Teacher Manual. Fast ForWord to Reading Prep

Transcription

1 Teacher Manual Fast ForWord to Reading Prep

2 Fast ForWord to Reading Prep

3 Fast ForWord to Reading Prep

4 Copyright 1996 through 2007 Scientific Learning Corporation. All rights reserved. This document is supplied subject to the terms of the Scientific Learning Corporation license agreement. Information in this document is subject to change without notice. Names, data, and other information used in examples and exercises herein are fictitious. Trademarks Fast ForWord is a registered trademark of Scientific Learning Corporation. Scientific Learning 300 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza Suite 600 Oakland, CA Phone: Fax: Web: Technical Support/Customer Service Phone: (US & Canada) Phone: (International) Web: support@scilearn.com customerservice@scilearn.com Fast ForWord to Reading Prep

5 preface This Fast ForWord to Reading Prep manual is for teachers and lab coaches to support their teaching of the award-winning Fast ForWord products in the classroom and computer lab environments. Detailed instructional information for each exercise is provided including sample exercise content. Also provided are sample Intervention and Motivation activities, extended learning activities, skills matrices, reading curriculum standards for each exercise, and reference material in the appendices. A DVD that accompanies this manual provides teacher tools for use with individual or small group instruction. Student activities are targeted to English Language Learners, Special Education students, and struggling readers. A reading skills matrix, appearing on the inside cover of this manual, is also available in the DVD for teachers to print out and use for planning purposes. Web resources are listed that provide additional information and materials. Fast ForWord to Reading Prep

6 Fast ForWord to Reading Prep

7 contents Fast ForWord to Reading Skills Matrix Inside Cover Preface Introduction Fast ForWord to Reading Prep Overview Fast ForWord to Reading Prep Exercises Inside the Tummy Inside the Tummy Description 20 How Students Work on Inside the Tummy 20 How Students Progress through Inside the Tummy 21 How Students Advance in Inside the Tummy 21 Inside the Tummy Content 22 Hungry Tummy Hungry Tummy Description 24 How Students Work on Hungry Tummy 25 How Students Progress through Hungry Tummy 25 How Students Advance in Hungry Tummy 26 Hungry Tummy Content 26 Packing Pig Goes to Work Packing Pig Goes to Work Description 28 How Students Work on Packing Pig Goes to Work 29 How Students Progress through Packing Pig Goes to Work 30 How Students Advance in Packing Pig Goes to Work 30 Packing Pig Goes to Work Content 31 Fast ForWord to Reading Prep

8 Packing Pig Has Lunch Packing Pig Has Lunch Description 34 How Students Work on Packing Pig Has Lunch 35 How Students Advance in Packing Pig Has Lunch 35 Packing Pig Has Lunch Content 36 Houndini Houndini Description 38 How Students Work on Houndini 38 How Students Progress through Houndini 39 How Students Advance in Houndini 39 Houndini Content 40 Coaster Coaster Description 44 How Students Work on Coaster 44 How Students Progress through Coaster 44 How Students Advance in Coaster 45 Coaster Content 46 Motivation and Intervention Appendix A: The Science Behind the Fast ForWord Products Appendix B: Glossary Fast ForWord to Reading Prep

9 introduction The Fast ForWord to Reading series, which includes Fast ForWord to Reading Prep, Fast ForWord to Reading 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, is based on more than 30 years of research on how the brain learns and brain plasticity including the connection between reading and language. The products use established neuroscience principles to facilitate student learning. Extensive efficacy research has demonstrated the results that can be achieved through the use of Fast ForWord products. These products strengthen the neuro-cognitive skills required to read and learn, and teach significant reading skills within the context of cognitive skill development. Effective reading and learning require a variety of foundational cognitive skills, all functioning in unison. These cognitive and reading/ language arts foundational skills are developed through the application of four basic neuroscience principles found in Scientific Learning s patented technology, the FAST Power Learning Formula. The positive brain changes that occur are fast, effective, and enduring. These innovative products also develop the Learning MAPS skills of memory, attention, processing and sequencing, which are critically important prerequisites for successful reading and learning. When Learning MAPS are stronger, students are better able to benefit from classroom instruction. Fast ForWord systematic reading instruction The Fast ForWord systematic reading instruction develops pre-requisite skills that enable successful reading and complement reading instruction. Students work with scaffolding activities within the Fast ForWord reading exercises, such as sounding out the letters in unfamiliar words, working with a graphic organizer, and discussing major parts of a text prior to reading. Fast ForWord to Reading Prep presents pre-reading, reading, and cognitive skill instruction that helps prepare students for Grade 1 reading. Fast ForWord to Reading 1 includes exercises that sometimes are presented in Fast ForWord to Reading 2, but with new graphics and with more complex words and sentences appropriate to the Grade 2 reading level. Also, the Fast ForWord to Reading 1 and 2 exercises scaffold to the later exercises in Fast ForWord to Reading 3 by developing and honing the basic skills that are the foundation necessary for moving on to more difficult words and more complex sentences. Fast ForWord to Reading 4 and Fast ForWord to Reading 5 extend and expand skill instruction for middle and upper elementary students, and for struggling readers in a high school environment. Fast ForWord Professional Development is readily available through Scientific Learning s Customer Connect website ( and consultation with Scientific Learning s implementation specialists. Onsite professional development led by Scientific Learning certified training personnel is highly recommended to ensure successful implementations. Teachers can depend upon the online instruction and offline activities and materials being aligned to reading curriculum standards. Fast ForWord to Reading Prep 9

