SAMUEL L. BLUMENFELD first became aware of the reading problem in 1961 when, as a book editor in New York, he was asked to join the National Advisory Council of the Reading Reform Foundation. The more Mr. Blumenfeld became aware of the reading instruction controversy, the more resolved he became to do something about it.
In 1972 he wrote THE NEW ILLITERATES in which he traced the history of reading instruction in America and diagnosed the causes of reading disability. He also traced the origin of the look-say method back to its inventor, Thomas H. Gallaudet, the celebrated teacher of the deaf. Since then Mr. Blumenfeld has taught in schools and tutored privately, developing his own system of intensive phonics.
ALPHA-PHONICS is the result of that thorough research and first-hand experience. “I wanted to create an effective, inexpensive and uncomplicated reading instruction program that could be used as widely as possible to help solve America’s reading problem. With competent instruction, virtually anyone can be taught to read well.”
Mr. Blumenfeld’s other books include HOW TO START YOUR OWN PRIVATE SCHOOL-AND WHY YOU NEED ONE, HOW TO TUTOR, and IS PUBLIC EDUCATION NECESSARY? His writings on the literacy problem have appeared in The Reading Informer, Education Digest, Vital Speeches, Boston Magazine, and Reason.
Prior to authoring his books, Mr. Blumenfeld spent ten years in the New York publishing industry where he was First Reader of the Viking Press and Editor of the Universal Library at Grosset & Dunlap.
Meg Rayborn Dawson -
(MS, Exceptional Student Education with emphasis on Applied Behavior Analysis – University of W. Florida; MA, psychology (Grand Canyon University); and Bachelor of Arts, general studies (Northwest Nazarene University) Meg has spent most of her life doing what she loves, teaching children. After spending over two decades homeschooling her nine children, she began working in schools and therapy centers. Now retired, she indulges herself by teaching grandchildren to read. She also enjoys tutoring children who have been diagnosed with dyslexia, always hoping to prove the diagnosis wrong. One of her favorite hobbies is collecting and studying old schoolbooks from the 1800’s, searching for new ideas for helping struggling students.
