And she used examples to explain the sound and the frequency of short e in English words. In another corner of the room, an intern led students through a lesson in which they read aloud in unison and a writing lesson in which they composed sentences. The most important factor in the program, according to Greene, is not the variety of approaches, but the teacher-student ratio. In the summer program, there are two teachers for first graders and two teachers for second graders as well as two teacher assistants who work in the regular phonics-oriented reading program during the year and five interns who are college students studying to be teachers. The large number of teachers guarantees the children almost individualized attention.
Teachers have time to stop at each desk and monitor how a child is doing.
They have time to closely analyze a student's reading level and his or her strengths and weaknesses. And when weaknesses are found, the teachers have time to work on them individually with the student. Greene knows the students benefit from that level of instruction. It's an attitude that says, 'I can read.