From ‘On The Brain’

David Boulton’s “Children of the Code” is a wonderful, general resource for educating yourself, a class, a teaching staff, your professional assistants — or any other group with a need to know — about the miracle of reading. A second, very enlightened focus of Boulton’s opus is on the origins of, and the great personal and societal costs, of impairments in reading.

David’s basic strategy was 1) to record beautifully guided conversations with more than a hundred scholars, scientists and educators who have something useful to say about reading and reading failure; 2) to collect a large series of straight-from-the-heart interviews with less-than-proficient and busted readers; then, as a skilled documentarian, 3) to summarize the wisdom represented by our leading experts and by kids struggling to master the incredibly complex skill of proficient reading in a series of beautifully crafted DVDs summarizing different aspects of the science and sociology of reading (the ‘code’), and of reading failure. These are GREAT teaching tools. I have personally especially enjoyed Boulton’s treatment of the origins and expressions of dyslexia, the emotional dangers of reading failure, and its enormous societal costs. When David Boulton’s treatment extends into my own scientific subdiscipline, his treatment passes muster, for accuracy, and for balance.

I have also enjoyed reading transcripts of Boulton’s interviews, which can be accessed (free of charge) at www.childrenofthecode.org. They are special because this large group of world-class experts are all adroitly guided by David to express their overall perspective about how their science or professional experience relates to the ‘great issues’ of reading science and of the individual and collective impacts of reading success and reading failure on American society. This is great stuff, full of wisdom, rich in insight, the whole a LOT greater than the sum of its parts! I’ve read more than sixty of these interviews over the past months, and each time I take another bite at this feast, I learn a little more about reading and dyslexia. I’m readin’ ‘em all! If language or reading is within your range of interest, check it out.

“Children of the Code” is a unique achievement, and a special gift for all of us! Thanks, David, for this OUTSTANDING contribution to this VERY important subject. Nothing quite like it, under the sun!

“It’s a wonderful thesis and it’s so refreshing to hear you articulate it because I guess I am in total agreement with it and I have not really heard people articulate it as clearly you have…  I love what you are doing.”

“As a veteran principal in a large K-6 school filled with largely disadvantaged youth and many struggling readers, I find your website highly useful, intellectually provocative, and very compelling. As a Reading First school, sustainability of gains and our ability to move these gains to adolescent readers is a challenge. It is great to know that even when the funding runs out, there are resources like this one. We’ve used your videos in faculty meetings, parent meetings, and study groups. I’ve shared the site with my colleagues. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I’m looking forward to the time that our teacher-training institutions of higher learning catch up. I also hope you are encouraging our 3 presidential candidates (or perhaps their aides) to start making connections between literacy and the health of our nation.”

“It’s a wonderful thing that you’re doing. I appreciate the scope of what you’re doing. It’s called information improvement which is the prime issue in knowledge advancement. How do you put things together in ways that are easily understandable and communicable to other people. You’re talking about a big thing. People see pieces of it and you’re putting together a whole lot of things that no individual one of us has a grasp on.”

“Like most scholars, until awakened by the “Children of the Code” project, I took reading as much for granted as eating and drinking. Very few of us have paid sufficient attention to the specific emotions triggered in children as they begin to read.  Yet any impediment to mastery of the confusing code that connects spoken and written English must trigger shame, the emotion that stops all useful thought. So painful does shame become in the public arena of the schoolroom that our children swiftly divide into two streams and two futures purely on the basis of their response to the shame that accompanies the struggle to learn our written language. “Children of the Code” merits the serious attention of anyone interested in emotional health of children or the future of America.”

“Wow, that’s interesting.  I think that’s a lovely description of it (the challenge of learning to read).  It really is a virtual reality, it is a matrix….I’m impressed with the cast that you’ve assembled; it’s certainly a very impressive group.”

“What really attracted me to your project was its originality and breadth.  I really like that you have assembled such a diverse group of experts in a variety of areas pertaining to reading. What I think is really important for the public to understand is the magnitude of the numbers of individuals (not just dyslexics) who struggle to learn to read, and the impact this has both on the individuals affected, as well as on society.”

“The National Center for Family Literacy is thrilled to be involved in an effort of this nature that drives at the importance of understanding the reading difficulties so many people face.”

“There is NOTHING like it anywhere… This is POWERFUL.”

“It’s great. I think this is fascinating. It’s wonderful that you’re doing this. I would love to have our people involved in it.  We would love to be in continued cooperation with you on it.”

“What you are doing is simply wonderful.”

“I love what you have all done and am using the videos in graduate school psychology courses as well as in consultation with elementary teachers and administration”.

“Thank you!!!! How great to have my graduate students read the interviews of Adams, Shaywitz, the list goes on….before reading their books/articles. Videos are great. They were very helpful in my undergraduate classes. I have watched all of them and intend to watch/discuss in the Fall/Spring terms with my graduate classes.”

“Dear Friends: I’ve just had a most profitable and interesting professional experience that I want to pass along. Thanks to a brief email exchange with Bob Sweet, I discovered a website (and project) called Children of the Code (go to www.childrenofthecode.org) The site has transcripts of interviews with more than 80 major experts on reading instruction, from neuroscientific viewpoints to classroom perspectives. Mr. Sweet suggested that I read atranscript of an interview with him to learn more about scientific-based reading instruction and his perspective on how to teach reading. The interview was most helpful, even though the discussion was almost exclusively about children. After reading Mr. Sweet’s interview I clicked immediately on an interview with Robert Wedgeworth, head of Proliteracy. The EPIPHANY MOMENT happened when I began to compare the two points of view. I was surprised to find what I believe to be considerable common ground. Both literacy leaders agree about issues of self-esteem and environmental factors such as parental support. More and more I believe that what appears to be opposing views about techniques to teach reading is really more about rhetoric.

“I have been trying to “listen hard” to the conservative point of view to find “common ground” as I have increasingly become alarmed that infighting and turfism are getting worse, not better. This effort has been exhilirating. While I continue to be unconvinced by much of the “proof” that “science” offers, and I wish Mr. Sweet would drop words like “malpractice” from his vocabulary, I have learned a lot. In short, I think Mr. Sweet and others, including myself, need to come out of our respective corners and meet in the middle. A truly open-minded discussion of research may be that middle ground. The website “Children of the Code” may not a non-partisan forum, (I haven’t spent enough time there yet to judge that) but it is available and open. I challenge everyone on this list, of all viewpoints, to spend some time with Children of the Code.”

“Basically what I’m feeding back to you is reinforcement of the theory that you have been discussing based on our on-the-ground experience with adults who are reflecting those same behaviors.”  (referring to reading-shame-aversion behavior in children)

“Your approach is a novel and promising way of tackling a long-standing serious social problem, the functional illiteracy of many young people in the United States and other English-speaking countries.”

Our most compelling crisis and challenge in education is addressing the epidemic of illiteracy. Toward that end, I ask your consideration of this compelling proposal.”

“David’s grasp of the fundamentals of learning from the “inside out” is a vision deserving of the most serious consideration.  It’s not just a new reading technique.  He is the first one I know who has created a concept of the ‘silent’ affective-cognitive processes involved in reading that not only states the problem, but who is offering new ways to move on.  I can personally attest to David’s integrity as a person, a scientist, and a technologist.  I have seen the years of dedication it took to realize and formulate his insights.”

“Thank you for everything you are doing. I look forward to sharing all your videos with the teachers I work with in schools and the faculty members I present to at conferences and through informal communications.”

“This is a wonderful site. I absolutely love your work and all of the information and material that you make available”

“Great mission. Very good information from outstanding sources. The integration of knowledge and opinions from multiple disciplines is a tremendous resource for professionals, educators, families, and individuals who have contact with and are affected by learning difficulties. Congratulations on a job well done.”

“I am currently teaching two reading courses at the University of Phoenix. I am writing to obtain permission to show your video clips in these two courses, since I truly believe they will provide the students with a better understanding of the challenges that lay before us all, in the field of education. …thank you all for the tremendous job that you have undertaken in developing these informative video clips. With sincere respect”

“My colleagues and I truly appreciate the work of this project.”

“This program and the kind of effort that you’re doing seems to be just perfect. When I saw your list of the people you have already interviewed or were set to interview it was, of course, the Who’s Who of the whole field.”

“I use COTC in all my classes. All students are engaged by the videos, which start some very lively discussions. There is always an “Ohhh!” response on several of the videos–particularly the “Confusion” set. The video that includes the sounding out of the phonemes in the English alphabet, and the student sounding out “comparison” do a much better job of showing future teachers what the reading process is like for struggling readers. I also use the sets on the history of reading and English language in my graduate class on Introduction to Literacy. Students have told me that they have a better understanding of both language and reading as a result of these videos. Thank you so much, and we are eagerly waiting for the rest of the videos to be available in the fall!

“I am thrilled with the information contained in Children of the Code. It is an exceptional documentary. As an educator and  professional speaker, I mention Children of the Code in my, Oops the Wheels Fell Off – How Did That Happen? workshops and seminars. I always reference it and place the info in my handouts.”

“I have always felt that I am fairly well read, however, your presentation and now your website has given me new direction…I have always had a sense of urgency for the children in my care (as a speech pathologist, a principal, and now a director of special education) and now your information gives me the meat to start alarming others… I am planning on sending this URL to all of the principals in my district and am going to set up time after school to watch the videos together as a professional learning community… we’ll see how many attend… thank you so much for the work that you have done to bring all of these people together, especially the children.”

“I’ve taught the literacy courses at University of Dayton for the past three years…this after teaching for 30 years. I accidentally stumbled upon your website and it has totally changed the type of material and the message I’m delivering to my students. Your information has provided both a foundation and a springboard into what avenues to pursue. I’ve woven in your video clips to help make various points…the clips are awesome!  I finally feel like I am able to offer my students some truly valuable information about teaching reading.”

“Although the information from CHILDREN OF THE CODE relates to all students, those students who will benefit most are those who haven’t learned or are at risk at learning to read “proficiently”. In other words…a lot of what you talk about is geared toward getting kids to read and understand what they read. Your information isn’t meant to be prescriptive, but rather a knowledge base from which teachers can intelligently and knowingly develop practices that will enable them to really teach kids how to read.”

“I am eternally grateful for your information and am using it to to provide our teachers-to-with the type of knowledge that will really make a difference in teaching children how to read.”

“As superintendent, I took a few days to revitalize my learning. I have been attending a meeting sponsored by the Center for Creative Leadership. I was provided a grant to attend the conference and to learn about exciting new research in reading. I have had 3 days of powerful workshops led by some of the leading researches in brain based learning and reading. One of the most interesting presentations was given by David Boulton. I will write more about this presentation in the future, however, I would encourage all parents, teachers, and staff to visit the web site www.childrenofthecode.org and view some of the powerful videos related to the problems and challenges in reading instruction.”

“Thank you for your support and advice on how Children of the Code can be effectively used in training. Sharing the information is very beneficial to educators who may or may not have had training connected to childhood and early development as well as many other Children of the Code areas. The Children of the Code information that I presented was well received and prompted a productive discussion. I plan to use Children of the Code resources in the future.”

“I absolutely love Children of The Code Project. I am a Brazilian early childhood and special education researcher who did graduate studies in the US. So, most of the teachers and researchers that I know are in your data base of interviews. Congratulations!  Thanks for such a great project.”

“Your work is incredibly valuable to my work! Thank you for helping me be more prepared with information and resources for the parents I work with. Finding your site is the best serendipity I have received in a very long time.”

