Since 2007, something remarkable has been happening at our Speech, Language, and Reading Center in Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY. Through use of KidsVoyager Online (Phonic Engine Reading Method software), kids have been making tremendous gains in reading, spelling, and all language arts. Coming to our center only once or twice a week, and using KidsVoyager Online at home, children — ranging from those coming for enrichment, to those with severe impediments, including Auditory Processing Disorder, Phonological Processing Disorder, and Dyslexia — have made startling, life-changing, gains. They've also learned quite a bit of information along the way, and enjoyed themselves as well, as our method allows them to easily "read to learn" while learning to read. As stated by L. Parks, mother of of one of our clients, "What the kids don't realize, is with this fun, comes a lot of learning."
The Phonic Engine Reading Method is a transformative advance in the teaching of language arts, in that it does not require a linear approach to the teaching of language arts. What this means, is that the learner need not know one thing before the other, or learn the simple (but potentially boring) before the complex (and likely more interesting), but can learn all things in any order, or at the same time, in a manner and sequence best suited to the particular individual. A learner, beginning at age 4 – 5, does not need to know the alphabetic principle, or even the entire alphabet, before he or she can read and write, using correctly spelled words (the underlying precept of phonics), or need to encounter words and phrases in meaningful contexts in order to learn to read (the underlying – albeit incomplete – precept of whole language).
The software application that turns the Phonic Engine Reading Method into a reality is KidsVoyager® Online. It makes the process of teaching and learning language arts so efficient that it should really be on the home computer of every family with a young child, and on every computer in every classroom, from pre-school through about fifth grade. It also dissolves the argument between the two major current approaches to reading: phonics and whole language, which is a false argument anyway, because a gifted teacher really should understand his or her students' needs, and teach accordingly – as many certainly do — and not stick to a particular philosophy. And the Phonic Engine Reading Method substantially reduces the effort to do this.
Kids typically love coming to our reading sessions, and use the Phonic Engine software, KidsVoyager Online, at home as well as at our center, both for our homework, school homework, and general enjoyment. For example, one child who currently attends our program is receiving reading help in school and, by mutual agreement among parent, his school, and us, attends our program solely to engender the love of reading.
He attends a school for children with learning difficulties, and is receiving structured phonics instruction on a daily basis. When we contacted this teacher, and discussed KidsVoyager Online, we agreed that while she worked on phonics, we would work on helping him to enjoy reading.
This bright boy, who is 10 and dyslexic, hated to read and hated books, because he could not decode them. Fortunately, he has numerous interests – as do many children – which allowed us to pick stories, articles, and writing assignments about topics he is very interested in. He now tells us that he really likes books and especially reading about the WWE!
You may wish to read our White Paper: The Phonic Engine Reading Method: Learning to Read in the 21st Century — A Transformative Advance in the Teaching of Language Arts and General Education.. It includes discussions on the invention of the method, the patents that comprise its innovative learning-inspiring techniques, phonics & whole language, and evidence based instruction.