10 Fast ForWord to Reading Prep RESEARCH-VALIDATED READING INTERVENTION This product supports the National Reading Panel s focus on the five components of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, reading fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. DELIVERED BY SCIENTIFIC LEARNING CORPORATION F. A.S.T. POWER LEARNING FORMULA FREQUENCY AND INTENSITY Brain plasticity research demonstrates that completing a set of learning tasks in a frequent, intense timeframe accelerates learning. ADAPTIVITY Interactive exercises automatically adapt to individual skill levels and responses, adjusting the learner s content exposure and targeting correct responses approximately 80% of the time, which maintains challenge and motivates success. SIMULTANEOUS DEVELOPMENT Each exercise focuses on a specific set of reading or language tasks and simultaneously develops underlying cognitive processes such as memory, attention, and processing. TIMELY MOTIVATION For the brain to learn, students must be active, attentive, and engaged. Rewards are provided on the first attempt only, a proven neuroscience motivation technique. Fast ForWord to Reading Prep is one of a family of six award-winning reading intervention products that apply neuroscience principles to build learning capacity. All Fast ForWord products apply neuroscience principles to build learning capacity. The computer-based products strengthen the neuro-cognitive skills required to read. These foundational skills are developed through the application of four basic neuroscience principles found in our patented technology, the FAST Power Learning formula. The positive brain changes that occur are fast, effective and enduring. 10 Fast ForWord to Reading Prep

11 overview Fast ForWord to Reading Prep is one of six award-winning reading intervention products that apply neuroscience principles to build learning capacity. The computer-based products strengthen the neuro-cognitive skills required to read. These foundational skills are developed through the application of four basic neuroscience principles found in our patented technology, the FAST Power Learning formula. The positive brain changes that occur are fast, effective, and enduring. Instructional scaffolding is provided through the use of picture, letter, and word tiles, and verbally presented instructions and alternate responses at varied levels and stages of each exercise (Moats, 1999). In most cases, correct answers are provided immediately in response to student errors a responsive scaffolding strategy proven effective for at risk learners. Embedded assessment algorithms track the pattern of student responses to automatically adapt the presentation of content. This embedded assessment is the engine that provides to teachers detailed error reports (by specific skill) to support progress monitoring and data-driven teacher-led instruction. Learning MAPs Fast ForWord to Reading Prep is the first of the Fast ForWord to Reading product family. It helps to develop the essential cognitive skills of memory, attention, processing, and sequencing, or Learning MAPS, which are critically important prerequisites for successful reading. EXAMPLES IN FAST FORWORD TO READING PREP INCLUDE: MEMORY: Working memory ATTENTION: Focused & selective attention PROCESSING: Auditory processing of words SEQUENCING: Phoneme & letter order Repeated exposure to verbally presented and written words (often coupled with pictures) helps to develop vocabulary, automatic recognition of common three- and four-letter words, and fluency. Each exercise includes an introductory or preparatory stage that models the task for the student. Reports provide teachers information regarding student progress and specific student error to guide decisionmaking for classroom-based, small group instruction. The sequence of activities can be determined by student or teacher selection. Each exercise session is eight minutes. The following pages provide descriptions of each exercise. In addition to the computer-based instruction, activities, strategies and materials are provided for teachers in this manual, in the DVD and on Teachers can use these strategies and materials to provide guidance on appropriate student placement within the products. These strategies and materials also can assist in giving direct instruction, motivation, intervention, and supplemental instruction. Some of the activities are designed as individual activities. Other activities are appropriate for small-group instruction or for integrating into a classroom reading curriculum. Fast ForWord to Reading Prep 11

