Testimonials
Who says this program works?
Teachers
“After only 8 weeks of working with Ms. Marks for only 20 minutes a day, my student, who had always struggled with both reading and writing, showed great improvement. She had trouble reading words larger than 1 or 2 syllables. She
often gave up due to her lack of confidence. Now she was no longer frustrated and was very aware of the process she used. Her NWEA spring test showed that she is now at grade level.” Linda Thain, 6th grade teacher, St. Paul Public Schools 
“When given his initial Mondo assessment, my student scored at a level K, which is equivalent to a FIRST grade level. When he was tested in the spring after working with Ms. Marks all year, he was assessed at level Q, which is the FOURTH grade level. I had been thinking about referring him to special education. He enjoys reading now, and his comprehension and fluency were remarkably improved as well!”
Laurie Lenarz, 5th grade teacher, Linwood Monroe Arts Plus School |
“All of Ms. Marks’ students recognize the strategy of finding the chunks in the words they read, which has increased their decoding abilities along with their spelling accuracy. Their DRA scores have increased by a growth of one and a half to two years!”
Terry A. Meryhew, 3rd grade teacher, St. Paul Public Schools 
“I think this program's strong use of visuals, repetition, and chanting connects really well with our students.
We have seen significant growth from the newcomer students who began the ladybug literacy program in the fall. Almost all of them have transitioned out of our newcomer program because their reading/comprehension level improved so much that they were placed in sheltered content classes. We are also using the Ladybug Literacy program as a literacy intervention during our advisory time for other ELL students who are not newcomers and have basic phonemic awareness, but who need assistance with blending and chunking letters to improve fluency and comprehension.” —Kadie Becker, ELL teacher Lincoln International |
ELL students can access this system automatically because each chunk is directly linked to a helping word and photo of that word. Plus, the helping words are universal concepts that my ELL students have direct experience with
(cold, sock, rice, etc.).” Sarah Hernandez, ELL teacher St. Paul Public Schools “[students] acquire skills not only in decoding but also in comprehension of a text implementing close reading technique…” “…[the program] includes all four domains of the language.” “From the beginning, students feel that they can do it. It does not feel intimidating. The program sets learners for success. I have seen students affected by poor self-confidence bloom while learning reading using chunks!” --Julia Escobar, ELL teacher Lincoln International |
Parents
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“Within a month our daughter was
reading everything and anything she could. This methodology not only improved our daughter’s reading, but also her spelling.” Bill and Julie Smith Healy, parents of a 1st grader at Linwood Monroe Arts Plus School |
“The skills our son acquired since the beginning of the year have been nothing short of fantastic. He is now able to read at his grade level! He is excited and confident about reading!”
Paul and Andrea Winghart, parents of a 1st grader at Linwood Monroe Arts Plus School |
“Last year my daughter was struggling with her reading, but with the help of Ms. Marks’ decoding and spelling program, she is sustaining her skills and reading on grade level today.”
Linda Arneson, parent of a 1st grader at Linwood Monroe Arts Plus School |
Students
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“The Chunk Charts helped me brake
the word down, sound the word, and read fluently. I was at a low level last year,and this year I got to a high level andread good.” Z., 5th grade ELL student “I brake the words that are big and hard. The Chunk Charts 1, 2, and 3 help me get better with reading. I feel great about reading!” A., 5th grade ELL student |
“When I came
to the school Ms. Marks teach how to read hard words and tricky words. I got a lot better at my English. She knows how to teach kids that just came to the country.” J., 5th grade ELL student |
“It’s fun to decode with Chunk Charts
and with songs too. I learned to break up the word into little pieces and it help me to read better.” N., 5th grade ELL student 
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