Are
you contemplating signing up for Suzy Red's Kids' Wings workshops
or purchasing Kids' Wings materials? Using award-winning literature
to teach reading not only builds avid readers but also improves
your standardized test scores!
Here
are actual letters from some astounding teachers:
I
love your website. I have actually been using ideas from the website
for years. It was shared with me and I have always been able to
find something to meet the needs of my students. Thank you for
everything you do for teachers and students.
Mary McCatherine
5th Grade
Hanna Springs Intermediate
Lampasas, Texas
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Thank you
for such a great time during the conference. You have done a fabulous
job with these books. I appreciate you willingness to stand up
and say that you do not recommend a book. We need more people
to do the same! I plan on coming to your next conference next
year.
Thank you,
Julie Bennett
3rd grade teacher
Miss May Vernon Elem.
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Suzy,
I just wanted
to tell you how much I enjoyed your workshops at Region 17 in
Lubbock. I attended Thursday's workshop (Flying
Higher) and was so impressed that I signed up for Friday's
workshop (Gifts and Givers).
I wish I had known about you and your materials when I was in
the classroom.
I am now an elementary librarian and will be adding your website
to our school homepage under "teacher resources". You
do have the BEST website. I spent hours enjoying your website
after Thursday's workshop. Every time my husband passed through
I was looking at something new and telling him want wonderful
thing I had just found. I was like a kid in a candy shop with
unlimited funds to spend.
Thank you
for your time, dedication, and hard work you put into creating
the abundant materials and maintaining the most fantastic website
I have ever seen. You are amazing!!!
Thank you
again for coming to the Lubbock area, and I hope you will be back
in the near future. May you and Charlie have a safe uneventful
trip as you travel doing your workshops.
Sincerely,
Valerie Addington
Frendship ISD
P.S.
Remember to take the RV antenna down AND put the reminder sign
on the steering wheel.
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Dear Suzy,
Words can
not express how much my students enjoy your lessons. It hits all
learning styles. I would definitely do your lessons during my
appraisal. I teach 3rd grade bilingual students and have used
the Stepstone Stories picture books
faithfully, but I have 5 students who work in Transformers.
They love it. Let me explain why I use both Stepstone
Stories and Transformers
in my class. I have five students reading above picture book level,
but they also have to do the Transformers.
They just finished up doing the mock trial for Marvelous
Mattie. It was great! Three fourths of my students did not
have the slightest clue about a courtroom. I call the students
who do Transformers the Furious
Five. Well the Furious Five picked several students to help them
in the mock trial and the students who did not have a part were
the jury.
My students memorized the Bob
and Otto Readers Theater. One more key fact is that I have
24 students this year. So to include them all I divide them up
by parts. For example the left side was Bob and the right side
was Otto. Then the next day they would switch. They didn't like
to switch because they realized they were more fluent on the one
they had already practiced the day before! What started with a
simple book led to a series of engaging activities: a wormatorium
and we raising butterfly in our class as well. It was great!!
The books
about friendship have contributed to a great classroom environment.
My students all get along and work hard together. They call themselves
TEAM 308 (our room number). The loved the Duck
and Goose, they favorite part was then they acted it out.
They love soccer!
Since they are bilingual, Fiesta
Fiasco was an instant winner. They did not know that TORTA
was cake. Great social studies extension.
The possibilities are endless! I can not tell you how much they
love reading because of your lessons. We do your lessons while
others teachers do worksheets about testing. Due to their love
of reading, we read chapter books together during DEAR time. It
never fails when we read a chapter book they remember what they
read in one of your lessons, and all I can do is smile inside
knowing that learning is going on.
One last note: Chalkboards Songs are
their favorite. Again they have memorized them, and during math
when we read our math story problems, they tell me to read it
chipmunk style, Texas style, opera style. They are so funny/cute.
Linda Vasquez, Royal Elementary School, Brookshire, TX
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Dear
Suzy,
We're
a 1A school, and I' m responsible for all 3 grade levels of reading
TAKS testing (lucky me!) However, I'm fortunate enough to have
a fabulous administration that believes in letting "teachers
teach!" I've been there for 3 years and when I first started
teaching there, our librarian introduced me to your award winning
literature workshops. It changed my way of teaching! I was never
one for the basal reading text, but I had trouble trying to figure
out what literature to actually use with my students, especially
my 6th graders! Well, let me tell you, I struggle no more! My
kids absolutely LOVE the books I bring into the classroom; motivation
is NEVER an issue! And...to top it all off, our TAKS scores are
EXCELLENT!
This
year, (now remember I started this year's sixth graders when they
were fourth graders so it is my third year with them) and their
results were astonishing....24/28 of my
students were commended on the reading portion; of course, 100%
passed; in fifth grade: 10/19 students were commended;
100% passed and finally my fourth graders had 9/20 commended with
100% passing...this trend is not new...it seems as though my sixth
graders for the last couple of years earn the best scores on TAKS,
and I truly believe it is due to the fact that I use your Kids'
Wings curriculum. My students (even my playground football fanatic
boys) love reading and often ask, "How do you know which
books to use Mrs. Ehlers?" :-)
I just had to email you and thank you again for your wisdom, courage
and ALL the work you do for teachers everywhere...you are truly
a treasure and are greatly appreciated by all of us in Falls City,
Texas! Thank you again, and we'll see you next summer!