12 MOTIVATION AND INTERVENTION The Fast ForWord to Reading exercises challenge students to remain focused on completing the exercises to obtain the maximum benefit from the product. To motivate readers of all ages, Fast ForWord to Reading exercises include points and on-screen rewards that can be combined with motivational activities. These rewards and activities are effective ways to provide students with positive reinforcement. Rewarding students for their hard work encourages them to maintain sustained and focused attention. Motivation is a critical factor in whether students achieve the high levels of participation and completion necessary for success (80% or higher). Lab coaches, teachers, administrators and parents can work together to create an effective program. Motivational ideas are listed in the accompanying DVD and on Timely intervention is key to supporting students effective performance on the exercises. Teachers can use the Success Viewer, Fast ForWord Progress Tracker reports and teacher informal observation as tools to identify when a student experiences difficulty. Teacher-led intervention strategies and activities with detailed instructions are provided in the accompanying DVD. Additional strategies and activities can be obtained on STUDENT PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENTS Teachers can use both informal and formal assessment tools with students. Informal assessments include teacher observation of student performance, listening to students comments and questions during the sessions, and conducting teacher, student, and parent surveys (forms are available on www. scilearn.com/support) to uncover any obstacles standing in the way of the student successfully completing the exercises. Formal performance assessment includes monitoring the student s performance on each exercise through the Success Viewer and in Fast ForWord Progress Tracker. Immediate feedback is available and can be used in a timely manner to intervene with a struggling student to provide individual or small group instruction. Timely intervention enables the teacher and student to resolve the barrier to correctly completing the exercise. Motivation activities encourage the student to continue working towards completion of the exercise. EFFECTIVE REPORTING Student performance reports are generated by the Success Viewer and Fast ForWord Progress Tracker. Success Viewer In each exercise, the Success Viewer displays goal and task information at the top of the screen. Below that, results for each section of the exercise are indicated with graphs that reflect current and completed content. The screen for Inside the Tummy displays stars for each level in the exercise. The screens for the rest of the exercises display stars for each content type. 12 Fast ForWord to Reading Prep

13 Fast ForWord PROGRESS TRACKER Fast ForWord Progress Tracker, the online data analysis and reporting tool (gateway.scilearn.com) provides clear, action oriented information on individual, class, school, or district performance. It is also an excellent source for demographic information and progress monitoring that will better assist schools in meeting their Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) goals. The information is secure and accessible district-wide using the Internet. Automatic analysis including diagnostic and prescriptive information is displayed in graphs and tables. Teachers can access timely and specific intervention strategies with recommendations to maximize the effectiveness of the Fast ForWord products. Teachers can monitor detailed student progress in Fast ForWord exercises from any computer with an internet connection, whether or not students are currently working on exercises. Both group and individual reports are available. Teachers can access individual student reports by clicking on either the product name in an Overview Report or the student name in a Condensed Report. (Within Progress Tracker, the Help menu provides detailed descriptions of the reports. Additional information is available at The following reports are available: Progress Tracker Reports > Overview Report (group report) Provides overall averages for participation, attendance, and content completion, the number of days a student has worked on the exercises, and any status flags. Teachers should monitor these reports daily for indicators in the Completion Status column. When an Intervention flag is present, the student is struggling and should receive assistance from the teacher. A Switch or Complete flag indicates that the student is ready to move to the next product. Refer to the Customer Connect web site at for more information on interventions. > Condensed Report (group report) Provides information similar to the Overview Report, but also breaks down the overall content completion into specific exercises. Intervention flags will appear next to percentages of specific exercises in which a student is struggling. > Progress History Report (individual report) Provides detailed day-to-day progress on each exercise in both a line graph and in detailed textual feedback. Teachers should monitor this report at least weekly, noting patterns of difficulty which include flat-lining and/or zigzagging. For additional information on the exercise, scroll down to the Completion Report section. This section provides detail regarding completion status in specific skills within the exercise and powerful information to assist in delivering much focused intervention. For explanation of report symbols, see the Completion Symbols explanations within the turquoise box. For additional information on exercise skills, progression, goals, and instructions, click the info button next to the name of the exercise. > Error Reports (individual report) Provide detailed analyses regarding specific skills within each exercise. Broken down by specific items, this report is a powerful tool for identifying a student s unique difficulties. Refer to the Customer Connect web site at for more information on interventions. Fast ForWord to Reading Prep 13

14 Fast ForWord PROTOCOLS Neuroscience research confirms the importance of frequency and intensity of activity to build and strengthen new skills. Each Fast ForWord product includes research-based protocols that ensure students receive frequent and intense practice, while providing teachers with the flexibility to meet their instructional programs structure and objectives. Each protocol specifies how much time students should spend with the product each day and for how many weeks students should expect to use the product. Close adherence to an PROTOCOLS 30 minutes per day (Three 10-minute exercises) 5 days per week weeks approved protocol correlates highly with successful outcomes. It is advised that students working on Fast ForWord to Reading Prep exercises follow a 30-minute protocol. Schedules for Fast ForWord to Reading Prep can be divided into multiple sessions. Students can take breaks between exercises, but not during an exercise. Allow sufficient time in the school schedule for starting and finishing the exercises, and taking breaks. Samples of schedules can be referenced on 14 Fast ForWord to Reading Prep

