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Home to struggling readers and those who are passionate about helping them
The mission of The Need to Read is to help change lives, by providing an effective and fun reading curriculum to all who wish to have access. We offer the Stevenson Language Skills Program, a unique phonics-based reading curriculum, developed by Nancy Richardson Stevenson, whose research and knowledge has revolutionized teaching students to read. Stevenson has been helping struggling readers through evidence based interventions for decades.
“The Stevenson Reading method changed our son’s life. Despite excelling in school on the surface, he couldn’t truly read, compensating with context clues and guesswork. Traditional support systems failed us, but The Stevenson Reading Program provided a clear, fun, and sequential approach that built his confidence and taught him to read in record time.
Beyond reading, Stevenson gave him a solid foundation in writing, grammar, and vocabulary that set him up for lifelong success. Today, he’s an honors graduate and an executive at a global company, using the skills and empathy he gained through the Stevenson Reading Program to mentor others. We can’t recommend The Stevenson Reading program enough!”
The Stevenson Reading Program is a systematic, explicit, multi-sensory, structured approach for teaching reading, writing, grammar, syntax, penmanship, and vocabulary skills.
The program’s unique scope and sequence, scripted format, and extensive use of mnemonic cues, (association memory strategies) allows educators and parents to successfully teach students with dyslexia, specific learning disabilities, and other neurological based reading problems.
How it works
All students complete each of the three levels of the program. Students will begin the program at one of the two entry points: The Beginning Green Level, or the Overlapping Level. (See our Decision Guide for assistance)
What students will learn at each level
Beginning Green Level
Introduces
Letter Sounds
Phonemic Awareness
Double Vowel Digraphs
Open and vowel-consonant-e syllable patterns
Option to introduce closed syllable cvc words*
Vocabulary
Penmanship
Grammar- including nouns, verbs and Adjectives
Students read at an approximate 2nd grade level after completion.
*See Lonely Vowels guidance
Basic Blue Level
Introduces:
R-controlled syllable patterns,
Closed syllable patterns
Diphthongs
Spelling options
Prepositions
Closed syllable cvc words*
Students read at an approximate 4th grade level after completion.
Intermediate Peach Level
Introduces:
Consonant-le syllable patterns
Frostings, Doilies and More
Introduces:
Latin, Greek, and Anglo-Saxon morphology
Includes:
Science and social studies based content
Vocabulary
Grammar and Writing Skills
Students read at an approximate 7th grade level upon completion
2 Ways to Start:
Literacy Journeys
Reading isn't just about words on a page—it's developing confidence, self-expression, and understanding. The testimonials show how our program opens new doors and fosters academic and personal success.
“Ms. Lori taught my dyslexic son how to read in the sixth grade through the Stevenson's Learning Method. Imran is on his way of realizing his dreams. We cannot thank the Stevenson Learning method enough”
Asmina Ikramuddin
“I did not learn to read in school and was illiterate with extreme learning shame. At thirty-two, I dared to learn to read because of the Stevenson Reading Program. Today, I tutor many children with the same program, and they learn to read! That's how powerful this program is. ”
Lisa Holmes
An introduction to our reading program from The Stevenson Learning Legacy
Bill Stevenson - Editor and son of the founder: