1. Passaic Public Schools (Passaic, New Jersey), Deborah Adams, Ed. D., Director of Curriculum and Staff Development
2. South Redford School District (South Redford, Michigan), John A. Baluci, Director of Student Services
3. Memorial Elementary School (Riverview, Michigan), Laurine VanValkenburg, Ph.D., Principal
4. School District City of Pontiac (Pontiac, Michigan), Edwina C. Borovich, Curriculum Resource Consultant

PASSAIC PUBLIC SCHOOLS Administration Building 101 Passaic Avenue Passaic, New Jersey 07055
Office of
Director of Curriculum and Staff Development Deborah Adams, Ed.D.	Telephone: (973) 470-5232 Fax: (973) 470-8984

April 30, 1999

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JOHN A. BALUCI, Director of Student Services	JOHN M. GRAVES, Ph.D., Superintendent
South Redford School District 26141 SCHOOLCRAFT ROAD REDFORD, MICHIGAN 48239 (313) 535-4000

September 10, 1998

Dear Bronwyn:

The excitement generated by the Orton-Gillingham training of the special education teachers in the South Redford School District was nothing short of amazing. The enthusiasm generated from these workshops created a flood of requests for additional sessions to make the general education staff aware of this teaching technique.

With special education teachers and general education teachers sharing this common knowledge and approach, we have been able to establish a stronger bond and united effort to more uniformly meet the reading needs of all children. The Orton-Gillingham instruction, provided by your reading specialist, Jeanne Luizzo, has been extraordinary. Each group that has completed the training has expressed an extremely positive response to the organization, the professional quality of the delivery of information, and the immediate rewards of being able to apply this information directly into the classroom.

Our staff was so impressed by student reaction to the Orton-Gillingham methodology, they wanted to extend and share this training with parents. Again, Jeannie Luizzo did not disappoint us, as parent response was exceptionally positive. The success of the initial Orton-Gillingham Parent Program has spread from family to family and holds enormous potential for parent support. As a result, we have scheduled another parent training session for the 1998 - 1999 school year.

In addition, we are training additional teachers in October of 1998 and plan to train our elementary aides in the multisensory teaching techniques during the first semester. There is no doubt that this training was the perfect addition to our reading program. It has served as a basis for generating a stronger degree of confidence in our teachers when they instruct children who experience difficulty with the reading process.

South Redford staff has maintained a genuine interest in applying the Orton-Gillingham process to our reading curriculum. We are very grateful for the opportunity you provided through the Institute for Multi-Sensory Education. Your professional commitment to this reading methodology and your effective coordination and practical training has generated a greater sense of direction to our staff in their ability to impact students in the area of reading development.

Sincerely,

John A. Baluci
Director of Student Services
JAB/jba

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MEMORIAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DR. L. VANVALKENBURG, PRINCIPAL
13425 COLVIN RIVERVIEW, MICHIGAN 48192	285-4080

Nov. 18, 1996

To Whom It May Concern:

Memorial School began Orton-Gillingham training in the spring of 1996 as a part of our School Improvement program. It was evident that our traditional method of teaching reading was not reaching all children. We had many at-risk students who needed additional assistance, yet did not qualify for special education services. We searched for a program that would benefit all students yet provide assistance for at-risk students. The Orton-Gillingham method of multi-sensory education appeared to meet our needs. We funded teacher and paraprofessional instruction in the Orton-Gillingham method with our Title 1 grant.

Teachers of kindergarten and grades one through three received Orton-Gillingham instruction from Ms. Jeanne Liuzzo, a trainer with the Reading and Language Institute. Our teachers found Ms. Liuzzo to be very knowledgeable in the teaching of reading and the Orton-Gillingham method of language instruction. She was able to teach our faculty the Orton-Gillingham method in a very organized, theoretically correct and classroom adaptable format. The teachers were delighted with her and the curriculum she provided. All of them have successfully incorporated the Orton-Gillingham techniques in their teaching of reading. This year, Ms. Liuzzo provided follow-up instruction in the Orton-Gillingham method for the teachers who took instruction last spring. We hope to continue this practice each year.

This year, Ms. Liuzzo and Mrs. Bronwyn Hain, also of the Reading and Language Institute formed their own company, the Institute for Multi-Sensory Education. Memorial contracted with the institute to provide training for the few Memorial teachers and paraprofessionals who did not receive the training last spring and for the teachers and paraprofessionals from the other two elementary schools in the district. The word had spread throughout the district that the training was extremely valuable and that our trainer, Ms. Liuzzo was exceptional. We are planning to provide training for upper elementary teachers in the Orton-Gillingham method during the second semester.

