My students use Essential Skills Software programs everyday. I use Reading Comprehension with 3rd, 4th and 5th grades. I incorporate it into my daily lesson plan. I would certainly say that it is impacting their reading. All of my 32 kids (3rd, 4th & 5th graders) passed their North Carolina End Grade Test.
Teresa Anderson, Special Education Teacher
Moss Hill Elementary, Kinston, North Carolina
Special Education
We try to have our students on ESS programs 3 times a week. This software is very helpful in addressing skill deficits and we have noticed an improvement in their reading. Our students really enjoy using the programs.
Terry Billing, Special Education Assistant
Rosebud School, Rosebud, Montana
We use Essential Skills programs before state testing to help prepare our students. Reading Comprehension is especially helpful. Our kids love this software.
Bev O'Hara, Special Education Teacher
Fort Benton Elementary, Fort Benton, Montana
We use the Essential Skills programs everyday with the kids in K through 5. They love them! We feel the skills correlate well with the state standards. The software is wonderful. It is so easy to individualize for practice and retention of the specific skills. We have used this software on a daily basis for four years.
Carol Lynn, Special Education Lead Teacher
Mt. Vernon Elementary, Gainesville, Georgia
We use Essential Skills programs on a daily basis. The kids practically fight to get on the computer to use the programs from Essential Skills. We use Grammar and Writing Fundamentals with the older kids. These programs provide excellent practice and reinforcement of skills. The programs work wonders with IEP goals and objectives. This teacher created software is excellent.
Angie Fender, Special Education Coordinator
Lanier County Elementary School, Lakeland, Georgia
Our special education teachers love Essential Skills software. We use it daily with students at all grade levels. Even our older children don't feel embarrassed using the software. It appeals to kids of all ages. The children love to show you their progress and they never tire of the programs.
Michele Tardy, Primary Special Education
Durkin Park Elementary, Chicago, Illinois
We use Essential Skills software every day. Sight Words in particular is a favorite program. It is very colorful with lots of activity types for different learning styles. I never have a problem with the children not wanting to use the software. The children find it easy to use and there is no training involved. Even my youngest students can use the software. We love the auditory feedback that the program offers and the children also like being able to see their scores each day.
Michaelene Kusz, Special Education
St. Constance School, Chicago, Illinois
Students are using ESS programs three times a week. They really like the programs and are motivated by them. I have even had Junior High students using the programs. In my student assessments I have seen significant improvements.
Jamie Edmondson, Special Education Teacher
Chetopa School, Chetopa, Kansas
I can't begin to put into words what a difference these programs have made in the educational progress of the students with Downs Syndrome and other Special Needs. Repetition plays a large part in their daily work skills. Your programs present it in such a fun filled way, they have no idea that they are learning! The way the programs are designed is improving concentration and computer skills. We never dreamed that these students would progress as far as they have but with your wonderful programs it has happened.
Mary Blair, Special Education Instructional Assistant
Webster Elementary, Madera, California
We use your Reading Comprehension programs throughout the day with the students from grades one to six. Our assessments this year have indicated growth of 1 and 2 years in some of the children who are several years behind in reading. All our children want to use this software.
Georgina Kneale, Special Education Resource
Grand Terrace Elementary, Grand Terrace, California
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 use the Essential Skills programs daily in our Special Education classroom and have noticed measurable improvements. My students love using these programs!
Susan Corcoran, Special Education Teacher
Brookwood Forest Elementary, Birmingham, Alabama
We have 15 Essential Skills programs and our students use them everyday. The students like the programs and I have noticed an improvement in student performance after using ESS.
Lori Donnelley, Special Education Teacher
Trail Creek School, Ismay, Montana
Essential Skills offers the best software programs I have ever found for special needs children. I have used your programs for years. Our elementary teachers also find the assessment programs very helpful for testing and tracking their students. These programs have had a major impact on the improved Mississippi Curriculum Test scores with my students. Their MCT scores have gone up at least one level each year. The children love using these programs and they are anxious to get on them every day.
Sandra Howard, Special Education Teacher Grades 4-6
Greenlee Elementary, Mc Cool, Mississippi
We have been using the three Reading Comprehension programs from Essential Skills during the day and in our after school tutoring program. We have a lot of children that are reading one to three years below grade level. Their comprehension skills are low. We use the software with both special education kids and general students. The Marks Manager is very easy to use and print out progress reports. The stories are interesting and topical with good pictures. We feel that the activities are designed to appeal to all types of learners. There is a variety of comprehension and vocabulary questions in each story. Even the typing activities offer excellent keyboarding skills. The students really love these programs. They even ask to come at recess to work on their reading comprehension.
