My experience with LitLab as a Special Education teacher

After more than 40 years in education, I can say that LitLab has had one of the most meaningful impacts on student reading growth that I have experienced in my career.

As a special education resource teacher and county pilot participant, I worked with students across multiple grade levels and a wide range of reading abilities. What stood out most was not only the academic growth students demonstrated, but the development of confident, independent readers.

One of the most powerful features of LitLab was the use of recorded reading and student reflection. Students were able to listen to themselves read and often identified their own mistakes before I intervened. During verification discussions, they would point out missing ending sounds, incorrect vowel pronunciations, or skipped words. Over time, they became increasingly aware of their reading and began self-correcting independently. This shift toward self-monitoring was one of the most important indicators of growth I observed.

Students also responded strongly to the structure and design of the program. The aligned decodable texts, repeated reading opportunities, and high-frequency word practice helped them build fluency, accuracy, and confidence. As their skills improved, they were able to transfer those skills into connected text and read with greater independence.

Engagement was another major strength. Students looked forward to the stories, enjoyed Reader’s Theater activities, and proudly performed reading selections in front of their classmates. They created their own stories, often inspired by the texts they were reading, and eagerly requested additional nonfiction passages on topics that interested them. They took pride in sharing their reading through Reader’s Theater performances and related comprehension activities such as drawing and fill-in-the-blank responses.

During one observed Reader’s Theater session, the principal reviewed the script and was most impressed by the students’ fluent and accurate reading. She noted that students read with expression, made very few if any errors, and demonstrated strong engagement with the text. She also emphasized how valuable it was for students to have the opportunity to participate in such meaningful reading experiences at their instructional level.

I also appreciated the program’s flexibility and ease of implementation. Despite its depth, LitLab is simple to use within a regular instructional schedule. Students were able to read multiple connected stories within a single week, providing the repetition needed for fluency and skill development without overwhelming instructional demands.

The data tools allowed me to monitor student progress on specific skills, assign targeted practice, move students forward when ready, and organize review groups when needed. This made instruction responsive and individualized in real time.

As a pilot teacher, I was also able to provide feedback to the LitLab team, and I appreciated their willingness to listen and make improvements when possible. That collaboration strengthened the program and improved usability for teachers.

Although implementation began in October in our county, students still demonstrated meaningful growth across all levels. Although the most important outcome was the development of confident, self-monitoring readers, the assessment scores were also impressive and significant.

In my 40+ years of teaching, I have not seen this level of reading growth across multiple grade levels in such a short period of implementation. The gains observed on BOY, MOY, and EOY assessments reinforced what I was seeing instructionally in daily practice—students becoming more accurate, more fluent, and more independent readers.

LitLab is a complete instructional system that supports both teachers and students. It builds foundational skills, encourages independence, and creates a positive reading experience that leads to real growth. Based on my experience, I strongly recommend it!

Linda B.

Special Education Resource Teacher

LitLab serves 5,000+ school sites and 400,000+ students across K–5. It meets ESSA Tier IV evidence standards and aligns to UFLI Foundations, CKLA, Fundations, Reading Horizons, Superkids, Benchmark, and other major phonics programs. 👉 Learn more to see how it fits with your current program.