“A Mind-Blowing Way to View Learning:  While many of us have observed this effect on an intuitive level, it took writer, researcher, and learning activist David Boulton to express the problem of incomplete learning in terms of its devastating effect on kids:

“According to the U.S. Department of Education more than 60% of K-12 school children are reading below the level needed to proficiently process the written materials used in their grade levels – reading below the level necessary for the brain-work of reading to be transparent to the mind-work of learning from what they are reading. Obviously, reading is the skill that matters most to success in school and children who fall behind in reading are in great academic danger. However, it is not just the lack of reading skills that most endangers these children. It’s the mind-shame.”
This intriguing excerpt from Boulton’s Children of the Code website is only the tip of a huge iceberg of information about reading, learning disabilities, and the insidious effects of systemic failures on the futures of kids: “Our literacy problems are the legacy effects of generations of ignorance, negligence and superficial thinking. More than all the other issues combined it is our collective misunderstanding of ‘the code’ and what is at stake and what is involved in ‘learning to read it’ that perpetuates our reading crisis and, by extension, our education crisis,” Boulton says. “We need to completely reframe our thinking about reading.”

See what else he has to say and be as blown away as I was! Then imagine schools designed around these humane concepts . . . .”

“I am a 30-year teacher and I felt like for once what was being said to me made absolute sense.”

“I heard your presentation at the American Library Association’s Annual Meeting. Your fascinating work may be our best hope of rousing the nation from its inexplicable slumber on this issue.”

“Wow! Eureka! Now I get it. I wish I had heard this 25 years ago.”

“The Children of the Code experience was life changing for me.  I have renewed passion to ensure that every child learn to break the code–there is nothing wrong with the struggling reader–there is something wrong with the curriculum or the implementation of the curriculum!”

“The keynote speech (Opening the Florida Literacy Conference) and the concurrent session in the afternoon were very inspiring! After the afternoon session I did not even want to go to any other seminar since I was on such a “high” from your presentation of “Children of the Code”. Thank you very much!”

“I really appreciated the thoughtful and non threatening way you presented your very important message. Your organization has touched on a very sensitive issue, one which I don’t often hear many people in any field addressing directly. It was powerful and well delivered and had the right balance of personal stories and fact. Great work! I believe you are hitting near the core of where we need to be, the change is upon us and for the most part the current education system and North America in general seems to be both reluctant to either acknowledge or accept it.”

“Very important overview of (almost) every issue involved in learning; learning to read; learning to learn.  This piece [shame] grabbed me. Of COURSE it is key to the learning process. It was the first time I’ve seen it named. I’m greatly moved to find out more about this. I plan to watch the videos — I’ve been buying books about the history of our language and love learning about this history. Where I’ve been romantic about the “richness and history,” you’ve brought the “stumbling blocks” front and center.”

“This was a tremendous workshop! The material presented was eye opening. For the first time, I was given insight into the way we learn and process “the code”. By understanding the interlockings of language environment, self esteem and shame based feelings when not reaching learning expectations, it became clear to me why so many become disengaged/disconnected from the “educational process”.

“This was my first exposure to “The Children of the Code” Website and the work that you do. After listening to David Boulton, who explained and played several video interviews in his (National Circle of Learning Conference) keynote address, it was as if the pieces of the puzzle magically appeared and fit into place. To learn for the first time that our alphabet is based on Latin opened a previously closed door. I never understood why it was so easy for me to pick up Italian. And though I do not struggle with our language, I do periodically struggle trying to figure out how to spell words correctly. Now it makes sense. I never fully understood how a child felt when they struggle with reading. It truly broke my heart. Also, though I’ve been sensitive to asking students to read out loud, I am now even more sensitive to the potential damage I can cause. The work that you do is critical to our understanding of reading and the problems we face both individually and as a society. I look forward to more of the videos as you continue to post them to your Website.” 

“Thirty minutes into the lecture, I was wishing my entire staff had been there to hear Mr. Boulton!. His presentation inspired a hunger in me to learn more about Mind-Shame and the Children of the Code Project. This project has the potential to revolutionize education in such a profound manner!”

“Mr. Boulton is an excellent speaker and was very convincing about the desperate situation our students are experiencing concerning reading education. The interviews with the top educators and researchers in the field was impressive, timely, and persuasive. Mr.Boulton presented excellent information about the many varied causes of the literacy crisis. THIS MATERIAL NEEDS TO BE PRESENTED to as many people as possible. Mr. Boulton or his videos should be required material for anyone going into education.  Thank you for opening up the world so I can be scared about our students and their futures!  I needed to hear this critical information.”

“The presentation itself was amazing…As you spoke the faces of a number of the children I have worked with came to mind and I left determined to find ways to lift some of this shame… knowing I didn’t have to take notes, that it would all be available on the web site was extremely freeing.”

“David Boulton spoke after lunch and no one went to sleep. Everyone was very aware of his passionate presentation and enjoyed it greatly. He was great and the videos that he utilized were very moving. The information was outstanding! It was very convincing to our group of educational leaders. Keep up the great project.”

“Since working with special education in the middle school level for several years I am well aware that reading is our number one problem and through your research and presentation it will give all educators a voice that if proclaimed loud enough may be heard.  Wish it could be seen by everyone – parents – and especially those that make government policy. –  The problem IS CRITICAL – life threatening as you well explained. I appreciated the history of the alphabet and our language. Very interesting and an “a-hah” moment! No wonder we all struggle to one extent or the other. Excellent definition of reading  – and so much more complicated than most people think- If we know what is involved in the process how much better we can teach!!!!! This need to be understood as a big wake up call to all in education and parents. Would like to see this have more exposure – this is a crisis – this should be on 60 minutes, 20/20, Oprah – and any other media that will get the word out. This is one battle that we can win!!!! For the sake of everyone.”

“I am a psychologist from Newark, Ohio, and recently attended your presentation on “The Effect of Learning to Read Difficulties on Mental Health” at the School-Based Mental Health conference in Cleveland. As a  mental health practitioner working in schools, I regularly see the effects of learning problems on children’s mental health. Your presentation however, informed me at new levels and inspired me to new heights for working with students’ reading abilities and struggles.

“Wonderfully put together and backed up by so much research. Get this wonderful information into the schools for teachers and parents. What an incredible job… I loved it!”

“Fantastic! This information needs to be in the hands of every educator that is involved in teaching people to read.”

“Excellent presentation, knowledge of subject, understanding of content through presenter skills and presentation.  Would like more information and have shared it with my office staff of Marriage and Family Therapists. Again, this was excellent, the presenter was excellent, and the information was of great importance to all members of society.”

“Clear explanations that do not focus on the blame game but work toward solutions. This was a tremendous awakening! This much needed information must be spread to the masses!”

“I agreed with everything that was presented.  It made a lot of sense.  I found it comforting to now be able to tell my struggling readers (including my granddaughter) that “It’s not your fault.” I know there is a connection between learning and how you feel about it, but I’m not sure I ever put as much emphasis on that issue as now I know I should.”

“I had never heard so much expertise in one seminar. Excellent presentation.”

“I was extremely impressed by Mr. Boulton’s knowledge on the subject of literacy and the extensive research he had done. His analysis of factors contributing to the problem of illiteracy was highly interesting and in some cases new to me. It was a riveting session.”

“David Boulton was a skilled presenter with a passion for understanding the problem of dyslexia and the children affected by it. I particularly appreciated his approach to the emotional toll this learning difference takes on individuals for their entire lives.”

“This was an exceptional presentation. We can all relate to and walk away empowered because of the excellent organization of your presentation and wealth of knowledge and information. Thank you.”

“I recently attended one of the seminars and I thought it was fabulous. The presenter was great. He did a great job on condensing down the information into our time format.”

Highly informative presentation with good blend of in person and video.  Understanding the background of historical influences on the English language and the challenges those present for learning to read were important and unknown to most of us. I was very impressed with your ability to touch people in the audience with the importance of reading and the shame associated with the struggle.”

“Extremely thought provoking! I really never thought about reading in the way I now am. Thank you!”

This was great! You are right on target. As a parent of a dyslexic child and an educator I feel that your message needs to be shared with entire communities.

“I loved this seminar! It is a whole new way of looking at these issues.”

“Wow! It is a lot to think about. I know I’ll do a better job teaching reading, of course I’d like to know more about strategies to use that would help students struggling to read and comprehend. Great background knowledge!  This information would be very helpful for preschools, daycares, churches, etc. in addition to parents. We should persue every avenue of exposure.”

“Absolutely wonderful!  Can’t wait to see/hear more-inspired me to pick up my rate of research and learning on topic as an Academic Language Therapist and a Resource Room Director for k-12 students.”

“This information is a very important basis of understanding for teachers and I am not sure how many of us know it. I learned more here than in all my college courses on language.”

“The information connecting the structure and the history of the alphabet or the “Code” with the natural rhythm of learning and the disconnect that can occur in the brain was fascinating.  The development of what Boulton called Mindshame has a numbing effect and stops any learning in its tracks. “Why should I try? I am stupid and can’t learn it anyway.” I hear it regularly. It is the most difficult thing to make this child believe he can learn and be successful. To understand and stop the Mindshame in its beginning would be an advance little short of miraculous. The devastating effect of the Mindshame which occurs when the process is not immediately successful has encouraged me to take training in dyslexia to be able to offer what assistance I can within my junior high (7-9) classroom. We can and should correct the lack of information and hope the information will begin to spread like the contagions of disinterest and lack of concern have.”

“You have GREAT info. I totally agree with it all. I enjoyed the presentation.  There was a great deal of info.  I like all of the interviews. Great info for parents! Thank you for sharing your info. with Nebraska School Psychologists!!”

“You are doing a great service – you are a voice crying in the wilderness about a problem that is very real right now & is only going to get worse (given the ongoing demographic changes of the US) AND you are presenting the way to help (rather than just admiring the problem!) you’ve done (& continue to do) outstandingly well!!! good show! good work!”

“All in all, AMAZING STUFF. I told Mr. Boulton, if you did not come out here for anyone else, you came for me. I am still having to think through and process what I have learned. It is life changing!

“Wonderful presentation. Great to get teachers who are not reading specialists to understand the code and teaching reading.”

“This should have been a 3-day conference allowing us to immerse our brains to facilitate adjusting our paradigms! Thank you so much!”

“This was one of the best literacy presentations I have ever seen!”

“I thought the speaker, David Boulton was very interesting and right on target. It certainly is not about a methodology or program or curriculum but rather a focus on the “first person” learning. I appreciated the tone and interest in helping the audience become more aware of why we need to be concerned about this national disability in reading.”

“This was a very powerful experience for me. At several points of the event and in many of the video clips I felt as though you knew that I needed to hear this information for some specific students I have in my class right now. The videos of the children speaking about their feelings hit my heart like a ton of bricks. I realized I haven’t asked the struggling readers in my class what they feel like and what they think will help them. I will definitely do this. This presentation gave me such a huge wake up call as to the importance of not letting this get passed on for another year for these children.”

“This project has the potential to revolutionize how America thinks about literacy. Every citizen in America needs to hear this message and make a commitment to address the problem.”

“It was a very enlightening experience…overall I enjoyed the presentation and found the presenter David Boulton to be very enthusiastic and knowledgeable about his area.”

“I sat there with a-ah moment with what is happening in my home right now with my 6 old year son and the shame he is having struggling to read. Thank you I needed this!”

