The Growing Readers initiative has challenged me to look at my readers in a totally different light. I enjoy focusing on one student and one strategy with one goal in mind.

I am beyond thankful and fortunate to have worked with such a great team!

As I look back over my experience with Growing Readers from beginning to end…I started as a student who needed ALL the scaffolding and was insecure and lacked confidence. Throughout the process I have noticed that I have needed less and less support and now at the end I am feeling confident and independent moving forward.

Growing Readers has been the most comprehensive and beneficial training that I have ever had. I was taught the best strategies to use with my students…. Then…I was sent back to my classroom to implement and I was coached through the process and given help as needed.

My candidate has been a tremendous help as we have implemented Growing Readers. We have had wonderful conversations about the importance of independent reading time, the value of conferring, and truly knowing our students.

Growing Readers has helped me better understand and meet my students’ needs. Being able to determine their goals and then teach strategies to help reach those goals has been the biggest take away for me. This really is the right work!

The Growing Readers Initiative has positively impacted my teaching by helping me see the ways conferring with students helps their reading
instruction and confidence.

I had a student tell me today, “I used to not like reading but now I love it.” That warmed my heart. Thank you so much for bringing Growing Readers to us.

I have seen such an improvement in reading due to Growing Readers. The strategies have been a lifesaver, and they help me target skills for my students.

I like how Growing Readers has taught my students how to decide that the book they may have chosen is either too easy or too hard for them. They feel successful because they are able to read their book and understand what they’ve read.

With the help of Growing Readers, I have learned how to provide meaningful feedback to my students which steers their focus while reading a book.

You MADE our teachers feel empowered to choose growth over comfort. Being able to see our GR teachers collaborating with their colleagues in assessing, instructing, and GROWING our readers is heartwarming.

Growing Readers helped me learn to love the art of teaching reading.

As for my readers, I feel like this helps them build their self-confidence and make them stronger readers because they have a strategy that helps with comprehension, stamina, engagement, fluency, and accuracy.

I feel more confident as a teacher to encourage students to read and find books that are the best fit for them.

The Growing Readers program has allowed me to read one-on-one with my students and individualize their instruction based on their specific reading needs.

I want to express my gratitude for being able to be part of Growing Readers these past 2 years. Now I have a wonderful classroom library and
endless strategies to help my students become “Super” readers.

Having a large spread of different reading levels in my class, I was struggling to meet with everyone as often as I wanted to. However, after learning about strategy groups I’m feeling more confident meeting with my students based on their strategy and not their reading level.

Growing Readers has given my students more confidence in reading. It has also given me as a classroom teacher, the opportunity to use valuable strategies that I did not use in the past.

My students have flourished since implementing Growing Readers. I have seen reluctant readers grow in their ability and confidence.

I have learned a lot from the in person modeling and coaching with my RESA Specialist and candidate. My RESA Specialist has helped me truly enjoy independent reading, whereas before I did not really know what to do.