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Teacher Manual

Fast ForWord® Literacy Advanced

Fast ForWord® Literacy Advanced

2 | Fast ForWord literacy advanced

Copyright ©1996–2011 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 94612-2040 Phone: 888-665-9707 Fax: 510-444-3580 Web: www.scientificlearning.com

Technical Support/Customer Service Phone: 888-358-0212 (US & Canada) Phone: 520-917-1200 (International) Email: [email protected] [email protected]

Second Edition

Fast ForWord literacy advanced | 3

FasT ForWord liTeracy advanced skills MaTrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5inTroducTion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7The learning environMenT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11ProducT overvieW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14FasT ForWord liTeracy advanced exercises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

sky rider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 understanding the science in sky rider 18 how students Work in sky rider 18 how students Progress through sky rider 19 how students advance in sky rider 20 sky rider content 21

laser MaTch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 understanding the science in laser Match 24 how students Work in laser Match 24 how students Progress through laser Match 25 how students advance in laser Match 26 laser Match content 27

MeTeor Ball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 understanding the science in Meteor Ball 32 how students Work in Meteor Ball 32 how students Progress through Meteor Ball 33 how students advance in Meteor Ball 34 Meteor Ball content 35

conTenTs


lunar leaP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 understanding the science in lunar leap 38 how students Work in lunar leap 38 how students Progress through lunar leap 39 how students advance in lunar leap 40 lunar leap content 41

galaxy TheaTer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 understanding the science in galaxy Theater 44 how students Work in galaxy Theater 44 how students Progress through galaxy Theater 45 how students advance in galaxy Theater 46 galaxy Theater content 47

adolescenT liTeracy: issues and soluTions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69iMProveMenTs in coMPrehensive language skills For adolescenTs and adulTs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76


Fast ForWord LANGUAGE/LITERACY Series

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Fast ForWord language v2

✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

sky gymhoop nut

Moon ranchrobo-dog

Whalien Matchspace commander

ele-Bot

Fast ForWord language to reading v2

✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

Jumper gymPaint MatchPolar Planet

Tomb Trekcosmic reader

Fast ForWord literacy ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

space racergalaxy goalspin Masterlunar Tunes

star Picsstellar stories

Fast ForWord literacy advanced

✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

sky riderMeteor Balllunar leap

laser Matchgalaxy Theater


inTroducTion

What is the Fast ForWord Literacy Series?Fast ForWord LITERACY series is a reading intervention solution that builds foundational language and reading skills while improving memory, attention, processing rates, and sequencing. It is based on more than 30 years of research on how the brain learns and how this connects to language and reading. It increases processing efficiency thereby accelerating the learning process that results in enduring gains.

Who should use FasT ForWord liTeracy series?Fast ForWord LITERACY series software is for K-12 education institutions worldwide and clinical specialists whose middle and high school students are reading below grade level, including English Language Learners and special needs students.

WhaT does FasT ForWord liTeracy advanced Teach?Fast ForWord Literacy Advanced is one of the computer-based products in the Fast ForWord LITERACY series and it focuses on developing listening accuracy, phonological awareness, and an understanding of language structures.

To accelerate reading progress, Fast ForWord Literacy Advanced exercises develop critical brain pro-cessing efficiency in four key areas:

➤ Builds memory by working through a variety of tasks, such as having students hold a statement or question in working memory while retrieving picture-concept associations from long-term memory.

➤ Improves attention by developing the ability to focus on multiple tasks and ignore distractions.➤ Strengthens auditory and linguistic processing rates so that students can distinguish sounds

quickly enough to discriminate individual phonemes and understand words and sentences.➤ Develops sequencing skills through a variety of tasks, such as having students use logical word

order to comprehend simple and complex instructions and organize a response that follows the specified sequence of actions.

Fast ForWord Literacy Advanced consists of five exercises: one sound exercise and four word exercises. ➤ Sky Rider➤ Laser Match➤ Meteor Ball➤ Lunar Leap➤ Galaxy Theater


The exercises work together to help develop the understanding of basic speech sounds and language structures as well as the fundamental cognitive skills essential for learning and reading. Sky Rider, the sound exercise, presents tonal sweeps using different frequencies, different sequences of multiple sounds, and different time durations.

The other four exercises present words, either in isolation or within sentences with various levels of linguistic complexity. In some instances the speech sounds have been digitally altered using patented methods (including selective intensity increases) to provide enhanced learning opportunities. Students work on graphemes (letters that represent phonemes) and on visual tracking to strengthen left-to-right reading patterns.

Each exercise in Fast ForWord Literacy Advanced begins with an auditory introduction that explains how to work on that exercise. As an alternative, the introductions can be presented in Spanish.

Fast ForWord Literacy Advanced continues the cognitive strengthening of Fast ForWord Literacy and bundles it with advanced practice in grammatical structures and comprehension. Using Scientific Learning’s patented technology, the product provides the neurological intervention needed to produce rapid reading gains in six to sixteen weeks.

Response to Intervention (RtI)Response to Intervention (RtI) is a dynamic problem-solving process aimed at providing early intervention to students at risk for academic failure. RtI allows for the identification of specific instructional strategies and intervention that will benefit each individual student. For reading dif-ficulties, one of the most effective strategies is using technology to provide interventions focused on cognitive skill development (memory, attention, processing rate, sequencing) and reading fluency.

The Scientific Learning family of products supports the Response to Intervention (RtI) process efficiently and effectively by:

➤ Addressing the underlying causes of failure ➤ Building the cognitive skills needed for reading and learning ➤ Delivering individualized, intensive daily sessions ➤ Providing daily progress monitoring and evaluation

The earlier the at-risk student can be provided the appropriate intervention, the higher the likeli-hood that student can successfully maintain class placement. Research studies show that on average, students using Fast ForWord software achieve a 1- to 2-year reading gain in 8 to 12 weeks.


The following diagram demonstrates how the Fast ForWord products support the three tiers in Response to Intervention. Note that Fast ForWord Literacy Advanced is part of the Fast ForWord LANGUAGE/LITERACY series located in Tier 3 and provides intensive instruction for building the cognitive skills that are essential for successful learning performance.

How Does Fast ForWord Literacy Advanced Work?Four key components of this intervention product work together to create dramatic changes in brain function required to achieve universal literacy:

➤ Frequency and inTensiTy—Neuroscience research demonstrates that completing a set of learn-ing tasks in a frequent, intense time frame accelerates learning.

➤ adaPTiviTy—Exercises adapt with each key stroke to individual skill levels and responses, keeping students continuously challenged but not frustrated.

➤ siMulTaneous develoPMenT—Exercises develop major cognitive and reading skills simultane-ously to produce lasting improvements in learning.

➤ TiMely MoTivaTion—Tiered rewards are designed to maximize motivation from start to finish.

