(A note from our good friend and ambassador, Fred Lewis:) What I’ve learned from my ten years of volunteering in school computer labs: The MOST important grade for increasing efficiency and reading skills in school is FIRST GRADE. And first graders can definitely learn to touch-type. No matter what...

A message from Fred Lewis: “Please read this article (Typing is the key to learning computer software). Kids need a keyboarding license before using a computer….just like a drivers license to drive.  Only Read, Write and Type does this. Middle school is way too late to teach touch typing.” Teachers...

Here is a letter I received from a speech pathologist that I met at a dyslexia conference in Seattle.  She was sitting at the same coffee bar and heard me introduce myself to my neighbor.  She leaned toward me and asked earnestly, “Are you the Talking Fingers Jeannine Herron?”  I said...

I was recently sent an article by Jan Hasbrouck in which she discusses reading fluency and the pervasive use of Sustained Silent Reading and Round Robin Reading. These are strategies that teachers are using to develop fluency in struggling readers. She says, “Developing fluency among struggling...

Your child will only learn to read and write once! Don’t miss it! Sometimes it happens in the space of a few short months. You can play a vital role, and it may be one of the most significant things you and your child ever do together. Reading and writing are the most important skills children learn...

Children sometimes do well on reading tests in first or second grade because they are good at memorizing the visual appearance of words. You think they are doing fine! However, when they get to third grade, they may start experiencing more difficulty because they encounter many more words that begin...

I want to tell you about an extraordinary man. His name is Fred and he won’t tell me how old he is.  I know about him because he writes passionate emails to me every week about the children and schools he is helping.  This is the story of a superhero, an amazing school volunteer. Fred is a retired...

Pre-K Lessons Linked to TV Produce Gains in Literacy (but with a big caveat!)  This summary is from an article Education Week, Oct 21, 2009. A new study has found that low-income pre-schoolers made significant gains in acquiring skills such as naming letters and knowing the sounds associated with these...