Ann M. from Florida says:
"PCI is my LIFELINE! I am a 33 year veteran and know a good product when I see one. I have used it for many years and am amazed at how the company continues to come up with such great material that is so relevant to my students. I always start the year off with COOKING TO LEARN, it gets them really motivated. I use SURVIVAL SIGNS software daily, and then on Friday’s when we go out in the community the kids are able to recognize the signs because PCI pictures are so true to life. It’s good to have such innovative material our special needs students can be exposed to and are successful using."
Grades/Subjects taught: 9-12, Functional English, Functional Math, On The Job Training, Employability Skills, Community Skills
Tammy M. from North Carolina says:
"The kids love the new materials. The card reader was the biggest hit! Our ESL student has already increased his vocabulary. The speech therapist has been using the Name It Game. The kids fight over who is going to use it next!"
Joan B. from Florida says:
"I have been using PCI Education materials with my students throughout my career in Palm Beach County. The students really enjoy and get involved with the programs. The opportunity for learning and reinforcement are tremendous! A must have for our type of class!"
Grades taught: 9- 12
Melane B. says:
I just had to drop a quick email to let you know how very pleased we are with the PCI Education Level One Reading Program! Our son was doing o.k. with a similar curriculum, but the PCI Level One is even better. We like it because it is so well put together with a consistency that is easily followed and accommodated to our other daily lessons. Our son absolutely loves "his books," and has developed such confidence. Of course, his speech has improved markedly since reading consistently. Thanks again!
Elementary Teacher and Parent
Vicki R., M.S. says:
"I have used the Real World Social Skills Game and Curriculum in more than one setting and for students with different learning styles. I have found it to be a valuable resource and opens discussion for further topics in a natural way. Too often, our students aren't given real-life tools for coping with social situations, which are often unpredictable and sometimes feel unsafe to students. As a Learning Specialist and trained Autism Specialist, I find that students often don't know how to self-advocate, can't always articulate their needs, or haven't even thought about how to handle a difficult social situation. The game offers two skill levels of questions, which are realistic and functional for everyday life, which can be useful in a family environment as well as a school setting. Students especially enjoy turning those questions on the adults, and what another great way to model self-talk in unscripted scenarios!"
Autism Specialist / Elementary Learning Specialist
Joanne G. from Oregon says:
"I absolutely love the Taking Charge of My Behavior Curriculum! The materials were easy to use and the students really enjoyed the interactive question sheets. Students gained understanding of their own behavior and frequently requested to play the game."
Grades/Subjects Taught: Middle School Alternative Classroom
Julie H., a Special Education Teacher from Wisconsin says:
"I am a Special Education Teacher in Cameron Wisconsin. I am proud to say that I have used PCI products for the past nine years in my program. When I started our CDS Program I was fresh out of college and looking for supplemental curriculum/materials to use with students who have very special needs. I hit the jackpot when I found PCI. Through the help of CESA 11 located in Turtle Lake Wisconsin, my students have access to a plethora of PCI products. These are some of their favorites and mine as well not in any particular order.......
Just to name of few of their wonderful educational products. They are truly an asset to our CDS Program."
Vicki T. an Instructional Specialist says:
"Several of our Life Skills teachers on our Elementary campuses purchased Basic Picture Math for their classrooms last year. As an instructional specialist, I feel it is one of the best products our educators have used to meet the needs of our Life Skills students in teaching beginning math skills. During my 10 years experience as a Life Skills teacher myself; I know how difficult it is to find materials to meet the needs of students functioning on various academic levels and this product has worked well in addressing these needs."
Sandra P., ESE Teacher of EMH/TMH/Autistic from Florida says:
"I have used many PCI Education materials over the years and have always found them to be effective products for teaching my students. I have used so many PCI Education materials, I could write a book! One product I have used and loved is the Cooking to Learn series. The step by step directions and pictures enable my students to successfully follow the recipe and produce a tasty treat for their classmates. I am excited to see that there is a new one that introduces recipes from around the world. My students also benefit from the Real-World Audio Cards. This is a great way to build vocabulary, listening, and reading comprehension skills. Basic Menu Math and the Survival Signs Curriculum are also outstanding products. Keep up the good work!"
Joanne G., a Middle School Instructional Assistant says:
"The students loved the Next Dollar Shopping Game and didn't even realize that they were learning the money skills they needed in their lives. The students gained understanding of the next dollar process, while having fun."
Heather C., a Middle School Special Education Teacher says:
"I am in my 16th year as a Special Education Teacher for the Clark County School District in Las Vegas, Nevada. 15 of those years have been spent teaching high school aged students with moderate to severe mental retardation. One of those years I spent teaching in a resource room at a middle school. During my first year of teaching in a self-contained MCS (Mentally Challenged Specialized) classroom I quickly realized that what my students needed was not traditional academics, but functional academics that would assist them with their transition from high school into employment, recreation, post-secondary education, and community life in the "real world". PCI Education offers materials relevant for every area of transition (employment, community living, post-secondary/continuing education, recreation). I have always been very impressed by and interested in the materials contained in the PCI Education catalog. PCI Education has always offered exactly the type of materials that I have needed and thought would benefit my students the most. The PCI Education catalog contains a wide variety of functional materials for students of every ability level. I have ordered materials from PCI almost every year that I have been teaching. I just love the materials. They enable a teacher to provide real life skills training. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you PCI!!"