“Excellent, eye opening, informative, thought provoking – should have been all day or more.”

“A very enlightening presentation, somewhat disturbing but also empowering in the sense that we see the option to address literacy failures from a different perspective.  I am  excited about the prospect of having this information become more  common knowledge. I was truly impressed with the content and style of this presentation.  The topic is probably one of the most crucial of our times, if not THE most crucial.”

“We are all children of the code. The seminar provided information on how to view the reading problem in a new perspective.”

“Presenter was wonderful – knowledgeable and eloquent. Great video clips.”

“Fascinating. Helps me tomorrow in the classroom.”

“You talked about so many things that I have thought about for years, but have never really put words to it. I know the devastating damage shame causes in students of any age. As a dyslexic therapist, I have students enter my program whipped by the system of school. The downward spiral of shame is alive and well in our school system. It breaks my heart.  I feel like ALL teachers and parents need to hear your message.“

“David Boulton verbalized all the difficulty I have been experiencing with getting my 7 year old daughter to read and why.  My daughters struggles with reading felt like I was looking down the barrel of a gun. She is in 2nd grade and if she couldn’t get the reading how was she going learn to be able to do anything else, how was she going to be able to take a test in science… I can truly see that what she has learned is interfering with her learning. I feel as though I can’t even begin to apologize to my daughter for shoving her in this downward spiral of shame. I see it in everything she does and every sense of her being. All that I go though trying to “teach” her now makes perfect sense. She has learned she such great avoidance techniques that I felt as if she was doing these things to me, now I know that it is because she is confused and frustrated. I now feel empowered to do everything I can to make learning a success and try to repair the damage that has been done. I am so grateful that I was able to hear David Boulton speak. I felt like he was speaking directly to me about my child after I had given him her whole history. I desperately want to help my child learn how to learn by constructing a stairway to create success for her… Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.”

“Thank you for two excellent sessions, the keynote address and our afternoon meeting at the SC Conference on June 29 2010. I found the information extremely interesting. I was especially interested in the connection you’ve made between frustration with reading difficulties, ensuing shame and avoidance mechanisms, and subsequent behavior problems that erupt from the school environment into the home and society. Now that I’ve listened to you I wonder how I’ve spent more than twenty years in the classroom and not clearly identified the process or the cause myself. So thank you for perceiving, articulating, and putting a human face on troubling observations all teachers have been party to. Because of your insights, I will focus more on reading difficulties and be on the lookout for indications of trouble. I teach ninth and twelfth graders, so I anticipate a high level of skill in deception and avoidance at this level, but I know some things now to look for and some ways to ease the emotional burden as well as help with the literacy skills.”

“Excellent presentation! As I listened to your presentation, faces of students kept appearing in my head. It made me think about the students I see in school every day and what they are learning, not just in class, but wherever they happen to be. (the Downward Spiral of Shame) was the best part of the day. It truly made me think about what happens to children on a regular basis in school.  The video clips were excellent and added to your presentation.”

“I was very impressed with your presentation…from my point of view, your presentation, film and speaker, were outstanding. I just really think your presentation was top rate. I do wish you success, the most success. In fact, should you succeed, the benefits will certainly accrue to us all.”

“Looked at reading with a whole new perspective.”

“This is a very interesting approach and I could see many applications that will work to assist the students I work with daily.  I appreciate the time for this workshop but it was too much information for the time alloted and I would like to have it be a two day workshop to aide learning.  It was great to hear that you have defined the problem so well. We need to do more to eliminate the “Blame” of all who are concerned, i.e., students, parents, teachers and caregivers.  Thank you for your presentation.”

“It was very informative and professional. Administrators should be mandated to see and become aware of this major issue. Thank you.”

“It was the best lecture at the series in years. Certainly the most relevant to every teacher in schools today.”

“This is one of the most insightful and educational presentations I have even attended.  This is dealing with a crisis right now and has many solutions and visions for the future.  The child is at the center of all this research and this will prove very helpful for all Learners.  I am most grateful for this blessing and I know it will transform our lives in ways we cannot now envision.  All the students in Burnaby are now empowered with this information. Thank you.Thank you.

“I just heard David Boulton speak last night at a short workshop and I am totally reeling. I’ve been researching and working on Early Literacy for about 5 years now, and this new piece just fascinates me. He is pulling together people from even more diverse fields of study to delve into why it’s so hard for kids to learn to read, and also why it sets them up for failure in life. One piece I have not yet heard about is the downward spiral of embarrassment and shame and what that does to a person. If you start at such a young age feeling shame at being confused over learning, it can literally derail your brain in such a fashion that it incapacitates you. I need to know more! The implications of this are nearly overwhelming!  For more info check out website.”

Definitely we all agree 100%, all teachers need to see this presentation so they can acknowledge how bad the problem is.

“I found your lecture and adept information amazing. Thank you for you for your professionalism. You are an academic treat!!!

“I think discussing healthy and unhealthy learning was a very good way to present this information and to get attention placed on what is really important in the instruction of students to read. I appreciated the fact that your reason for studying the problems associated with learning to read was solely that of solving the problem. As a parent of a dyslexic child I especially appreciated the fact that you address the shame involved with poor reading. I plan to use your information to further educate and inform those parents and teacher with whom I work.”

“I thoroughly enjoyed attending your presentation.  I would have liked to have heard more, an hour and 15 minutes was not sufficient.  I enjoyed the video excerpts from economists, professors, students, etc. I agree with most everything here… particularly how well students learn is more important than what they know. The points of adaptive vs. maladaptive learning was impressive.  I agree that people avoid situations to prevent them from feeling shame, confused, etc. The connection with drugs, eating disorders, etc also was impressive. The videos of the children make you stop and think.”

“As the seminar progressed I got a much better grasp of the direction, scope and layers of this very important, life changing research.”

“I could have attended a longer meeting because I learned so much in the three hours I was there. I am very impressed by the whole project. I have taught in public schools for thirty years, and I saw these issues in the classroom every day, but I didn’t have words to describe them, nor could I see the whole scope of the problem. Reading the COTC’s interviews helps me understand the big picture in a more organized way. I don’t see anyone else doing what you are accomplishing right now. I encourage you to push on. I hope you get the satisfaction necessary to further investigate this most interesting situation. You are providing original research and distributing it in such a way that thousands will learn from it.”

“I really enjoyed the History and the multifaceted impact reading has on future success. Your presentation of basic vs proficiency was excellent. I used this immediately on Monday in my classroom.  History gives context.    It was excellent, easily repeatable. Understanding neurological function is important.  I recognize in my students now when they are not really all-systems-go in the learning arena.”

“My “WHOA, what a dumb*** moment” at the Symposium Jan 29th at Winston was when your words made me realize knowing my son has these issues, that I still sometimes get mad at him when he can’t get through his homework (adding to the shame). I’ve been asking God for an answer, and came across the symposium the week of. What a blessing!”

The “Children of the Code” conference keynote and subsequent hour-long seminar were simply phenomenal and a direct answer to a VERY specific prayer I had proctored in regard to further understanding language and words. For years, and especially here recently, I had been hungry for and craving more information to further delineate the research and delve deeper into the science of language/words and how the brain works. David Boulton, Children of the Code, and all the correlating sources, documentation, and videos are a TRUE and very specific answer to that prayer. I am still exploring the information and the website, and I am SO EXCITED to incorporate these findings and the research into how and what I teach the students.

“GREAT PRESENTATION. My overall experience was very enlightening and powerful…gave me a deeper understanding of the brain and how it relates to the way children struggle with reading and learning. Listening to the videos of the children’s thoughts and feelings was very emotional for me. Hence, my thoughts and attitude towards children has now been transformed to a more healthy approach to communicating and interacting with children.”

“Excellent presentation! Extremely helpful information inspiring me to continue the fight for students having difficulty learning to read, in new ways. The wealth of web information you offer is fantastic.”

“I loved the emphasis on early oral language development.  As a parent of dyslexic children, I knew I had raised them in a language rich environment with a great deal of participatory language opportunities. In spite of that they had reading problems.  But they have escaped the cycle of shame.  I always wondered why.  You pointed out that another benefit for children from a language rich environment was that they also had a deeper level of emotional resilency.  That was very affirming to me as a parent.  I have often blamed myself for their reading failure, thinking I had not done enough even though I did everything I knew at the time.  You helped me see that I had made a difference.”

“The information was certainly powerful and I walked away with a new awareness of several key components about learning that I can use in my programming and parenting. “

Since there are so many videos on the website, I was expecting they would take up the majority of the conference time, so I was pleasantly surprised by how beautifully they were interspersed throughout the presentation. The effect of the entire presentation was profound and lasting. Though I have been exposed to the children of the code videos through my Reading Science Graduate Program at The College of Mount St. Joseph in Cincinnati , this presentation helped tie many pieces together for me. [The description of reading was] very uniquely presented; gained more insight from this piece than I thought I would as someone who works with dyslexic and differently-abled students daily. I loved the player piano analogy.”

“Thank you so much for this wonderful overview of reading challenges.  I found it highly interesting and pertinent to my own past reading development, as well as my passion to help my own children learn to read, and  possible future efforts to teach again in the public school system.   I was a child/adult who struggled to read, so you really hit home with me!   Thank you so much.  I hope and pray you can gain national attention to this reality. Again, thank you, and may God bless your work!”

“I thoroughly enjoyed the presentation and feel that I have gained some insight and a new perspective about reading and writing and the teaching of these two subject areas.  I was impressed by the fact that Mr. Boulton was not looking for someone to blame.”

J. Bertz, Special Education Teacher, Lexington School District, Lexington , MO

“We always need to know where we’ve started from to know where we’re going.”

“Fascinating! I didn’t know any of this. I always thought English spelling was a conspiracy.”

“It’s important to know the foundation in order to change the current epidemic.”

“Understanding the code is critical, history was excellent.”

“The Children of the Code seminar offered valuable insights about the historical, cognitive, and social factors that have contributed to the present literacy crisis in America. Through detailed analysis of the history of the English language, the seminar establishes that English is an artificial code that produces an artificial form of confusion in some learners. When students are socialized to associate that confusion with shame, their chances of gaining an appropriate literacy level are severely compromised. The seminar left me considering the type of context I create in my literature and writing classrooms. To what extent does the atmosphere in my classroom enable the students to embrace language, to enage with the words and ideas on the printed page? How might practices that unintentionally inculcate shame and shut down the learning process?”

“Shame section was excellent! This message needs to be brought to ALL teachers (general ed and special ed). Downward spiral of shame is also an excellent piece.”

“Your presentation was different than the usual “specific learning/teaching” conferences I usually attend….specifically on vocabulary, comprehension, etc. For me it was very engaging because you are very engaging as a speaker and then you have so many visuals/videos to “pop in” here and there. I wish every educator and administrator could hear you talk about the “shame” associated with not being able to read.”

“I cried internally for myself while I heard your presentation! More than half of my life has been spent covering up the difficulty I have with reading (both in English and Spanish, my native language).”

“The conference was presented very well and I have gained a renewed interest in the subject.   As a school nurse who is presently pursuing a degree in early childhood education “Children of the Code” offered insightful information regarding the impact of literacy.  Thank you for offering this seminar.”

“You gave me a lot to think about. I will explore more of the ideas you presented on the website. I wish I could have listened to you for another hour! It was very powerful – especially because I had a conversation with a student just last week that was rooted in this very struggle with shame. I had already given it a lot of thought, but now have a greater sense of needing to remove whatever/however I am contributing to the shame so that he can learn. The most gut wrenching moment is the student’s feeling of shame at that “stutter” but it has many layers packed into it. Have a greater appreciation for the cognitive demand that is necessary for reading and writing in English. I had not really thought about how much easier it would be if there truly were a 1-to-1 correspondence between letter and sound. I do see how it would greatly reduce the occurrence of the problems that I have viewed as dyslexia.”

“Very interesting presentation.  Excellent information presented to support the belief that stewarding the health of the learner is the most important social responsibility of our society.   Felt use of short video clips was an excellent method of keeping audience attention followed up by a brief summary by David Boulton.   Seeing actual individuals who suffered from reading problems and what it did to their lives and self-esteem was very moving and made the information so much more believable/human.  Loved the emphasis on the confusion of the brain and how functionally if the brain is spending a lot of time decoding their is just not enough processing power left over for comprehension etc…   This whole seminar made me realize what a miracle it is that most of us can read/write to begin with. Extremely interesting!!”

“I think the information you shared is extremely important especially at a time when government organizations are attacking schools and saying we aren’t doing enough.  If every teacher could hear this information, the approach to teaching reading may change.  I like the idea that a certain reading program is not the answer to success but the understanding of what is happening to children during our teaching and the factors that lead to a child becoming an unsuccessful reader.  Once that is understood, the approach a teacher takes with any reading program, can be the success factor for a student.  Very interesting and very helpful.”

“The general message (Healthy Learning) being spread is something that everyone needs to hear and understand in order to maximize the learning and success of future generations. This is critical to the future of our society as a whole!  I thoroughly enjoyed the presentation and cannot begin to put into words how powerful it was to examine the concept of reading with a whole new set of eyes. The one-day experience was remarkable and unforgettable!”

“Three hours only whetted my appetite. It was an “aha” moment. It included so many facets of the cause and contributing factors of the problem that I have never explored. This will help me in my role as a Reading Specialist and as a member of the Intervention Assistance Team. I say “Preach on!”

“I have attended many trainings on literacy, but never had the information been presented in this context. Excellent!”

“I believe I learned a lot during David’s presentation.  It was highly informative, interactive and engaging.  The material was presented in a logical manner that built the proper background to allow for a more in-depth understanding of the problem we face with children learning how to read.  I believe it was the first presentation I’ve been to that did not focus on solutions to teaching how to read; rather, the presentation focused on causes, or the why, which is such a crucial element to understand before generating a “how” to fix it.  [The shame] section hit on a concept that I knew, but did not know well enough to incorporate into my classroom.  I know that I do not intentionally create situations to shame my students, but by ignorantly pushing antiquated pedagogy onto them, I was creating shameful situations.  I found this section to generate the most amount of self-reflection, which is the key part for me to develop as an educator.  Very, very well done.”

“This presentation should have been first as a framework for all our learning for 3 days.” ( Lindamood Bell Conference Presentation)

“The information presented was/is very important. It helped me to understand (from a different point of view) why it is so difficult for some children to read.”

“I really enjoyed the presentation. I think it was very eye-opening for a lot of educators that lack the psychology background to understand how maladaptive illiteracy can be for children.”

“This presentation gave a very in-depth look at the problems with literacy, its origin, and the solution to the problem. Gave a new way to view and understand the overall process of attaining literary comfortability, which leads to excellence in reading. This seminar opened my eyes to a lot of elements involved in reading and understanding that I didn’t really pay that close attention to.”

“It was all very helpful and informative.  I could have listened much longer if possible! 3 hours really doesn’t do this justice.  I hope to have more exposure to what you are doing. Thanks for coming to Wichita .”

“I feel that the presentation was both informative and empowering while also addressing the current realities that our children, families, and educators are dealing with. While there were no “quick-fixes” or “magic bullets” to the work, it did reinforce the importance of 1.)both the home and the larger community roles in the success of children, 2.) the challenges and limitations in the current curriculum format that we are teaching children today, and 3.) needing to provide the most effective teaching strategies given that the advancements in science, information, and technology is at a rate faster than curriculum can be developed, approved, and adopted. I just want to say that I am grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in this presentation and hear all of the important information and discussion surrounding the current state of education, particularly literacy. I acquired great strategies and tools I can now apply and utilize in my classroom to support student success and minimize confusion and shame. In addition, I have more perspective on and greater understanding of the complexities of the English Language, concerns and barriers children face on their journey to literacy, and the impact that each and every interaction and experience has on the development of a child. Thank you!”

“Awesome information presented that helps in understanding the reading process.”

“I have never thought of the scope of the issues about reading that were expressed here. The history was very interesting and helpful. I think that this presentation has just made me a candidate for a reading specialist program, even though I teach science.”

“Thank you for your provocative presentation to the librarians in Chicago. Over the course of the next days’ workshops and the remainder of the conference we heard many remarks about how you “set the tone” for the conference by reminding us what we are up against. While librarians have actively worked to incorporate diverse ideas and practices, being reminded of the “shame” issue brings much of our work into clearer focus.”

“The conference was an impressive introduction to your work. It really wetted my appetite to want to learn more, and it offered a lot of information for reflection. Those in education are becoming inoculated with hearing calls of “No Child Left Behind.” But this message transcends that call. It takes a broader view of illiteracy than just what is happening in schools, instead looking at the problem from the viewpoint of society and individual implication.The information presented about the alphabetic code was fascinating. The examples given at the end of the presentation showing one letter of the alphabet — and all of the various sounds that one letter can make are very powerful. I think every parent, every teacher, every school board member, every administrator needs to see just a few of those examples….to better understand the complexity of the problem.”

“The workshop material was fantastic. While I’m not at all a history buff, the historical aspects of the struggle with the code, was fascinating to me! When you look at things from the perspective of “How did we get here,” rather than ONLY “what do we do about it,” you can explain & troubleshoot & problem-solve WITH BUY-IN FROM THOSE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ISSUE (and isn’t buy-in an enormous practical aspect of problem-solving?) with greater efficiency & positive outcomes!  I am so grateful to you for bringing in the emotional factor. So many times, when we talk about this with our teachers and support personnel and even administrative staff, they look at us like we’re 3-headed! It is just so refreshing to hear someone eloquently and IN SUCH A REALM OF PRACTICALITY say that this is a huge part of the problem! Quite good, complete, practical, and NECESSARY information for teachers and administrators!”

“I was so fortunate to be in attendance for the presentation of “The Code and the Challenge of Learning to Read It” seminar at Columbus State University in Columbus, Georgia. As a 31-year veteran of the public school system of Georgia, a reading teacher, and now a reading coach, I was astounded by the information in the presentation.”

“Overall workshop was knowledgeable and informative and eye opening.”

“Train more teachers and school systems who do not believe what information was given today is important and true.”

“I enjoyed the seminar. I found it very informative and educational.”

“This was fabulous and I keep referring back to it! My 13 year old son loved it too! We thought it was just totally enlightening. Our light bulbs went on!”

“I am so glad I came to the seminar. It was a wonderful overview of the projects work. It made me think about this coming school year with a whole different perspective.”

“The visual displays, presenter, and videos held my attention throughout the presentation.  The event was very informative and affirmed some previous beliefs about shame’s effect on students.  The event gave me a better understanding of what is involved in the process of reading.  There is more to reading than just knowing phonics. The presentation opened my eyes to the fact that each child is wired to learn naturally.  Reading and studying in an academic setting is just one part of the learning process. I never thought about unhealthy learning.  The emphasis is so heavily placed on learning – period, that we fail to realize that there is a negative side to learning.”

“Thoughtful – good for all audiences (adult teachers, child teachers, family teachers). Many do not understand that reading is not automatic for individuals.”

“I applaud your dedication to this growing concern. Usually we hear of people talking about the problem, placing blame solely on us “over paid” teachers – not trying t do anything about it. Thank you.”

“Excellent work. Very exciting and challenging information presented. In Bermuda , there is a crisis in the learning of children. The drop out rate is tremendous. Future conferences should include Justice, Corrections, and Substance Abuse agencies. More effort should be directed at enlisting the Educators and leaders of the nation/Island – would like to see more workshops like this for parents and children as well as schools.”

“Thank you so much for allowing those of us from Ft. Rucker, Alabama, the opportunity to attend the seminar. It was very informative, thought-provoking, and presented very well.”

“The seminar was excellent in explaining why our alphabet is so difficult for many learners to decode. The history behind how we ended up with the alphabet we presently use lays a good foundation to understand our literacy challenges we face today. Also, the emotional implications of not being able to keep up with peers was very insightful. The presentation did a very good job describing the problem and conveying the magnitude of the problem. The presentation was very powerful in conveying to me where students are coming from and the importance of being in sync with the child. Thank you!”

“This topic has changed the way in which I will now view language and how it is incorporated into some of our agency’s literacy based programs.”

“This was a wonderful presentation important to all educators.”

“I was a recent participant in the Children of the Code seminar in our state. The seminar provided excellent information on the foundations of language and helped many of us reach deeper understandings of why so many children experience difficulty learning to read. Thank you for providing thought-provoking material that enriched our understanding of our language and encouraged us to learn more about children of the code.

“I just want to thank you for ALL of this brain food last night! I am so thrilled to be able to understand the particulars of learning and how everything in this society connects to it. I am very interested in being the first person that teaches my child based on your theories. I am also very interested in any type of information that may help me along this path including any recommendations on books that you personally found intriguing. I did jot down a few last night off your presentation board, however I would like to see which you would personally recommend. I have three boys 3,10 & 11 whom don’t really care for reading, however I AM going to change that!”

“I was fascinated with the subject: your presentation was both enlightening and reinforcing for observations that I had made over my years of teaching. I do believe teachers at every level need to have a functional knowledge of the information from this seminar; with such knowledge, then we all need to make a commitment to change. Thank you for a wonderful and thought-provoking session.”

“The Code and the Challenge of Learning to Read It seminar provided an interdisciplinary overview of various beliefs about learning to read. A deliberate and meaningful common thread throughout the seminar emphasized the shame factor that poor readers and nonreaders must endure.”

“This is the kind of information that I believe can truly help parents, educators, homeschool parents, etc., begin to get rid of hidden attitudes that spread the debilitating and often unintentional use of shame when they are frustrated in helping struggling readers.  We do need to stop and listen to each individual and keep trying to assess their needs. I am excited to learn more and hope that you will continue your research and find ways to get the information in the hands of people who will use it. Thank you!”

“It was a wonderful presentation and although I had been following your website for several years, hearing it in person was so educational.  I thought the area on the Shame was very powerful and very important for EVERYONE to understand.  Great presentation.”

“David’s passion for this needs to be bottled and sold. Thank you!”

“I felt this was very important to the state of literacy in this country.”

“I want to thank CSU for bringing this very important program to central Georgia and for providing educators across our state the opportunity to impact education in such a profound way. Through David Boulton’s presentation, educators must now realize our duty to transform the way we look at the teaching of reading, how we can best reach all children, and how we can prevent our children from languishing in the shame of illiteracy. I look forward to a day when not only is “no child left behind” but also when no child fears the written words and no child is ashamed of his/her ability or inability to break the written code. I am truly thankful for the opportunity to be a part of this transformation.”

“This information is very helpful in prioritizing our goals. As I listened to the children on your PowerPoint presentation name their struggle and the resulting self-doubt, tears came…Thank you for unpackaging this problem for us and for working toward raising awareness as to how this phenomenon we call reading seems to take place. I learned a lot from your presentation and look forward to learning a lot more from your website and will pass it on myself in any way I can.”

