – something she wouldn’t have even attempted previously – and she can read menus in restaurants and signs on shops. These things seem simple but being able to read them has made a huge difference to her self esteem.

Matilda’s spelling is still fairly poor and this is something we will continue to work on.

5. How do you feel it has shifted her life path and how does the investment made, both financial and in time taken, compare to that view of her future?

The Easyread program was such a worthwhile investment. To open a bank account, learn to drive, order in a restaurant or send and receive emails all requires reading. You can’t put a price on something that’s so critical.

(Parent feedback after 180 lessons, ~6 months)