What a difference a year makes!
It is a pretty impressive accomplishment when someone jumps three grade-levels in just one school year. But that is exactly what Ray Krotzer did.
When he started tutoring at the end of August, Ray was reading at a fourth-grade level. His test scores jumped to seventh grade after completing Barton Books 1, 2, and 3 and starting on Book 4.
“I am now able to read the computer messages at work and can even respond back in writing. I used to always phone in,” Ray said. “There is less pressure on the job, and I can perform my job better.”
Ray, who is a truck driver, now reads road signs more easily, and he no longer needs his wife to fill out medical forms for him
When Ray saw his 7th-grade son, Ray III, start to struggle with some of the same reading issues that he had, he knew it was time to take action. “I needed to lead by example and really step up to the plate.”
Ray, who has a high school diploma, thought the Literacy Council would be the place that could help with his life-long reading problems. He progressed rapidly through the Barton System of Reading & Spelling, which focuses heavily on phonics and sound awareness, because he says it was the “right tool” for him and his needs.
Ray’s tutor, Ralph Flatt, says Ray seems much more comfortable with reading and his pace of reading has quickened.
The most important change that his improved skills have brought is that he can now help his son with homework and is a strong role model for him. “I am involved with his Cub Scouts, and I have more confidence working with the group,” Ray said.
“I wish I could have done this in high school. I have more options now that I read better,” Ray said.
An ESL success story
At the Literacy Council of Midland County, we like to boast that we have a husband and wife who are tutoring a husband and wife.
Xunhong Lin with his wife, Wenhua Chen, moved from mainland China to the United States in March 2002 to be closer to their two sons and four grandchildren.
 Mr. Lin served as professor of mechanical engineering and department chairman at a university in Nanjing for 41 years. He has published several books and many journal articles. Mrs. Chen was a university professor in the field of optical fibers. So, they are highly educated and motivated people, but their knowledge of spoken and written English was very limited when they first arrived.
Ellie Vrieland began tutoring Mrs. Chen in English three years ago. Mrs. Chen was quiet and shy when they first met, but the pair soon found that they had much in common and could relax with each other. She is a very serious student and works hard on her lessons. She especially likes writing stories of her past and has a keen interest in stories about American heroes.
Mrs. Chen has grown in confidence in several ways as she learns English. She greets and talks with people in her apartment building; she has taught Tai Chi classes to English-speaking people. She studied for her driver’s license, passed the test, and bought a car. Last summer she successfully drove to the Washington, D.C. and New York City.
Ed Vrieland began working with Mr. Lin in the fall of 2005. In the beginning, it was very difficult for the pair to converse. However, in just the past year, there has been great progress in Mr. Lin’s ability to speak and understand English. He reads well and understands what he reads. Often he does more homework than assigned. He uses his English skills to speak with colleagues and customers at his restaurant job.
The Vrielands say that tutoring is a two-way street. They have learned so much from their students about culture, historic events and everyday life in China.
Finding the right presciption
Jacob Fenske did not want to settle for his second choices when it came to the important decision about college and career.
He knew he was great in math, and was very interested in chemistry and a possible career as a pharmacist. But reading was such a struggle. He read very slowly, often skipping over unknown words so that at the end of a paragraph he did not fully understand what he had read.
He started studying the Barton System with a Literacy Council tutor during his freshman year of high school. At the time, Jacob thought he might be heading for community college and a career in construction because his grades were not high enough for a four-year college.
Barton was the right tool that he needed to boost his reading skills, and he saw his grades improve. He made the honor roll his senior year.
He completed the Barton series because he knew that the Greek and Latin influences in Book 10 would be very helpful in reading technical and scientific assignments.
Jacob will be heading into his sophomore year of college in the fall at Saginaw Valley State University. Because of Barton, he is studying chemistry and following his dream to be a pharmacist.
A perfect 10
It is an amazing endorsement when a parent says that the Barton program made their child happier.
“Kaleb is a lot more confident now because he reads better,” his mother Melissa Kirkpatrick said. “He feels better about himself and it (knowing how to read) has taken a lot of pressure off of him.”
Kaleb Kiper, now a junior, was diagnosed with dyslexia when he was in eighth grade, after years of struggling with reading. At that time, he was reading at a first-grade level, even though he had been in special education classes and his mother had paid professionals to tutor him.
For two years, Kaleb and his tutor Carol Zombeck worked around his busy school and sports schedule as they progressed through all 10 books in the Barton program.
Kaleb was responsible for getting himself to tutoring sessions each week. “He was always on time and enthusiastic about learning because he recognized the progress he was making,” his tutor Carol said.
His hard work and dedication paid off because he is now reading at grade level. He no longer dreads going to school, because he earned his way out of special education and is now in classes with his friends.
“After trying many avenues, Barton is the one that worked for Kaleb,” Melissa said. His future plans include playing football while in college.
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