FREE Membership
Registration

Almost every student, from preschool on through adult learner, has the potential of becoming a Championship Reader. But to make it happen, teaching practice needs to follow the dictum of John Dewey: "Teach students where they are," instead of where somebody else thinks they should be. We need to realize that each student is unique--that there is no such thing as a "standard" student. Then, once this is done, we can start teaching to each individual's wants and interests.

Most educators tell us that parents are a child's first and best teachers. Actually a child's formal education starts at birth. What we refer to as baby talk and babbling is the child's attempts to interact with a very confusing world. Linguistic specialists feel a child is born with with an inherited--if not genetic--ability to articulate every sound capable of being made by the human physical speech systems. Language development, from this point on, consists mostly of limiting the range of sounds used and learning how their "home language" is structured and organized.

Reading experts agree it is possible to begin laying the foundation of reading success as early as three months of age. This is done by spending short passages of simple words with him or her. Formal reading education can then begin at about six months, with identification of letters and word sounds, as the child/s speech starts to develop.

This is where the Reading Champs Ready ... Set ... Teach program begins.

What is a Reading Champ?

"Reading Champs" are people, of any age or gender, who have the power to enrich their lives because they are more able to read, understand, and make use of any kind of text.

They aren't smarter than average people, because they are average people. They just seem to be smarter because they are usually better informed! They are easy to spot because ...

Reading Champs read!

They are usually more involved in the world around them. They know the stories behind the sound bites on the six o'clock news.

They read to learn. And, more importantly, they know how to read to learn.

They usually read faster than the average person, and they retain more of what they read.

They read for enjoyment. They build personal libraries of biographies, fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and--quite often--old textbooks.

They are almost never bored.

They would rather read than watch TV or play video games.

They are usually better spellers and more interesting speakers. They often have higher self esteem and are more self confident.

They are usually more interesting because they are better conversationalists.

They are often writers as well as readers.

They enjoy greater job opportunities and are usually more capable in seeking out more personally-satisfying jobs.

They are more likely to be promoted because of their greater ability to communicate.

And almost anyone can be a Reading Champ because they are made, not born!

You can become a Reading Champ, and even a Coach for future Reading Champs. You can help your children (or your students) become reading champs as well.