Testimonials

I just wanted to share my absolute satisfaction and joy at finding this gem of a reading program. I have used several well known reading programs to teach my kids over the years, some cheap and some very expensive but found that none of them did the wonderful job that American Dream Reading I and II did. It had everything I needed all in two books. The worksheets inside not only reinforce the concepts being taught but actually have the reading instruction on them to help the parent or teacher without needing to have a separate teachers book. I love how this program also gently teaches the child to have good penmanship, good spelling, great grammar and sentence
structure as well as how to start writing. In such a relaxing way, my children are learning to enjoy language arts from the very beginning.

Sheila Goodfriend has truly been a Godsend. She is an excellent teacher not only to children but to all of us adults that are teaching children using her program. She is readily available to teach anyone about her program and how to properly use it to help children of many backgrounds and abilities.

I know I will always be a great supporter of this wonderful program.

Laurie Richardson (2nd counselor: Iron Rod Home Educators; Midlothian, VA)

Dear Sheila,

I cannot thank you enough for introducing me to your American Dream Reading Program. American Dream has given many children on my caseload the support they need to develop phonemic awareness and sound discrimination skills. Your multi-modality, multi-sensory approach provides a tool for all types of learners. Your program is as enjoyable for me to teach as it is for my patients to learn. In addition to your easy to teach, easy to learn phonemic recognition program, you have included a wealth of language learning activities. I have adapted several of your activities to treat, with success, several of my adult patients with aphasia and traumatic brain injury.

Sheila you have thought of everything. I am always eager to share your program with colleagues and educators. Keep up your great work. This program is a prayer answered for reading and speech-language learning challenged children, their parents, educators, and therapists.

Sheila wishing you continued success as you complete books three and four. Many thanks for this great teaching and learning tool.

Johanna Imbesi, MS, CCC-SLP
Howard Hospital, Columbia, Maryland

Patrick is very intelligent and extremely athletic; as a first-grader, he was strong in math and all other subjects except reading. His competitive nature surfaced in school when he would notice that he could not read as well as the other students in his reading group. His confidence and self-esteem were falling dramatically, and he was refusing to even try to read at home. He would say, “Mom, I hate going to school” or “I’m the worst in the class.”

Because my husband is dyslexic, we recognized the symptoms of a potential reading disability early-on. However, the school system was not willing to initiate the formal assessment process (Individual Educational Plan) until he reached third grade. My husband and I felt discouraged were determined to get help for Patrick.

Sheila Goodfriend literally transformed my son, Patrick, from a “below grade level” reader into a strong, confident, “on grade-level” reader. When he first started with Sheila in the summer before 3rd grade, he was two grade levels behind in reading.

After working with Sheila, both my son and I would leave the sessions knowing new techniques to decode the words at home. When I helped him with reading assignments from school, I could recognize when he was struggling and would remind him how to figure it out himself. One of the most useful techniques that Sheila teaches is to “cover all the letters before the first vowel in the word.” I can tell anyone form experience with both of my kids that this is like a magic bullet – as soon as my child covers the letters before the first vowel, they immediately figure out the word. And, both kids admit that when they use the techniques that Sheila has taught them while they are in school, they read better.

Patrick is now a 4th grader and is rated “on-grade-level” in reading. Erin, our daughter who is in 1st grade, is now working with Sheila and is keeping up with her class. Rather than wait for the school system to activate the assessment process, we had Erin begin Sheila’s program and are simply delighted with her progress.

Sheila is truly an expert in her field as well as a loving and fun person. The kids always have fun during the lessons and leave in a happy, confident mood.

Marian Moriarty

I am so glad I selected the American Dream Reading Program to teach my five year old to read!  It is an easy yet wonderfully comprehensive book, which truly gives the learner the tools to read with confidence.  In addition to reading, this program also builds great spelling skills, teaching the child to "finger spell" words as they learn to read.

Patricia Llewellyn
Home school Mother

Mrs. Goodfriend's American Dream Reading Program has helped my son Chris with his reading and English studies from 4th to 5th grades. The program gave him the foundation for reading skills and built his self esteem and confidence.   She's a wonderful teacher, and we are very lucky to know her.

Katrina Exis

September
I am thrilled with Chaney’s progress in reading. Now, for the first time, she is picking up mail or magazines and attempting to read them. When she asks me to tell her a word, I tell her to frame the word (as Mrs. Goodfriend does), cover every letter before the vowel, and sound it out. Of course, sometimes the word is too difficult (like “know” because of the silent letter), and I will tell her the word.

January
I cannot begin to praise Mrs. Goodfriend’s reading program enough. Chaney went from barely reading and writing to reading entire books and writing stories on her own time.

Lorraine Garner

Donavon’s reading skills developed greatly since having spent time with Mrs. Goodfriend. He is more confident with himself and his reading. I am so very thankful Mrs. Goodfriend developed a method that helped my son; as well as me to help my son. We were very grateful to have spent time with her.

Donna Gaskins-Powell

The "American Dream Series 1 ... I Will Learn to Read!" book provides a straightforward approach to teaching reading. The directions are clearly written for each exercise, and the work is interesting, yet challenging. Mrs. Goodfriend stresses the use of framing and finger-spelling to improve reading and spelling skills. I have seen tremendous improvement in my daughter's reading skills since she has begun working with this series.

Karen Fogleman

We will begin the 2nd book today!  We took a break for 2 weeks and just reviewed handwriting and did some extra reading.  I had to share with you that Yona has been reading the old "Dick and Jane" series with hardly any help.  I had gotten it from the library months ago, and it's just been sitting on a shelf waiting until she had progressed to more of the long vowel sounds.  What I find amazing is how what she has learned from your Dream series has carried over so well.  The rhymes like "2 vowels go walking" and "magic e" have barely been taught, but she has been able to remember and apply them.  And thanks to the "b d" work, any mix up with those two letters is past.  She hardly even needs to actually do the thumbs up, but I "see" that she uses it in her mind for recall.  She also has read the entire 10-book "Animal Antics" series (short vowels only - by Nora Gaydos).  She seems to have 'skipped' the memorizing reading stage because she sounds things out so well.

One last thing.  Yona visited a private school one day last week with a friend.  Then the friend came home to "do school" with Yona.  It was interesting to note that even though the other child was reading fine, since she approached words phonetically from the beginning of the words, it took longer for her to get through words that weren't in her memory bank.  I have stressed this to Yona when she reads new words (that it usually takes an extra step to do it that way), but it was interesting to see it in practice from another child.  I really think 'your way' is the easiest and most sensible way to learn to read.  Thanks!

Best regards,

Brigitte