15 Scope and Sequence INSIDE THE TUMMY Task/Theme Contents Targeted Cognitive and Reading Skills Click and drag colored shapes into matching shape outlines in pre-defined patterns. Computer graphic objects Visual attention skills Fine motor skills Eye-hand coordination Pattern recognition Auditory perception HUNGRY TUMMY Follow verbal instructions to identify different colors, sizes and shapes by clicking and dragging shapes to specified locations. PACKING PIG GOES TO WORK Listen for the name of a letter; click on the matching letter PACKING PIG HAS LUNCH Primary shapes, colors, large/small, association of verbal information with computer graphic objects. Upper and lower case alphabet letters; ABC song Follow verbal directions Improve verbal decoding Improve working memory skills Eye-hand coordination Color, shape, size identification Fine motor skills Letter-name association skills Phonological awareness Letter-name knowledge Visual-spatial memory Auditory memory Sustained auditory memory Fine motor development HOUNDINI COASTER Clear a grid of boxes by finding the matching letters. Identify the card that has a different word sound than the others. Listen for a letter sound and then clicks the coaster showing the matching written consonant. 38 fiction & nonfiction passages Letter-name association skills Auditory working memory Perception Visual spatial memory Phonological awareness Letter-name symbol association Event sequencing Fine motor development Word sets that correspond to different developmental language processing abilities Alphabetic principle: association of specific phonemes with corresponding letters; 12 consonants, each presented in the context of multiple vowels, for form 20 sets of consonant-vowel-consonant words. Phonological awareness Phoneme analysis Phonological working memory Letter-sound correspondence Auditory working memory Auditory perception Fine motor development Phonemic awareness Alphabetic principle Phonological awareness Auditory working memory Auditory perception Fine motor development Fast ForWord to Reading Prep 15

16 Fast ForWord to Reading Prep Exercises Inside the Tummy In Inside the Tummy, the student matches colored shapes using the computer mouse to click and drag objects into matching outlined shapes inside a bear s tummy. HUNGRY TUMMY In Hungry Tummy, the student responds to verbal cues to identify and select shapes of varied sizes and colors. Packing Pig Goes to Work In Packing Pig Goes to Work, the student responds to verbal cues to identify and select uppercase and lowercase letters. Packing Pig Has Lunch In Packing Pig Has Lunch, the student identifies and selects matching pairs of letters in a grid. The student clicks a box with a letter in it, hears the letter spoken and then clicks the box with the corresponding uppercase or lowercase letter. Houndini In Houndini, the student must identify the word with a different target sound than that of the other words presented. As each of four cards is turned over, a word is pronounced and/or displayed, and the student must determine which word has a different first, middle, or ending sound. Coaster In Coaster, the student clicks on a roller coaster operator to hear a consonant- vowel syllable pronounced. The student is required to choose the consonant that matches the spoken consonant-vowel syllable.. 16 Fast ForWord to Reading Prep

17 Fast ForWord to Reading Prep Suggested Pacing Chart for Implementation week 1 Day 1 Introduce the science behind the Fast ForWord products. For older students, consider showing the DVD from Anchorage School District. Contact Scientific Learning Support for more information: Discuss protocol and the importance of being at school for Fast ForWord classes. Administer a student survey. Resources are available at Day 2 Demonstrate the following exercises to students: Inside the Tummy Hungry Tummy Packing Pig Goes to Work Discuss exercise objectives, encourage choral response and questions, and introduce resources students may use in helping them progress through the exercises such as: Dictionaries Thesauruses Paper and pencil location How to ask for the lab coach s assistance Day 3 Packing Pig Has Lunch Coaster Houndini Discuss exercise objectives, encourage choral response and questions, and introduce resources students may use in helping them progress through the exercises such as: Dictionaries Thesauruses Paper and pencil location How to ask for the lab coach s assistance Day 4 Day 5 Allow students to work on the exercises in demo mode. Circulate, answering questions, giving clarifying directions, making corrections and suggesting resources when appropriate. Introduce your incentive system, explaining how progress will be monitored recorded and rewarded. Also explain how attendance and participation will be rewarded. Post student charts for percent complete. (Possibly allow students to personalize their charts.) Charts are available on the Customer Connect web site under Quick Downloads. Locate the section for Reading Prep. Revisit the importance of protocol. Resources are available at Fast ForWord to Reading Prep 17

18 Fast ForWord to Reading Prep Suggested Pacing Chart for Implementation, cont. Weeks 2 And Beyond Daily Review Fast ForWord Progress Tracker Overview or Condensed Report for status flags before students come to lab. Note those students requiring intervention and on which exercises. Make arrangements to attend to all of those students during the upcoming Fast ForWord session. (Visit the Customer Connect web site for additional tools to assist you in organizing your time for interventions: Review Fast ForWord Progress Tracker Overview or Condensed Report for status flags before students come to lab. Note students who are nearing completion and begin making other arrangements for these students. It may be appropriate for these students to return to regular class or, if available, continue with the next product in the Fast ForWord to Reading series. Students work on Fast ForWord to Reading Prep exercises. Reward attendance and participation. (Look for the participation bonus points on the student s Success Viewer screen to verify that protocol for minutes worked has been met.) Encourage, motivate and cheerlead! Celebrate small successes daily such as attainment of new levels, appropriate use of resources, etc. Weekly Either the lab coach or the students should update the Incentive Charts created during Week 1. Review Fast ForWord Progress Tracker Progress History and/or Error Reports for detailed information on student progress. Based on the information, make arrangements to provide more intensive intervention for those students showing greatest difficulty. (Visit the Customer Connect web site for additional tools to assist you in organizing your time for interventions: scilearn.com/support.) Conference with each student regarding progress. Use the Fast ForWord Progress Tracker Progress History Report, and the Weekly Achievement Report as well as the Incentive Charts created during Week 1 to analyze progress, discuss difficulties and set goals for the following week. According to your established incentive system, administer appropriate awards. Celebrate the week s achievements. Prepare printed copies of the Fast ForWord Progress Tracker Weekly Achievement Report to go home to parents and/or guardians. Place a personal note on the report so parents and/or guardians and classroom teachers know what to celebrate with their child and/or what to emphasize for the upcoming week. 18 Fast ForWord to Reading Prep

