Even though reading is an essential skill for success in today’s culture, research is showing that “currently one-fourth of our students in grades 4 - 12 read below the minimum or ‘basic’ standard for their grade level.”  Another study found that “68% of 4th grade students in the U.S. are reading below the proficient level.”  Unfortunately, these number do not necessarily improve with time. “Longitudinal studies show that of those children who are reading disabled in 3rd grade, 74% continue to read significantly below grade level in the 9th grade, indicating a persistent deficit rather than developmental lag.”*

Because of these findings, choosing a systematic reading and language arts curriculum such as CPR is vital in equipping students for success.  CPR can be used in teaching any child to read, write, spell, and learn English grammar.  It is flexible enough to accommodate a  variety of different skill levels by adjusting the amount of time spent on any given lesson,  deciding how many review games are incorporated into that lesson, and monitoring how much assistance is given to a student during the lesson.  Because of this flexibility, CPR is an excellent curriculum for  students in pre-school through second grade.