The Founder: Teri Azar
Reading Solutions was developed by Teri Oberstein Azar who is a Reading Specialist in Laguna Hills, CA. Teri holds her Master of Education Degree and Reading Specialist Credential as well as her Life Teaching Credential from UCLA. She obtained her teaching credential under the direction of Dr. Madeline Hunter; this unique UCLA teaching program emphasized the principles of learning where teachers, student teachers and students learned to apply teaching strategies to ensure motivation and success for each learner academically, socially and emotionally.
The philosophy is to diagnose these areas fully and start where the learner is at in each area, building weaknesses up upon strengths. Every student comes to the learning table with skills, interests, passions and background to light up the learning environment. By illuminating these learner strengths and weaving the whole learner into the learning equation, learning is most meaningful, efficient and effective. This vigorous teaching program involved setting instruction to clear goals based on learner needs and strengths, creative planning involving games and motivating active learning lessons where total participation was expected and success for all was measured on a progressive continuum of skills.
Bloom’s Taxonomy (cognitive) was integrated into the beginning of elementary education establishing strong comprehension and critical thinking for nonreaders, beginning readers and on up. The philosophy, background and critical teaching skills Teri was so fortunate to have learned and apply through the years as well as intense work using The Language Experience Approach in the graduate program at UCLA led her to develop many effective, efficient and meaningful materials and strategies; these have proven to yield dramatic positive solutions to the problems, challenges and issues in reading and learning for the many students, parents and teachers of her thirty -two years as a Reading Specialist.
The great appreciation of parents bonding with their children through books while improving comprehension and increasing love of reading as well as the dramatic effects of classroom book clubs to motivate and escalate reading comprehension using the materials led Teri to spread her passion for reading from the classroom into the community. For many years she has used the same materials to ignite family, friends and community in reading, building: comprehension, critical thinking, communication, compassion, inspiration, genres, booklists and genuine love for reading simultaneously. (read more)
Reading Solutions: More on Background of Founder and Site
Teri Azar has worked as a classroom teacher and reading specialist in both public and private schools for more than thirty years. She has taught at the elementary, junior high, high school and at the college levels across many cultures both in the USA and abroad. Her teaching experiences include Teacher for Language Arts for Grades 7 and 8, Remedial and Gifted in LA County, CA, Teacher for 3rd and 4th Grades, Remedial and Gifted at the International School in the Philippines, Reading Specialist for Grades 1-6, ESL, Remedial and Reading Center for All Students in LA County, CA, Teacher of Language Arts for 3rd Grade, Gifted and Talented and Title I Teacher (ESL and remedial learners) for 4th Grade Language Arts, Orange County, CA.
She was a Lecturer of Reading Methods at the University of California at Irvine and served as a Practicum Supervisor, supervising intern teachers for the Department of Education of Orange County, CA, at the high school and elementary school levels. She taught ESL students, increasing comprehension and critical thinking, as Reading Specialist at Soka University in Orange County, CA.
In all of her positions she was asked to solve major reading problems marked by low performance in comprehension and critical thinking. Much of her work was also focused on accelerating the beginning reading process and building motivation to read and learn. In all cases student comprehension soared along with motivation as students empowered themselves with the meaningful, efficient and effective reading strategies brought to you now in Reading Solutions.
Teri has led community “Book Clubs” and writing workshops with these same strategies and materials teaching children, parents and teachers these fun ways to easily build comprehension and motivation; children and adults have shared their lives through the joy of reading as well as authored their own books. It is from her vast successful teaching career in the classroom, privately and in the community that the insights, strategies and materials which make up Reading Solutions have been created.
Please see A Message from the Founder