19 inside the tummy OBJECTIVES > Match objects in response to a single verbally presented attribute (color or shape). > Match objects in response to two verbally presented attributes (color and shape). Fast ForWord to Reading Prep consists of six exercises presenting reading skill instruction that correlates to Kindergarten reading standards. Build cognitive skills > Attention precise visual attention > Processing visual processing for matching shapes and sensory-motor integration for using the mouse to position shapes Fast ForWord to Reading Prep 19

20 inside the tummy Inside the Tummy Description A bear appears on the screen. Colored shapes are arranged outside the bear s tummy and corresponding outlines of shapes appear inside the bear s tummy. The student chooses a colored shape by clicking on it with the mouse and then drags that shape to the matching shape and color outline within the bear s giant stomach. Each time the student correctly places an object, the bear states the shape and color. When all of the objects are inside the bear s tummy, a colorful graphic is displayed. How Students Work on Inside the Tummy In this exercise, the student is presented with one or more colored shapes outside a bear's tummy and a pattern of outlines of colored shapes inside a bear's tummy. The student clicks and drags the colored shapes into the matching outlines. When a shape is moved into the correct location, the name of the color and shape is pronounced. Once all shapes in the pattern have been matched correctly, the student sees a picture that uses the pattern and shapes. 20 Fast ForWord to Reading Prep

21 inside the tummy How Students Progress through Inside the Tummy In Inside the Tummy the student progresses through 5 levels of difficulty. In each level the shapes become smaller, the patterns become more complex, and the placement requirements become more precise. How Students Advance through Inside the Tummy Each level includes outline patterns. The student must correctly complete the pattern by correctly placing all shapes before advancing to the next pattern. When all patterns in the level have been completed, the student advances to the next level. As indicated by the table below, the number of objects increases as the student progresses through levels and stages within levels. Re-entering Inside the Tummy If a student exits or times out while working on a pattern, the student returns to the beginning of that pattern upon re-entering the exercise Points Awarded Inside the Tummy awards points to the student based on the following conditions: > Bonus points: After the student completes all the shapes in a pattern, Inside the Tummy rewards the student s performance with 5 bonus points. Fast ForWord to Reading Prep 21

22 inside the tummy Inside the Tummy Content This exercise presents 5 levels of difficulty, with three stages in each level. In each level the shapes become smaller and the patterns become more complex requiring more precise fine motor control and hand-eye coordination. Example: > Level 1: Stage 1 Bear says, red > Level 1: Stage 2 Bear says, yellow, blue > Level 1: Stage 3 Bear says, green, yellow, blue > Level 3: Stage 1 Bear says, red triangle, green square. > Level 5: Stage 1 Bear says, red square, blue circle, Level Number of blocks in Stage 1 Number of blocks in Stage 2 Number of blocks in Stage Fast ForWord to Reading Prep

23 hungry tummy Fast ForWord to Reading Prep consists of six exercises presenting reading skill instruction that correlates to Kindergarten reading standards. GOAL > Select an object from a group of objects in response to a single verbally presented attribute (color, shape or size). > Select an object from a group of objects in response to two verbally presented attributes (color/shape; color/size; or shape/size). > Select an object from a group of objects in response to three verbally presented attributes (color/shape/size). Build cognitive skills > memory hold increasingly complex instructions in working memory while comprehending them and planning a response > Attention selective attention > Processing auditory and visual processing Fast ForWord to Reading Prep 23

24 hungry tummy Hungry Tummy Description In this exercise, a bear orally presents attribute(s) of the object that the student must select from a variety of possible responses. For example, the bear says, blue triangle. The student clicks the object with the matching attributes and drags it into the bear s mouth. When the correct object is dragged into his mouth, the bear eats it. Initially, the student is given a visual cue to the correct response (an outline of the matching shape), but as the exercise progresses, the student identifies the shapes without the visual cue. The student progresses through identifying shapes with one, then two, and finally three attributes ( blue ; blue triangle ; large blue triangle ). 24 Fast ForWord to Reading Prep

25 hungry tummy How Students Work on Hungry Tummy In Hungry Tummy, the student responds to verbal cues to identify and select shapes of varied sizes and colors. How Students Progress through Hungry Tummy In Hungry Tummy the student progresses through increasingly complex tasks that focus on following directions. The student progresses through identifying shapes with one, then two, and finally three attributes (color, shape, and size). Hungry Tummy progresses through 9 levels of difficulty as follows: > Levels 1 and 2 (preparatory levels): In these levels the student focuses on each step of the click and drag process, first learning to click an object, and then learning to click and drag an object into the bear's mouth. > Levels 3 through 9 (each have 2 stages): In the first stage, the student is given visual cues to the correct response; in the second stage, no visual cues are present. The student progresses from Stage 1 to Stage 2 within a level, progressing to a new level when Stage 2 is passed. As the student progresses through the levels, the number of attributes that must be identified increases. > In Levels 3 through 5, the student selects an object based on a single attribute: Level 3, color; Level 4, shape; and Level 5, size. > In Levels 6 through 8, the student selects an object based on two attributes: Level 6, shape and size; Level 7, color and size; and Level 8, color and shape. > In Level 9, the student selects an object based on all three attributes: color, size, and shape. Fast ForWord to Reading Prep 25

