Arizona Department of Corrections Comments on My Reading Coach
(Formerly "Larrabee's Bridge to Adult Literacy™")

"A bilingual student began... working on Larrabee only one hour a day, five days per week, for 2 ½ months. She has raised her TABE Reading above a sixth grade level (a gain of three years), her English Language over three years, and even her Math went up 2½ years! When she first came to school this student was a most reluctant student. She was frequently tardy, often sought to excuse herself with 'I have a headache' or 'I don't feel good.' Since successfully completing Professor Larrabee she has done a 180 degree turn around."

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"One student began with a sense of being a total failure, incapable of achieving anything. After two sessions on Mindplay, this individual began smiling, eyes began to sparkle, speaking such things as 'I can do this.' Another student began academic patterns in the same manner as in school days; 'I threatened teachers,' 'I quit school,' 'I destroyed books,' and much more. This student stomped from the classroom. One year later, learning about this 'Professor on TV,' he came back to school. Once he started, we began to hear, 'Did you know I got them all right?' 'There were no mistakes.' 'He gives me all the time I need and much more.' This student resented having to relinquish the computer after his turn was completed."

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"We were fortunate enough to be able to pilot the use of Mindplay's 'Bridge to Adult Literacy.' This completely interactive program is positive and appropriate for adults. Since it is based on phonemes of the real 'talking language,' this approach promotes comprehension carryover from speaking to reading. What a unique concept! The bottom line is that it works... We have had one student gain 7 levels in 3 months, a group who gained 2-3 levels in 2 months and Spanish-first speakers who are now conversing with their non-Spanish speaking roommates."

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"Now that I am in Mindplay I can write to my friends all the time. I use to ask people all the time how to write some of the words but now I don't. Now that I have found Mindplay it has improved my writing by 100%. Now that I have found Mindplay I have a goal and it is to get my GED. You and I know that it is hard when you don't know how to read and write. You and I know that it makes it hard to find a good job. But now thanks to Mindplay I now have a chance to better myself and get my GED. So when I get out I will have that good job. So I would like to thank you for just being there just when I thought that there was no hope for me."

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I have utilized various phonics and reading programs. Larrabee stands out among the programs because of its direct interaction with a student, because of its visual and auditory instruction method, and because it provides the student with a discrete approach in learning how to read."