Who is Jodi?

Jodi Eckel Cifrese is not a first-time homeschooler.

She successfully homeschooled all five of her own children from start to finish. She knows what works, she knows what doesn't, and she doesn't get excited about programs easily.

When a friend asked her to help homeschool her five and six-year-old children this year, Jodi took the responsibility seriously. She went looking for something she could trust.

That's when Miss Kim told her about the Sing to Read Method.

The Situation

Two children. Ages six and seven.

Both reading a little already — the seven-year-old more than the six-year-old. But neither one knew all of their sounds yet. That gap was the problem. Without a solid phonics foundation the reading they had wouldn't hold.

Jodi had seen music work before. When her own children were young she used a geography program set to music. Her daughter retained it so well that Jodi herself learned geography she had never learned in school.

She understood intuitively what research confirms — music makes things stick.

So when she found the Sing to Read Method she wasn't skeptical. She was ready.

What Happened

Jodi started both children on the basic sound songs.

What she noticed right away wasn't just that they were learning. It was how they were learning.

They sang along. They looked forward to it. They remembered the day before's lesson without being reminded. They told Jodi what they had learned — unprompted — which any educator will tell you is the real sign that something has moved from short-term to long-term memory.

The freeze stances became a favorite. The songs became part of their daily rhythm.

And then something happened that Jodi did not expect.

The songs got stuck in her head. And her husband's head.

"My only complaint," she laughed, "is that the songs are way too catchy. My husband and I are singing them all the time and it's a little annoying having them in your head."

That is not a complaint. That is proof of the method working exactly as it was designed.

The Result

Two children who didn't know all their sounds.

Now singing them. Retaining them. Building on them every single day.

A seasoned homeschool veteran — someone who has seen every kind of curriculum and program — describing it simply:

"It's been going really well. I would encourage other people to try it out. I think it's a great program."

From a mom of five successfully homeschooled children, that is not a casual compliment. That is a verdict.

What Made the Difference

Jodi points to three things: