Teacher Resource

The Uncomfortable Truth Every Teacher Knows

Look at your classroom right now. If you're like most teachers, you can immediately identify:

• 5-6 students reading above grade level
• 8-10 students keeping pace
• 10-12 students falling behind

And that last group? Despite your differentiated instruction, reading interventions, and countless hours of extra support, they're slipping further behind each month.

You're not failing them. The system is.

Why Traditional Phonics Hits a Wall

You teach the rules diligently:

• Silent E makes the vowel long
• When two vowels go walking...
• C before E, I, or Y sounds like S

Then you hit "ocean," "bread," "does," or any of the thousands of exceptions, and watch your struggling readers' confidence crumble.

The research is clear: English has over 1,100 ways to spell its 44 sounds. Traditional phonics covers maybe 100 of them. What about the other 1,000?

The Hidden Cost of Reading Struggles

Academic Impact:

• Math word problems become impossible
• Science and social studies comprehension tanks
• Writing skills stagnate
• Test scores plateau

Behavioral Manifestations:

• "Bathroom breaks" during reading time
• Acting out to avoid being called on
• Learned helplessness
• Anxiety and school avoidance

Your Time Cost:

• 2+ hours weekly on intervention groups
• Endless parent conferences
• IEP meetings and documentation
• Differentiated materials for 3-4 reading levels

Enter the TIPS® System: Your Classroom Game-Changer

Imagine if every word in English was decodable. No exceptions. No sight words. No guessing.

That's what TIPS® does—adds small marks showing exactly how each letter sounds, making English "transparent" like Spanish or Italian.

Real Classroom Implementation: Lincoln Elementary Case Study

The Challenge:

• Title I school, 98% BIPOC students
• 66% free/reduced lunch
• Only 18% reading on grade level (fall assessment)

The Implementation:

• 6-week TIPS® pilot program
• 20 minutes daily whole-group instruction
• 15 minutes small group practice
• No additional prep time required

The Results:

• 73% reading on grade level by year-end
• 60% improvement in one semester
• 100% of at-risk students showed improvement
• Teacher satisfaction: 94%

Your Week-by-Week Classroom Transformation

Week 1: The HookIntroduce TIPS® as "secret codes" or "reading superpowers." Students learn their first 5 TIPS® and decode words they've never seen. Immediate success = immediate buy-in.

Week 2: Building MomentumWhole class activities using TIPS® cards. High-performing students become peer tutors. Struggling readers experience first successes. Classroom energy shifts.

Week 3-4: AccelerationReading groups reorganize naturally as gaps close. Behavior problems during literacy block decrease. Students start self-correcting without prompting.

Week 5-6: LiftoffIndependent reading actually becomes independent. Writing improves as students can spell phonetically. Parents report kids reading at home voluntarily.

The Teacher Advantage: Less Prep, More Teaching

Traditional Approach:

• Hours creating differentiated materials
• Managing 3-4 reading groups
• Constant reteaching of exceptions
• Exhausting intervention cycles

TIPS® Approach:

• Same materials work for all levels
• Self-teaching system reduces reteaching
• Built-in differentiation
• Students help each other

What Teachers Are Saying

"I've taught for 15 years and never seen anything like this. My lowest readers are now mid-level. My mid-level are advanced. It's like someone finally gave us the tool we've been missing."
— Maria Rodriguez, 2nd Grade, NYC

"TIPS® saved my sanity and my students' futures. I'm actually teaching reading, not managing reading problems."
— James Chen, 1st Grade, Houston

"My SPED students are keeping up with gen-ed for the first time. The confidence boost alone is worth everything."
— Amanda Foster, Special Education, Chicago

Getting Started in Your Classroom

Option 1: Individual Teacher Trial

• 30-day free Explorer Portal access
• Complete curriculum for your class
• Training videos and support
• No credit card required

Option 2: Grade-Level Team Implementation

• Coordinate with colleagues
• Share resources and strategies
• Collective data tracking
• Stronger admin buy-in

Option 3: School-Wide Adoption

• Professional development included
• Volume pricing available
• Success manager support
• Guaranteed results

The Data That Convinces Administrators

Present this to your principal:

• ROI: 3-5X faster progress than traditional methods
• Cost: Less than one part-time intervention specialist
• Time: Teachers save 5+ hours weekly on prep
• Equity: Closes achievement gaps for BIPOC and SPED students
• Evidence: NYC DOE and Houston ISD approved

Your Next Steps

1. Try it yourself: Get free 30-day access
2. Start small: Pick your most struggling reading group
3. Document everything: Progress data convinces skeptics
4. Share success: Teachers helping teachers spreads innovation

The Bottom Line

You became a teacher to make a difference. But you can't make a difference with broken tools. TIPS® gives you and your students what you've both needed all along—a reading system that actually works.

Stop drowning in interventions. Start teaching reading that sticks.

Ready to revolutionize your classroom? [Start your free 30-day trial] or [Schedule a demo for your school]

Join 2,500+ teachers already seeing results. Questions? Email teachers@tinyivy.com

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