26 hungry tummy How Students Advance through Hungry Tummy In each non-preparatory level (Levels 3 through 9), in order to advance to the next stage within a level or to the next level, the student must correctly answer 12 out of the last 15 trials taken. Trials are presented in groups within each level; the number of trials in the group is based upon the number of shapes that are presented on the screen. Trials are not evaluated for advancement until the entire group has been presented. If the student does not meet the criteria, another group within the same level and stage is presented. This continues until the student meets the criteria for passing the stage. Points Awarded Hungry Tummy awards 3 points to the student for each correct response. Hungry Tummy Content Hungry Tummy progresses through 9 levels of difficulty as follows: >Levels 1 and 2 are preparatory levels. > Levels 3 through 9 each have 2 stages: In the first stage, the student is given visual cues to the correct response; in the second stage, no visual cues are present. The student progresses from Stage 1 to Stage 2 within a level, progressing to a new level when Stage 2 is passed. As the student progresses through the levels, the number of attributes that must be identified increases. Level attribute(s) trained color shape size shape & size color & size color & shape shape, size & color 26 Fast ForWord to Reading Prep

27 packing pig GOES TO WORK GOAL > Identify the letters of the alphabet. Build cognitive skills > Memory hold a spoken letter name in working memory while identifying the matching letter > Attention selective attention > Processing auditory and visual processing Fast ForWord to Reading Prep consists of six exercises presenting reading skill instruction that correlates to Kindergarten reading standards. Fast ForWord to Reading Prep 27

28 Packing Pig goes to work Packing Pig Goes to Work Description To prepare the student for this exercise, Packing Pig sings the Alphabet song. The student can click Packing Pig to hear the song again, or click a letter to hear Packing Pig pronounce the letter. To send Packing Pig to work and start the exercise, the student must click the Start button. To begin working, the student clicks the loudspeaker to hear a letter name and to see that letter displayed on the screen. The letter falls onto the conveyor belt, and the pig wraps it. After a few rounds, the exercise suspends the letter in the air until the student clicks the flashing letter. Eventually, the exercise announces a target letter and displays a choice of letters. The student must click the target letter. Initially, the target letters assist the student by flashing, but soon the student must rely only on the sounds to identify the letters. When the student clicks the correct letter, Packing Pig wraps it up and sends it on its way. Points are awarded for each correct answer, and bonus points are awarded after 10 correct answers. 28 Fast ForWord to Reading Prep

29 Packing Pig goes to work In earlier stages, the process of clicking the loudspeaker, hearing a letter name, and seeing the image of that letter falling onto the conveyor belt helps the student connect the name of a letter with its visual representation. In later stages, the student hears a letter name and then clicks on the letter, reinforcing the lettername association. For example, a student hears the spoken letter name a and then must click on the written letter a, thus associating the two. The exercise then adds a second letter, forcing the student to discriminate between two written letters and to learn that the letter name a matches the written letter a and not the written letter b. As more letters are added, including uppercase and lowercase letters, the student learns to discriminate among multiple letters and to associate letter names with both uppercase and lowercase representations. How Students Work on Packing Pig Goes to Work Packing Pig Goes to Work begins with Packing Pig singing the alphabet song. The student can click Packing Pig to hear the song again or click a letter to hear Packing Pig pronounce the name of the letter. When the student is ready to send Packing Pig to work, the student clicks Start. When the exercise starts, the student clicks the loudspeaker to hear a letter. The letter falls onto the conveyor belt and the pig wraps it. After a few rounds, the student must click the flashing letter. As the exercise progresses, the name of a target letter is pronounced and a choice of letters is presented. The student must click the target letter. When the correct letter is clicked, Packing Pig wraps it up and sends it on its way. Fast ForWord to Reading Prep 29

