Summary of Teacher Reports
Based on six years of classroom piloting and research
Davis Learning Strategies is based on classroom pilots conducted from 1993-1999 by several San Francisco, California Bay Area teachers. During this pilot:
Kindergarten teachers reported:
- Fewer reversals
- Better eye-hand coordination
- Overall better printing skills
- Learned the alphabet faster with less effort
- Better understanding of why we have an alphabet
- Many students able to find letters in dictionary
- Made learning more fun
- Consonant and vowel sounds were recalled more quickly
- Phonics skills were stronger
Primary teachers reported:
- Improved oral language skills
- Better retention of reading vocabulary (very little re-teaching)
- Better understanding of sight words, not only what they mean, but where and how to use them
- Students' confidence increased
- Punctuation skills greatly increased
- Dictionary skills greatly increased
- School was more than just paper and pencil
- Classroom parent volunteers and aides felt they were making a real contribution to students' education
- Helped students stay on task
Primary children reported:
- "I learned the meanings of words."
- "It helps me spell."
- "It's fun."
- "It helps me be creative."
- "It helps me learn words."
- "It helps me remember words better."
Curriculum areas positively affected included:
- Learning basal reading words
- Oral reading
- Reading for comprehension
- Learning spelling words
- Kindergarten readiness skills
- Helping students learn self control
- Helping students learn social skills
- Learning basic coordination skills
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Davis Learning Strategies can be seen in action in a 30-minute video documentary featuring interviews with teachers, parent, and students at a South Dakota elementary school.
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