Testimonials

“I just wanted to send a quick email to thank you for all of your support this year in helping me implement the reading frameworks and helping me tweak my reading centers. My kids took their end of year iReady in reading today, and their growth as a class was 180%...the best growth I’ve ever seen in a class to date! I especially noticed it with my higher-achieving students, where it’s typically more challenging to get huge leaps of growth. One student who entered my class at a DRA 40 made 300% growth from August - now. I really do attribute so much of this to the structure you taught me for my guided reading and center time. It’s made such a difference for my kids. :)  Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
~ Colorado Elementary School Teacher

“Classroom teacher, reading specialist, literacy coach, instructional coordinator, university instructor, department of education executive, consultant, and now co-founder of Sterling Literacy Consulting—rarely do you find a single individual with such a broad range of literacy experience.  Add to that an effervescent personality and a great sense of humor and you have the perfect literacy consultant.  I’ve watched Dr. Hall work with students, teachers, administrators and researchers for the past ten years and his knowledge and professionalism never cease to amaze me. “
 ~ Dr. Marcia Invernizzi, Henderson Professor of Reading Education, University of Virginia

Dana Hall combines a deep understanding of literacy research with the practical know-how needed to assist schools in their efforts to bring about lasting change. His extraordinary work with teachers is proof positive that combining theory and practice is possible after all.  His experiences have equipped him to work at all levels of literacy education, from policymakers to individual teachers. His groundbreaking research into how policy is translated into action has made a significant contribution to our understanding. At the same time, his skills as a literacy coach have made him an ideal change agent within a classroom, a grade level, or a school.  In short, Dana possesses the breadth required to size up problems at every level and the depth needed to offer workable solutions. 
~Dr. Michael McKenna, Thomas G. Jewell Professor of Reading, University of Virginia

Dr. Hall,

Thank you again for all your hard work and support. I wanted to share the results of all our work this year. 
Focus:  Support teachers in developing understanding around foundational skills that are important in kindergarten (data is specifically targeted to below grade level readers).
      Throughout the year, kindergarten teachers participated in grade level meetings and/or individual coaching regarding a systematic approach to developing emergent skills necessary for students to read.  While this was our 1st year working to develop teacher knowledge and skill, we have seen great results.   Eighty-eight percent of targeted kindergarten students scored above benchmark scores on PALS-K Spring assessment.  This included all targeted students scoring 100% on Rhyme and Beginning Sounds; 88% of targeted students scoring 100% on letter identification; 76% of targeted students scoring 100% on letter-sound match and Concept of Word. 
Focus: Regular individual coaching to support teachers as they incorporate foundational skills into small group instruction (data is specifically targeted to below grade level readers).
      Many teachers asked for periodic support while they added systematic foundational skills instruction to their literacy block. The teachers receiving weekly individual coaching reported many observable gains in their confidence and automaticity of skill-based feedback and instruction. They also showed measurable gains on the PALS 1-3 spelling inventory.  Of the 21 students who were assessed in the fall and the spring, 14 students doubled their total scores on the developmental spelling inventory.  In addition, all but two of the identified students increased their summed score by an average of 74% (median 42% increase in summed score).
~ Ramone Carson, Principal, Wheeling Elementary School ​​

Thank you so much for your guidance and support this year. I feel I have received more training than I have ever had before and I have a new understanding of what Kindergarten students should know at the end of the year and how to get them there. The training I received and the resources you provided really helped me gain a new knowledge and understanding of how our youngest students learn to read.... At the end of the year, 40% of my students were able to read well into the first grade reading levels.  Another 40% were on grade level. I attribute this to the work we did gathering data, planning and systematically teaching the skills they needed to move on based on that data.
~ Christa Silber, Kindergarten Teacher, Wheeling Elementary School 

Thank you very much for all that you have taught me this year. You have changed my beliefs about reading instruction and made me feel more confident about my abilities to teach kids how to read.  

~Jessica Johns, 2nd Grade Teacher and Teaching Partner, Altura Elementary School