“I was extremely interested throughout the talk. I am a physical therapist and I attended the conference mainly to hear the PT who was presenting. I was not expecting to find the talk as interesting and relevant as I did. I left feeling quite shocked and much more informed about the importance of this issue.”

“I was most impressed the amount of information presented in such a short timeframe.  Reading and writing are such important school subjects for all yet i do not see enough time spent with student s to unlock the confusion the subjects present.   Every teacher/parent/grandparent should see this over and over to further help students with their difficulties.”

“This seminar was very informative. My passion for helping those who cannot read was rekindled. My hope is that something wonderful comes out of this. I am looking forward to follow up sessions.”

I sincerely want to thank Mr. Boulton for bringing this issue to the forefront – it is long overdue.”

“I felt that the presentation really took the audience “back to the basics”. Information and comments by experts that related to the history of our alphabet were reassuring one hand and thought-provoking on the other.”

“Half day is not sufficient for all of your valuable information.  This information is vital to be presented to government and the general public as well as educators.”

“Awesome information presented that helps in understanding the reading process.”

“Excellent information – the material presented was thought provoking and very clearly defined. There needs to be a national conversation and commitment to teaching reading as a way of gathering information. I really loved the overview of research and correlation of findings.”

“Excellent information.  I wish I could have brought a bus load of teachers with me.  How can I share the info with them? Is there a video of the event?  Please let me know. Please let me know when you will be back.”

“Wonderful training with powerful information for administrators, teachers and parents.”

“Entire seminar was very interesting and enlightening.”

“Thanks for pulling together lots of aspects and providing a new way to look at the problems we face in teaching children to read.

“The information was presented in a professional and interesting way. I liked not having Powerpoint slide handouts. I was actively listening and enjoyed the discussions. David Boulton is a fantastic speaker. Thank you for sharing your hard work and powerful message with us in Lodi, CA.”

“Societal change is definitely needed–your message and work is of the utmost importance!!”

“I was at one of your seminars (Illinois Action for Children) and my stomach was turning with excitement and anxiety as I watched the videos of the emotional effect reading difficulties play in a child’s life. I saw my son, who as of today will not go any farther in his education – who vowed not to ever go to college, because of ‘learning problems’.”

You all should be extremely proud of the work you are doing.  As a mother with a child who has Dyslexia, and as a future teacher, you have given me so much more insight into the issues at hand that I want to help make a difference in the lives of my own children and the students I will be teaching.”

“This was an amazing journey.  Thank you for the research and for delivering it in a powerful manner.   The complete conference was a ’10’ – but, 3 hours was not quite enough!  Working to disseminate the information you have garnered must be a daunting task.  Keep on keeping on!

“My overall experience was shock about the vivid truth that was shared yet a relief to be validated about my very own hardships that I’ve had over many years of my life. The information was presented impeccably, it was very well organized so it all made sense even though only a short version of a longer presentation was available in the amount of time we had. I find your work is very important and greater awareness is needed. I think you are heading in the right direction as far as I can tell. Sharing the issues and explaining the problems so clearly, and in such depth can only wake people up and get them thinking; that’s a start. I feel my understanding of the core problem (or code problem) comes at a perfect time. I have a great interest in your project and will look forward to exploring your website more and getting information that may help me help my children. I appreciate your interest and I’m grateful that you are making so many people aware of this issue.  The COTC information was an important piece of the puzzle for me. I’m grateful to you .”

“The presentation was great for the amount of time slotted for the speaker. The information that was presented was very thought provoking and gave you the sense of Wow!”

“David Boulton was the presenter at our convocation in New Britain, Connecticut. As a teacher and also as a doctoral student I was intrigued by the information that was presented. Kudos on the fabulous website where there is so much information and presented in such an engaging way.”

“Very compelling information! It really made me think about how we do things in the world of education and how to take what I got from the presentation and share that with my fellow educators.”

“Every aspect of this presentation was fantastic! How can we get this information to those-who-need-to-know? and How to get those folks to recognize and DO SOMETHING about this massive problem?”

“There was much validation of what I already knew but didn’t know WHY it worked. The website is a tremendous resource which I plan to use extensively in future professional development for my principals and teachers.”

“The most powerful professional development experience I have ever had.  If you are involved in anyway in teaching children to read you MUST attend one of the seminars.  This was truly an awakening for me!  I will never look at the reading process in the same way.  Attending this seminar will help everyone understand better why we have so many children that struggle when it comes to learning to read.”

“Working with David and the COTC group has been the highlight of my career. I have always had a very deep passion for education and the role educators play in the lives of children. COTC’s message is something we need to listen to very carefully. The future of our world depends on how well our children learn. David does an amazing job of spreading this message and motivating people from the inside out. We have to be connected and committed to our children and pay attention to world around us. I am eternally grateful for the continued work by COTC and believe whole heartily in their mission. Their message is most important in today’s world.”

“Insightful and informative. A must see for anyone involved in teaching children to read. This is not a quick fix or remedy for reading problems, but a thorough scientific explanation of the entire reading process from leading experts in a variety of fields. Attending this workshop will provide a deeper understanding of why children struggle with reading and what needs to be done to address this crisis in our schools.”

“The children of the code brought a new perspective and insight to our thoughts in this region on the world of a struggling reader.  The presentation told the story in a way that assisted those in attendance with gaining an understanding of the need to “break the code” and what that means for those who can’t. The presentations brought the literacy discussion to the forefront for those in attendance and the desire to learn more about how to help people break the code continues.  We look forward to continuing our work with the National Center for Family Literacy and the Children of the Code.”

“David Boulton is a rock star of the education world.  Not only does he deliver pertinent, current and evidenced based information to a field that sometimes finds itself drowning in misinformation, he does so with passion.  Combining both straight lecture with a multi-media web-based presentation, he engaged our participants from the start and maintained their interest and participation throughout.  Unlike so many other speakers, he did not come with a canned presentation, but did his homework beforehand finding out about our participants and our company. The presentation he delivered was crafted to meet our needs making it that much more meaningful and practical to our members.  Adding even extra depth are the myriad of resources available on the Children of the Code website. Participants were guided to that site so they could follow up after the presentation while they were in their schools.  A keynote is meant to energize, inspire and inform and that is exactly what David Boulton does.  We have already booked him to return next year!”

“After reflection, I am increasingly grateful and enthusiastic about the impact of the presentations you delivered at Columbus State University on November 30, 2004. The Code and the Challenge of Learning to Read It is a powerful professional learning experience. It communicates multiple messages that challenge the diverse personal and professional interests of educators on a variety of engaging levels.”

“ALL the comments heard from the registration people, people in our classes this week, table discussion leaders etc. have been positive. You made a wonderful contribution. The topics have stimulated classroom discussions. And, for this to be the first event for our newly formed College of Education, we are extremely pleased with the impact made in our community. You are great. The BIG picture was outstandingly FINE!”

“Working with the Children of the Code staff was one of the most delightful experiences in establishing staff development. The support is unbelievable! I was never caught waiting for a response. Responsiveness is immediate! No one has ever offered to setup a website to describe training to our participants. Handouts were made available immediately! Needs for the event were explicit. On the day of the training, the run-through went well, and the training was extraordinary! Six months later, conversations are still occurring around thoughts from that event. It was the easiest and best event we have done! Thank you Children of the Code for outstanding professionalism and customer service while delivering dynamic, relevant information and challenge!”

“The Children of the Code seminar was provocative.  It provided valuable insight on how we’ve come to have such low reading reading achievement in our schools. We followed our seminar with small group discussion.  The presentation by David provided a catalyst for deep dialogue and discussion among those of us who care about children’s literacy issues in Oakland.”

“Thanks for bringing the Children of the Code seminar to Chicago’s early and family literacy community. Being part of such a sweeping, panoramic view of the complexity of breaking the code and learning how to read, sparked intense dialogue among this committed group of Chicago practitioners. I also appreciated the technical support we received from your organization—the web page links got the word out in a fast, efficient manner.”

“The Children of the Code gave a tremendous presentation in our service center about the importance of knowing how to break the code for all students, specially our struggling readers.  I really enjoyed the historical background of the functions of language and how the alphabet symbols came to be part of the magic of reading.  I really hope they continue their quest to ensure that all stakeholders understand the essence of learning to read.”

“Your seminar was outstanding, to say the least.  It regenerated my interest to evaluate, understand, and find alternative teaching methods to reading problems more than I can express.”

“The project gave us a comprehensive examination of literacy and the challenges many of our students face when they can’t crack the code. I really believe our teachers are hungry for these suggestions for teaching reading and the social change of education. Conversation could have continued well into the afternoon on these implications for instruction. I certainly consider the Children of the Code project and presentation to be one of the most meaningful and relevant discussions we, as a staff, have had in the past several years. We were very pleased with the educational session and look forward to when we can get you back here to share with a larger group.”

“I know of students who feel the shame and this conference made me want to go to them on Monday and tell them how their brain just works differently and it is not as easy for them to read, but they will be able to because I am going to do all I can.”

What David delivered to our small district was a thought-provoking and powerful presentation that emotionally affected, parents, teachers and community members. Two weeks following the seminar, people are still talking about it and wanting to know more. Hopefully this is just the beginning of an awakening…….”

“It was a pleasure working with you and having you with our group. The conversations that I have had after the experience have been very positive with a lot of “thought” going on out there!  Your message was heard and already I have been in meetings where administrators incorporated their learning into upcoming presentations and in future planning. Thanks again for sharing the day with us.”

“It was great to hear more about the struggles that many children are having breaking the code. All adults in America need to know more about how difficult it is for many kids to learn to read, and even more difficult to make them feel good about reading due to the sense of shame they carry around with them. The “Children of the Code” presentation is an effective introduction to why reading instruction–and success in reading–are a lot tougher than many adults think they are.”

“As the conference coordinator, I found that David was easy to work with from the very beginning. The presentation was very well received. It was informational and engaging. It was a pleasant experience overall. The challenges society puts on reading was very interesting. It is an angle that is not given much importance in other programs. Early reading readiness skills are so important. We have to get the word out. You are doing a good job.”

“Working with David Boulton and the Children of the Code was a wonderful experience. For myself it was a journey of personal and professional growth. He was meticulous in his planning and understanding of our own school district’s unique place in the literacy journey. David spent countless hours discussing our particular needs and shaping his presentation to our audience of educators. There was something in it for everyone — elementary and secondary educators, adult educators, and district administrators.

The Children of the Code enterprise brings to us a perspective on student learning that is often not discussed – the shame that students feel when they can’t learn what others do easily. There is an embarrassment and frustration that can permeate the students ability to learn. As educators we need to be aware of the struggles of these learners and the steps that we need to take to help them overcome their past negative experiences in reading and learning.

The Children of the Code’s message is an important one for educators and parents to hear.”

“He is reminiscent of the medicine men of old, traveling around the country dazzling audiences with the amazing and unusual. But David Boulton, Director of the Children of the Code Project, is no quack doctor and peddles no magic portions. What he brings is amazing and unusual because, although it sounds proverbial and so “right”, the truths about how we teach children to read and write, reveal such amazing flaws, they are dazzling to the eye and ear.

