Minnesota Success Stories

The Essential Skills programs build skills sequentially and offer great practice and reinforcement for the students. It is easy for them to use and easy to keep track of where they are. The programs are highly motivating and students are able to feel successful. There are enough levels for most students to work independently and at their own pace.

Dawn Bruess, Special Education
Parkview Elementary, White Bear Lake, Minnesota

We have been using Sight Words from Essential Skills for the past seven years. The program is easy to use and entertaining without the bells and whistles. The program complements and reinforces teacher-directed classroom instruction. The reports are easy to access and you can see at a glance how students are progressing.

Yvonne Neils, Media Specialist
Armstrong Elementary, Cottage Grove, Minnesota

The programs from Essential Skills are exactly what we were looking for. Our favorite is the Mad Minute math. The students are very motivated to learn their facts, get the certificates and move on to the next level. They love to see their progress through the math facts. The children always look forward to working on these programs.

Michele Durbahn, Library and Media Coordinator
Sacred Heart School, Waseca, Minnesota

We love your programs and use them daily. 85% of the software we use is from Essential Skills. The programs are well guided making it easy for children to pick up where they leave off. The students love the variety of reinforcement but there is not a lot of hoopla, just the meat of teaching and reinforcing basic skills. The Essential Skills tech department has always been very helpful and responsive to our needs and issues.

Amy O'Neal, Media Specialist
Sts. Peter Paul and Michael School, St.Cloud, Minnesota

The Essential Skills programs are not as glitzy as some programs but they make up for it in content. Students can navigate through the programs very easily and they are engaged and motivated by the activities. They are a great alternative to Read Naturally for students who need enrichment not remediation! Both sales and technical support have been very helpful and they are always courteous and patient. Essential Skills is a great company with excellent instructional software!

Sue Pierson, Computer Lab Teacher
Oak Grove Elem., Bloomington, Minnesota

I run a disability program for adults recovering from traumatic brain injuries or from stroke or possible spinal cord injuries. I use the programs from Essential Skills Software with my clients. The programs are wonderful because the adults are able to do activities and are engaged and motivated by them. They experience no frustration at all. They quickly become accustomed to how the programs work and can work independently. These programs are making a big difference for the adults in terms of regaining their cognitive abilities. Our testing shows that they are making solid gains. Essential Skills is one of our main tools for these disabled adults.

Lori Yurick, Teaching Assistant
Winnetka Learning Center, Winnetka, Minnesota

I have used Essential Skills for several years. The programs are easy for all students to use regardless of their ability level. The students never tire of the programs and the skills are aligned with our curriculum perfectly.

Darcy Josephson, Title I Coordinator
Redwood Area SD, Redwood Falls, Minnesota