We spend a few minutes each week practicing sounds and looking for letters. For several months Charis has been pointing out her favorite letters (t, i, j, o, l, m) in books, magazines, and on signs as we drive. She also asks me "what does --- start with?" . 

     She already is making the connection that all words start with a sound. It is amazing to watch such a young child develop these skills with no effort. Thanks so much.
     .... Lori Williams
       

     My Mother used this program as she taught elementary school for 32 years. She used these stories with my 2 brothers and myself while growing up.

     Somehow, in the course of life...moving...it was misplaced in our "family" archives and my Mother would now like to use these course materials to teach my children / her grandchildren. 

    I searched and searched the internet and found you! What a joy that was to replace these materials for her. I, too, am a teacher and know of the great value of those cards and stories and how they have impacted my life. Thanks for all your help!
     .... Kaye Sisson

      
     When my daughter, Madison, was three, I began to teach her the letters and their sounds. We would do a different letter and sound every few days. 
    
     She quickly lost interest until I got a hold of the Talking Letters, and began teaching them to her. I was amazed at how fast she learned the letters and sounds and was able to recall them when she saw the pictures. 
      
     My son, Ryan, (age two) even began picking the letters and sounds up. I couldn't believe his interest. I was so impressed with these letters and the success I had with them that I began using them at my home preschool I ran with other moms. 

    They too were impressed at how well the children learned their letters and sounds. I highly recommend the talking letters.
     .... Celeste Ward
     
  
     I am a first grade teacher at 21st Century Academy. I was so pleased with the results I had using the Mountainwood Talking Letter for the first time. For a week we had been introducing the short I sound. Short a sound had been introduced several weeks previously and we were reviewing it while introducing short i. 
   
     I had several students who had great difficulty remembering the difference between the two sounds. At the end of the week I was disheartened. I had just gotten and reviewed the Talking Letter materials and was hoping that this might help some of my learners. 
  
     During my small reading group lesson, I went through and introduced little lady and little man, then went right into the stories of cookie boy and stocking doll. After five minutes of storytelling and practice the students had it! I was so shocked at how quick and easy it had been. 
  
     Monday could not come fast enough. Would the kids really remember over the weekend what I had taught them on Friday? Monday came; I pulled that reading group first. I just couldn’t wait to see if they had really gained a knowledge of those letter sounds. They did! They remembered the stories and could instantly produced the sounds when shown the letter cards. Not only that, but they could write the letters when I made the sound for them. 
  
     When we were reading our leveled stories the students no longer guessed at the vowel sound in the middle of the word. They knew what it was. It was fun to see them as they realized that they really had learned something. 
  
     I plan to keep working with Talking Letters. I think that making the jump from individual letters to creating words will be very simple and painless for the kids and me!
     .....April Harston
     
       
    I’ve used the Talking Letters program with all of my 5 children. I began using it with them in pre-school. We love the program. Talking Letters gave me the tools they needed to introduce them to the world of reading.
     
    It is a simple and practical approach to help any child to learn and retain the basics he or she will need to progress with the English language. I highly recommend the Talking Letters program.
     .... Deseret Ward
   
        
    I’m in the 4th grade. I was at Mountainwood for 2 years and I think this program is just great. It taught me how to read. 
     
    When I was in the 1st grade all the people in my class were just struggling except the three people that went to Mountainwood.. We did great!. 
     .... Patrick Wagner
     
     
    I would like to tell you what a wonderful program the Talking Letters program is. My son didn’t even know his letters when he came to the Mountainwood kindergarten. Probably two to three weeks later he was reading. It was absolutely phenomenal the progress that we saw in two or three weeks. 
     .... Louanne Culpepper


    My two girls and my niece all learned to read with the Talking Letters. They’re all very good readers and the best thing is they all love to read. We can’t say enough about the program. 
     .... Alison Hoffman


    As a three year old my son didn’t even know his ABC’s and after 8 months with Talking Letters he knows all his phonics. He looks at books now, he’s four, and sounds every word that he can to the best of his ability. He’s gained an appreciation and joy and love for learning how to read. 
     .... Ann Najjar


    I’ve had three children who have learned how to read with Talking Letters. A 16 year old, a 15 year old, and now a 5 year old. They were reading before they even knew it. 
  
    They’d come home with letters on their hand and tell us the story and the sound. They just breezed though it.
   
    It was so easy, they didn’t even know what they were doing and all of a sudden they were reading. It was a marvelous experience for them and I wouldn’t give anything for the experience they received. 
     .... Leeba Cash


    I’m a teacher at Mountainwood. Both of my children went through this program. I have two types of learners, one that learns very quickly and one that doesn’t care very much about reading. 
    
    The Talking Letter program gave my girl the foundation she needed and helped her a lot through the elementary years. Talking Letters is a phenomenal program
     .... Sue Lyman


     My daughter Suzanna has been working in her pre-school group for the last year as a three year old. She just turned four and the Talking Letters have just been fantastic for her. She’d come home and tell us about Little Man and Little Lady and all the stories and sounds that the letters say.
   
     Before you knew it she started putting them together. She’d recognize the letters when we were out and about. Now she’s four and she writes her name and sounds out and spells simple words. 
     
    Talking Letters is a great program in the way the kids learn how to work with sounds. It tests their capacity to learn more. It’s a wonderful program. 
     .... Jabus Braxton


    I have a son that has learned how to read using the Mountainwood Talking Letters. He’s reading in the 2nd grade level now and he just finished kindergarten. He learned a unique way of pronouncing his letters using the Talking Letters. He’s a great reader!
     .... Fred Friday 


    I have four children that went through this phonics program. When they entered 1st grade, they were exceptional readers. It gave hem a very good basis for their language and their spelling. 

    The biggest strength I see with he program is that it’s fun. There’s a story for each letter. The sound is built into the story. There’s an easy transition from Talking Letter names to the real name of the letter. It’s an amazing transition to watch.
     .... Joan Wagner


    I’ve had two children go through the Talking Letters program. My oldest child did not and there’s a huge difference in the way they learn and the amount they retain. She’s a 5th grader now and I believe she had a harder time with reading. I really believe in this program. I can’t say enough about it. It forms beautiful reading habits.
     .... Tara Linehart


    I’ve been teaching at Mountainwood thirteen years. When I initially 
started teaching, I was flabbergasted and amazed at the way the children responded to the program. When we read a new story to them they just loved it. 

    It’s been so very effective in the way they learn to read. They learn one sound, then two and three. They begin putting them together and read three letter words. They go on to blends, then phrases, then sentences. I’m so happy to use this program with the children. We’ve had great success!
     .... Linda Stafford


     I have a three year old that has used the Talking Letters system and we have really found a lot of word recognition. She’s begun to compare words and read along with me at night and that means a lot to us seeing the head start she’s getting.
     .... Ashley Ford


    I learned phonics back when I was three and now I’m sixteen. I can remember coming home reading as a three year old, telling the stories of Little Man and Little Lady.
     .... Matt Cash.


    The Talking Letters program gave both of my children the ability and confidence to tackle any word, large or small.
     .... Lara Holden


     My child had such fun learning to recognize every letter of the alphabet and each corresponding sound. The stories for each letter kept his attention and before we both knew it, he was reading.
     .... Vanessa Dexter