In addition, Fast ForWord Literacy Advanced includes patented technology that enhances the speech sounds at early exercise levels, progressing to natural speech sounds as a student advances to higher levels. These speech processing techniques include the following two separate but equally important modification stages:• Slowingdownthespeech(durationextensions)• Enhancingtheintensityoftherapidtransitionalelementsinthespeech

(selective intensity increases)

ProgressMonitoring

Reading Assistant Expanded Edition*(continues through tiers 2 & 3)

Fast ForWord Reading Series(continues through tier 3)

Fast ForWord Reading Series(as needed)

Tier 2Targeted Intervention

Tier 3Intensive Intervention

Tier 1Universal Intervention

Fast ForWord Language / Literacy Series


sloWing doWn sPeech signalsIn this stage, our scientists use a patented processing algorithm to slow the rate of the entire speech signal while still maintaining the speech signal’s natural quality. For example, a word – such as “bat” – that may typically last one second in natural speech could last as long as one and a half seconds after this processing is applied.

By lengthening the duration of the speech signal, the fast speech elements – such as stop consonants – are further apart from the steady speech elements – such as vowels. This provides the auditory nervous system with more time to respond to the fast speech sounds.

enhancing raPid TransiTional eleMenTs in sPeechIn this stage, our patented software process identifies the fast transitional elements within the speech – such as the /b/ sound in the word “bat” – and then selectively amplifies those elements.

By applying these selective intensity increases, the rapid transitional phonemes in the speech signal are emphasized, allowing the auditory nervous system to respond more vigorously to the fast speech sounds.

Combining both stages of patented speech processing technology provides the auditory nervous system with an enhanced speech signal that allows the learner to more effectively differentiate the rapid transitions in spoken language.

How Does Fast ForWord Literacy Advanced Help Struggling Readers?The exercises challenge students to remain focused on completing the exercises to obtain the maxi-mum benefit from the product. To lessen any distraction and discouragement, Fast ForWord Literacy Advanced 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 reinforce-ment. 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 par-ents can work together to create an effective program for building intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.

Timely intervention is key to supporting students’ effective performance on the exercises. Teachers can use informal and formal assessment strategies to identify when a student is experiencing difficulty.


What Kind of Results Can Be Expected?Students can achieve, on average, a 1- to 2-year gain in reading skills in 4 to 16 weeks using one of the prescribed protocols:

Neuroscience research confirms the importance of frequency and intensity of activity to build and strengthen new skills. The research-based protocol recommended here ensures students receive fre-quent and intense practice, while providing teachers with the flexibility to meet their instructional programs’ structure and objectives.

In addition, students often exhibit enhanced self-confidence, better communication, greater interest in learning, and improved mental agility and alertness after working on these exercises.

The Learning EnvironmentFast ForWord LITERACY Series can be used in a variety of scenarios within a school:

classrooM seTTing In this scenario the teacher provides direct instruction using effective read-ing strategies to help students use the program before, during, and after using Fast ForWord Literacy Advanced. Often there may be a paraprofessional who may assist students as they work on the com-puter while the teacher works with other students on different activities.

➤ large grouP – The teacher leads a discussion about the target skill(s) being addressed in Fast ForWord and demonstrates how the product works using a computer and large screen or projection system. Some of the teacher-directed offline activities, such as stories read aloud or practice with word lists or families, also may be done with a large group.

➤ sMall grouP – Students are given the directions in a small group by the teacher. Then each stu-dent goes to the computer to work on individualized exercises, adapted to his or her ability. As students finish, they may work on an offline activity that supports the exercises completed on the computer or prepares the student for the next exercise.

➤ individual sTudenT – A student works on an individualized program either in the classroom or in a pull-out program using the software and the offline activities.

coMPuTer laB Students work on the program in the computer lab where there are many computers. The Lab Coordinator or a paraprofessional may guide the student as needed.

Media cenTer This scenario works similar to the Computer Lab environment. Students work inde-pendently with assistance as needed from the media specialist or a paraprofessional.

ProTocol oPTions

30 minutes each day Five days a week for 12 – 16 weeks40 minutes each day Five days a week for 9 – 13 weeks50 minutes each day Five days a week for 6 – 10 weeks90 minutes each day Five days a week for 4 – 7 weeks


No matter where Fast ForWord Literacy Advanced is used, it is important to have a smooth imple-mentation. Each station where a student works on the software should have the following elements:

❏ Computer with the minimum technical requirements

❏ Two sets of high-quality stereo headphones – one for the student, one for the teacher

❏ One Y-adapter for the headphones – This allows the teacher to listen to the student as he is working on the software

❏ Headphones plugged into the computer with the Y-adapter

❏ Access to a printer

❏ Internet connectionThe station should be located in such a way that the teacher/coach/aide can easily observe the student’s progress and intervene if he is struggling with the exercise.

There should also be room for the student to do paper and pencil seatwork on offline activities when finished with the online exercises as students may work at different speeds to complete their assignments.


saMPle learning sTaTionHere is a sample configuration of a learning station:

Partition

Clutter-free desk or table

Non-swivel chair

Computer

Stereo Y-adapter

2 sets of stereo headphones for student and teacher


Product Overview

Task/Theme cognitive skills language & reading skills

sky rider

identify and remember the number and order of a series of frequency-modulated sound sweeps, and indicate the pattern just heard .

•Memory–holdasoundsequenceinworkingmemorywhilerecalling visual symbol-sound associations from long-term memory .

• Attention–focusedandsustainedattention• Processing–auditoryprocessingoftonalsweeps• Sequencing–requiresidentifyingandreproducingthe

sequence of rapidly presented set of tonal sweeps .

• Advancedlisteningaccuracy

• AuditorySequencing

laser MaTch

using both auditory and visual cues, match pairs of written and spoken words in grids of varying sizes .

•Memory–usesauditoryandvisual-spatialworkingmemoryto locate matching word pairs in a grid .

• Attention–focusedandsustainedattention• Processing •auditoryprocessingofphonemesforidentificationand

recognition •visualprocessingoflettersandwrittenwords •cross-modalprocessingofphoneme-grapheme

associations

•WordAnalysis• Phonologicalmemory

lunar leaP

using auditory and visual cues, match spoken words with written and spoken words that are phonetically similar .

•Memory–holdatargetwordinworkingmemorywhilecomparing it to two, phonologically similar alternate words to findthematchingone.

• Attention–focusedattention• Processing– •auditoryprocessingofphonemesforidentification •visualprocessingoflettersandwrittenwords •cross-modalprocessingofphoneme-grapheme

associations .

•Wordrecognition

MeTeor Ball

listen to a spoken target word, then select the target word from a series of phonologically similar words that are spoken and presented as text .

•Memory–holdatargetwordinworkingmemorywhilecomparingittoaseriesofspokenandwrittenwordstofindtheone that matches .

• Attention–sustainattentionalfocuswhilemonitoringastreamof words for a target word .

• Processing-- •auditoryprocessingofwordsatthelevelofindividual

phonemes •visualprocessingoflettersandwrittenwords •cross-modalprocessingofphoneme-graphemeassociations.

•Wordrecognition• Sustainedattention

galaxy TheaTer

exercise includes 3 activities:

1 . listen to a story and answer comprehension questions about the story .

2 . listen to a series of sentences and then select the picture that best represents the sentence .

3 . listen to instructions and manipulate one or more objects as instructed .

•Memory—holdastatementorquestioninworkingmemorywhile retrieving picture-concept associations from long-term memory and identifying the best match or answer

• Attention—focusedandsustainedattention• Processing—auditoryandlinguisticprocessingof

orally presented sentences and stories for meaning and comprehension

• Sequencing—usingwordordertocomprehendsimpleand complex statements and instructions and organizing a responsethatfollowsthespecifiedsequenceofactions

• Listeningcomprehension

• Followingdirections• Englishlanguage

conventions• Vocabulary


Fast ForWord Literacy Advanced Exercises

sky ridersky rider helps students improve their advanced listening accuracy skillsbyimprovingthespeedatwhichthestudentidentifiesandunderstands rapid, successive changes in sound . The exercise also improves their auditory sequencing abilities and working memory by challenging them to remember the number and order of sweep sounds while indicating the pattern just heard . The frequencies and durations of the sound sweeps correspond to the rapid transitions in the sounds of the english language . students listen to a sequence of 2, 3, 4 or 5 tonal sweeps and identify the same sequence of sounds .

laser MaTchlaser Match helps improve the ability to recognize words, the ability to identify multi-syllabic words, the ability to recognize the relationship between letters and sounds, and the ability to understand letter patterns (word analysis) . it also helps improve the ability to make correct distinctions based on individual phonemes (phonological accuracy) . students match all the syllables and words into pairs using the fewest clicks .

lunar leaPlunar leap helps improve the ability to recognize words, the ability to identify multi-syllabic words, the ability to recognize the relationship between letters and sounds, and the ability to understand letter patterns (word analysis) . lunar leap also helps improve the ability to make correct distinctions based on individual phonemes (phonological accuracy), and the capacity for holding speech sounds in memory (phonological memory) . students identify a target syllable when presented in a sequence of two syllables .


MeTeor BallMeteor Ball helps improve the ability to recognize words, the ability to identify multi-syllabic words, the ability to recognize the relationship between letters and sounds, and the ability to understand letter patterns (word analysis) . additionally, Meteor Ball helps improve the ability to identify and manipulate speech sounds in a quick and efficient manner (phonological fluency), and the ability to remain focused on a given task while ignoring distractions and refraining from impulsive behavior (sustained attention) . students identify a spoken target word when presented in a series of spoken and written words .

galaxy TheaTergalaxy Theater helps improve the ability to understand successive sentences and derive meaning from a story (listening comprehension) . it helps improve the ability to listen to spoken directions of increasing length and complexity, to comprehend the directions, and to hold them in memory long enough to plan and carry out the required action (following directions) . galaxy Theater also helps build an understanding of the elements of the english language,includingproperwordorder,syntax,prefixesandsuffixes,plurals, and subject-verb agreement (english language conventions), and helps build knowledge of the phonological structure and meaning of words (vocabulary) . students listen to a story, and then answer questions and follow instructions .


ridergoals➤ Improve advanced listening accuracy and auditory sequencing.➤ Develop auditory working memory.

skills cogniTive ➤ Memory: hold a sound sequence in working memory while recalling

visual symbol-sound associations from long-term memory ➤ Attention: focused and sustained attention ➤ Processing: auditory processing of tonal sweeps ➤ Sequencing: identify and reproduce the sequence of rapidly

presented sets of tonal sweeps

language ➤ Work with base frequencies for the sound sweeps that cover

the most common frequencies found in speech: 500, 1000, and 2000 Hz.

➤ Help the auditory processing system to develop greater sensitivity to rapid auditory stimuli.

Task➤ Identify and remember the number and order of a series of frequency-

modulated sound sweeps and indicate the pattern just heard, thus improving advanced listening accuracy and auditory sequencing.

sky

Sky RideR


Understanding the Science in Sky RiderSky Rider presents sound sweeps using different frequency ranges, different sequences of sounds, and different time durations. The frequencies and durations of the sound sweeps correspond to some of the rapid transitions in the sounds of the English language. Sky Rider presents sound sweeps in vari-ous frequency ranges. As the participant progresses in a frequency, Sky Rider decreases the duration of the sound sweeps and the length of time between the sound sweeps, challenging the participant to improve his or her rate of auditory processing. For example, an 80ms duration represents a sound sweep that lasts for 80 milliseconds. Sky Rider presents two durations in each frequency range. The lowest level in Sky Rider presents two sound sweeps at an 80ms duration separated by a 500ms ISI. The highest level presents five sound sweeps at a 30ms duration separated by a 20ms ISI. By increas-ing the number of sound sweeps presented, from two to three, three to four, and four to five, Sky Rider helps improve advanced listening accuracy and auditory sequencing skills.

learning sTandards addressed in sky rider(Note: the Sky Rider exercise provides foundational cognitive skills for students to meet these objectives.)

➤ Decoding and Word Recognition: Generate the sounds from all the letters and letter patterns, including consonant blends and long- and short-vowel patterns (i.e., phonograms), and blend those sounds into recognizable words.

➤ Comprehension: Listen attentively.➤ Phonemic Awareness: Add, delete, or change target sounds to change words (e.g., change cow to

how; pan to an).

How Students Work in Sky RiderIn Sky Rider, the student clicks the yellow planet and a sequence of 2 sounds is presented. The student clicks the up arrow to indicate an “up” sound sweep (lower to higher frequency) and the down arrow to indicate a “down” sweep sound (higher to lower frequency). The student clicks the up and down arrows in the same order as up sweeps and down sweeps were presented in the sound sequence. As the student progresses in the exercise, sequences of 3, 4, and 5 sounds are presented. As the student reproduces sequences correctly, the sky rider moves through different environments with increasing speed and skill.

keyBoard shorTcuTsBuTTon keyBoard shorTcuT

Planet (sound button) Left arrow or space barUp arrow button Up arrowDown arrow button Down arrow

© 2006 Scientific Learning Corporation

Sky Rider, Fast ForWord to Literacy Advanced

Sky RideR


How Students Progress through Sky RiderIn Sky Rider, the student progresses through sound stimulus sets. Each stimulus set presents a unique combination of:

➤ Frequency: 500Hz, 1000Hz, or 2000Hz➤ Duration: 80ms to 30ms➤ Number of sweeps: 2, 3, 4, or 5

As the student progresses through a set, the inter-stimulus intervals (ISIs) are reduced in 23 stages, starting at 500ms and ending at 20ms.*

*When the exercise begins, the student progresses through each frequency with only 2 sounds at longer durations and with longer inter-stimulus intervals to become familiar with the task and learn to listen closely to the differences in the sounds. During this initial phase, the sky rider will not move beyond the lower, orange skill level (as shown by the needle on the skill/speed gauge).

