No Child Left Behind
Total Reading reflects the objectives of this Federal initiative
and is recommended by The Right To Read Foundation

GENERAL DESCRIPTION Total Reading is a complete language arts program for the Primary Grades, integrating the teaching of reading, writing, spelling, and speech. A decoding phonetic approach is used in reading with strong emphasis on comprehension and vocabulary growth. Oral readiness precedes every step. Reading is individualized and self-reliance is fostered from the beginning, allowing each child to proceed at his or her own pace and making them independent of the teacher as early as is compatible with their ability. Special consideration is given to the immature learner and advanced material is provided for faster groups. The method is used with library books for which literal, evaluative, and interpretive comprehension questions have been written. RATIONALE In past decades, almost every beginning reading program contained some phonetic elements. The approach was generally analytic phonics, where a base of sight words was taught first. Then, as sounds were introduced, the child was expected to analyze the known words for their sounds and generalize to new words. This was actually the whole word or sight method of teaching beginning reading, which limited the child to a controlled vocabulary. Whole Language is a method that also espouses whole reading of words and sentences but prohibits any phonetic decoding. Total Reading begins phonemic awareness with the sounds of the alphabet and teaches a simple vowel code, which enables every child to write and read hundreds of words on cards and in sentences. As the children become confident in decoding, they are introduced to the phonograms, which they easily recognize in words from their sounds and add them to their reading vocabulary. With this sequential approach, in just eight to ten weeks most children can read "real" stories rather than pointless, repetitive little books that drill specific sounds. Plus, during the decoding instruction, the teacher has taught the basic elements of comprehension through the Total Reading Read Aloud approach to children's literature - which the child then applies to comprehension questions written for Easy to Read library books. A familiar comment is that children who learn to read by phonics are not taught the meaning of words and fail to comprehend what they read. In the Total Reading programs comprehension and vocabulary development proceed from daily Oral Comprehension Readiness lessons that stress literal details and the main idea concept to complex interpretation and evaluation of children's literature. It is held to be true that children are best taught from their own experience, and that if their background knowledge is printed in a meaningful way, they will learn from reading it. Although not used as a beginning reading tool, language experience is an important basis for creativity in Total Reading. The child draws on previous experiences in Oral Creativity lessons that build toward both expository and creative writing. A final correct copy of all written work is expected from every child in preparation for composition work at the secondary level. BASIC PHILOSOPHY To teach the child to decode and blend words phonetically so that he or she may continually store an extensive reading vocabulary, to increase the child's reading enjoyment through literal, evaluative, and interpretative comprehension, and to make the child a skillful, correct and creative writer. But more than that, to create a language arts program for the classroom teacher, tutor, and homeschool parent that will be a meaningful, rewarding, and creative experience. SCHOOLS USING THE TOTAL READING MULTI-SENSORY DECODING METHOD WITH EMPHASIS ON COMPREHENSION OF LIBRARY BOOKS AND CREATIVE WRITING/SPELLING CONSISTENTLY RAISE THEIR READING AND SPELLING SCORES ABOVE EXPECTANCY TOTAL READING DISPLAY KIT and Audio/Visual Conference Call Presentation • Examine all of the Primary Program Materials with the Audio Presentation cassette. • View our Two Videos     The Video Presentation     The Classroom Video • Talk to one of our consultants by speaker phone toll free for an effective question and answer session. • Free Phonogram Posters  -- one for each participant. • Free Total Reading Primary Manual -- keep this 512 page volume at no charge. • Free UPS Pickup - Call us for prepaid return to our warehouse. • NO OBLIGATION      Call 1-800-358-7323 to Order your Total Reading Display Kit and Schedule a Conference Call Presentation

Total Reading, Inc. P.O. Box 54465 Los Angeles, CA 90054 Toll Free 1-800-358-READ Ph: 310-374-2684 Fax: 310-374-2693 info@totalreading.com