 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Middle SchoolFrequently Asked QuestionsInstructional DesignQ: Is the Academy of READING research-based? A: Yes. The Academy of READING's instructional components are derived from comprehensive research studies initiated in 1981 to examine the causes and treatments of reading difficulties. From this research, the company founders developed the instructional philosophy that forms the basis of the Academy of READING:
AutoSkill continues to validate its instructional approach through ongoing efficacy studies in multiple locations and environments, such as elementary, middle and high school. Results from those studies are used to create requirements for ongoing product development. Q: How does the Academy of READING work? A: To build fluency in foundation reading skills, the Academy of READING offers a sequential "tutorial, practice, train" methodology and uses positive reinforcement to move students through content levels that align to the core skill areas defined by the National Reading Panel.
Q: What skill areas does the program cover? A: Academy of READING aligns to the five core areas as defined by the National Reading Panel: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. Once the student is assigned his individualized training program, he works on skill areas, beginning with phonemic awareness then working up through increasingly difficult skill areas and exercises as he demonstrates mastery:
Q: Do you include content for older students in the Academy of READING?
A: Yes. The graphics, motivational elements, and question content for the Academy of READING were developed in conjunction with an advisory school council – including several high schools – and continue to be enhanced with ongoing student and teacher feedback.
Q: Do you include motivational features for older students? A: Yes. Motivation is very important, particularly for older students who may have struggled with reading for a very long time. The program lets students experience success by first starting on "easier" material, then adjusting training by adapting to their responses. Positive feedback in every question and skill area helps to build confidence and momentum. Students can select a senior classroom and lobby look and feel, as well as choose from a number of age-appropriate motivational characters to provide assistance throughout their training. Q: How does the program address the needs of English Language Learners (ELL)/Hispanic students?
A: The Academy of READING is ideally suited to help school and district administrators meet the needs of English Language Learners (ELL). Combining structured and sequential skill development, individualized training streams and positive feedback, the Academy of READING extends the effectiveness of a reading specialist to every student.
Q: Is the program effective for students with special needs? A: Yes. AutoSkill products were developed from scientific research into the causes and treatments of reading difficulties. As such, its systematic methodology is well-suited to the requirements of special-needs students, such as those with dyslexia and ADD/ADHD. For example, the Academy of READING's prescribed sequence (tutorial-practice-train), short training trials, and motivation elements are well-suited to help ADD/ADHD students improve their focus and reading scores. Q: Can the program be used for high school students?
A: Yes. Research has shown that older students who are struggling readers tend to have two root causes for their issues: reading deficit or decoding disfluency. The majority of older struggling readers falls into the first group and have deficits at the pre-comprehension level. Oral vocabulary is often quite strong but phonemic awareness and decoding are very weak. Working on the Academy of READING, particularly phonemic awareness, bridges the gap between oral vocabulary and reading ability.
Q: How does the Academy of READING placement test work?
A: The placement test generates a baseline score that is used to assign each student to an individualized training program based on their skill level and grade. The test is struggling-reader friendly to ensure that the program can determine the appropriate training stream for a broader range of students.
The test can be completed in one 30-minute class period. Q: Does the program provide vocabulary and comprehension components? A: Yes. The Academy of READING provides a sequential, structured program that builds foundation skills from simple letter sounds to word recognition to comprehension. In working through the program, students have the opportunity to build their vocabulary through repeated exposure to a wide variety of words and by using the built-in dictionary feature. In addition, the program's comprehension content enables the student to develop foundation comprehension strategies. Q: Why does comprehension training come at the end of the program?
A: Comprehension is regarded by experts as being a higher-order reading skill. Struggling readers who haven't mastered foundation reading skills must apply a greater amount of cognitive effort to process the meaning of words, since they are still decoding the individual parts.
Q: How does the program align with our state standards?
A: State standards are defined as criteria to which a solution must adhere in order to be added to a state approved list. Over the past 24 months, most states have focused on specifications for curriculum solutions and have not considered intervention in their state list requirements.
ImplementationQ: How much training does the Academy of READING require?
A: The recommended training schedule for the Academy of READING includes a one-day teacher training on the program and a one-day live startup with teachers and their students. Training is delivered by the AutoSkill network of professional trainers. In addition, we advise a minimum of two follow-up consultations by an AutoSkill representative to ensure that teachers and students are optimizing their use of the program.
Q: How often should students work in the program? A: An ideal training schedule for the Academy of READING is 15 to 40 minutes per day (shorter times for younger students), three to five times per week. With only 10-15 hours of time on task (or about 30 hours of time in program), students can achieve significant gains in reading. Typical training sessions would break down as follows:
Q: What kinds of results should I expect with the program? A: Numerous efficacy studies with various age groups and segments – from elementary to middle to high to ELL – have demonstrated that schools can expect to see significant improvements in level gains in just 10-15 hours of time on task. Here are some results from Academy of READING schools:
Q: How does this program complement my curriculum?
A: The Academy of READING can help teachers to reinforce concepts being taught in the classroom. Teachers can monitor students while they work independently on specific areas of weakness. Teachers can also use student training results to help plan their lessons, such as incorporate more instruction on common areas where students are struggling. The graphical training monitor gives teachers an at-a-glance view of each student's progress, right down to the individual skill and trial.
Q: Does the program need to be run by a reading specialist? A: No. The Academy of READING supplements teachers' curriculum and extends the effectiveness of a reading specialist to every struggling student. Individualized training programs enable students to work at their own pace and focus on areas of weakness. Teachers can use data from their students' progress to provide additional support. Q: What would you suggest we do to ensure a successful implementation?
A: Successful implementations begin with an introductory, one-day training session for all literacy educators and administrators. The training session covers implementation best practices, an overview of the program's instructional merits, and basic training on the student interface. Following the software installation, we recommend that teachers reference the Professional Development Kit Instructor's Resource Guide to review the concepts and implementation tips.
|
|
