Primary Teacher: Success for Her Struggling Students with Fast ForWord

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Peter Barnes
Learning Difficulties, Reading, Fast ForWord, Learning Capacity Success Stories

 "Our results with the Fast ForWord program show overwhelming success," says Tina Morse, Grade Two Teacher.

As a teacher and a parent, Tina knows first hand the many challenges struggling learners and readers face.Child with Dyslexia 2

After trying the Fast ForWord123 language and reading program with her son to address auditory processing and language impairment issues, she saw his reading skill level improve eight months in only three months’ time.

It was then she realized how much this neuroscience-based program could help students at her school.

Read below for a quick summary - there is a link at the end of this summary to the full case study about helping students with dyslexia and other reading challenges make rapid gains.

One-on-one tutoring plus Fast ForWord123 for struggling readers

The school uses a one-on-one tutoring system based on the Orton–Gillingham multisensory approach to reading instruction. And they also give the struggling students individualised instruction via the Fast ForWord123  program for 30 minutes a day.

Helping diverse learners improve their language and reading skills

“Our students have made incredible gains with the Fast ForWord program,” said Morse.  

“We had a second-grade boy who made a reading level gain of six months in just two months’ time. We had a first grader who had a grade-equivalent reading level of beginning kindergarten in September and by March she was up to 1.2 — a gain of one year and two months. Those are just a couple of examples.”

Students with a wide range of academic skills use the Fast ForWord123 program.

“We have struggling readers, students with language impairments, students with autism, students with dyslexia, English language learners, students with CAPD, students with ADHD, and students with IEP plans all using the program and showing progress.

It addresses so many learning issues, which is one of the reasons why I use it with my whole class,” she said.

Morse said that she frequently hears success stories from other teachers and parents who have noticed rapid improvements after children begin working on the Fast ForWord123 program.

Anna moved from a struggling to advanced reader

One parent, who is also a teacher at the school, said, “I am so excited about the progress I’ve seen in my daughter Anna regarding her reading. As an educator, I know the value in correcting reading problems early. Anna entered first grade with several reversal problems and reading was a struggle for her. She has been working on the Fast ForWord program almost daily for the last nine months. Anna’s proficiency level was ‘struggling’ when she took her first RPI test in January of 2015. In June, she took another RPI test and ranked in the 99th percentile. She gained 71 percentile points! Anna’s proficiency level is now at the ‘advanced’ level. She is finally beginning to enjoy reading.”

Gains for first and fourth grade siblings

Morse also shared a story about another educator’s children.

“When our special education process coordinator’s son was in the fourth grade, he was thought to have dyslexia. Before they got a confirmed diagnosis, they placed him on the Fast ForWord program to see if it could help,” said Morse. “After working on it for two or three weeks, he came home and said, ‘Mom, I can hear the teacher now.’

Because his auditory processing skills improved, he could clearly hear and understand what the teacher was saying.

Later, her daughter was also diagnosed with dyslexia. In first grade, her daughter tested at a grade-equivalent reading level of beginning kindergarten. She used Fast ForWord and four months later tested at 2.8 — a gain of two years and eight months.”

Improvements in confidence as well

“One of the school’s first Fast ForWord students started the program as a kindergartner,” explained Morse.

“He was extremely shy. He would hardly speak and wouldn’t make eye contact. He continued to use the program through the second grade. By the time he was in third grade, he was walking with his head held high. He was smiling, talking, and making eye contact.

The Fast ForWord program changed his entire personality. The confidence he obtained from the skills he acquired changed his whole outlook on life. This past year, he scored proficient on his English language arts state test and advanced on his maths state test.”

What is Fast ForWord123?

Developed by neuroscientists, Fast ForWord123 is an online program that uses a three-step approach to deliver fast gains to struggling students.Fast ForWord123 neuroscience program for learning difficulties

First, it prepares the brain for reading by improving the foundational language and cognitive skills that are often weak in these students. 

Second, it provides personalized, intensive practice on a variety of language and reading skills — more than any other approach or intervention.

Third, it uses patented speech verification technology to support and listen to students as they read aloud, like a guided reading coach.

Once these areas are addressed, students’ language, reading, and overall learning improve quickly, and changes continue even after they complete the program

Read the full Case Study.

Download 'What to do when your child has Dyscalculia'

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