Students with various language based learning differences receive appropriate instruction through the small group program. Reading and Math are very intensive, structured, and taught with a low teacher to student ratio (1:5). Teachers use multi sensory methods to teach the students. Our various curricula are research tested and highly recommended for students with learning differences.
Students learn to read by using the Wilson Reading System and/or FastForWord. Handwriting is taught with Handwriting without Tears, a curriculum developed by an Occupational Therapist. Students learn math through various curricula such as Teaching Textbooks, Drops in the Bucket, and Touchmath. These programs allow students to integrate knowledge in all subjects as it fosters discovery learning and logic.
Wilson Reading®
“Nationally, more than 4,000 students drop out of school every school day. That calculates to nearly 750,000 students every year who do not graduate from high school with their peers.” (Alliance for Excellent Education, 2017)
“One of the most commonly cited reasons for this is that students simply do not have the literacy skills to keep up with the high school curriculum which has become increasingly complex.” (Kamil, 2003; Snow & Biancarosa, 2003)
About the Program
Wilson Reading System® (WRS®), based on Orton-Gillingham methods, is for gradae 2-12 students, and adults. who have word-level deficits and have not internalized the sound/symbol system for reading and spelling. They may have decoding and spelling deficits, a language-based learning disability, been unsuccessful with other reading programs, or they may be English Language Learners.
Sixty-seven percent of students with late-identified reading disabilities have decoding deficits. Some of those also have an accompanying comprehension deficit (Leach, Scarborough, & Rescorla, 2003). Under the right conditions, intensive and skillful instruction in basic word reading skills can significantly impact the comprehension ability of students in fifth grade and beyond.
Presumably, these effects occur when the instruction is sufficiently powerful to substantially increase the percentage of words students can accurately identify in the text they are reading (Torgesen et al., 2007)
WRS® provides research based instruction in the five areas of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. The program uses an explicit, systematic, and multisensory delivery.
The Florida Center for Reading Research determined that the Wilson Reading System© can be used effectively to help “close the gap” in reading skills for struggling readers.” Click here for summary.
More information
Wilson Reading System: What You Need to Know (Peg Rosen, Understood.org)
Fast ForWord®
“Mastery of academic language is arguably the single most important determinant of academic success for individual students” (Francis, Rivera, Lesaux, Kieffer, and Rivera; 2006)
“Nearly three-quarters of children who are poor readers in 3rd grade remain poor readers throughout high school. These children are more likely to drop out of school and struggle to ever find self-sustaining employment.” (Steenson, 2014)
About the Program
Fast ForWord® (FF®) is an individual software package focused on improving phonological awareness in parallel with temporal processing of students with abnormal temporal processing and language learning impairment, commonly used with the following students:
♦ Tiers 2 and 3 RTI
♦ At-risk or struggling students, including Title 1
♦ English language learners
♦ Students receiving special education services, including: Dyslexia, Specific learning disability, ADD/ADHD, auditory processing disorder, specific language impairment
FF® is used to strengthen the skills of memory, attention, processing rate, and sequencing for children with a broad range of reading problems and other cognitive disorders. The program uses self-paced, computerized exercises, in which children identify speech sounds, for 30 to 100 minutes a day. The speech sound drills start with normal speech sounds that have been altered by computer processing to exaggerate differences, making the task easier for children with slower than normal temporal processing.
As the student progresses, these differences are reduced to make the games more challenging. This approach helps students with a wide range of language problems and develops enhanced phonological awareness. This enhanced awareness will have numerous benefits for their language functioning, especially reading.
More information
New Studies Show Children Improve Language and Reading Skills, and Brain Function, after Using the Fast ForWord Program (BusinessWire, 2016)
Our Success
Previous grants from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation required we complete a detailed impact report.
OUR GOAL was to achieve a minimum of half a year increase in reading level, ideally a full year. It is not uncommon for many of our students to have seen no success with reading for 2-3 years before enrolling, so exactly when we see, and how much, improvement will vary from student to student. You can see our results HERE and read our Family Stories HERE.
We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit: TAX ID [EIN]: 20-8499098
Links to our profiles on GuideStar, Great Nonprofits, Charity Navigator, Private School Review