“How we teach children to read is based on a “code”, a human invention put into place by choices made just a few hundred years ago,” Boulton said during his November seminar in Durham. It is the ‘operating system’ for the way we run our world yet reading it is anything but a natural skill. Rather, he continues, it is a cognitive and emotional challenge for all children and the source of chronic confusion and frustration for many who struggle.

“Boulton unfolds his thesis about the history of the code, its contemporary use, and the negative statistics it produces through a lecture supported by video clips from more than fifty interviews with world-leading scientists, historians, educators and government leaders. It is impressive,  authentic, indeed, dazzling.  But if you’re looking for a neat and simple “cure” for the ills of teaching reading and writing, Boulton says, “There is no magic bullet.”  Instead he says we need ‘magic glasses’ we need a complete change, a transformation and re-conceptualization of the way we teach language and reading in our homes, schools and school systems. He stresses the importance of oral language because it is a more natural process and begins before contact with the code.”

“The seminar was sponsored by The Mekye Center, The Augustine Project, and North Carolina Central University School of Education and was presented in cooperation with the National Center for Family Literacy. For more information and to read the interviews, go towww.childrenofthecode.org.”

“I am in awe of the research you have. In my 35 years as an educator and a reading teacher, I have never read anything to come close to your findings. Teaching reading is becoming more of a science than a mystery.  Thank you.”

[Why am I interested?] “Bringing in neuroscience of learning, how you’ve tied in the history of written language to learning, and best of all for me, is taking head on in a most frank manner, dysteachia!”

“Thank you so much for your fascinating, enlightening, and thoughtful web site. Not only have I gained insight into my own field, so have my students.”

“I use your website at least once in almost every professional development session I conduct. Love it. Excellent information for the teachers and administrators. I have never heard such heart-ripping testimonies put in this kind of format. I intend to use the social danger clip with my monthly report to a school superintendent this week. I will also be sending this to the network of school improvement specialist with whom I work in our state. I will definitely be in touch to let you know how everyone responds. Thank you for making this accessible to those of us in the field who are working in failing schools. This will be a vital tool.”

“I just wanted to take a minute to tell you how absolutely wonderful this site is. While earning my reading specialist credential, I found this site, and signed up for e-mails. I read every new interview that came across and marveled at all of the information that you compiled. About four months ago I changed email addresses and forgot to sign up for the updates. Anyway, I just signed up again with my new address and have read your latest interview and watched the two video excerpts. All I can say is WOW! I had forgotten how amazing this site was. I love all of the connections from one expert to another and the links to rare vocabulary. I cannot wait to go back and read all of the interviews that I missed while I was “away”. I also want to say that I appreciate your efforts in presenting both sides. Thank you so much!  Much appreciation,”

“My daughter struggled to read early on (kindergarten) and was subsequently diagnosed dyslexic. In an effort to help my daughter I wanted to find out why some people struggled to read, for me it came easily. I became obsessed with “all things reading”,so much so, that I returned to graduate school to earn a masters in reading and currently work as a reading specialist/literacy coach in a public school. Every day I help kids break the code but it is the affective, social and political aspects of reading that most interest me. I’ve been reading your sight for several years and must say, more than any book or article I’ve read, the information on this website has influenced how I work with children, how I coach teachers and most importantly how I reflect upon the difficult journey my daughter travelled between kindergarten and 12th grade as her initial difficulty with sounds and letters led to a negative self-perception as a learner that seeped into all aspects of her life. Your website pulls together diverse perspectives, respectfully and represents the coming-together of great minds in the field that must preceed any meaningful change. I am happy to say that my daughter is now 18 years old and graduating from high school with high grades. She is hoping to become an educator and help children put their struggles in perspective.

“What an amazing thing you are doing! This is revolutionary–your concepts, your efforts to gather the thoughts of others, and the way you are sharing information so freely on your website. I think we are at a watershed moment where the non-judgmental recognition of brain differences could catapult humanity forward to a better place. What you are working on sits right at the heart of things–for people, and by extension, for the planet. I need a little time to think about this–and then, I hope, I can find a way to help. Thank you so much for what you are doing!”

[Why am I interested?] “The summation of current research is fabulous. Drilling down so deeply permits you to rise above the learning wars that this country habitually devolves into”

“I love your project! I teach literacy courses to pre-service teachers and plan on including your material in my courses. Thanks for making it available!”

“I can’t stop reading the articles that are on the site. I wish there were scholarships available to attend workshops. This is a great site and I wish there were a way to get it out there to the public more.”

“I find the excitement of the incisive interviews by David Boulton and the informative bonanza of reading information exposed, breathtaking.”

“I cannot say enough about this project “Children of the Code.”  As a professional working with children and their families (I’m a pediatrician) and in particular with children with special needs…I have been religiously following and reading each interview.  I have shared your website with many parents and educators.  There is so much excellent work going on in each of the categories (from neuroscience to behavioral science to education) that can give us the tools to tackle this horrendous gap of reading ability in our nation.  My hope is that this information does not remain in the confines of academia and makes it to the “front lines” starting in the department of obstetrics to the nursery and on to nursery school and beyond. I have sent your URL to every educator I know and certainly have passed it on to every parent group I have spoken to.  I’m awaiting the DVD. Thank you for undertaking such a colossal project….I hope  we ill continue to investigate and hopefully involve national as well as local lawmakers, educators, researches and parents in the quest for “breaking the code.”  Our children are counting on us.  Our democracy rests on it.” Thank you

“Children of the Code is a great resource that offers current research from the most prominent names in their perspective fields to help us all make informed decisions about instruction.”

“I saw the video at a workshop presented by Rebecca Cohen at Pima Community College . Wonderful! Want all my teachers from preschool and up to view the DVD! Our resource teachers will also just love!”

“I am so unbelievably impressed by the honesty of your message and the professionals who are involved with this project. I teach adults and children how to read. I can’t think of anything more profound that I can do with my life than this.”

“I’m so glad my friend emailed this website. This is probably the most interesting, educational, insightful, researched, helpful, meaningful information I’ve received since becoming a teacher.”

“I can’t believe how profoundly moving your web presentation is and I wish it were required viewing for every teacher and physician in the country (world?). I plan to send out the link to as many of those folks as I know. Many thanks for your work.”

“I love your materials and have used them with much success with students in my (Rocket Corps) program at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, Maryland.   Thank you for your work and making so much information available to those of us who can share it with students.”

“I love your materials and have used them with much success with students in my (Rocket Corps) program at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, Maryland.   Thank you for your work and making so much information available to those of us who can share it with students.

“My company provides professional development in the area of reading instruction. During a training, we went into the school’s computer lab and watched [COTC Videos]. Most teachers had tears in their eyes, one sobbed uncontrollably. They all said they see the urgency. The information provided on your website is so important. Every educator, parent, and resident of the United States needs to know these facts. I recommend your site to all participants in our trainings.   Thank you for your work!”

“Found this sight extremely informative and useful. I am a SPED teacher and hopefully the general ed teachers and principals will read the articles I forward and especially take action to help our keiki be successful.”

“I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart and the curiosity of my mind for this website. I was a victim of the “whole language” approach to reading back in the early 70’s. It wasn’t until later in college when I took a course in Greek that I realized I wasn’t instructed properly to read and write in my native language. Up until that time I thought there was something wrong with me or with my race (African American). Since then, I have been on quest to understand what had happened to me and why. I am also on a journey to rectify this problem so that my children would have a better start and reach the fullest potential. The articles, interviews, and video presentations are invaluable to me and the next generation that my wife and I will raise. Thanks again from my heart and head”

“I am an educational consultant working now with preschools in low SES English Language Learner schools and have had good success helping them train the directors and teachers to improve the education for the students so that they will enter kindergarten prepared for success. This information and resources are fabulous and will be very helpful to me with my project. Thank you!”

“I believe its one of the most fascinating and outstanding projects to be seen. I am currently doing research on reading fluency and this is the greatest source of information I’ve found. I truly believe that you are in the heart of the national reading crisis. I hope I will have an opportunity to attend to one of your seminars!”

[Why am I interested?] “The depth of research into this topic by the collective group is absolutely fascinating. Dr Abram for example compares the literate collective mind with the earth’s consciousness using very clear and concise words. I look forward to listening to more speakers. Thank you”.

I am so relieved to see this magnificent project evolving.  I think the project is likely to appeal to the “masses” in a way that more somber, fact-filled sheets of information have not. We in the literacy community know that the reading crisis is here, but somehow the rest of the nation is not paying attention. I’d like to see “Children of the Code” recognized by every person in this country – especially teacher training institutions and our governments’ education departments. There should be billboards and bumper stickers, ads during football games, endorsements by rappers. Nothing is more important than our reading crisis for our survival into the future.  We are in the process of designing a program for teenagers to be launched in the next two to three years and “Children of the Code” has given us lots of excellent information that we can use to generate enthusiasm locally.”

“As a school psychologist who has become addicted to your site, thank you for sharing so much valuable information!”

“I just wanted to thank you for conducting and making the interviews available. They are superb. I’ve only read a few (Nathanson, Risley, Shonkoff), but I’ve learned quite a bit from each one. I probably learned more from Risley’s interview than from his book. Shonkoff’s interview has been very helpful in helping me frame the importance of the parent-child relationship and the importance of emotional development.”

“Stunning and amazing. I’ve already e-mailed the link to 25 people, 2 of whom have links to at least 25 more people. Thank you so much!”

“I think it’s wonderful to see authentic information regarding helping kids who struggle with reading, rather then fluffy games to play or “they’ll be okay later”….

“WOW is all I can say to begin with. This is the first time that I feel someone has a complete understanding of my daughter and the journey she has begun.

“I just heard about this in a class I am taking and it is SO true. I am normally a non talker and just listening to the info given in passing at the class I realized that at times when all I have done was ‘business talk’ life was pretty grim around our house. (interestingly, in my classroom I AM much more chatty) What I like about this is, for someone like myself who is more prone to silence, it makes it easy to think – well, it doesn’t really matter what I say as long as I am making fun chatter with my children – and that it will lead to great benefits. (i.e., it doesn’t HAVE to be brilliant, or of great import) (not that I want to bore them, but I think I can read those signals and change topics or just chat about what they want to talk about) thank you, thank you, thank you.”

“This is truly the most valuable information I have yet found on the net about the process of learning sounds and reading. Thank-you for sharing it as you have. Love the style (interviews).”

“Through my studies for my MEd the lecturer introduced the site as an additional source of information. I am an English teacher and many of my students reach high school with a lot of reading problems. Your site provides valuable information that may enhance the teaching of these students.”

“Amazing is the one word that hits me!  Keep it up!”

“I’m grateful for your project “Children of the Code.” It has proven to be a wealth of great information and insight into a problem that I am familiar with and learning more about every day. I’m telling everyone to go to (the COTC site) if they want to get a healthy perspective on one of the most important issues facing our country, and maybe the globe.  We have a big ideas ourselves on how to shift the dial on illiteracy and hope to leverage a lot of your work along the way.”

“Just fabulous!! I am the parent of a child who struggles to read. I am also studying to be a teacher and I will use the information I find here in my classroom. Thanks!”

“A fascinating and informative project. Should have application in any element that teaches reading, writing or spelling, no matter what age the learners are.  Although I work primarily with adults, the items being discussed in your project are applicable to all new struggling readers. I’m also a volunteer partner with an elementary school in a socio-economical area of our city, and the content is applicable there as well. This is an extremely absorbing project to one who started dealing with reading problems late in life… what I have reviewed has helped so much in determining reasons for reading problems, and ways to resolve them.”

