2012 Price Increase

Over the holiday I went to my suppliers to restock inventory for next year. It's probably not a surprise to you that I found prices to have gone up. So, though I don't often do this, I've had to increase the prices of Soundabet materials for 2012.

Because I believe in relocalizing our economy, I now use only very local (like in my own home town) suppliers in favor of sourcing my production overseas. The result is much higher costs to me, higher prices for you, and the feeling that I'm doing the right thing overall. My choices make work for people who live nearby me and somehow that helps me sleep better....

Back on the Job

If you ordered during the time I was on vacation, thank you for your patience. All of you, I will be stopping by the Post Office today after work to send your orders in the mail. Don't ask how early I got up this morning to finish completing your orders. I don't even want to know!

On Vacation

Please be patient with orders placed in August. I'll be back at the desk filling orders starting August 22.

Vacationing

Hi,

Those who've ordered early in June have had a long wait because—YEAH—I took some time for vacation. I'm back now and all caught up with the orders.

If you sent in your order in late May through mid June your order is on its way and should be in your hands by tomorrow.

Dan

Emailing Me

Please note that my email address has changed. It is now:

dangurney51 (at) gmail.com

I'm Okay

I'm okay!

If you get an email from my account describing some overseas distress, please ignore it.

 Someone hacked into my email account and is posting false information about me. Don't send any money!!

In reality, I'm fine and at work. Well, as fine as one can be when their email has been hacked.

Take care,

Dan

No Phone

In my effort to slow down (slowing down is something that I need to do) I'm giving up the phone number for Soundabet.

Actually we're keeping the same number, but it will be used only by my wife as her City Council phone number.

So....

Please contact me either through U.S. Mail:

Dan Gurney's Soundabet
P.O. Box 2255
Sebastopol, CA 95473

or via email:

dangurney (at) yahoo.com

If you've left a phone message for me in the past few weeks, assume I didn't get your message, as the answering machine got unplugged and all the messages were lost. Sorry!

Someone Asked Me

The other day someone asked me if I'm still doing Soundabet. Yes, I am. Mostly former customers. I still get email from people who use it and find it helpful. Here's a paragraph from an email I got the just other day from Patti F.

Subject: Soundabet helped my class get high test scores  

Hi, Dan--
I think I’m your biggest fan right now (and I know you have a lot!).  I wanted to tell you that my kindergarten class scored sky high in its reading test scores for our SATs (like STAR) and I attribute a good deal of it to the Soundabet program.  Just got the results in this week and my principal was very happy.  

—Patti F.

So, Yes, I still fill orders from new and old customers who wish to order Soundabet.

Spring Update

Well, it's spring now, and just about everyone in the class has got the Soundabet under the belt. A few of the new arrivals are still working on it. But the vast majority of the kids in kindergarten know the Soundabet (or at least the vast majority of it) and can read and write pretty well now.

When it comes to learning to read and write, the difference between learning the Soundabet and learning the alphabet is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.

80% by the Winter Break

It's winter break. Kindergarten is not yet half over.

I've got 29 kindergartners in my class. 23 have mastered the Soundabet. That's about 80%. Of the 6 kids who have not yet fully mastered the Soundabet, all but two are mostly there.  The 2 kids who aren't almost at mastery are "pulled" out for EL instruction while we're doing Soundabet. They'll have a lot of catching up to do, but I'll make sure it gets done....

The real story here is that so many have gone on well past Soundabet mastery and are now reading books to their moms. I got this email from one of the moms in my room:

Hi Mr.Gurney,

 

I wanted to thank you.  Jacob just read me his first of many books to come, The Foot Book by Dr.Seuss.  I always knew this day would come, I never thought he would be reading after his first few months of Kindergarten.

I can't say thank you enough.  I want you to know how truly amazing you are.  You certainly are a gifted Teacher.  I am blessed to have you teaching my son and if I am lucky, my daughter.

 

Thank you,

M. L.

 

That's what teaching the Soundabet can do.....