Sky RideR


How Students Advance in Sky RiderTo complete Sky Rider, the student must pass all stimulus sets at the highest stage (ISI 20ms). In order to advance to the next (ISI) stage within a stimulus set, the student must answer 3 consecutive trials correctly. If the student answers a trial incorrectly, the student moves back one ISI stage.

The skill/speed of the sky rider will increase and decrease based on the number of consecutive correct or incorrect trials.

Sky Rider adapts to the student’s performance within a set and will transition the student to a new set if he or she is continuously moving between the same few stages or answering numerous consecutive trials incorrectly in a given set. The set will be repeated at a later time.

MasTerySky Rider starts with a preparatory stage for each frequency sweep in the exercise. When the student masters the preparatory stage, the exercise automatically begins. The student will continue to work on the exercise until the skills in the exercise are mastered. If Sky Rider is reopened, the student will continue to repeat the content at the shortest durations and highest number of sweeps.

PoinTs aWarded in sky riderSky Rider awards points to the student based on the following conditions:

➤ Correct answers: The student earns 1 point for each correct trial in sound sets with 2 sounds. The student earns 2 points for each correct trial in sound sets with more than 2 sounds.

➤ Bonus points: As the skill of the sky rider increases, bonus animations occasionally play and bonus points are awarded. If the student is working on a set with 2 sounds, 5 points are awarded per bonus animation. If the student is working on a set with more than 2 sounds, 10 points are awarded per bonus animation.


Sky Rider, Fast ForWord to Literacy Advanced

Sky RideR


Sky Rider ContentSky Rider presents a total of 24 stimulus sets, 8 per frequency. Within each stimulus set, there are 23 ISI (inter-stimulus interval) stages, ranging from 500ms ISI down to 20ms ISI.

Each stimulus set is defined by five characteristics:

➤ Frequency – the starting frequency for each of the Frequency Modulated (FM) sweeps in sequence. The base frequencies for the FM sweeps cover the most common frequencies found in speech: 500, 1000, and 2000 Hz.

➤ sTiMulus duraTion – the duration of each sweep in a sequence➤ nuMBer oF sequence eleMenTs – number of FM sweeps in a sequence➤ inTer-sTiMulus inTerval (isi) sTage – duration of the silence between each FM sweep in a

sequence➤ sTreaM – the pattern of high and low FM sweeps over the number of sequence elements in a

given stimulus.

Exercise difficulty progresses across the following 3 dimensions:

➤ The frequency modulated sweeps are shortened in duration from 80ms to 30ms.➤ The inter-stimulus intervals are reduced from 1000ms to 20ms in 28 steps.➤ The number of sweeps per sequence increases from 2 to 5 in four steps.

long sound sWeePs (80 Ms)2 sweeps 500 hz2 sweeps 1 khz2 sweeps 2 khz3 sweeps 500 hz3 sweeps 1 khz3 sweeps 2 khz4 sweeps 500 hz4 sweeps 1 khz4 sweeps 2 khz5 sweeps 500 hz5 sweeps 1 khz5 sweeps 2 khz

shorT sound sWeePs (30 Ms)2 sweeps 500 hz2 sweeps 1 khz2 sweeps 2 khz3 sweeps 500 hz3 sweeps 1 khz3 sweeps 2 khz4 sweeps 500 hz4 sweeps 1 khz4 sweeps 2 khz5 sweeps 500 hz5 sweeps 1 khz5 sweeps 2 khz


laserMaTch


Laser Match, Fast ForWord to Literacy Advanced

goal➤ Improve word analysis and phonological memory by identifying pairs of matching

English or “alien” words within grids of tiles displaying phonologically similar words.

skills cogniTive ➤ Memory: using auditory and visual-spatial working memory to locate matching

word pairs in a grid ➤ Attention: focused and sustained attention ➤ Processing: auditory processing of phonemes for identification and recognition,

visual processing of letters and written words, and cross-modal processing of phoneme-grapheme associations

language and reading ➤ Learn the associations between sounds and spelling patterns. ➤ Develop listening accuracy using digitally enhanced words to emphasize the

rapidly changing phonetic elements within natural speech. ➤ Work with over 100 English words and over 100 nonsense (“alien”) words,

with spelling patterns ranging from simple CVC to consonant cluster, conso-nant digraph, and vowel diagraph

➤ Work with unfamiliar nonsense (“alien”) words, increasing the demands on decoding and memory skills.

➤ Build phonemic awareness and letter-sound associations for the targeted phonemes by working with grids that contain minimal word pairs.

Task➤ Identify pairs of matching English or “alien” words within grids of tiles displaying

phonologically similar words. Within each pair, the first tile presents the word aurally and shows it written on the tile. The second tile presents the word aurally but shows a blank tile. The student must rely on memory and reading skills to complete the match. Laser Match helps students to improve their skills in word analysis and phonological memory.

Laser Match



Planet (sound button) Down arrow or space barMove alien left or right Left and right arrowsFire laser control Up arrow

Understanding the Science in Laser MatchLaser Match first presents words in which the speech sounds have been digitally altered using patented methods (including selective intensity increases) to provide enhanced learning opportunities. Initially, the consonant sounds in each word have been enhanced relative to the vowel sound. For example, the word “bit” is initially presented with acoustically modified versions of the /b/ and /t/ sounds. As the participant progresses through the exercise, Laser Match decreases this processing, and eventually presents the words using natural speech. The three processing level markers (shapes) in the bookshelf represent the different speech processing levels in Laser Match. While the participant works in a level, the corresponding marker lights up. When the participant completes a level, bonus points are awarded and the next marker lights up. When all three markers light up, the participant is working in the high-est level.

learning sTandards addressed in laser MaTch➤ Decoding and Word Recognition: recognize and use knowledge of spelling patterns (e.g., diph-

thongs, special vowel spellings) when reading➤ Decoding and Word Recognition: decode two-syllable nonsense words and regular multi-syllable

words.➤ Spelling: spell basic short-vowel, long-vowel, r-controlled, and consonant-blend patterns correctly.

How Students Work in Laser MatchIn Laser Match, an alien with a laser control sits beside a grid of monitors. The student clicks a monitor and a word is pronounced and displayed on that monitor. The student then clicks the other monitors until the same word is found. If a monitor is clicked that has a word that matches a previ-ously displayed word, the word is heard but not displayed. The student must go back and click the monitor with the displayed word to match the pair.

Laser Match


When a pair is matched, the monitors with the paired words turn off. The laser control held by the alien contains the number of clicks remaining to clear all the matches and successfully complete the grid. Each time the student clicks a monitor, the number on the laser control is decreased by one. The student continues matching words until all the monitors are paired up and turned off.