“I would like to say thank you for sending me updates via my email.  I read all the interviews you send to me and I also print them off and use them as professional readings for group learning in my school.  As an Australian teacher living so far away in Hong Kong, it is a real God send to feel like I’m still in touch with the latest developments and opinions in the field of teaching reading.  I think Mr Bolton is a wonderful interviewer. I have learned so much through reading his transcripts.  I feel like I belong to one giant, worldwide learning community through your site.  Congratulations on such a great web resource.”

“You have hit the nail on the head with your work with Children of the Code.  Please do not stop what you are doing.  The world may not be ready to hear what you have to say, but they have to hear it.  Because it is truth and it is reality.  Thank you for everything you are doing for the children of our country.”

“I think that this site should be visited by all parent and educators. I am dyslexic and so are two of my three children. The chapter [on Shame] touched on all the shameful experiences as a child that I felt and wanted no one to know about. As a result of that shame I droped out of school because of frustrations of not understanding how to break apart words or the sounds that made up a word. AS a adult I have learned how to cope with my problem and not be ashamed of how my brain works. This site has been a wealth of information for me and all those that I have sent to this site. I am truly thankful for the gifted minds that are behind this great work. You have inspired me to make a difference in the lives of my children as well as those within my community. Thank you again.”

“This program supports what we know concerning the process of learning how to read.  The science of reading is often written obscurely and not easily digested by people who are trying to find the “best” ways of teaching children this most important skill.  The interviews and the information for Children of the Code are invaluable to teachers, students, and professors because they are comprehensible and current.  You keep us on the cutting edge.  We respect the sources you use and the people who report.  Thanks.”

“I found the “Children of the Code” website while I was surfing for research information. What an incredible treasure trove for inquiring minds like mine. Thank you for every word on every page. I live daily with the anger, frustration and pain that nonreaders face.  As an owner of a small private firm that treats children with dyslexia and provides staff development throughout the metropolitan area, all the national literacy issues have become the backbone for my convictions and passion. Thank you for navigating the experts with concise and articulate precision. Most Sincerely”

“I’ve been floating in rarified air for the past day or so and loving it. …. I have been on an odyssey of discovery that is in every way thought-provoking and enlightening. What I like about Children of the Code is that it is more than talk – it is an effort to bring about change.”

“I have been receiving your Children of the Code articles for quite some time now.  I read them from cover to cover and then save them in a folder in hard copy to be shared with colleagues and parents.  The articles help me to stay current with research and make sure that when I teach that I am not wasting anyone’s time with outdated methods or misunderstandings.  I look forward to every interview.  Many of these people who are interviewed are the ones that I seek out in dyslexia conferences to be able to benefit from the vast amount of knowledge that they possess.  Thanks for being out there for us who really want to make a difference.”

“Your exceptional dedication will make an immeasurable difference to how the world thinks about reading. I applaud all your efforts and look forward to the release of the DVDs and all the transcribed interviews.”

“The site has really helped me since I based my paper on interviews from the site, and let me tell you something; I didn’t expect an interview to be this precise and scientific.  They are really a great source of information and full of knowledge. Thank you for inventing this project. I wish you further success with the project so that the next generation is benefited from your work.”

“I want to thank you for making so much vital information available on line. I know you will also be sharing this information in other formats in the future, but what you have done so far is already assisting teachers, parents and researchers in so many ways. Keep up the good work.”

“Thank you, from an elementary school reading teacher and librarian. Your project has manifested in the most timely manner necessary for the preservation of our nation. Well done! Keep me updated, so I may help spread the word.”

An amazing resource!  I believe in the work you are doing.  I am a first grade teacher and am working on my reading certificate.  I find your research and project so valuable.  My goal is to become a reading coach and hopefully be able to share this research with my colleagues.

“I would first off like to thank you for allowing me the opportunity to share your work with the education candidates that I facilitate. They were quite amazed when they heard of the reading crisis in education, and how so many individuals are being affected. My hopes were that they left with a full understand of the impact that they, as future educators, can have on the life of the children entrusted to their care. I truly admire your work and dedication in finding ways to rememdy the reading crisis in society. Once again, thank you so much for making this site available. Respectfully, “

“In sincere appreciation, as a parent of two sons that were labeled Learning Disabled when I discovered the Children of the Code website I felt as though I reached the end of the LD maze and there it was what I had been praying for all these years……….The Truth”.

“This is great! This is what I’ve been missing in my teaching Kindergarten, First and Second Grade. I’m appreciative that someone have finally realized the non-existence of reading prep classes for teachers.”

“I was looking for some documentation to connect the often quoted relationship between the number of prison beds and the reading level of young children. I ended up on a message board on a blog where someone had posted your link. What I found was a wealth of information presented in a very useful format. Thank you so much. I am using some clips in an upcoming training for our staff who conduct story times with preschoolers. I am very interested in early literacy and am seeking ways to teach parents and caregivers what I have learned.”

“The videos that identify the problems with our reading culture or lack of there of has made a huge impact on me. Hoping the word can be spread to those that make decisions and that a difference can be made for our children’s future.”

“I was moved to tears as I sat reading and listening to interview after interview because I have so much respect for the effort my students put into reading and these interviews just magnified my admiration for their efforts.  Your site will help teachers; but more importantly, it may help parents nurture their children’s language development during critical and sensitive developmental periods and thus prevent future literacy struggles. Thank you for this wonderful landmark literacy information center and thank you to all the contributors. I already have learned so much today. I will continue to access this sight over and over again in hopes that I can make a difference in the academic lives of my students again and again.”

“I’m excited about your project. I am truly hoping that it will open a whole new window of understanding for educators and politicians. Like any other subject – People must be exposed to the information to understand it and how important it is to also see this learning difference from the perspective of the child. In the end, let’s hope your project rejuvenates the educational system. Instead of the attitude “wait and see” maybe True early intervention will happen for these children.”

“As a teacher in a psychiatric hospital for children and adolescents, I have found this information very helpful. As a former teacher in a psychiatric hospital for convicted men and women, it leads to the reasons for the dramatic increase in need for correctional facilities all over the country. Please include me in your mailing lists.”

“I have been doing personal research for 11 months trying to educate myself on dyslexia and related disorders and your site is the first to really talk in-depth about how learning to read affects ones self-esteem.”

“I just stumbled across your site… and am in the process of putting together my fall syllabus for Reading Difficulties….. quite serendipitous, don’t you think?  Thanks so much for all of your efforts on this mission for equity in knowledge and learning.”

“Finding the Children of the Code information was a huge “a-ha” and mental high-five “yes!” moment for me. I want to be a part of the movement.”

“I am an inclusion teacher, and I appreciate the information available from top literacy experts through the Children of the Code website. The interviews are informative and extremely up-to-date., and I am able to put the information I have gained into practice.”

“Your Videos and insights are magnificent.”

“After reading through your site, I found myself reflecting on my philosophies about teaching reading. Thanks for such an inspiring site.  I check it regularly. “

“Your work is extraordinary and I don’t want to miss any of your offerings. I will use your transcripts in my reading courses at the University.”

“Your video help me explain to the ones I love how I have felt for the last fifty years. Thanks for your help understanding the gifts I have.”

“I have been a learning disabilities resource teacher for 21 years.  My classes were full of children with dyslexia.  I did not learn how to teach these children how to read until midway through my career.  It is refreshing to read the correct way to teach children to read and learn even more about reading instruction from Children of the Code.  Thank you for enlightening all of us about reading instruction.”

“I did a research paper on learning disabilities and poor instruction as a source of reading problems and discovered Children of the Code.  Such a comfort to know there is a huge network of people who see what I see. Thank God for you all, and I will be thoroughly exploring your site and watching for all updates.”

“A DVD containing research and information critical to building the knowledge base of those involved on a variety of levels in working with teaching literacy would be an invaluable asset. I read almost everything I can from the site and distribute it to teachers, parents, my grad students and colleagues alike. If creating a DVD of your work is a possibility, the applications are ENDLESS! The DVD format would support educating the variety of stakeholders who need the information – in a most useful format. If you are able to fulfill this dream, I can already envision using it in my classes and in parent workshops. Thank you!”

I am trying to get legislation in place in OK to make a difference with thousands of kids who fall through the cracks every year! The information that you have to share MUST be heard by all community members and educators to effect change.”

“I am a School Social Worker at Casa Blanca Community School on the Gila River Indian Reservation. It is amazing how resilient the children are, here in our community as they struggle with all of the challenges of life. However, the challenge of struggling to learn to read is taking a toll that cannot be measured. It seems to be less painful for them to be seen as behavior problems than to demonstrate that they cannot read. I pray for a miracle for the children that I work with, because they are so talented in so many areas of their lives. Yet, no matter how hard I try to focus on their strengths, it is ever on their minds that they are “not smart” because they cannot read. I look forward to receiving any information that you have that will help me find some solutions. Thank you!”

“Thank you a hundred times over for this project. As a mother of three dyslexic children I have been trying to educate everyone I know about the problem of reading failure in our society, and how we can so easily cure it with proper teaching methods. This is something that is long over due.”

“The insight, vision, expertise, and Educational experience conveyed on the web pages after finding the article by Ian Browde from his interview with David Boulton (1993), so impressed me. I’d like to continue learning and expanding this macro perspective on the fundamental purpose and meaning of ‘Learning’. This project is a wonderful place to begin my journey.”

“I find your work fascinating. As a special educator working with children who have reading difficulties, I can completely identify with your research.”

“I’m currently working on my final project for my masters in learning disabilities. This program is my research. It’s great.”

“This is a fantastic website, and the interviews were well-researched and informative. Thank you for doing this. You will help countless parents, educators, and most importantly, children.”

“This series is fantastic! What wonderful leaders in the field are included in interviews! Loved Louisa Moats and Reid Lyon!  What a great project!!”

“Oh my gosh, there is a God in heaven! FINALLY, a web-site that combines literacy research with practice! This should be mandatory for all future education majors!”

“Your interviews are so helpful to me as a professional development presenter. The interviews are well-organized, the questions are thought-provoking; the result is a sense that you know the researcher and the thinking behind their research in a more personal way. Thank you for doing this!”

I really like the project on ‘Children of the Code’ – it takes gives me greater insight into how being unable to read could have such adverse effects on the child’s mental health.  Thanks for sharing the information on learning and reading.”

“I am a retired Professor of Microbiology and Immunology who had a 35 year tenure at the University of Marland School of Medicine. I pursued an interest in the field of beginning reading after retirement. I have done some volunteer work in remedial reading at a local grade school. I have read avidly on this subject for several years now, including: Adams, Moats, Snow, Shaywitz, Stanovich, Pressley, National Reading Panel Report, and many, many articles from the internet. I discovered your series of interviews several days ago, and consider it a treasure chest of information.”

“I cried and cried some more.I have been there and my children are going through it now. At last I found a place where people know what I’m talking about. Please HELP me help my children.”

“Amazing! I came across by chance today and could not stop reading and listening for the last 40 minutes. I’ve been interested in the history of writing after I prepared a paper on this topic for a postgraduate course on Asian languages… So different from everything i had taken for granted. I work as a teacher of English language for Catalan people in Barcelona and they really need more listening activities with a gripping content. The quality of the passages and the high level of technology used in your website make it a perfect choice for their personal projects. Thanks for your outstanding work and keep it up!

