Clearfield, UT – January 23, 2009 – In July 2007, the staff at the Clearfield Job Corps decided to give Reading Horizons a try. Now, 18 months later, the literacy-building program is helping to make a big difference in the lives of the students at the center.
"Reading Horizons (has made a) positive impact ... on my personal development and the professionalism in our entire reading program," says Michael Feeney, who teaches at the center and has witnessed many success stories first hand. "(It) has helped re-energize our entire area, because it has given us a vital tool to help students we didn't have the time or resources to help before. Reading Horizons can also supply the long hours of personal tutoring that many of our students need to become grounded in the basics."
He notes that 320 students have been enrolled in Reading Horizons since it was introduced at Clearfield's Job Corps. Currently, more than 200 are benefiting from use of the program.
"Many of our ESL students come to us with skills at the second- and third-grade level," he states, "and to bring them up to speed in a short period of time is a daunting task. They need lots of personal instruction and the tutoring time that a program like Reading Horizons can give them."
That's one of many greatly appreciated aspects of Reading Horizons, according to Feeney, who claims that the Clearfield Job Corps has the most-diverse student population of all of the Job Corps centers in the nation.
"Reading Horizons has also had a big impact on me and the rest of my colleagues as teaching professionals," he confirms. "We are more confident and (are) better equipped to help students. We have also been impressed with the genius and simplicity of the program's ability to deliver precise phonics instruction in a systematic way. We know our phonics and know (their) importance in reading, but we didn't know where to begin teaching (them), and Reading Horizons greatly simplifies the entire process for both student and instructor."
Keeping the process simple is getting the job done.
"Our reading department is really impressed with the Reading Horizons program," says Feeney. "It has been a perfect fit for our Job Corps center and students, and I'm sure it can make a big difference in the student reading development of any school."
For more information: http://clearfield.jobcorps.gov
Contact: Feeney.Michael@jobcorps.org Phone: 801-419-4375