The Story Behind the Reading Horizons Method
Meet the Biphonic Woman
The Reading Horizons method is built on the pioneering work of educator Charlotte Lockhart. Fueled by a passion for literacy that saw her defy convention, Charlotte dedicated her career to students who struggled, even tutoring them during her lunch hours as a principal. She knew these learners needed a clear, logical system, not gimmicks. Drawing from her classroom experience and the principles of Orton-Gillingham, she developed and refined the systematic, explicit, and multisensory decoding approach that makes reading accessible to everyone.
The Evolution of the Reading Horizons Method
Breaking Barriers
Charlotte Lockhart begins her teaching career in rural Illinois, defying laws that prohibited single women from teaching.
Service and Sacrifice
Charlotte pauses her teaching career to enlist among the first women in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
Developing the Method
Drawing on decades of classroom experience, Charlotte refines her structured approach to decoding the English language and publishes Discover Intensive Phonics for Yourself.
Technology Meets Teaching
Reading Horizons (then operating as HEC Software) is contracted to develop software that brings Charlotte’s method to life in classrooms nationwide.
Preserving a Legacy
After Charlotte’s passing, Reading Horizons acquires full copyright to her curriculum, ensuring her method continues to guide reading instruction for generations.
Carrying the Vision Forward
The Reading Horizons method continues with Charlotte Lockhart’s method as our anchor.