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Dicker is the founder of the Dicker Reading Method, a revolutionary reading program. He believes he has developed an answer to illiteracy, and it is hard to argue with his results.
His method can teach any student, even those who have been diagnosed as learning disabled, dyslexic, or with ADD or ADHD, to read better, faster, with greater fluency, and comprehension, he says. Whether a child is reading above, below, or at grade level, he or she can achieve three to six years of reading improvement in just one year with his program, Dicker said.
At the Dicker Reading Method tutoring center in Scarsdale, students from preschool through 12th grade have produced remarkable results using individual instruction.
“It’s an amazing program ” a woman said on Dicker’s website. “I just can’t believe any child would be without it … It’s the answer to the United States illiteracy problem.”
Alex, who was labeled as ADHD, represents an example of Dicker’s breakthrough methods. At the end of the first grade Alex knew 17 words and had no self-esteem because he could not read. After participation in the program, he scored in the 99th percentile and tested at a 9th grade reading level in the 2nd grade. Alex now exhibits a strong feeling of self-worth and is currently attending Harvard University.
“That’s what we are able to do with all the children,” Dicker said. “It’s revolutionary. We get the kids to read instantly.”
His preschool/kindergarten reading program will enable 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds to learn 15 to 30 words in their first session. Rachel, a three and a half year old, learned 40 words in the first session. After four months in the program, she was reading on a second grade level, qualified for the Gifted and Talented program for kindergarten in New York City, and scored in the 98th percentile. In the first grade, Rachel was reading at a fourth grade reading level and developed a love for reading and school. Now in the second grade, Rachel is reading on a sixth grade level and is currently finishing the "Harry Potter" book series.
Dicker’s program has received numerous endorsements, including those of CBS News, Family Circle magazine, and thousands of parents and educators. He claims 10,000 students have experienced success with his program.
Dicker believes the United States needs a better educational system to fix its reading problem. “Our educational system is very impersonal,’’ he said. “It is a factory model and the demand for improving our educational system is undeniable.”
Statistics released earlier this year by the U.S. Department of Education indicates that 14 percent of adults cannot read and 21 percent read below a fifth grade level.
Also NBC News Education Nation Today reported these statistics:
- One student drops out of high school every 26 seconds
- About 30 percent of kids each year will not graduate from high school
- That’s 1.3 million in all falling through the cracks of our education system
- 80 percent of kids will not get a high school diploma
“If you have such a huge percentage who can’t read, what’s going to happen?,’’ Dicker said. “What is the future going to bring?”
For more information, visit www.dickerreading.com or call 914-472-0600.
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