After the student has completed several grids of varying size, the student works on the same words in a Fluency Round. The object of the Fluency Round is to identify as many matches to the target word as possible within the time allowed. An empty grid appears; an alien with a laser control is positioned beneath the grid. A single target word is pronounced. A word appears and disappears in each cell of the grid, moving from left to right top to bottom, beginning at the top left corner. The student moves the alien beneath the column where the target word appears and clicks to fire the laser at the target word. Fluency Round trials are not counted towards advancement or tracked for data reporting, but they allow the student to review the material at a faster pace and provide a fun opportunity for the student to earn more points.

Laser Match


How Students Progress through Laser MatchIn Laser Match, the student progresses through 4 levels, as follows:

➤ level 1: words processed with highly emphasized phonemes ➤ level 2: words processed with less phoneme emphasis ➤ level 3: no processing, words presented in natural speech➤ level 4: no processing, nonsense words, natural speech

In the first 3 levels, the student progresses through 11 word sets:

➤ seTs 1-3: words differ by initial/final consonant (big, dig, bit)➤ seTs 4-8: words differ by onset only (sock, tock)➤ seTs 9-11: words differ by vowel (bug, bag).

In the final level, the student progresses through 9 additional sets comprised of nonsense words:

➤ seTs 12-14: words differ by initial/final consonant (prunt, prunk, plunt)➤ seTs 15-17: words differ by onset only (sloot, stoot)➤ seTs 18-20: words differ by vowel (splig, splog)

Within each level, the sets are presented in order. For each set, the student progresses through a series of stages. Each stage is made up a specific grid size:

➤ sTages 1-3: 4-cell grids (2 matches) (presented only at the start of the exercise)➤ sTages 4-6: 8-cell grids (4 matches)➤ sTages 7-10: 16-cell grids (8 matches)

After the student has completed Stages 1 – 3, the student will always begin working on a set at Stage 5 (Stage 4 will only be presented when Stage 5 is not successfully completed). When the student com-pletes all the grids for a set, the student is presented with the Fluency Round.

How Students Advance in Laser MatchIn order to advance to the next level in Laser Match, the student must pass all sets within the level at the highest stage. The student advances to the next stage within a set by clearing all the matched pairs in a grid within the maximum number of allowed clicks. When the student completes Stage 10 within the maximum allowed clicks, the student is presented with the Fluency Round. After the Fluency Round, the student advances to Stage 5 of a new set.

Laser Match


MasTeryIf the student uses more than the maximum clicks to clear the grid, the student will be demoted one stage (for example, if Stage 5 is not completed within the maximum number of clicks, the student is presented with Stage 4). If the student is at Stage 4 and does not clear the grid within the maximum number of clicks, the student will transition to a new set and the incomplete set will be presented again at the end of the level.

PoinTs aWarded in laser MaTchLaser Match awards points to the student based on the following conditions:

➤ When a match is correctly completed, the student is awarded 1 point.➤ Progress points: When a grid is completed, the student is awarded the number of clicks remaining

on the laser control.➤ Fluency Round points: When each target word is correctly identified, the student is awarded 1

point. In addition, if all the target words in a grid are correctly identified, the student is awarded a token for each correct target. If the student fails to correctly identify a target word or falsely identi-fies a word as a target, the student loses all accumulated tokens. At the end of the Fluency Round, any tokens that remain are converted to points and added to the student’s score. The number of points awarded for each token is based upon the number of sets passed in the current level.

Laser Match ContentLaser Match engages students in six groups of matching word sets.

grouP 1: iniTial or Final sound changeseT 1 seT 2 seT 3

big buck backbit bud bagdig but batdip cup cabkick cut capkid duck catkit dug gap

pick pub packpig pup patpit tub tacktick tuck tagtip tug tap

Laser Match


grouP 2: onseT, riMe (iniTial sound change)seT 4 seT 5 seT 6 seT 7 seT 8beat block bake pair dearmeat clock cake fair gearneat hock make hair nearseat jock sake chair fearfeat lock fake stair tearheat mock take dare rearpeat sock lake care hearpleat tock rake mare searcleat rock wake rare clear

wheat clock brake hare shearcheat shock shake blare spear

grouP 3: voWel changeseT 9 seT 10 seT 11

big peg luckbeg pig lockbug pug lickbag pog lackbet pot puckbit pat peckbat pet packbut pit pickbed pup tackbid pop tickbad pip tuckbud pep tock

Laser Match


grouP 4: nonsense Words (iniTial or Final sound change)seT 12 seT 13 seT 14

blun skef slondblund skelf sloftblunk skelt slompbrun stet sloff

brund stef plompbrunk stelf ploftplunt krelt ploffplun kret plond

plund kref spondprunt trelf spoffprunk treit spoftprund tret spomp

grouP 5: nonsense Words, onseT, riMe (iniTial sound change)seT 15 seT 16 seT 17

esk oot insblesk bloot blinsbresk broot brinsplesk ploot plinspresk proot prinsdresk droot drinstresk troot trinsfresk sloot slinsstesk stoot stinsspesk spoot flinsgresk groot frinscresk croot crins

Laser Match


grouP 6: nonsense Words, voWel changeseT 18 seT 19 seT 20drand splag blachdrend spleg blechdrind splig bluchdrond splog blashdrast splup bleshdrust splap blishdrist splep bloshdrost splip blathdreff splob blethdriff splub blithdroff spleb blothdruff splab bluth



Meteor Ball, Fast ForWord to Literacy Advanced

MeTeorBall

goals➤ Improve word analysis➤ Improve sustained attention

skillscogniTive ➤ Memory: hold a target word in working memory while comparing it to a series of spoken

and written words to find the one that matches ➤ Attention: sustain attentional focus while monitoring a stream of words for a target word ➤ Processing: auditory processing of words at the level of individual phonemes, visual pro-

cessing of letters and written words, and cross-model processing of phoneme-grapheme associations.

language and reading➤ Learn word-to-print mappings with paired aural and written presentations.➤ Develop listening accuracy by listening to the sound structure of the aural words which

have been digitally enhanced to emphasize the rapidly changing phonetic elements within natural speech.

➤ Build phonemic awareness and letter-sound associations for the targeted phonemes.➤ Work with over 30 words, both CVC and CVCC words.➤ Left-to-right visual scanning patterns reinforced for reading by following the word-bearing

meteors that move across the screen from left to right,

Task➤ Listen to a spoken word, then recognize and select the target word when it recurs within a

series of phonologically similar words that are spoken and written.

Meteor Ball



Planet (sound button) Down arrow or space bar

Target word Up arrow

Understanding the Science in Meteor BallMeteor Ball first presents words in which the speech sounds have been digitally altered using patented methods (including selective intensity increases) to provide enhanced learning opportunities. Initially, the consonant sounds in each word have been enhanced relative to the vowel sound. For example, the word “bid” is initially presented with acoustically modified versions of the /b/ and /d/ sounds.

As students progress through the exercise, Meteor Ball decreases this processing, and eventually pres-ents the words using natural speech.

