Reading Reform Foundation of New York has adhered to its original mission: to improve reading instruction for all children.

About Us

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Reading Reform Foundation of New York has adhered to its original mission:  to improve reading instruction.

Reading Reform Foundation's excellent courses and training give teachers the knowledge that most of the English language is predictable and logical, if one understands the phonetic basis of the language and its approximately two dozen spelling rules. Teachers learn that this information can be taught to children in step-by-step ways, simultaneously using all the senses to reinforce learning. Our experience over more than 30 years and in hundreds of schools, teaching thousands of children, has proven this logical, multisensory, phonetic approach is effective.

New: Our Handbook

Sunday is for the Sun,
Monday is for the Moon:

Teaching Reading, One Teacher & Thirty
Children at a Time

Find out more or Buy at Amazon


Watch an Interview With Us

btn-video thumb Hear about the program from members of our staff and our Board Chairman.Watch Video


Underlying Research

The highly respected Harvard professor Dr. Jeanne Chall wrote in her book, The Reading Crisis: Why Poor Children Fall Behind, (Harvard University Press, 1990), "The needs of low-income children are not essentially different from those children of middle-class homes. Indeed, our findings suggest that low-income children benefit most from programs that work best for most children... a combination of structure, challenging and direct teaching, and practice in the reading of many books on a wide variety of topics..."

History

Reading Reform Foundation of New York became a legally recognized not-for-profit organization in 1981.  We have a suite of offices in New York City, a full-time staff of 5, and a part-time staff of 25 training consultants who work in public-school classrooms twice a week, or 60 times, all the academic year.

2014 Annual Report

Download the 2014 Annual Report


Board of Trustees 

Louise L. Arias, 
President 

Aileen Lewisohn Godsick, 
Vice President 

Leona D. Spector, 
Vice President 

Judith Frost Levine, 
Secretary 

Sandra Priest Rose, 
Treasurer and Chairman 

 

Trustees

Ralph S. Blumenstock
Nicole Colwell 
Abraham Nad 
Mary Close Oppenheimer 
Elisabeth de Picciotto 
Merle Chait Price
Ellen Rabina
Marissa Sorger Tracey
Megan Young Wiese
Ariel Flores Zurofsky

Staff

Lauren Wedeles,
Executive Director

Esther Morgan Sands,
Director of Education

Diane Baron,
Manager for School Programs
and Course Implementation

Shaketa Wheeler,
Executive Assistant to the
Treasurer and Chairman

Wendy Sowala,
Assistant to the Executive Director


Our Handbook

Sunday Is for the Sun, Monday Is for the Moon:

Teaching Reading, One Teacher & Thirty Children at a Time


Find out more

What People Are Saying

"[Phonics] was the ingredient that was missing and which Reading Reform provides in its training. Children can come from any neighborhood and still learn."

—Collaborating Principal

Upcoming Courses

Reading Reform Foundation offers courses all year round which model the techniques of our approach to teaching. Participants may be certified teachers, administrators or parents. Classes are held in our conveniently located headquarters, one half-block west of Columbus Circle.

Find out more about upcoming courses