Letter of Support & Recommendation

To Whom it May Concern:

I recently had the pleasure of reviewing Ms. Choyce’s school health curriculum, My Healthy Reader. I have been a teacher for 7 years, and as an educator I can be particular about what I choose to introduce my students to. I want to ensure that any curriculum I use is standards-based, rigorous, engaging, and easy for me to implement. The My Healthy Reader Program is just that and more.

I was impressed by Ms. Choyce’s dedication to align her health program with academic state standards. Each unit includes a story and four weeks’ worth of lessons, plus homework pages to encourage family involvement. The weeks are divided into daily lessons of about 15 minutes each, scaffolding through difficulty levels as the week progresses. The routines and activities are repeated often enough to become familiar to the students and would be an ideal morning bell work activity. The characters in the story are friendly and likable, and each has a clear role and purpose. The stories are simple and to the point, teaching valuable lessons in an easy to deliver format.

It is with full confidence that I recommend My Healthy Reader to you and your team. It is clearly a curriculum birthed out of love and a passion to see all children live healthy, full lives.

Sincerely,
Shannon Monaghan
Education Specialist
Riverside/San Diego, CA

My Experience with MHR

While working with the My Health Reader curriculum, I observed that it impacts children in multiple ways. It helps them to not only achieve a healthy lifestyle but to simultaneously develop or build their reading and comprehension skills. Through the process of reading inspiring stories they learn to make effective healthy living choices that can benefit their entire life. Students learn and begin to realize that making healthy choices regarding their daily meals, snacks and physical activities helps them to feel better about themselves. As a result, they are in a better state of mind to handle a variety of social settings, such as on the playground, during classroom activities or even at home.

-Lori L Hayes,
MA/Performing Arts Educator & Dance Choreographer

Dear Ms. Choyce,

I am writing this letter of support for your Seeds Dolls Program for utilization in our Early Childhood Programs. As an early childhood teacher and longtime administrator, I have come across many programs for the development of children's social, emotional and educational needs. There are not many programs and/or curriculum materials that in fact meet or address the various and unique needs of our diverse student population. I believe your creative and sensitive approach in addressing a child's individual views of their ethnicity, family and cultural values is a wonderful asset to child development programs.

I wish you much success in your endeavor to have your program implemented in as many programs in our county as possible." Respectfully, Celia C. Ayala, PhD Riverside County Assistant Superintendent of Schools Division of Children and Family Services

"It is an honor and privilege to bring Yvonne Choyce Founder/CEO of Leading Today’s Youth to your attention. She has participated in the child development conferences sponsored by my organization Family Service Association of Riverside County and has also provided exemplary diversity training for my child development staff.
Her diversity multicultural learning tools are absolutely outstanding, creative, open-ended and culturally sensitive. Materials are conducive to the encouragement of language development, literacy, storytelling, cultural awareness and self-esteem building. We had a recent program review and the team was extremely impressed by the quality of the materials. It is without reservations that I recommend Yvonne Choyce to your attention."

Cordially, Ana Monagas,
Vice-President Child Development Program Services Department Family Service Association of Western Riverside County

"Dear Ms. Choyce,

As Program Director for the Challenges of Youth - Inland Agency, a Grant Program from the State of California, I am writing to share the opportunities that have opened up for the facilitators of our after school intervention since purchasing the Seed Pal Dolls.

We have been able to find great use for the Seed Pal Dolls and the accompanying books. Using as starting points for discussion, enables the facilitator to bring up topics that youth find difficult to address head on and encourages critical thinking and teamwork. The Seed Pal Dolls provide a visual for the youth during discussions on open communication and its importance regarding entering into new relationships, on viewing their physical bodies and on how future decisions can be affected, positively or negatively. The investment has been well worth the outcome of youth that value and respect themselves, and have the ability to create healthy relationships.

Jodee Palmer
Program Director