Manitoba

Dan Brown, Principal, Winnipegosis Elem., Winnipegosis, Manitoba
"By far the most widely used programs in the school. We are big supporters of Essential Skills."

Elaine Owen, K-9 Teacher, Rosebank Colony School, Miami, Manitoba
"We are an ESL school. The students use Essential Skills programs everyday. Sight Words and Phonemic Awareness are very important in our classroom. I really like the pronunciation of the words in the programs. We have 11 lab licenses."

Duncan McRae, Resource & Computer Teacher, Elm Creek School, Elm Creek, Manitoba
"We use Essential Skills programs daily for drill & practice. We started students on Phonemic Awareness and Super Phonics and found real success with K-1 students so we purchased more programs for the grade 2 and 3 students. The kids like the programs and are motivated by the star system. The Marks Manager is used as a resource for the teachers to show a child's progress."

Teena DeJaegher, Grade 1 Teacher, Gladstone Elementary, Gladstone, Manitoba
"My kids use Essential Skills programs everyday - Sight Words in the morning and Mastering Numeration in the afternoon. Once they know how to do one program they can do the others. I love the programs - they are very much a drill and not cluttered with a lot of animation the way programs tend to be. The kids have definitely made performance gains - the more they use the programs the better they get!"

Noel Rogowsky, K - 8 Teacher, Marble Ridge Colony School, Poplarfield, Manitoba
"This is a Hutterite Colony school. My students use Essential Skills everyday. They really enjoy it and I have noticed gains. Phonemic Awareness and Super Phonics are very good. We also like Sight Words. We bought the two Spelling Stumper programs this year. The kids like the programs - it's an extra activity for them with instant feedback. The screens are clean, not too cluttered. They are not like a game - they look like work but they are fun. I love the programs."

Helene Fraser, Resource Teacher, Lundar Collegiate, Lundar, Manitoba
"This is our 5th year with Essential Skills programs. We use them daily. I have children who have brought up their skills from non-reading to reading. We are totally satisfied. I believe they are most beneficial as children can only learn to read if there is the visual and auditory component simultaneously - that helps them the most. That is the biggest bonus with your programs!"

Frances Friesen, Educational Assistant, Elm Creek School, Elm Creek, Manitoba
"We have 18 Essential Skills programs and we love them. Our students use the Essential Skills programs on a daily basis starting in grade one and they work through them until the end of grade three. The children always look forward to using the programs and they all work at their own level and pace. The Essential Skills programs are organized in a way that motivates children and allows them to progress step by step through their core reading and math skills."

Faye Guibonche, Resource Teacher, Philomene Cahrtrand School, Camperville, Manitoba
"We are using our 9 EssentialSkills programs as a remediation tool for 15 - 20 minutes everyday. The younger children like Super Phonics, Reading Comprehension and Numeration. The older children are using the Vocabulary Builder programs. I have seen improvement in the childrens' performance by utilizing the programs. They are very motivated by seeing their scores. I have recommended the programs to other schools."

Linda Fraser, Resource Teacher, Victoria School, Portage La Prairie, Manitoba
"I was looking for high interest, lower vocabulary materials when I came across a series from Essential Skills. The stories are interesting for older kids and have colorful illustrations on each page."

Sharon Shafto, Special Ed. Resource Teacher, Shaugnessy Park School, Winnipeg, Manitoba
"Since I purchased this software, I have heard of many other schools in our district that are also using it. I have not heard one negative comment, only enthusiasm. It's awesome stuff! The programs are very student friendly, and the graphics are engaging and colorful. It is used in our literacy centers and the children just love it! The students are able to work independently and at their own pace, leaving the teacher to work with small groups. This works well, as the programs reinforce the skills taught in the small group work."

Jocelyn Bender, K-2 Teacher, Benito School, Benito, Manitoba
"These are excellent programs! They are easy to use and very beneficial for the students. The programs are also a great alternative means of assessment. I like that they provide an individualized, independent and motivating learning experience for the students. We have used the programs weekly for about three years with our K to 4 students. They are easy to use, and the skills are very much aligned with our classroom curriculum."