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Companion Reading is a thoroughly researched and proven phonetics and language arts based reading program. It includes instruction in phonemic awareness including identifying sounds and "hearing" sounds to produce spelled words, phonics such as blending and decoding (successfully reading unencountered phonetic words), sight vocabulary (reading high frequency, non-phonetic vocabulary on sight), writing, written spelling, comprehension, vocabulary development, fluency, and outside reading of high interest-relevant vocabulary literature intended to help students generalize in-program skills to their literature world.

The reason the program succeeds is the way in which these important skills are structured – the Scope and Sequence. The repetition needed and the way in which skills are introduced makes automization occur naturally with no feeling of “drill and kill”. The teacher and students experience success every day. 

THE CORE OF COMPANION READING

  • Based on whole-group instruction with no ability groups.
  • Children read on the very first day – no traditional readiness activities.
  • Every child is given the opportunity to be a “teacher” for another child each day.
  • Students read for meaning and comprehension immediately.
  • By the end of first grade children will have been exposed to over 2300 words.
  • The children learn to spell. 
  • The children learn to write – reading and writing are taught together from day one.
  • Children will express themselves through writing and will write about what they read.
  • Program emphasizes reading with fluency.
  • Parental involvement is built into the program.
  • Integrated daily lessons provide enough practice and review to put phonetic ad sight words into long-term memory.
  • Daily reading period includes practice in decoding, fluency, writing, spelling, punctuation, and reading comprehension.
  • By the end of the first-grade students will have read over 100 books.
  • Kindergarten through 3rd grade Companion Reading programs employ the same integrated leaning system, differing appropriately for each level.

HOW IS COMPANION READING USED?

  • Total Reading Program for regular classrooms
  • Special Classroom for lowest readers
  • Resource and Title One programs
  • Supplement for your Basal reading program
  • After school programs

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Companion Reading Research

All research independent of Metra Learning

Arkansas
Before Companion Reading, the free and reduced lunch student’s scored fell behind the others by 21%. After Companion Reading the gap was reduced to 4%




Minnesota
This study was performed to see if fears that slower learners would penalize the top student if kept together in a regular classroom. Not only were those fears unfounded, but the bottom quartile improved more than any other group. Companion Reading is particularly effective with struggling students. (Metropolitan test)

Las Vegas, Nevada
These Title One classrooms implemented Companion Reading and saw the percentile ranking of the students improve remarkably. This graph contrasts the ranking at the beginning and the end of the year.



Dallas, Texas
In a four-year study Gabe Allen Elementary School scores are compared to the remainder of Elementary Schools without Companion Reading (Grades 1-3, TAAS Reading Scores)

Independence, Kansas
Companion Reading dramatically reduces the number of students reading below the 50% percentile.
Missouri
Companion Reading not only caused improvement in reading scored but also in math and language scored. (First Grade, Stanford 9 Test)

 Kansas

 



 

Testimonial

Dr. Barbara Crossland - Former Principal

"I wanted to see if Companion Reading really made a difference that we could measure with achievement test scores. It was very interesting.

The reading scores, of course did accelerate and I expected that to happen. But an interesting phenomenon that came about was that the math scores also accelerated. Why?! I think it's because they became better readers, more confident readers - they weren't afraid of new words and that helped them to read story problems and directions in the test and do a better job.

I think the best thing is that Companion Reading ensures success for all students whether they're the lower achievers or the high achievers, they've all got an equal opportunity for success."