To offer Reading Window’s rapid transformation of nonreaders into eager readers, you’ll start by having one person become skilled in the Reading Window techniques.

This can be done either on-site in Louisa, Virginia or through long-distance coaching involving phone, fax, and email.

(A PILOT PROJECT)

In the past, Reading Window technology was available only for residents of Louisa County, Virginia — because we hadn’t developed a way, short of having the student and his/her family members meet with one of our tutors here at the school, of transmitting the complexity and nuances of the Reading Window techniques and the knowledge of how to meld them together for the most efficient way of helping someone come to enjoy reading and become comfortable and confident with it.

However, in a pilot project, Piper Martin, school founder and principal, has worked with three families located outside Virginia. In each case a parent (a mother, as it happened) has been the primary tutor for the child, with Piper coaching the parent through frequent phone and email correspondence and with materials flying back and forth via some combination of fax, UPS, and the postal service.

This long-distance coaching method isn’t yet ready for wide use, but through the pilot project we’re uncovering its difficulties and working them out.

JOINING US IN THE PILOT PROJECT

If you’d like to give your child the Reading Window advantage by tutoring him/her yourself while receiving almost-daily phone and email coaching from Piper, please see the end of this page for special tuition plans that limit your risk.

COMMITMENT TO DAILY SESSIONS

Before you start, you should know that regular sessions, at least five days per week, are very important to the success of the program. Reading Window experience predicts that any time we skip a lesson, we’ll have to spend most of the next session catching up! It’s much more time-effective (and much more enjoyable for the child as well) when regular lessons allow us to build each day’s progress on the previous day’s learning. This leads us rapidly up to and beyond the “Aha!” insight — the experience in which your child suddenly sees just how enjoyable and powerful the skill of reading is and how entirely competent s/he is at learning and using the skill.

For these reasons, your commitment to almost-daily sessions is a requirement.

INTRODUCTION TO YOUR ROLE AS TUTOR

Part of what you’ll be learning for your role as Reading Window tutor for your child is the habit of giving constant pleasant feedback during the sessions. A child learns more quickly and remembers longer when the child is happy. And part of the reason why Reading Window technology works so well is that it gives your child success always and failure never.

In order to set this constant encouraging feedback in motion beginning with the first few minutes of the first lesson, we make a game out of following instructions. When the child tries to do what the tutor asks (what you ask!), and whether or not the child succeeds in actually accomplishing the task, s/he receives a word or two of praise and, according to the rules of the game, a small prize.

Accordingly, each time you tell or ask your child to do something, if the child does it, you’ll respond by immediately saying, “Good,” or “Thank you,” or “Mm hmm,” or “Yes!” or “That’s right,” or “That’s fine.”

For example, if you ask your child to walk with you over to a window,” and your child walks with you over to the window, you’ll give feedback such as, “That’s good,” or “Thank you,” or just “Mm hmm,” or “Here we go!”

If you ask your child to open the book to the first page, and s/he does, you’ll say, “Mm hmm!” or “Good.” Sometimes you’ll give a few extra words of feedback, such as, “That’s right — you’re doing exactly what I asked you to do!”

On the other hand, if you ask your child to open to the first page and s/he opens to the middle of the book, you’ll say, in a very pleasant tone of voice, “Would you open to the first page, please?” Don’t just do it yourself — don’t open the book to the first page yourself. And the Reading Window way of responding never involves saying “No” or “That’s not right” regarding the child’s performance in a tutoring session.

The habit of listening to instructions and trying to follow the instructions is vital to rapid success — both in your Reading Window tutoring at home and for your child’s future success at school. So a lot of Piper’s coaching during the first few lessons will concern pleasant techniques to get your child to really try to follow your directions, right from Day One of your Reading Window work. You will master the Constant-Pleasant-Feedback Technique and also the Try-to-Do-It Game.

TUITION PLANS FOR THE LONG-DISTANCE PROGRAM

If you’d like to join in the experiment, we are offering a special tuition plan to limit your risk. A full refund is guaranteed if you participate with at least eight sessions in the first two weeks and then choose to stop after the eighth lesson.

Full tuition is $600 for 30 lessons in six or seven weeks. Even at this low rate compared to other tutoring services, Reading Window School is thus offering a no-risk trial worth at least $160.

Phone Piper (540-872-1999) if you have a special need for a partial scholarship, especially if your child is experiencing problems in 1st or 2nd grade.

I look forward to participating with you in this project that, besides helping your own child, will help many other children in the future.

October’s Reading Puzzle

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtsy it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht frist and lsat ltteers are at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by itslef but the wrod as a wlohe.

[If this is hard for you to read, phone the Reading Window at 540-872-1999 or 540-872-1998 for tips and/or solution]

Of course, as always, our non-profit Reading Window School
appreciates – and is dependent on – our generous donors.
Special thanks for these recent contributions:

BAMA (Dave Matthews Band)

Bank of America

Charlottesville Area Community Foundation (CACF)

Optimist Club of the Blue Ridge

Rappahannock Electric Cooperative

Twin Oaks Community Inc.

Washington Power & Light Inc.

Please consider helping us provide scholarships to reach more children in need of our special methodology. Send your check to:
Reading Window School, Attn: Piper Martin, 138 Twin Oaks Road, Louisa Va 23093 or use your credit card by clicking on the button below.

