Reading Horizons: A Reading Skills Line-item Match with the National Job Corps PRH Chapter 3: Career Development Period
The National Job Corps Policy and Requirements Handbook, Chapter Three, Section 3.8 Reading clearly defines and describes the scope of all reading skills graduating Job Corps trainees must master. The P1 objective states to provide students with the reading skills needed for employment in their chosen career fields and to function independently in society. It is this premise that underpins the Reading Horizons phonics program for adolescents and adults who are either learning to speak English or are native English speakers who struggle with reading.
to provide students with the reading skills needed for employment in their chosen career fields and to function independently in society.
One of the distinguishing features and draws of Job Corps academic programs is its instructional model based upon meeting individual learning needs. The same model drives the Reading Horizons software-based phonics program. We understand that learners assimilate information at differing levels of readiness, experience, and drive. We believe our program will render the same positive gains for Job Corps students we’ve witnessed for over 20 years in our other subscribing adult education programs and at-risk youth facilities.
The accompanying chart exhibits a strong correlation between most National Job Corps required initial reading competencies (R1.a) and those taught by both the Reading Horizons instructional software and its accompanying direct instruction model. Our competencies meet standards set by most states and those outlined by the 1999 National Reading Panel Report, from which emerged the reading education objectives contained in the No Child Left Behind Act 2001. All Reading Horizons programs are grounded in and supported by solid, scientifically-based reading research.
Other language building features embedded into the Reading Horizons program cover some areas not fully detailed on the PRH Required Instruction list, such as some common patterns characteristic of certain word families: words ending is /ss/, /ff/, /zz/; standard diacritical marking of long and short vowels; the dual sounds of /c/ and /g/ with certain vowels; common sight words interspersed throughout the lessons; proper use of punctuation and standard grammatical nomenclature.
Though the Reading Horizons product line does not claim to be a comprehensive reading product, the company responds quickly to suggestions from field users. Our state-of-the-art technologies allow us to continually upgrade and expand the product line in response to expressed needs and suggestions from our field users.
If there are areas that would make this product more amenable to the Job Corps reading objectives we will work to accommodate your needs.