Successes

Kim has the extraordinary ability to read a child's body language and interpret their trigger points. Her understanding of each individual allows her to customize specific action plans using Davis techniques. The skills learned are applicable to daily life, giving our daughter greater confidence in herself and the ability to cope with difficult situations. Our daughter comes away from each session with a feeling of accomplishment.
    —Kevin & Tami

Best decision we ever made. If a child can read they will succeed. But if they cannot, everything fails. Grades, confidence, self-worth, and worry develops until the child either misbehaves or breaks down uncontrollably. That is the heartache. We home-schooled to eliminate the extreme pressure Tagg endured. Then we implemented the Davis follow-up work within the program, which worked extremely well. Tagg returned to public school this year with his original classmates, as was our goal. We see a bit of frustration, but he knows how to control it since his program at Smart Start. He will still go back to the clay and put pictures to the word. His hands help his mind make sense of the reading world. A blessing!
    —Tiffany

When I think about where Alex is now, compared to where we started, it is truly amazing. Kim was recommended to us by the reading recovery teacher. I still remember the relief I felt after Kim discussed Alex’s assessment evaluation with us. Finally, something made sense! Alex is making grades now that I never thought possible for him. It’s not the grades that are important, though. It is the complete change in Alex that is priceless. His reading and writing has not only improved 100%, but also his attitude and confidence. He actually enjoys reading. For me, working with Kim has been a lifesaver. She has helped with my communications with teachers and school administrators. She has helped me implement a 504 plan for Alex. I can’t say enough about the help this experience has given us.
    —Dawna

Alex is a senior this year and is planning on attending Northeast Community college majoring in building construction. He has been on the honor roll for the last two years and we owe it all to the Davis program (2002). As his mother and a school teacher, I still say it was a "Godsend" for my son. I am quite sure Alex would say the same thing. I will never forget the day we came home from our first experience with Kim in Redfield when he said to me, "Mom, if you look at me today and I look like I'm crying, it's because I'm happy." Those words still make me cry.
    —Tara

“I brought my daughter to the Smart Start Dyslexia Correction Center during her senior year in high school. I should have looked harder to find Kim Carson when she was younger. It is amazing how quickly my daughter was able to recognize and correct situations that triggered her dyslexia. I know she is ready for college now.”
    —Darlene

I am grateful for the opportunity Kim gave my two children. My son (4th grade) struggled reading 1st grade level books. My daughter (2nd grade) was having difficulties with letter sounds and reversing the letters. My son completed the Correction program, which was a week of educational fun with Kim, as I call it. She changed my son’s view about reading in one week. He went from hating reading to loving it. He was getting D’s and C’s on reading and spelling worksheets the first month in school, and is now getting A’s and B’s. It was amazing what Kim was able to do for my son. He is now reading 4th and 5th grade level chapter books. My daughter completed the Young Learner’s Program. Kim provided my daughter and I with learning tools that we worked on at home together. Every couple of weeks we meet with Kim to show us more tools to add to our learning. By the end of the sessions, my daughter was reading more smoothly and sounding out words by herself. She is now reading at her grade level and doing very well with her spelling. The tools that Kim provided to both of my children will be with them for the rest of their lives. They are more confident when reading aloud in class and it has changed their attitudes about school. Kim was able to help them learn in a way that best fits them. Thank you Kim!
    —Kristy

Barely making it through two years of college, I wasn’t sure I would be able to continue school. I began the Davis program with Kim Carson the beginning of my junior year. I was relieved to meet somebody that knew about the struggles I experienced. I’d been told my whole school career that I wasn’t applying myself enough or was just being lazy. I knew there was something else not right. Progressing through the program, Kim unlocked learning tools that I didn’t know existed within me to aid my learning. As I applied the tools, I began to feel confident in my ability to progress and improve in school. The biggest hurdle I accomplished is retaining information, particularly after reading. Now, given the tools, I am retaining information more easily and quickly, and recalling it at a later time. This skill has taken the last two years to develop, but should have been established during elementary school. It was difficult to change my learning habits at my age, but I am very pleased to have gone through the program. The only regret I have is that I should have done it sooner.
    —Michael, College Student

I took this class when I was high school sophomore. Before taking this class, school was a struggle for me. After taking this class, I learned to use my dyslexia to my advantages. I would recommend this program to anyone.
    —Kayla, College Student

Now I know how to play the game!
    —4th Grade Student

It gives me pictures for the words so I can read.
    —3rd Grade Student

Davis Learning Strategies

When my students use the Davis Learning Strategies they are focused and can do amazing things! Students recognize words more quickly, read more fluently, and comprehend more deeply. They become self-regulated learners, experience success in school, and their self-esteem grows!
    —Shelly Wiemann, Reading Specialist

Sometimes I neglect to do the thing that is most beneficial to the students’ learning... Getting them ready to learn!! Redirecting the students by using the Davis Learning Strategies is much more conducive to a positive learning environment than other traditional reprimands and reminders to “get busy.” The DLS techniques are bringing about results. This training has added a greater dimension to my teaching and understanding of how our children learn.
    —Deb Kogel, Special Education

I’ve been using the clay for letters with my Title I students. It’s amazing. These children know every letter we’ve worked on, and I find them to be further ahead than other years. One day a Reading Recovery student just couldn’t focus, so I stopped and did Release/Focus. It was like a “Miracle” Bingo—he was focused and could read and keep on task. It was like night and day.
    —Lorene Burma, Reading Recovery/In Class Reading