Denise P. a Teacher of the Primary Autistic from Louisiana says:
"The PCI Reading Program is WONDERFUL! I am a teacher of primary autistic students. I especially think that the pictures and the picture cards are GREAT. The cards help to capture the student’s attention and keep each of them focused on the lesson. All of my students are now able to read sentences. One student is attempting to make his own sentences. My students thoroughly enjoy participating in the program daily. I truly enjoy teaching reading with your program. My assistant also thinks the program is just FANTASTIC. Thank you PCI!"
Cynthia M. a Special Education Teacher says:
"I serve students with disabilities ranging from mild to severe. I've used a variety of PCI Education life skills materials in my Basic Skills classroom with great success. I've used the programs to write social stories and make daily schedules for students with Autism, make behavior cards to help with behaviors, prepare shopping lists for a trip to the store and so on. I love that I can make anything visual."
Samantha C. a Special Education Teacher from Florida says:
"I use many different materials from PCI Education such as: Basic Math, Basic Picture Math, Cooking to Learn, TouchMoney Game, PCI Photo Bingo, and many software programs like Survival Signs, Basic Menu Math, and Grocery Store Software. I like using them because they because they are teacher friendly, the print is large so my students can read it, there are worksheet that go with the lessons to check understanding which will work for the different level of students that I have in my room (from non readers to 1 st grade readers). I use these items everyday in my classes."
Pauline H. from Ohio tried the PCI Reading Program and says:
"WOW!!!!! This program was received at the end of last school year. It was started before school was out. The student was making progress back then. We are now in our 5th week of school for this year and she is now reading. To see her face when she reads a book makes you feel wonderful. The other day her father brought her to school. She wanted to read for her dad. By the time she was done reading, her dad had tears in his eyes. He explained that he never thought she would ever learn how to read. (This student is in the 7th grade with severe multiple disabilities. I can not wait until we begin level 2."
Bart B., an Autism Teacher from Minnesota says: Autism Teacher
"I have used the PCI Level One Reading Program for one year. It will be my curriculum for the next year. I love it. My students made more progress with the PCI Reading Program than with any other approach I have tried. Most of my students, who had been with me for more than one year, went from a sight word vocabulary of less than 10 words to over 50 words. They were able to read 4-5 word sentences.
The emphasis on real-world concepts and words that meant something to the students was very much appreciated. I loved having worksheets that required the students to think about what makes a thought into a complete sentence, and made them demonstrate the comprehension of each word. Having worksheets that the students could feel immediately successful with was a big plus.
The students and I enjoyed the stories and the quality of the illustrations. The books were a hit with the class. They loved being able to read a real book with characters and settings that they cared about. It's a great program! "
Jennifer C. an Instructional Specialist from Texas says:
"In order to meet the academic needs of our struggling student population, I was given the task to find instructional materials that would address the skills of the TEKS while being at the appropriate reading level of these students. Working with the PCI team to find these materials, especially Marisa Rodriguez, has been the best experience I have had working with a vendor. Marisa and her team were very flexible, accommodating, and responded quickly to requests and questions. I could tell that that she listened to our curriculum needs and went above and beyond by searching for materials that were not even listed in the PCI Education catalog. The presentation they gave to us in person was very informative and professional. Trying out the materials in the classroom was beneficial to making the best decisions for our district.
I would recommend this company and team to other educators and districts in search of curriculum for students who need extra help addressing the TEKS. "
Scott W., a Special Education Teacher says:
"I am writing you this letter to personally “Thank You” for creating so many great programs that allow my special education student to feel success. During my first year of teaching high school special education, I was asked to teach three students Government. I was handed the standard high school government program and ask to “dummy it down”. This proved to be exasperating, not only to me, but to my students as well. I decided that I would find out what other special education teachers did when faced with this dilemma. One such teacher suggested I take a look at your catalog. To my surprise I found Living in the United States Series (United States Government) and decided to order it. Needless to say, this curriculum was perfect for my students. It is written at their reading level and covers the same topics as their general education peers.
I now know, when I’m asked to teach any new subject, the first thing I do is pull out my (well used) PCI catalog I find which series will help my students feel the greatest success. Currently in my classroom I am using the Pre-Algebra program, Banking math, Coupon Math, Economics, Government, World History Shorts, U.S. History Shorts, Real Word Reading, and the Earth and Space Science Curriculum. My students no longer feel “different”; my struggling readers are now feeling success in school."
Caroll B., an Instructional Specialist from Texas says:
"After implementing the PCI Reading Program Level One Program in our district, I loved receiving an extensive review the PCI Reading Program Level Two. I especially like how the kit monitors maintenance of words learned in Kit 1 as well as presenting new vocabulary. The organization of both kits and the systematic approach that each product uses to teach new skills, while maintaining previous learning is what sets this program apart from any other reading program for non-readers. I also am impressed with the variety of opportunities for generalization of skills that are provided in this program. I am excited to see the positive outcomes for our secondary students who are using Level One and we will incorporate Level Two in the fall!"
Michelle K., a Special Education Teacher from Alaska says:
"I am very impressed with your Money, Time, Cooking to Learn and behavior management programs. We are using them for homeschool purpose and for children in early childhood. Your programs have clear instructions and are easy for children who are overwhelmed by the visual stimulation of other programs."
Tiffany C., a Life Skills Teacher from Texas says:
"I have recently purchased the PCI Reading Program for a student with autism and she is having immediate success. She quickly transitioned from repeating what is said to her to actually verbalizing the words in the program with little prompting. I am also observing that she is reading with understanding and beginning to writing the words in each lesson without having to look at them. The best part about her success is that her parents are happy with the immediate results and are having her read the stories (included in the program) to friends and family at home. I love this program and will continue to use it with my students next year!"