Ms. Liuzzo and Mrs. Hain provide a great service through the Institute for Multi-Sensory Education. Their curriculum and instructional materials are very well organized. It is evident that their program is designed by teachers for teachers; they have a great understanding of realistic classroom environments. They are very professional in all they attempt. I highly recommend them and their programs for all schools. Please call me if you seek further information or would like to visit our school to see the Orton-Gillingham method in use.

Sincerely,

Laurine VanValkenburg, Ph.D.

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School District of the City of Pontiac SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES Curriculum Resource Center
WHRC-Upper Level 60 Parkhurst Pontiac, MI 48342 (810) 857-8216	Edwina Borovich, Consultant Dr. Cherie Simpson, Interim Director Dr. Sam Abram, Superintendent

November 14, 1996

To Whom it May Concern,

I recommend the Institute for Multi-Sensory Education to anyone who is considering Orton-Gillingham training. In my role as curriculum resource consultant for the Pontiac School District I work with teachers and assist them with techniques and materials. Our reading committee had been meeting for three years and we were proud of our accomplishments in developing and using whole language and literature based approaches with our students, yet we knew something was missing. We knew that as much as we motivated our students, they still were not decoding words - if they could not rely on memory they still could not read. We researched further and the teachers studied some of the sound symbol approaches currently in use. They decided that the Orton-Gillingham approach would meet their needs. I had received literature from Bronwyn Hain but frankly was quite hesitant to have an "outsider" come and train "my" teachers. She assured me over and over that Jeanne Liuzzo understood teaching from a classroom teacher's point of view and that we would be very pleased.

As it turned out our group of teachers was more than pleased. We trained 13 staff. The K-12 Director and I took the first 18 hours so we would be familiar with the program and the training. The group completed 33 hours and have implemented the program. The training was thorough, well sequenced, and met the teachers' needs. Jeanne delivers the information with a highly energized, knowledgeable and individualized approach. She presents the information and has the teachers practice with one another so the information is internalized. She employs effective practices using a multi-sensory approach and hands on learning. These teachers were so enthusiastic that they wanted the other special education teachers in their buildings to have the training. So we trained 10 more teachers early in September of this year and they are as enthusiastic as the first group. The teachers have repeatedly said to me that this was the missing piece in their reading program. They did not know how to teach these skills in a systematic, success oriented approach and this Orton-Gillingham training provided them with these skills. I have received thank you notes stating that this was more valuable than any graduate class and hear student success stories whenever I see these teachers.

An important piece of this training is the classroom visitations Jeanne has made to assist the teachers in implementation. Jeanne's approach with the teachers is like the approaches she recommends for the students. She is positive and success oriented with the teachers and was very helpful to them on the visitations. She was able to answer questions and help them adjust their techniques when needed. She is also attending two follow-up sessions which the teachers requested to further answer questions, clarify and to share ideas of implementation.

With the two groups trained, we felt it was important to have an overview for the principals and general education teachers in the buildings where we are using this method. Some of our teachers co-teach and it was important that their team partners understand this technique. Jeanne and Bronwyn provided an informative overview. From the overview, the excitement generated from the teachers, and the success of students many general education staff have become interested in the program. I am in the process of working with our district staff development coordinator to establish a district project for general education staff at three or four of our buildings. The interest for this training has been generated by general education teachers and curriculum leaders as they see this method a needed too for them to use in their classrooms.

Although this program appears costly and I initially questioned using the greater portion of our Special Education designated staff development funds for one project, I have discovered that it has had more impact on the education of our students than any other staff development activity or series of activities and is well worth the funds expended. The Institute for Multi-Sensory Education has developed a highly effective method of intensively educating teachers. Our teachers have all effectively learned this approach and are using it in their classrooms. This success oriented approach for the teachers with the classroom follow-up assures that the teachers will learn and implement this technique.

We are more than pleased. We are thrilled to have found a program that we can easily infuse into our daily teaching and has so greatly impacted our students.

I highly recommend the Institute for Multi-Sensory Education's teacher training program to any school.

Sincerely,

Edwina C. Borovich
Curriculum Resource Consultant

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