Colleen Muzia, a dedicated reading teacher for the Commack School District in New York, is in her first year using the Just Words® program with her students in grades three to five. Off to a great start, the 17-year teaching veteran is already seeing struggling readers make meaningful progress with the program’s structured approach to phonics and decoding. We caught up with Colleen to discuss how Just Words has boosted her students’ confidence, strengthened their reading skills, and brought a new spark to her literacy instruction.
Just Words stands out because of its clear focus on phonics and decoding. The structured, multimodal approach really helps my students—especially those with reading challenges—engage and grasp foundational reading skills. I also appreciate the built-in assessments and progress monitoring tools, which allow students to feel involved in their learning goals.
Many of my struggling readers, who previously had difficulty with word recognition, have shown measurable improvement in their ability to break down words and apply phonics rules. Their confidence in reading also has increased, as now they have reliable strategies for tackling unfamiliar words.
Very early on using Just Words, I started to see something special happen—students began cheering each other on as they picked up the spelling rules and procedures. The program’s approach really clicked with them, and they were excited to practice tapping out nonsense words. It was exciting to see them so proud about recognizing medial vowel sounds and accurately breaking down words using Just Words strategies. Watching their enthusiasm and confidence grow as they mastered these skills was incredibly rewarding.
Parents are thrilled to hear how Just Words specifically targets the decoding weaknesses their children struggle with. They especially appreciate that it improves both reading and spelling skills, giving them confidence that their kids are finally receiving the support they need to make meaningful progress in both areas.
Just Words has helped me scaffold my instruction more effectively. The program is structured to focus on specific areas where students need reinforcement, which has made a big difference in their progress. I appreciate how it breaks down complex skills into manageable steps, helping students build a strong foundation in reading and writing. By targeting their specific needs, I’ve seen my students grow into stronger, more confident readers and writers, and improved my own instructional practices in the process.
Just Words has influenced how I teach reading, not only for students who need a very systematic approach to learn to decode, but also for struggling readers in other groups. I’ve found that the clear, structured strategies for breaking down words and understanding phonics can benefit all students, not just those with specific decoding challenges. The approach has helped me reinforce key literacy skills for students at varying levels, strengthening their reading and spelling abilities. Ultimately, it has broadened my understanding of how these strategies support all learners.
Just Words is a comprehensive program that’s easy to implement in your classroom. It provides clear, structured lessons, and when taught with fidelity, can significantly improve students’ reading and spelling skills. The program is effective for struggling readers, but I’ve also found it beneficial for a wide range of learners. If you’re looking for an intervention program that truly targets foundational literacy skills, Just Words is a great choice.