Making a Difference

The most rewarding part about working with Plugged-in To Reading is seeing the difference that it is making in students' lives. Teachers are creating independent, excited, engaged students. Students are developing an appriciation for literacy, an improved self-esteem, and a love of learning. These are some of the things that educators and students have shared :

Brent Yoder at Jackson IC had two students from his 8th. grade class last year come back to visit him. Both had made the Honor Role their freshman year---both had expulsion incidents in previous grades before becoming his students----I'm hopeful we are promoting higher graduation levels with our program!
Bill Caparo
South Bend, IN

"We have never been given books like the ones in Plugged-in To Reading. Before we were forced to read "baby books." Now we are reading about interesting stuff. The people in these books are people that I can relate to. These books are about things I want to know about and understand."
7th Grade Student
South Bend, IN

"I enjoy discussing the books as a class and in Literature Circles. I wouldn't even mind reading the same book twice because it is the discussion that makes it so different. I like hearing what others thought of the book and sharing my opinions."
8th Grade Student
South Bend, IN

...the kids are loving the Plugged into Reading program! Of course, the independent reading is their favorite, they just love the 30-45 minutes I give them to read on their own. They have started asking for the worksheets that go along with their books, if you can believe that! What I've also done is given each child a folder, titled "Core Novel Study." Every graphic organizer we do goes in there, and at the end of the book I ask them to put their papers in order by date, and turn them in.
That way, I can see if they're keeping track of everything. I know they're doing them, because we do them together. I just want to make sure they are being responsible enough to keep track of their own papers. I have quite a few that are a bit disorganized.
Courtney Baranay
Marshall IC
South Bend, IN


During the last 12 years teaching Special Education, one of my biggest challenges has been getting my students to read; they don’t like it and aren’t good at it! Since implementing PITR almost a year ago, my students love to read and are getting better all the time; many are finishing books for the 1st time in their life!! One student said, “I have never read as much in my whole life as I have this year.” Another said, “I have never read a whole book in my life before this year.” They literally eat them up (books)!! Before PITR, my students only wanted to have study time with me (totally avoiding reading). Now they get mad when they don’t get to read. The first thing I hear almost every period of every day is “Can we read today?” How awesome is that!! Not only do they love to read, but they are finally able to understand what’s going on in the books. Very few of them had ever passed an AR (accelerated reader) test before PITR; now most all of them score with 80%, 90%, and even 100% scores!! Finally, the most enjoyable part for me as a teacher is the discussion we are able to have with the novels. After having one-sided conversations with students for 11 years, it has been awesome to spend the last year actually having conversations with students where they do most of the talking!! I pose some thought provoking questions, and BOOM!! I get reactions!! If you have any apprehension about trying PITR, just jump in with both feet and get them wet!! The worst thing that can happen is that your students will read…a lot!!

Charlie Crouse
Special Education Teacher
Triton Middle School
Fairland, Indiana

I find these stories everywhere I go as I follow up on classroom teachers that are making a difference in the lives of their students using Plugged-in To Reading.
Angela Crouse
Consultant for Plugged-in To Reading