Monarch School’s unique approach to reading pays off

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – A San Diego school for kids experiencing homelessness is having a near-100% success rate helping kids improve their literacy and reading skills.
Monarch School in Barrio Logan began using curriculum from the Institute for Multi Sensory Education, or IMSE in 2021. The program combines phonics, vocabulary, sentence dictation, and several other techniques to teach kids how to read.
“We want our students to be successful. We want them to have choice and options and dignity,” says Monarch Principal Dyane Plumly. “We knew we needed something more structured, and a switch in literacy and the approach to the science of reading.”
The results have been nearly instantaneous, and just as dramatic.
During the last school year, Monarch had 34 students in Kindergarten, 2nd, and 4th grade who were present from pre- to mid-year testing. Out of those 34, 33 showed an increase in literacy scores, a 97% success rate.
“I was shocked,” says 1st Grade Teacher Kristin Tanner. “We’ve tried other programs in the past and we haven’t seen the same result.”
Plumly adds, the results are even more impressive when you consider that their school deals primarily with students who experience homelessness. And not only has reading ability improved, so has behavior and overall excitement for learning.
“It’s incredible,” she says. “I have students who will come up to me in the hallway and say, Miss, I know how to spell this word now, or like, let me show you this book. Here’s my favorite book! They are really proud of themselves, and that just makes you really excited for the work that’s happening in the classrooms and the and the joy of learning that kids are getting to experience.”