Carol Kent, Special Education Teacher
Le Baron Elementary School, Pontiac, Michigan
With the amount of curriculum that teachers need to cover, there is not enough time for rote skill practice and review. Super Phonics and Mastering Numeration do a really good job of that kind practice. The programs are fun and easy for the children to navigate through and use. I find these programs very useful when I have children who are resistant to doing the table top type tasks. The children are motivated and find the programs fun and exciting. The record keeping component is good and they provide for flexibility of instruction.
Mary Mahoney, Special Education
Memorial School, Medfield, Massachusetts
Our school covers grades four to six and my students are working at a grade one to five level. They use ESS programs everyday. I have even lent my Sight Words program to the speech teacher. I also make my own custom spelling lists and the Spelling program automatically creates activities for the students. My students are also using the programs to supplement their classroom work. I have noticed significant student performance gains from using this software.
Alice Walker, Special Education Teacher
Anne T. Dunphy School, Williamsburg, Massachusetts
We use Essential Skills software to reinforce concepts taught in my room. The students like the ongoing reinforcement and the feedback. They also like seeing their results at the end of each session. The various programs are closely aligned with my specific goals and objectives for each child. These programs are useful learning tools and an important piece of the instructional day for my students.
Jessica Forrest, Special Education Teacher
White Rock School, Gorham, Maine
Essential Skills Software programs are used school-wide. These programs have had a positive impact on student learning. We have noticed improvement and growth in our DIBELS scores.
Deanna Ritchie, Special Education Teacher
Magnolia School, Foley, Alabama
I like the way it keeps a record of the children's progress. I also like that the programs constantly challenge the children to build their skills in a step by step manner. When the software is used consistently you are guaranteed to get measurable results.
Peggy Ereckson, Special Education Teacher
Tappen Elementary School, Tappen, North Dakota
I use Essential Skills everyday. Sight Words and Fun with Spelling are awesome programs. I always do a pretest and posttest with my students and the children always make measurable gains. The children love the software and the reinforcement. I love your software and spread the word at every opportunity.
Brenda LaPierre, Special Education
Twin Buttes Elementary, Halliday, North Dakota
I used Reading Comprehension Levels 2 and 3 with an individual student. The programs really kept his attention and I felt his comprehension improved. I would definitely recommend your software.
Jack Thorpe, Special Education Teacher
Sidney High School, Sidney, Nebraska
The children asked for computer time with ESS programs when they came back for this school year. They really like using them. Another Special Ed. Teacher showed me the brochure and as soon as I reviewed the software I could tell they would help my students.
Susan Bowers, Special Education Teacher
Whitmire Community School, Whitmire, South Carolina
Within our day programs for adults with developing disabilities, I searched a long time for an educational product that met our needs for individuals with cognitively impairments. Essential Skills exceeded all of our expectations. The instructions are very clear; the scope and sequence is well defined, and achievement is measurable. The graphics within the programs are universally appropriate for children and adults. We have purchased assessment, phonics, reading comprehension and mathematic products. My student so enjoy receiving the immediate reinforcement after each entry, achievement stars after completing the assignment and the ability to print out a score using the Marks Manager System.
Sarah Reddy, Special Educator
Heritage Christian Services, Rochester, New York
Your programs are high-interest programs and are very student and teacher friendly. Students can work independently. These are very good programs. We use them once a week.
Dean Seward, Special Education Teacher
Huntington School, Huntington, Oregon
We are using ESS programs with our multi age group and learning disabled kids. They use the programs 2 - 3 times a week. It teaches the skills in a way that is not humanly possible. I have really noticed the improvement in their performance. Both the students and I like the Marks Manager. The kids like the way it shows them their daily results and I like how it easily keeps track of all student progress. I always recommend ESS programs to other teachers.
Karen Newkirk, Special Education Teacher
Pomaria-Garmany Elementary, Pomaria, South Carolina
I absolutely love Essential Skills programs. They teach skills very sequentially and don't have a lot of bells and whistles. They really reinforce what we do in the classroom. The kids are very independent on the programs. I am moving to a brand new school and will be ordering the programs for that school.
Katharyn McDonnell, Special Education
Peter Kirk Elementary, Kirkland, Washington
We use Essential Skills daily in our Special Ed. and resource programs. It reinforces SDAA and helps with IEP objectives. The students really enjoy the software and of course that makes it very effective.
Beverly Box, Resource and Special Education
Carrizo Springs Elementary, Carrizo Springs, Texas
We use ESS as an integral part of our program. The kids have made good gains and they love the programs. These programs have been very helpful in preparing them for state testing.
Jacque Hagerty, Special Education Teacher
South Park Elementary, Belle Fourche, South Dakota
My students love these programs! They are perfect for motivating special education students.
Linda Payne, Special Education Teacher
Green Bank Elementary, Green Bank, West Virginia