Ricky was a small little boy in the fourth grade who wore a perpetual grin on his face. However, Ricky could barely read or write. His reading level was first grade and he could barely get words onto paper and have them make sense. He had been tested for special education, but he didn't qualify because of his high intelligence. Even though Ricky was smiling, inside he was very angry. He was often in fights with other kids and was a constant presence in the principal's office. Of course, he had been retained but it did no good. Ricky was on a failure chain of the highest degree.

Ricky was asked to do the Magic Eights and Mirrors activity every day as well as other exercises in the Universal Learning System. He still was willing to try and put forth a great effort. He also used the Universal Reading System and slowly started to learn to read. His greatest accomplishment was learning to do cursive and being able to write legibly and form paragraphs for the first time in his life.

Ricky's writing before the Learning Link Program

Ricky's writing after two months with the program

Not only did Ricky learn to read and write at grade level, but his behavior started to improve as well. As he learned new skills he felt better about himself and quit trying to prove his worth on the playground. His parents enrolled him in a private school, and he flourished.