Our basic project goals and objectives are, as always, having our students become excited about reading independently and also reading together with their families.

Some of our students gain as much as one grade level in reading proficiency with just one six-week Reading Window session of thirty lessons. Some children began their work with us after their parents expressed distress about schools having recommended their children repeat a grade. After six weeks of work with us, usually such students are well up to grade level and all talk about repeating a grade has vanished.

We also teach preschoolers whose parents want them to be better prepared for kindergarten. Our preschool students learn to read very quickly; follow-up shows that they do very well in kindergarten and afterward.

Our ultimate, long-range goal is for all students in our county who have average or above-average intelligence to achieve average or above-average literacy levels compared to students nationwide.

Our record of success indicates that this is attainable.

In 2006, we helped a total of nineteen students to become better readers! Our students’ ages ranged from 3 – adult. Students had fun while applying the Reading Window methods either to learn to read for the first time or to improve their reading skills so they could do better in school.

A special difference we made in one student’s life in 2006 concerns one of our adult students who said he could only read on a second grade level and wanted to improve his reading skills so that he could help his 6-year old daughter. He was able to do that, and then discovered that he was also gaining reading skills needed to apply for a better job!

Here are a few excerpts from the many appreciation letters we received this year:

Deirdre Haywood is excited because her son Tyler’s “confidence has built up so much. He uses the reading window to show his brothers an easier way of reading.”

Earline Collins shares that “To me the greatest gift in life is being able to read and enjoy it. My daughter, Marideth, has always enjoyed being read to, but now after completing the course at the Reading Window, she is empowered with the abilities to read for herself and others. I will be recommending this program to everyone.”

Cynthia Brown comments, “Your program is working, Ms. Martin!! Zachary (age 4) reads…quite impressive for a child his age. This county and its people are certainly indebted to you for your kindness, patience, and the time you give to those needing your help. Although Zachary has no real idea how much you will influence his life in years to come, I do. From both of us, dear ladies, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

Kelly Albertini shared about her son’s progress. “The other night Bobby read the story of Poppleton to us. His fluency was perfect – and he even included expression when he read in the first person. It was so cute! We are so proud of him. Thank you so much for offering the Reading Window. I would recommend it to everyone! It works!

Bobby’s second grade teacher very recently reported that he just tested at the sixth grade reading level!!

Reading Window Welcomes New Tutor

We also welcomed a new tutor to the Reading Window School! Sherri Rosser started training with Director Piper Martin in April. Sherri says that, “I’m amazed at how quickly the children respond to this method of teaching reading. They have fun while learning to read and gain so much self-confidence as we build success upon success.” Sherri has homeschooled her two children for the past twelve years. She has always loved to teach and has very much enjoyed getting to know all of the children who come to the Reading Window.

The Reading Window School wants to thank the many people who have helped to make this year a great success. We rely on the support of many volunteers. Our volunteers worked a total of 1100 hours this year. THANK YOU!!!

Donors Make It All Possible

The Reading Window School also wants to thank those who gave by way of donations this year. Donations included many gifts from people who want to see the school continue its good work, after their own children had benefited years ago. We also want to recognize the organizations that supported our reading program in 2006.

Generous grants from the organizations listed below provided valuable scholarship funds for families whom we would otherwise have been unable to serve. THANK YOU to the following organizations:

The Optimist Club of Charlottesville

Charlottesville Area Community Foundation (CACF)

BAMA Works Fund (Dave Matthews Band)

Rappahannock Electric Cooperative

Another milestone for us was the improvement of this website, notable with our offer of a free First Reader, “Dog and dog-cat”. This was made possible with the help of Flame Bilyue, artist, and James Albertini, who is now in charge of actual changes and additions to this site.

Piper Martin, author of the book, says her next goal is to find a way for people to benefit from Reading Window techniques no matter where they live. Toward that goal, she continues to work on writing complete directions for parents of preschoolers. Meanwhile, the first “Tutoring by Telephone” lesson series was a resounding success.

We look forward to continuing to help children read with joy and understanding!

Reading Window Tutoring

Individual lessons will be scheduled for your child in the morning or early afternoon, for 50 minutes each, upon registration with a minimum $25 deposit. Complete registration by June 1, 2007 and receive a $50 discount. Lessons begin on June 25, 2007.

For more information or to make an appointment, phone Piper Martin at 540-872-1999.

Reading Window Workshop for Parents

There are many approaches to successful reading. One great strength of Reading Window tutoring is its adaptability to a child’s individual needs.

Dozens of parents have written, testimonials praising the Reading Window, especially for improving their children’s motivation, comprehension, and enjoyment of reading. By appointment, you can visit 103 West Street in Louisa, read the original and talk with with the director, Piper Martin. Learn how to use simple, homemade materials and library books to successfully tutor your child. (Your child will accompany you only twice during the 8 week session.) If you are are enrolling your child for Reading Window Tutoring but won’t be able to stay for the daily tutoring sessions, you may enroll in this workshop for half price. Complete registration by June 8, 2007 and receive a $10 discount.
July 2 Mondays Old Library 7:30-9:00 pm 7 weeks $90.