I don't think I can stress enough how much reading affects students’ confidence.  I've seen first graders go from being reserved, almost afraid to read, too excited to read.  

In the beginning, they won't even try to read.  It always shocked me how, even at that young age, kids would say "I can't read.  I'm not smart."  

But, once they work through the (Seeing Stars) program and their skills and confidence grow, not only do they realize they CAN read, but they are excited to read.  They become the students who say, "Can I read first?!"    

It's not just younger students who benefit from confidence.   While working with middle school students this year, I often have students come in discouraged.  Middle school classrooms have a lot of expectations for students to be independent readers.  After showing students how they can apply the skills we use in Seeing Stars to their class work, they become less overwhelmed with their assignments that have a lot of reading.

- Amanda Wilson, Dyslexia Interventionist, Fort Smith Public Schools