The three processing level markers (planetoids) at the top of the screen represent the different speech processing levels in Meteor Ball. While students work in a level, the corresponding marker lights up. When students complete a level, the next marker lights up. When all three markers appear, students work in the highest level.

learning sTandards addressed in MeTeor Ball➤ Match oral words to printed words.➤ Identify letters, words, and sentence.➤ Follow words from left to right and from top to bottom on the printed page.

How Students Work in Meteor BallIn Meteor Ball, the student clicks the yellow planet and a target word is pronounced. A series of meteors move towards a batter. As a meteor moves in front of the batter, a word is pronounced and displayed on the meteor. The student clicks the meteor with the word that matches the target word.

When a word is correctly selected in the allotted time, the batter hits the meteor into an asteroid.

After the student has worked successfully through 3 sets of words, these same sets are presented in the Fluency Round. In the Fluency Round, the student will be presented with 3 trials. In each trial a target word is pronounced. Words are pronounced and displayed on meteors. The student must click the target word within the allotted time to earn a ball. After all trials are completed, if the final trial is answered correctly, a batter hits the earned balls into asteroids to earn bonus points. Fluency Round

Meteor Ball


trials reinforce skills by using the same word sets, but in a different environment. Fluency Round trials are not counted towards advancement or tracked for data reporting, but they allow the student to review the material at a faster pace and provide a fun opportunity for the student to earn more points.

How Students Progress through Meteor BallIn Meteor Ball, the student progresses through 3 speech processing levels, as follows:

➤ level 1: words processed with highly emphasized phonemes➤ level 2: words processed with less phoneme emphasis➤ level 3: no processing, words presented in natural speech

In each level, the student progresses through the same 54 word sets. These sets are grouped by the following criteria:

➤ TargeT sound PosiTion: Initial (pet vs. get) and Final (pet vs. pen)➤ discriMinaBiliTy oF TargeT and alTernaTe resPonse: Each set is made up of a target word

and one or more alternate responses. The alternate responses presented depend upon the presenta-tion stage.

Meteor Ball


The student progresses through each set in the following 3 stages:

➤ sTage 1: Easy alternate response (gab vs. lab)➤ sTage 2: Hard alternate response (gab vs. cab)➤ sTage 3: Mixed alternate response (gab vs. lab, cab, and jab, )After the student has completed 3 sets at the highest stage, the student is presented with a Fluency Round.

How Students Advance in Meteor BallIn order to advance to the next level in Meteor Ball, the student must pass all sets within the level at the highest stage. In order to advance to the next stage within a set, the student must answer 3 out of the last 4 trials taken in the stage correctly. (Note: If the student answers the first 3 trials in the unit correctly the 4th trial is not presented and the stage is passed.) When a stage is passed, the student advances to the next stage for the current set. A set is closed for the current level when the student passes the set at the highest stage (Stage 3).

MasTeryIf the student completes 20 trials in a stage without reaching at least 30% correct, or if the student completes 30 trials in a stage without passing, the student transitions to Stage 1 of the next open set. The student must pass all sets in a processing level before advancing to the next processing level. The student will continue to cycle through all the sets not yet passed, until they are all passed.

PoinTs aWarded in MeTeor BallMeteor Ball awards points to students based on the following conditions:

➤Correct answers: The student earns 3 points for each correct trial.➤ Progress points: The student earns 4 points upon passing a stage, 6 points upon passing a set, and

9 points upon passing a level.➤ Fluency Round points: The student earns 1 point for each correct trial in the Fluency Round. At

the end of the Fluency Round, the student may be awarded up to 20 additional points, depending upon the level and the number of correct answers in the Fluency Round.

Meteor Ball


Meteor Ball Content

iniTial sound changealTernaTe resPonse oPTions

TargeT sound

TargeT sTage 1,3 sTage 2,3 sTage 3

b big jig dig pig

b bad mad fad padb bat sat pat catb bug rug dug tugb but nut putt cutb bog log dog hogb bash gash dash mashb best rest pest westd dig rig big pigd dab jab gab cabd dub rub tub cubd dug mug bug jugd dot not got potd dash rash bash mashd dock sock tock jockg gab lab ca b jabg gap map tap capg got hot dot potg gash lash cash sashg gush lush hush rushg gust must bust dustp pig wig big rigp pat hat bat satp pet net get jetp pop hop top copp pack rack back lackp pick sick tick kickp puck luck buck duckp pest rest best nest

Meteor Ball


t tip hip dip ript tad fad bad sadt tap map gap capt top mop pop copt tug jug dug bugt tick wick pick kickt tuck luck duck buckt test rest best pestk kit fit pit litk cab lab gab tabk cat mat bat patk cod mod mod podk cot pot dot gotk cut nut but hut

Final sound changeb 44 bib bin bid bigb 45 dab dash dad danb 46 cab cash cap catb 47 cub cud cup cutd 48 bed best bet betd 49 ked kept keg keng 50 dog dock doc dotp 51 tap tack tag tanp 52 top tock tot tornt 53 pet peck peg pent 54 pot posh pop pod



Lunar Leap, Fast ForWord to Literacy Advanced

goal➤ Improve word analysis

skills cogniTive ➤ Memory – hold a target word in working memory while comparing it to two phonologi-

cally similar alternate words to find the matching one ➤ Attention – focused attention ➤ Processing – auditory processing of phonemes for identification, visual processing of let-

ters and written words, and cross-modal processing of phoneme-grapheme associations

language and reading ➤ Develop listening accuracy by working with the words in the exercise that have been digitally enhanced to emphasize the rapidly changing phonetic elements within natural speech.

➤ Learn the associations between words and print and between sounds and spelling patterns by working with stimulus words that are presented repeatedly.

➤ Work with over 150 words including both CVCs and CVCCs ➤ Build phonemic awareness and letter-sound associations for the targeted phonemes ➤ Build the ability to follow left-to-right sequence.

Task➤ Listen to a target word and then find the matching word in a pair of spoken and written

words that are phonologically similar.

leaPlunar


LUNAR LEAp

Understanding the Science in Lunar LeapLunar Leap first presents words in which the speech sounds have been digitally altered using patented methods (including selective intensity increases) to provide enhanced learning opportunities. Initially, the consonant sounds in each word have been enhanced relative to the vowel sound. For example, the word “bid” is initially presented with acoustically modified versions of the /b/ and /d/ sounds.

As students progress through the exercise, Lunar Leap decreases this processing, and eventually pres-ents the words using natural speech.

The three processing level markers (rings) at the top of the screen represent the different speech processing levels in Lunar Leap. While students work in a level, the corresponding marker lights up. When students complete a level, the next marker lights up. When all three markers light up, students work in the highest level.

learning sTandards addressed in lunar leaP➤ Follow words from left to right and from top to bottom on the printed page.➤ Track (move sequentially from sound to sound) and represent the number, sameness/difference,

and order of two and three isolated phonemes.➤ Recognize and use knowledge of spelling patterns.