Sincerely,
Charnel Ehlers, Falls City, Texas
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Other
Feedback:
I attended
your workshop in Abilene and spoke about how my TAKS scores had
improved since using the Bluebonnet books as my curriculum. I
just received word from my superintendent about the Gold Performance
Acknowledgements. Rotan Elementary School received three GPAs:
1) percentage of students receiving Commended on Reading, 2) percentage
of students receiving Commended on Math, and 3) percentage of
students receiving Commended on Writing. I teach 4th and 5th reading
and 4th writing. One more proof that your curriculum pays
off! Thanks!
Lisa Cade
Rotan, Texas
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I love using
Suzy Red’s curriculum units in my classroom. I am a literacy
teacher that remediates third, fourth, and fifth graders. Her
units allow me to use current literature without having to create
my own units while I wait on a publisher. My students really love
reading on their grade level and having the units brings fun into
the classroom!
Kimberly Lowe
Aledo ISD, Texas
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Hi Suzy,
I started The Invention of Hugo Cabret
yesterday with my 6th graders. It went fantastic! They were truly
engaged in the pre-reading activities provided in the unit. A
lot of great discussion was held. The only problem I had was having
to end the discussions to get to the next activity. As a teacher
of the gifted, I really appreciate the open-ended and higher level
questions, and so do the students! I usually have to modify the
units I find or purchase, or just start from scratch. It is so
nice to be able to use your units that are top quality and ready
to go.
Thanks again,
Nick Allen
Delhi Middle School, OH
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Hi Suzy,
Today I attended a workshop titled ELA Texas Adolescent Literacy
Academy. It presented research-based ways to help all students
read better. I am happy to say that the information that was taught
was a lot of the stuff you've been doing for years. One of the
lessons was to use an anticipation guide in which the students
agreed or disagreed with opinions from the text. Does this sound
familar? I couldn't stay quiet about this so I told others about
you and all of your great ideas you do with the bluebonnet books.
They even liked your guide better than the one offered. :) Hopefully
you will get some more teachers as excited to teach your material
as I am. I guess you could say that today, I was a walking commercial
for you.
Have a great weeekend!!
Shelly Paschal
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Dear Suzy,
Thank you so much Suzy! I love what you do...you are a blessing
to many teachers and students. Through your lessons, my students
have learned to LOVE to read and write. They are EXCITED to come
to class and read! Using your lessons, for the past two years,
my students have accomplished 100% success on the TAKS Writing
and Reading. THANK YOU!!!
Sincerely,
Kimberly Wright
4th grade teacher
Cielo Vista Elementary
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Suzy,
Wow! I am impressed. I stumbled upon your website yesterday and
ordered Transformers with my
fingers-crossed, not fully knowing what to expect. Your well-designed
units are perfect for the work I do with my 5th graders. Thank
you!
Sunny wishes,
Karen Ollerenshaw
5th Grade Teacher
Redmond, Washington
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I
just wanted you to know how appreciative I am to have been exposed
to your lessons – especially the music. My students love
reader’s theatres and it really helps spark interest in
literature. Thank you again for making me a better educator with
all your zappy, zany, and zealous teaching tools and techniques.
I love to sing and be silly and children memorize things so well
when its set to any rhythm. Your educational songs are fun and
catchy so teaching is entertaining and easy. I love your ideas,
inspiration and energy. It is a wave of happiness (with knowledge)
that ebbs its way to many others through sharing. Hopefully my
students will return to me and say “I remember the funny
Suzy Red song you taught me when……”
Monique Dominguez
HP Miles Intermediate, Bellmead TX
Monique.Dominguez@lavegaisd.org
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"Suzy
Red gets better and better every year. This year the songs with
Ted Newman are awesome. Suzy is the splash that creates positive
ripples in your literature class or library." Susan
Brisbay, Friendswood ISD
Thanks
for the CD that goes with our book! I loved the workshop!!
I
am looking forward to using the activites and reading these great
books.
Was
great, with wonderful ideas!
Enjoyed
the whole workshop. The music and the games and the info about
the books was just great! Thanks so much!
Very
enjoyable day with many practical ideas. Thank you.
I
loved what I heard today! Thanks for getting us excited about
next year. I can use the information for any GT students that
I have, and some of the material with my second graders. I am
hoping that you can come back & do a presentation for the
1-3 grades that you spoke of! God Bless you in your journeys!
Suzy
was amazing once again! Very useful information. Thanks!!!
This
workshop was super. I highly recommend to all LA teachers.
The
workshop was great. I truly enjoyed hearing Suzy talk about books
with such enthusiasm. The workshop was well worth my time. Thanks
Debbie for bringing her to CISD.
Suzy
Red is so awesome. I wish every workshop I attended would be this
much fun. Thanks for bringing her back to Canyon!!
Suzy
is great! I will always attend her workshops! Thanks!
I
always enjoy hearing Suzy Red. Her enthusiasm is contagious! I
am amazed at her ability to come up with so many activities for
our kids. She is amazing!
I
thought this was an excellent class and she obviously cares deeply
about the students and making sure they understand and like literature.
Always
the best.
Suzy
Red is one of the best workshops I have attended for reading.
I attended her workshop last year and feel as though I benefitted
greatly from both.
A
wonderful day as always with her. The time goes by quickly.
This
is the best staff development. training I've ever been to!
I'm
rippled! Thanks for a great 2 days! You never cease to amaze me
with your workshops. I can't wait to start reading the books;
this is my summer goal so I can be ready for my students when
school begins in August--I have big plans this year with all 20
of them thanks to you (yea!). Julie
Cypert, Sweetwater