30 Packing Pig goes to work How Students Progress through Packing Pig Goes to Work In Packing Pig Goes to Work, the student progresses through 9 levels of difficulty as follows: > Levels 1 3: Teaches the student to perform the task; presents only lowercase letters (a and b). > Levels 4 and 5: Lowercase letters are presented in 7 alphabetic sets (abcd, efg, hijk, lmnop, qrs, tuv, wxyz). In Level 4, the correct response flashes to provide a visual cue to assist the student in associating the letter with the letter name. > Levels 6 and 7: Uppercase letters are presented in 7 alphabetic sets. In Level 6, the correct response flashes to provide a visual cue to assist the student in associating the letter with the letter name > Level 8: Both lowercase and uppercase letters are presented in 7 alphabetic sets. > Level 9: Lowercase and uppercase letters are presented together in 13 sets that target possible visual and aural similarities between pairs of letters (for example, TDao). How Students Advance in Packing Pig Goes to Work To advance in Packing Pig Goes to Work, the student must meet the passing criteria for each letter in a set before advancing to the next set. When the last set in a level is passed, thestudent advances to the next level. If criteria are not met for any of the letters, letters will continue to be presented randomly from the set until criteria are met for each letter in the set. As soon as criteria are met, the set is passed. The advancement criteria for each letter are as follows: > Levels 1 4 and Level 6: 2 correct out of last 2 attempts > Level 5 and Levels 7 9: 4 correct out of last 5 attempts Re-entering Packing Pig Goes to Work After the student exits or times out, upon reentry the student begins in the level and setwhere they left off. However, the set starts from the beginning. 30 Fast ForWord to Reading Prep

31 Packing Pig goes to work Points Awarded in Packing Pig Goes to Work Packing Pig Goes to Work awards points to the student based on the following conditions: > Correct answers: The student earns 1 point for each correct trial. > Bonus points: After the student completes 10 trials correctly, Packing Pig Goes to Work rewards the student s performance with 5 bonus points. Packing Pig Goes to Work Content This exercise presents 9 levels as follows: > Levels 1 3: Lowercase letters > Levels 4 and 5: Lowercase letters - 7 alphabetic sets (abcd, efg, hijk, lmnop, qrs, tuv, wxyz). > Levels 6 and 7: Uppercase letters - 7 alphabetic sets > Level 8; Upper and lower case letters side by side > Level 9; Lowercase and uppercase letters - 13 sets that target possible visual and aural similarities between pairs of letters (for example, TDao). Fast ForWord to Reading Prep 31

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33 PACKING PIG HAS LUNCH GOAL > Match, from a group of four, two pairs of lowercase and uppercase letters. > Match, from a group of eight, four pairs of lowercase and uppercase letters. > Match, from a group of 16, eight pairs of lowercase and uppercase letters. Fast ForWord to Reading Prep consists of six exercises presenting reading skill instruction that correlates to Kindergarten reading standards. Build cognitive skills > Memory hold the name of the target letter in working memory while using visual-spatial memory to recall position of a matching letter > Attention sustained attention > Processing auditory and visual processing Fast ForWord to Reading Prep 33

34 Packing pig has lunch Packing Pig Has Lunch Description The student is presented with a grid of boxes; each box contains a letter. In the beginning of the exercise, the letters are visible at all times. First, the student clicks a letter to hear that letter s name. Then, the student must click the corresponding uppercase or lowercase letter. The student learns to associate both uppercase and lowercase written letters with the same name. For example, if the student clicks A, he or she must then click a to complete the match. The boxes disappear. Points are awarded for each correct answer, and bonus points are awarded after each cleared grid. As the exercise progresses, an increasing number boxes are presented in a grid. At this level, the student must click the gift boxes to reveal the letters. When the student reveals a letter that matches the visible corresponding uppercase or lowercase letter, he student must click the corresponding letter and the pair of boxes disappears. Remembering where to find a particular letter-name combination builds auditory and visual memory skills. Eventually, focus becomes the key to helping Packing Pig get his lunch. The student must pay attention, because the gift boxes only flash a letter when clicked. The student must remember where the letters are in the grid and find their match. When the student clears all of the gift boxes in a grid, Packing Pig gets his lunch. The student will continue to work on the exercise until the skills in the exercise are mastered. 34 Fast ForWord to Reading Prep

35 Packing pig has lunch How Students Work on Packing Pig Has Lunch In this exercise, the student is presented with a grid of boxes; each box contains a letter. In the beginning of the exercise, the letters are visible at all times. The student clicks a letter and hears the name of the letter. If the student next clicks the box with the corresponding uppercase or lowercase letter, the boxes with the matching letters are cleared from the grid. When all boxes are cleared from the grid, Packing Pig gets his lunch! Later in the exercise, the letter becomes visible only after a box is clicked. Finally, the letter only remains visible for a short time after the box is clicked; the student must remember the location of the letters when making a match. How Students Advance in Packing Pig Has Lunch > Levels 1 and 2, Stages 2 and 3: After completing a minimum number of grids in which all letters are presented, the student advances to the next stage if 80% or more of the letters were cleared in the minimum number of clicks. In Level 1, the minimum number of clicks per match is 2; in Level 2, the minimum number of clicks per match is 3. If the student does not pass the stage after the minimum number of grids is completed, letters that required more than the minimum clicks to clear are presented with a greater frequency in subsequent grids. The student is presented with additional grids until the criteria are met. > Level 3, Stages 2 and 3: After completing a minimum number of grids in which all letters are presented, the student advances to the next stage after clearing a minimum number of grids within a minimum number of clicks. A minimum of 3 clicks are required to clear a letter pair. In Stage 2, the student advances after clearing the last 7 grids within 20 clicks. In Stage 3, the student advances after clearing the last 4 grids within 60 clicks. If the student does not pass the stage after the minimum number of grids are completed, letters that required more than the minimum clicks to clear are presented with a greater frequency in subsequent grids. The student is presented with additional grids until the criteria are met. Re-entering Packing Pig Has Lunch After a student exits or times out, upon reentry the student begins the session with Stage 1 of the current level. After 3 grids, the student begins in the level and stage where they left off. The stage is started from the beginning. Fast ForWord to Reading Prep 35