How Students Work in Lunar LeapIn Lunar Leap, the student clicks the yellow planet and a target word is pronounced. A word appears on the helmet of each alien head. As each word appears, it is pronounced, and then it disappears. The student clicks the helmet in which the word that matches the target word appeared. As the student answers trials correctly, the alien attempts to bungee to the next moon. When the student has answered 30 trials correctly, the alien will successfully bungee to the next moon.

In the Fluency Round, the student is presented with 5 rows of 5 blocks. A target word is spoken, and the top row of blocks becomes active, displaying 5 words. The student must click all instances of the


Planet (sound button) Down arrow or space barLeft helmet Left arrowRight helmet Right arrowBlocks, left-right (Fluency Round) Number keys 1-5


LUNAR LEAp

target word in the active row. If the student correctly selects all of the target words in a row, the subse-quent row will activate. If all 5 rows are completed before time is up, the 2nd-5th rows will reactivate, displaying new arrangements of words. The student has 20 seconds to find as many tiles with the target word as he can. For each correct answer, a token is earned. If the student answers a trial incor-rectly, all tokens are lost. At the end of the round, any remaining tokens are awarded as bonus points. Fluency Round trials are not counted towards advancement or tracked for data reporting, but they allow the student to review the material at a faster pace and provide a fun opportunity for the student to earn more points.

How Students Progress through Lunar LeapIn Lunar Leap, the student progresses through 3 speech processing levels, as follows:

➤ level 1: words processed with highly emphasized phonemes➤ level 2: words processed with less phoneme emphasis➤level 3: no processing, words presented in natural speech


LUNAR LEAp

In each level, the student progresses through the same 61 word sets. The student progresses through 2 sound change types (Initial or Final Sound Change). Within each sound change type, there are 6 target sounds, with multiple sets for each sound. The student progresses through multiple word sets simultaneously. Within each set, the student progresses through 3 stages; in each stage the phoneme is changed to make the target word harder to discriminate from the alternate response (For exam-ple, “bit vs. bib” is harder than “bit vs. bin,” and “bit vs. bid” is harder still). After the student has answered 21 out of the last 27 trials correctly, the exercise presents a Fluency Round. Fluency Round trials are not counted towards advancement.

How Students Advance in Lunar LeapInitially, the first set for each target sound is opened and trials (comprised of the target word and alternate response) are selected randomly from all the open sets. A stage is passed if the student answers 7 out of the last 8 trials taken in a set correctly. When a stage is passed, the next stage for the current set is opened. When a set is passed at the highest stage it is closed and the next set for that sound is opened. If sets are not passed at the highest stage, they remain open; students must close all sets of one type (e.g., initial) before advancing to the next type (e.g., final). When the student has closed all sets in both sound types for the current level, the student advances to the next level.

The student progresses through multiple word sets simultaneously. Within each set, the student progresses through 3 stages; in each stage the phoneme is changed to make the target word harder to discriminate from the alternate response (For example, “bit vs. bib” is harder than “bit vs. bin,” and “bit vs. bid” is harder still). After the student has answered 21 out of the last 27 trials correctly, the exercise presents a Fluency Round. Fluency Round trials are not counted towards advancement.

MasTeryIf the student completes 20 trials in a stage without passing or reaching at least 70% correct, or if the student completes 30 trials in a stage without passing, the set remains open and is added to the end of the list of sets for the current sound. Stage 1 of the next set for the current sound becomes available. The student must pass all sets in a processing level before advancing to the next processing level. The student will continue to cycle through all the sets not yet passed, until they are all passed.

PoinTs aWarded in lunar leaPLunar Leap awards points to students based on the following conditions:➤ Correct answers: The student earns 2 points for each correct trial.➤ Progress points: The student earns 4 points upon passing a stage, 8 points upon passing a set, and

12 points upon passing a level.➤ Fluency Round points: The student earns 1 point for each correct trial in the Fluency Round. At

the end of the Fluency Round, the student will be awarded 2 additional points for each remaining bonus token.


LUNAR LEAp

Lunar Leap Content

iniTial sound changealTernaTe resPonse oPTions

TargeT sound

TargeT Word

sTage 1 sTage 2 sTage 3

initial b bid lid kid did

bit hit kit pitbag nag gag tagbud mud cud dudbog jog hog cogbuck luck tuck duckback sack tack packbest rest west pest

initial p pip sip hip dippad sad dad badpeg leg kep begpot rot lot dotpug hug dug bugpick sick kick tickpast last mast cast

initial d did hid rid biddip sip lip tipdad had pad faddog log fog bogdud mud cud budduck luck puck buckdash mash rash cash

initial t tab lab cab dabtag wag gag bagten men pen dentub rub cub dubtack sack back packtin win pin fin


LUNAR LEAp

alTernaTe resPonse oPTionsTargeT sound

TargeT Word

sTage 1 sTage 2 sTage 3

initial g get net set betgut hut rut cutgag sag lag baggot rot hot cotgift lift sift rift

gush mush hush rushinitial k kid lid bid did

keg leg beg pegkick sick pick tickcap nap map gapcop hop mop topcub hub rub tubcash rash mash dashcast fast last past

Final b tub tuck tuft tugcob cot cod coplab last lack lap

Final p cap can cat cabtip tim tin tick

pup pun pug puckFinal d bad bath bag bat

bud bun buck bugdid dish dip digpad path pan pat

Final t lot log lost lockbit bin bib bidrat rash rag rap

Final g pig pin pit pickleg left let ledbug bus bun buck

Final k lock lost loft logpeck pest pet pegsack sad sash sag


galaxyTheaTer


Galaxy Theater, Fast ForWord to Literacy Advanced

goals➤ Improve listening comprehension➤ Improve the ability to follow directions➤ Improve the use of English language conventions➤ Build vocabulary skills

skillscogniTive ➤ Memory – hold a statement or question in working memory while retrieving

picture-concept associations from long-term memory and identifying the best match or answer

➤ Attention – focused and sustained attention➤ Processing – auditory and linguistic processing of orally presented sentences

and stories for meaning and comprehension➤ Sequencing – using word order to comprehend simple and complex statements

and instructions and organizing a response that follows the specified sequence of actions

language and reading➤ Develop listening accuracy➤ Build comprehension and memory for details, main ideas, and relationships

within stories.➤ Improve understanding of the relationship between words, grammar, and

meaning.➤ Improve the skill in attending to, understanding, and following increasingly

complex directions.

Task➤ Listen to a story and answer comprehension questions. Then listen to sentences

and select the pictures that best represent the sentences. Finally, listen to instructions and manipulate one or more objects as instructed.


Galaxy TheaTer

Understanding the Science in Galaxy TheaterGalaxy Theater presents the first story with the speech sounds digitally altered using patented methods (including selective intensity increases) to provide enhanced learning opportunities. The consonant sounds in each word have been enhanced relative to the vowel sound. For example, the word “cat” is initially presented with acoustically modified versions of the /k/ and /t/ sounds. As the student progresses through the stories, Galaxy Theater decreases this processing and eventually pres-ents the last story using natural speech.