“Your site is profound and a gift. If only it can reach enough educators and administrators. Our school system doesn’t even acknowledge dyslexia as a learning disability, and just throws these children in the classes with all the other “challenged” children. And we’re supposedly one of the better school systems in the country, but the Univ of Wisc. Ed Dept says, “no such thing as dyslexia”. So, I can read your pages, watch your videos and weep without hope. We’re doing everything we can, we’ve spent every penny we can squeak out, and we have a small Native American, beautiful, gentle, kind, imaginative, broken and shamed child who, when it comes time to do homework, lies on the floor in the fetal position sobbing and saying, “I’m so stupid, I’m so stupid, the teacher’s going to be really mad at me and I can’t go out for recess again tomorrow.” And he’s smart as a whip and will never know it. What are we supposed to do in the meantime?”

“I find your videos to be excellent! I have enjoyed listening to them several times. Thank you for producing videos that clarify our language. Thank you for the videos that give answers to students and parents regarding dyslexia. I have shared your website with many colleagues and parents.”

“There are no words to tell you how valuable this project is. I’m the grandparent of a kid who took all the knocks to the nth degree (social/emo and educational abuse and neglect.) He’s traveled the predictable road of an unsupported LD student. That’s why the videos make me cry…I feel so bad for the kids…they are so helpless and you just know the knocks they’ve yet to take. My grandson began with so much eagerness to learn; he was a self-directed, successful learner, using his brain pretty much to capacity. Now he’s 18 and only completed 8th grade (tried an alternate route but it didn’t fit his learning style.) At 17 he left, for self preservation. He’s probably in the top 7% of the population in intelligence (according to testing,) but held back by LDs, He CAN read, but is self-taught and I’m not sure how long it takes him to know what he read. I’m not sure how he does it. He’s a sad young man with no idea of where to go or what to do. His light has gone out. He hit the wall a long time ago and we’re tired. I work in early intervention (3-5) and have learned a lot by watching my grandson’s struggles (from the beginning)….so I am very bent on identifying these kids and making sure their parents get information, to both understand the struggle and how to (find help to) rise above it – thanks again.”

“I have been a Children’s Services librarian in a large, urban public library for about 15 years.  Over this time, I have seen a marked difference in the linguistic abilities of children based on their homelife and economic status.  When the Public Library Association began their initiative, in 2000, of sharing current scientific research on brain development with librarians across the country, I was inspired to begin using the results of that research to enhance my own services in this area. When I heard about your work with Children of the Code, I knew immediately that this was another piece of this complicated puzzle we’re trying to decipher.  As I work with families, teachers, neighborhood leaders and other professionals in the public library, I find that the information you are gathering has become invaluable to me.  Understanding more about the history of our written language and how we came to have such a complicated code allows me to sympathize with my younger customers, that is true.  The information you share about how shame and embarrassment can short-circuit the brain was also quite fascinating to me.  This understanding also inspires me to approach the task of mentoring young people in a different way.  It’s not just about one academic area, but the whole person and how we think about who we are. I have really found a lot of great information in the interviews you are gathering.  Thank you for your work, and for being there to share it with us.”

“I am currently teaching literacy courses at the University of Dayton for Early Childhood Education majors and Intervention Specialists. I have revamped my courses and have begun to approach my classes with the fundamentals of what reading is and what literacy is. By having this basis of understanding the students [future teachers!] should have a much better understanding of how to teach a child to read.”

“I happened to hear you on Nutmeg TV you were speaking at the New Britain Teachers Convocation which was taped and broadcast.  It was a shame your lecture was not publicized. I was moved to tears to hear you say what I have been saying all along;  shame, humiliation rejection fear are what my son has experienced and not verbalized to the school.”

“I love what you are doing!  I am continually researching information on dyslexia and reading difficulties, and I have find your project very enlightening. I have been a teacher for 10 years (with a Master’s in Education)…have struggled thru the school system myself but because of persistence have made it thru (learning after college I am dyslexia)…and now have a child that has entered the school system whom has been qualified for having a SLD. I have a great interest in how children learn how to read, so I love the information that you have provided on your website.  Thank you!”

“I personally identify with the psychological profiles often associated with a child who struggles with reading as described on the Children of the Code web site.  Viewing your site gave me huge personal insights into my self-doubt and fear of failure throughout my life.  I have  accommodated my disability (and now have several undergraduate degrees) but until recently, have been almost paralysed by the “mind shame” I experienced in my youth.”

“I live in Brazil, I’m Brazilian, but your project is extremely important for us here, we have the same problems and we are looking for solutions, too. Thank you for helping us.”

“I would like to say how much I appreciate the in-depth information on this website. As a parent with a foreign adoptee who arrived in the USA as a kindergartener with undiagnosed auditory processing disorder (moderate to severe) and dyslexia, this site helps to understand the complexities of learning to read. Personally, I never had to wonder why English was so hard – reading came naturally. Watching the videos on the history of our alphabet and how the brain learns to read were fascinating!”

“I totally enjoyed reading Paula Tallal’s article on learning and reading issues. There is a wealth of information in it that I want to share with all of my teachers and parents. I am finding your site a very valuable resource for information. Thank you!!”

“Your project helps all parents and teachers restore their hope and provide them with the information they need. Thank you!”

“Love the work you are doing. Thank you so very much for the quality and the attempts at brining science into the processes of education. “

“You manage to talk with the most influential people in the field of learning to read and learning differences. Thank you.”

“Thank you for an incredible resource for our 26 school districts!  The literacy problem is daunting & too often the solutions for educators seem as insurmountable and impossible as the art of reading is to our students in greatest need.”

“I am thrilled to see such a comprehensive project that is open to brain research and whatever that brings to the forefront. I appreciate hearing about educators being willing to use whatever avenue is best to teach our children to read, instead of coming to the table with preconceived ideas that are often taught in undergraduate education classes. I was referred to this site by my professor (who is obviously very interested in brain research and what it brings to light) in a graduate course.”

“Very fine and interesting article with Dr. Johanna Drucker and David Boulton. Thanks so much. Very helpful for a research paper I’m doing on the art of hieroglyphs. I really appreciate what you’ve shared here. All the best to you.”

“You are doing such great work with these kids. I want to be able to make a difference in the lives as kids as well. I watched two of your films in class and they really made a difference in how I view students with disabilities.”

“Thank you for your project. I use the introductory article in my handouts when I give presentations about dyslexia and learning to read. I plan to put your videos on my website.“

“The videos on your website are a helpful resource to the students in my course on Infant Toddler Education and Care. They emphasize the critical role of emotions, environment, and interactions in a way that motivates and spurs all of us to do better for the children. Thank you!

“Teaching remedial reading classes – your information has been invaluable – want more! My kids with ASD are struggling and very few people about to help. BBBrilliaant! I will endeavour to get the word out about this project!”

“I am so impressed by the research and the information base underlying your presentations. They validate a sense of urgency for educators to learn and use best practices to teach our students to read. It supports the fact that we need to make some changes. I love the website and use it often to inspire and motivate my college level students who have chosen to go into the field of education.”

“What a great website! Thanks for putting it all together. I’m recommending it to all parents and teachers I know of. I came across your website by googling “history of writing”. Thank you and keep it going.”

“I heard Sally Shaywitz quoted at a district training for reading intervention teachers. I googled Dr.Shaywitz and was amazed to find your organization. It seems broad, all encompassing, and a necessary tool for those like me, who are engaged, daily, in trying to teach reading to students who struggle with the entire reading process. I am so glad you are out there.”

“The findings of this “Children of the Code” project just break my heart. For a quick taste, click here and roll over the videos. This segment is about the shame of not knowing how to read. Listen to the voices of children, adults and parents. While the “Children of the Code” Web site is way over the top in terms of graphics, it is worth the effort to wander through it. There you will find more than a dozen videos and hundreds of links to experts, studies and interviews. I can envision this package being a launchpad for a year-long project by a TV station, radio station or newspaper.” – excerpted from an online article

“Your presentation for our Schools of the Future Design Team was stunning! You challenged all of us that day to stretch our minds and consider the possibilities for individual learners. Your work is the key to revolutionizing schools of the future. I cannot remember when I have had such a great learning experience.”

“This is a key direction toward the liberation of learners regardless of their past; to the liberation of teachers so they can better fulfill their role of encouraging, facilitating and enhancing the dialogue with each student — thanks for the excellent experience today.”

“I learned quite a bit and look forward to following your work. In particular, I found our discussion of learning theory quite useful, on abstract and concrete levels. Your insights about how technology can be leveraged to support learners are well reflected in your interface design work. Your vision is encouraging.”

“You put into words why I’ve had so much trouble learning over the years (ie., not being able to be present to what is experienced). What you said about children ‘If children can’t resolve the tension produced by the uncertainty surrounding an obstacle, in TIME they become too frustrated and disengage’ accurately explains the dynamics of my youth. You’ve hit on something that, at once, seems perfectly plain when explained, and that at the same time, I’ve never heard anyone else bring to public awareness — that being “present” is a prerequisite to being able to learn.”

“Through David Boulton’s presentation my concepts of learning and teaching have been positively shattered, exploded into 10,000 brilliant lights of new ideas. My teaching career will never be the same, nor will it ever be as complacently comfortable.”

“The Learner Interface is extraordinary. You’ve captured the essence of how we learn, including how our brains create and process meaning.” 

“For the past 33 years I have been a teacher and educator of all levels of schooling, colleges and universities and I was extremely impressed by David’s insights into the learning process. His proposed “INVISOR” model is not only feasible but also profoundly educationally valid.”

“Without reserve, I can confidently say that this is the most exciting academic project I have seen in quite some time.”

“On a purely subjective level, I was personally stunned by the sophistication, yet clarity, of the concept, and my educational background, as well as my long experience in educational computing, told me that it was an absolute winner.”

“This creative work of art and science must be personally experienced to fully comprehend the profound changes in which 21st. century learning will be accomplished. This nation can ill afford to miss the opportunities that David Boulton’s genius makes possible.”

“David is an extremely powerful and original thinker whose ideas are not restricted by the commonly accepted models of teaching and learning. His argument that we need to produce “learners” rather than “knowers” is lucid and would strike a chord with any educator interested in more than just the mechanical transference of information from static resource to passive student.”

“Thanks for the great presentation. There is great potential for your ideas. The subjective meaning paradigm and theory of learning and (overall) direction ring true.”

“You impress me as one much like Buckminster Fuller: you think in the future tense. Your ideas are seminal and exciting, your language inventive. More than anything else, you persuade me, like it or not, that marvellous learning technologies and breakthroughs are upon us. Their coming use is inexorable.”

“The issues [David] raises are certainly important and must ring bells with anyone who spends any length of time around young children with open heart, eyes and mind to the rich patterns of conception, thought and action that characterize their play.”

“Levers on change – Wonderful potential for refining and redirecting personnel and systems in education.” 

“Your notion of the “relationship” between information and the learner is indeed electric and touches on my experience of the process of change and growth when I do psychotherapy.”

“Very promising – I’d call it a practical approach to the development of spirit in human beings (you call it learning-oriented subjectivity).”

“Your [work] has contributed substantially to our thinking on the interconnections in our work. I am presently drafting a piece for my constituency of farmers and activists around the country based on it. “

“It has opened up a new range of possibilities for me.”

“I was so taken with David Boulton’s information that I will now be working to see what could be done to duplicate the exercise for a larger audience of educators here in Alberta. Indeed, a number of my Cabinet colleagues were so impressed with what I had to say in my debriefing that they would want to be included in a similar exercise.”