Visual Phonics has been an added strength to our Elementary Education program reading endorsement at the University of Dubuque. Today’s preservice teachers are well aware of the latest brain-compatible research for learning. Therefore, they understand the positive impact that VP can have on helping children to learn to read. When they are observing out in the schools, our preservice teachers are now seeing classroom teachers using VP with their early readers. The classroom teachers are very impressed that our students are able to jump in and reinforce the VP hand shape cues. The VP training has also added a unique element to their college resumes, and in some cases, resulted in an elementary teaching job offer!

One surprising result of the VP training has been the impact on some college-level readers. In several cases, students have said that it has helped them improve their reading skills, even at this stage in their reading development! One college student preservice teacher said, “I always had trouble distinguishing between vowel sounds when I was learning to read. I struggled back then with reading, but VP has helped me now. I know it would have helped me become a better reader if I had been exposed to it when I was in elementary school! It’s never too late, I guess.”

We now incorporate Visual Phonics basics into our Corrective & Remedial Reading course at the University of Dubuque. In addition, we offer regular yearly Visual Phonics training for all our preservice elementary teachers. They have responded enthusiastically to VP, and their future students will benefit from this training significantly.

Marta J. Abele, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Education

University of Dubuque

Dubuque IA