Stevenson Learning Skills

We recently visited an excellent special education teacher we know in a Las Vegas elementary school, and heard a wonderful story. This teacher is experienced with the Stevenson Program, and unusually skilled at working with students who have serious learning issues. She told us about one of the students in her fourth/fifth grade class, whom we will call “Joey.” “Joey” came to her in fourth grade essentially unable to read. He is identified as being severely learning disabled, with significant language processing problems and other difficulties.He requires regular speech and language therapy along with OT. When “Joey” entered our friend’s classroom, after four years of school, he knew about 20 sight words. He could not decode anything consistently, and he could not write anything comprehensible. Now, in spring of fifth grade, with superior teaching and Stevenson strategies, “Joey” can decode more than 200 words effectively as well as identify more than 200 sight words. He can put together a meaningful paragraph and write it in cursive – legibly. His speech and language have improved greatly as well. “Joey” still has a long way to go, but consider his future if he had continued in the direction he was headed.