36 Packing pig has lunch Points Awarded in Packing Pig Has Lunch Packing Pig Has Lunch awards points to the student based on the following conditions: > Correct answers: The student earns 1 point for each letter match. > Bonus points: After the student completes all matches in a grid, Packing Pig Has Lunch rewards the student s performance with bonus points. The number of bonus points awarded corresponds with the size of the grid: > Stage 1: 1 bonus point > Stage 2: 3 bonus points > Stage 3: 5 bonus points Packing Pig Has Lunch Content The exercise consists of three levels and three stages of difficulty within each level. Each level presents the letters differently: > Level 1: All letters are displayed in boxes upon initial presentation. > Level 2: Letters are not visible in boxes until a box is clicked. Once clicked, the letter remains visible. > Level 3: Letters are not visible in boxes until a box is clicked. Once clicked, the letter becomes visible only briefly. 36 Fast ForWord to Reading Prep

37 HOUNDINI Fast ForWord to Reading Prep consists of six exercises presenting reading skill instruction that correlates to Kindergarten reading standards. objectives > Select from a group of four, a picture or word that has a different initial sound. > Select, from a group of four, a picture or word that has a different final sound. > Select, from a group of four, a picture or word that has a different medial sound. Build cognitive skills > memory hold words in working memory while comparing their initial, middle, or final sounds. > Attention selective attention to the targeted portion of each word > Processing auditory and visual processing > Sequencing using the order of phonemes and letters to make same/different judgments. Fast ForWord to Reading Prep 37

38 Houndini Houndini Description The student clicks Houndini, the magic dog, to start the exercise. Houndini presents four cards and instructs the student to click the card that represents a different initial, medial, or final sound than the other three cards. How Students Work on Houndini In this exercise, a dog deals out 4 cards and instructs the student to select the card with the different first, middle,or final sound. The cards and words will each be presented in 3 ways during the exercise: > 1. Each card displays only a picture; the associated word is pronounced as the card is turned over. > 2. Each card displays a picture and a word; the associated word is pronounced as the card is turned over. > 3. Each card displays only a word; there is no aural presentation of the word. The student clicks the card with the different associated sound. 38 Fast ForWord to Reading Prep

39 Houndini How Students Progress through Houndini Houndini progresses through 7 levels of difficulty as follows: > Level 1: simple dissimilar initial sounds (sand, belt, bus, bat) > Level 2: simple similar initial sounds (pat, bed, ball, bus) > Level 3: simple dissimilar final sounds (ship, seal, doll, snail) > Level 4: simple similar final sounds (moon, gum, dime, jam) > Level 5: complex initial sounds (clown, cake, cart, cow) > Level 6: complex final sounds (coast, dress, goose, gas) > Level 7: simple medial (vowel) sounds (fish, dog, moth, pot) In each level there are 3 stages. Each stage corresponds to how the words and cards are presented. The same sets of words are presented at each stage. How Students Advance in Houndini Within each stage, 15 sets of words are presented. Each set of words is presented up to 5 times within the stage. In order to pass, the student must answer each set correctly 4 times. > If the student meets the criteria for all sets within the stage, the student advances to the next stage within the level, or to the next level if at the final stage. > If the student fails to meet the criteria for any sets within the stage, the failed sets are repeated a minimum of 4 times. Fast ForWord to Reading Prep 39

40 Houndini Mastery If after 3 attempts, the student has not met the criteria for passing all sets within a stage, Houndini transitions the student to the next stage, or, if at the final stage of a level, to the next level. At the end of the exercise, those sets which were not passed are repeated, using the same progression and rules of advancement as when they were originally presented. The student will continue to work on these sets until mastery is achieved. Re-entering Houndini After a student exits or times out, upon reentry the student begins in the stage and level where they left off, though not necessarily with the same set. Points Awarded in Houndini Houndini awards points to the student based on the following conditions: > Correct answers: The student earns 1 point for each trial that is completed correctly. > Bonus points: After the student completes 10 trials correctly, Houndini rewards the student s performance either with 5 bonus points or with a chance to spin the picture wheel. When the student spins the picture wheel, the number of points that the wheel stops on is awarded (0, 2, 4, 6, 8 or 10 points). Houndini Content This exercise presents 7 levels of difficulty. Each level includes three stages scaffolds are removed as the student develops mastery of the content: > Stage 1: Each card displays only a picture; the associated word is pronounced as the card is turned over. > Stage 2: Each card displays a picture and a word; the associated word is pronounced as the card is turned over. > Stage 3: Each card displays only a word; there is no verbal presentation of the word. 40 Fast ForWord to Reading Prep