Member Spotlight On…
Charlene Wrighton
Charlene Wrighton
My name is Char Wrighton. My two businesses are Zoo-phonics Mnemonic and Multisensory Language Arts Program (Zoo-phonics, Inc. for short) and the Safari Learning Academy (serves babies 3 months through 1st grade; and through 4th grade in our Summer Adventure Program).
In 1970, I received my Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy. In 1972, I completed Grad School receiving several special education and regular education teaching credentials. I then taught for twenty-one years in special education, gaining additional credentials and a Master’s Degree. In 2010 I received my doctorate in “Curriculum and Education.”
was voted “Teacher of the Year” for special education in the Tri-County Consortium in Sonora (Calaveras and Amador). Zoo-phonics’ preschool (2011) and kindergarten curriculum (2013) won the Teacher’s Choice Award (peer reviewed) for excellence in education through Teacher’s Magazine.
In 1984, while still teaching, my sister and I developed a language arts program (reading, spelling, writing) called Zoo-phonics. After six years of development, we saw that we needed to focus on Zoo-phonics and retired from teaching. Our Zoo-phonics Program quickly became state-wide and then nationwide. In 2005, Zoo-phonics formed educational partnerships with educators in Japan (20 Zoo-phonics schools), South Korea (40,000 children in private schools) and Singapore (20 plus Zoo-phonics schools), teaching English to tens of thousands of young children. We also have partners in the Dominican Republic and Spain. We are in many other countries including: Mexico, Dubai, Kuwait, Australia, Thailand, India, and 9 countries in Africa (we donated materials and trained teachers). We are translated into Spanish, Arabic, and Danish.
In 2007 my daughter and I (and Zoo-phonics) started the Safari Learning Academy. We had to design the school (my husband did the construction) in the Sonora Fitness Center. People were signing their children up as we were doing the construction – just having faith with our spoken vision. When we were maintaining 200 children on our wait-list, we realized we needed a larger facility, so Katie and Plum Construction designed and built our new facility off of Tuolumne Rd. and we STILL have a huge wait-list! We will be 14 this December!
Owning two businesses (and helping with my husband’s building/roofing business) is a challenge – how to juggle and get things done on time – but it is great fun and certainly satisfying. At 72, I have no interest in retiring or even slowing down (reserving some time for travel).
Respectfully submitted by Jan Moberg, TCWN Spotlight Chair