Why Phonics?

For quite a number of years, public school systems across the nation taught students how to read using a method known as “Whole Language.”  Essentially, this method stressed the importance of guessing, memorizing, substituting and trying to predict words as students tried to read them in sentences.  As reading scores began to plummet, approaches known as “whole word” or the “look-and-say” method were progressively deemed ineffective by many reading experts and scholars, creating negative consequences for many children. 

The cost of illiteracy, due to poor approaches in education and other factors, is significant.  People who cannot read proficiently suffer in so many areas in life.  Children who struggle with reading early in their schooling often have problems throughout their educational lives, with many children dropping out from school, later, as teens.  Adults who are not proficient readers frequently cannot read medical labels, basic instructions, bus schedules, everyday forms and even employment applications. Bleak futures await individuals who cannot read, as do lower incomes and higher rates of crime.  The statistics regarding those who are illiterate in today’s society are grim. 

Many educators who finally realized that there was a growing crisis of illiteracy (in part, due to the use of a whole-language approach to reading instruction) turned to a more time-tested and effective method of learning to read known as phonics.  Teaching phonics-based reading doesn’t need to be complicated, boring or difficult.  It also doesn’t need to be costly, or limited to children whose families can afford the high cost of some familiar (or mediocre) reading programs that have long been on the market. 

Learning to read with phonics can be fun, animated, energized and impactful.  Phonics methodologies utilize step-by-step strategies that teach a reader how to decode syllables and sounds and to apply simple, basic rules that enable an individual to logically apply the rules – to simple and complex words alike.  A solid foundation in phonics also builds skills in spelling.  Letter and sound patterns eliminate guessing and mistakes.

Expeditions to Excellence is a new, exciting and affordable phonics-based reading system.  It is highly effective, and most of all, it is fun and easy to use!  It was initially inspired by the need of Gary and Victoria Beck to teach their son to read, even though their son’s learning challenges made the process more difficult than normal.  Reading instruction for children with learning differences often involved using a whole-language method, relying heavily on sight words and memorization.  The Becks were fundamentally opposed to teaching their son to read by relying on sight words and utilizing memory.  All of the credible research indicated that children who learned to read well, using a phonics-based method, outperformed their peers in many ways.  Since there was no phonics-based program on the market that seemed to incorporate the kind of complete, fun, affordable and multi-sensory approach for which they were looking, they created a program of their own.  It became Expeditions to Excellence

Expeditions to Excellence doesn’t re-invent the science of phonics-based reading.  It makes phonics accessible to every child who needs to learn to read, at a price that is within reach for anyone.  The Becks have a passion to promote literacy among ALL children.  Whether a child is academically gifted, developmentally challenged, or has unique learning differences, the Expeditions to Excellence system is considered by many to be the most comprehensive, fun and effective reading program available today.  

Try it today.  It’s affordable.  It’s fun.  It’s highly effective.  It’s proven. 

Expeditions to Excellence is Phonics-Based Phun at its Phinest! Help Your Child to Be Excellent Today.