Arizona Success Stories

The Sight Words programs from Essential Skills definitely have improved my children's reading and recognition of sight words as well as their spelling. These programs teach the important sight vocabulary in a variety of ways and are appropriate for all my students including autistic, ADHD and LD. Thank you very much! I appreciate these fabulous programs. You're doing a great job!

Mary Ann Smith, Resource Teacher
Tumbleweed Elementary, Phoenix, Arizona

I like the software very much. The Marks Manager is very easy to use and interpret. The children love using this software to build their skills. These programs correlate well with the state standards and provide excellent drill and practice for the basic skills.

Cheryl Smith, Special Education Teacher
Havasupai Elementary School, Supai, Arizona

I have taught for a long time and the ESS programs are the best that I have ever seen. The Marks Manager saves a lot of administrative time and I particularly love the way that that programs pick up right where the kids have left off.

Janice Hoffman, Special Education
Stevenson Elementary School, Douglas, Arizona

We have nine Essential Skills programs that we use with Kindergarten through Grade Five on a daily basis. These programs are great for supplementing and reinforcing the classroom curriculum. They certainly do teach the essential skills. It is easy for the teachers to manage and easy for the children to use. We've really enjoy the software.

Carolyn Reeder, Assistant Principal
Assistant Principal, Assistant Principal, Arizona

We use Super Phonics, Spelling Stumpers and Fun With Spelling on a daily basis with our Kindergarten through grade six students. These programs offer a good variety of instructional methods for different learning styles and a very comprehensive set of skills. They are very well organized and well balanced in the presentation and reinforcement of literacy skills. The children can hardly wait to get to these programs and once they start they want to finish. It really keeps them involved. I think every classroom should have these programs.

Shirley Johnson, Title I Teacher
San Xavier Mission School, Tuscon, Arizona

We use Readiness Skills, Phonemic Awareness, Super Phonics and High-Low Readers regularly with our K-2 students. I like the programs because they are not too gamey and they have a clear skill focus that guarantees the children learn the skills presented. The programs are a valuable and essential component of our school response to intervention.

Donna Stokes, Title I Reading Specialist
Tonalea Elementary, Scottsdale, Arizona

Essential Skills programs are very affordable. The students enjoy working on them and the phonics software fits in well with our curriculum. The programs are used by 200 students daily at our school. We have several site licenses and feel that they are an excellent value. I love the sequencing of skills and the variety of activities for the children to work on. The ability to place students at their own instructional level and have them work independently is great. Our students are definitely making gains using Essential Skills.

Barbara Vinyard, Title I Teacher
Walter Douglas School, Tucson, Arizona

We love the programs from Essential Skills. I use the programs as a reward for my students if they get all their work done.

Jody Pirtle, Resource Teacher
Faras Elementary, Pirtleville, Arizona

I have been very pleased with the purchases of Essential Skills Software. I appreciate the fact that my students can work independently. Your programs offer practice with the skills that they need. We use Super Phonics and Sight Words every day. The thorough and systematic presentation and practice of the required skills ties in perfectly with the skills required in our DIBELS testing.

Julie Efros, Grade One Teacher
Beaver Creek Elementary, Rimrock, Arizona

We use Essential Skills programs to develop academic skills. We use them for grades one through four. As far as academics go I like everything about them. The teachers really like the printouts. It was an easy program to understand.

Sara Ihmels, Computer Coordinator
Mt. Tipton School, Dolan Springs, Arizona