The three processing level markers (lights) above the planet represent the different speech process-ing levels in Galaxy Theater. While the student works in a level, the corresponding marker lights up. When the student completes a level, the next marker lights up. When all three markers light up, the student is working in the highest level.

learning sTandards addressed in galaxy TheaTer➤ Distinguish the main idea and supporting details in expository text.➤ Identify and use past, present, and future verb tenses properly in writing and speaking.➤ Identify and use subjects and verbs correctly in speaking and writing simple sentences.➤ Follow simple multiple-step spoken and written instructions (e.g., how to assemble a product

or play a board game).

How Students Work in Galaxy TheaterIn Galaxy Theater, the student listens to a short chapter from a story. The student is then presented with the following 3 activities:

➤ In the listening comprehension activity, the student must answer questions pertaining to the story just heard.

➤ In the language comprehension activity, the student hears a sentence and sees 4 pictures that are possible representations of the sentence. The student must identify and click the picture that best represents the sentence.

➤ In the following directions activity, the student is presented with a board containing rows of col-ored objects. The student clicks the yellow button to hear instructions, such as, “Touch the green car and the white car.” The student must follow those instructions.


Planet (sound button) Down arrow or spacebarResponses, top left to bottom right Number keys 1 through 4


Galaxy theater

How Students Progress through Galaxy TheaterIn Galaxy Theater, students progress through the 3 levels of the exercise. Each level is a different story. Each of the stories, and all items associated with it, is presented at a different speech processing level:

➤ level 1: Devon and the Sarcastic Remarks—Speech Processing Level 3➤ level 2: The New Dreamer—Speech Processing Level 4➤ level 3: Justin and His Friend, Buddy—Natural Speech

Each story is divided into 4 chapters. After listening to a chapter, the student progresses through the following 3 activities:

➤ lisTening coMPrehension: The student is presented with 4 listening comprehension questions after each chapter. These become more difficult across levels, moving from literal questions to questions that require sequencing or making inferences.


Galaxy TheaTer

➤ language coMPrehension: After each chapter, the student is presented with 36 Language Comprehension items. Within each level, 31 grammatical structures are covered, ranging in diffi-culty from early developing structures (e.g., comparative with -er: Which one is emptier?) to later developing structures (e.g., complex sentences: The rest of the band got tired of waiting for Devon to set up her drums, so they started warming up without her).

➤ FolloWing direcTions: After each chapter, the student is presented with 20 commands. Within each set of commands, the difficulty level increases from less complex (e.g., Touch the purple pillow and the green alarm clock) to more complex (e.g., Put the small blue lunch box between the green microphone and the purple television camera).

How Students Advance in Galaxy TheaterIn order to advance to the next level in Galaxy Theater, the student must meet the criteria for each of the 3 activities. After all trials for a level (story) have been presented, the exercise makes this determi-nation based upon the following advancement criteria:

➤ lisTening coMPrehension: 100% —The student must answer 4 out of 4 Listening Comprehension trials correctly in each chapter.

➤ language coMPrehension: 90% —The student must answer 130 out of 144 Language Comprehension trials correctly.

➤ FolloWing direcTions: 90% —The student must answer 72 out of 80 Following Directions trials correctly.

If the student fails to meet the advancement criteria for any activities in the level, those activities that were not passed are repeated. The student will not advance to the next level until criteria has been met for all activities in the current level.

MasTeryNote: Each chapter is evaluated independently for Listening Comprehension. Once the Listening Comprehension criterion is met for a given chapter, the student will not repeat the narrative or the Listening Comprehension trials for that chapter.

PoinTs aWarded in galaxy TheaTerGalaxy Theater awards points to the student based on the following conditions:➤ Correct answers: The student earns 5 points for each correct trial.

➤ Bonus points: For every 10 trials the student answers correctly, the student is awarded 10 bonus points.


Galaxy theater

Galaxy Theater Content: Stories

Devon and the Sarcastic RemarksChapter 1devon looked around her new bedroom and sighed . she’d moved in over a week agobutherroomwasstillfullofboxes.Shecouldn’tfindanything.Sofar,shehadn’tmanaged to unpack much more than her sheets and her drums .“ready to go?” yelled her dad from downstairs . devon’s mom had just been transferred by her company . devon, her parents, and her little brother, kyle, spent their summer vacation driving across three states to their newhome.Nowherdadwasbusyfindingcustomersforhisyardworkandhaulingbusiness .so many changes left devon feeling stressed out . But it wasn’t all bad, she sup-posed . This house was bigger than their old one, and her parents had let her take the bedroom over the garage . That gave her a lot more opportunity to play her drums without bugging anybody .devon opened box after box, looking for anything she could wear . “guess i’m wear-ing a box today,” she muttered .Finally, she found something to put on and ran out to the truck .devon was going to spend the day working for her dad . Today she would help rake leaves and dig weeds . her dad didn’t have enough business to hire a regular crew yet . But devon didn’t mind . she was making good money . and since she didn’t know anyone in her new neighborhood, she was glad to keep busy.Devonfilledmostofherdayswithyardworkandplayingthedrums.yard work was fun enough, but devon thought it was a big chore to clean out peo-ple’s garages and haul their things to the recycling center . “Why do people keep so much old junk?” she often wondered . “i feel like the clutter Patrol .”on those days, devon came home too tired even to play the drums . sometimes she didfindcoolthingsinpeople’sgarages,though,likethetimeshefoundsomeday-glow paint .


Galaxy TheaTer

Listening Comprehension QuestionsWhich type of work did devon like least?cleaning out garages, raking leaves, digging weeds, playing drums

Which of these had devon unpacked?her sheets, her jeans, some paint, a rake

What was devon too tired to do after work some days?Play drums, paint her room, rake leaves, drive the truck

What did devon and her dad do with the stuff they hauled away?recycled it, gave it to kyle, buried it in the yard, stored it in the garage


Galaxy theater

Chapter 2one day devon and her dad stopped for lunch at the local burger stand . devon ordered a veggie burger . “did you want cheese on that?” asked the girl behind the counter . devon recognized the girl from her neighborhood . she remembered her by her hair, which was black with a giant streak of purple . devon decided for once not to be shy .“no cheese . don’t you live on oak street?” asked devon . “yeah,” said the girl . “you said no ketchup, right?”“no, i said no cheese . i do want ketchup,” said devon . “i live around the block from you, on ninth . i just moved in .”“Cool,”saidtheburgergirl,finallygettingDevon’sorderright.“I’mMichi.I’lllookforyou when i get off work .”it turned out Michi was a musician too; she played bass guitar . she and devon were going to be in the same class next fall . (at least now devon would know one person at her new school .)They soon became close friends . Michi already had a driver’s license and a car . on weekends she would drive them to the mall . Their favorite place to spend money was the music store . Michi bought lots of guitar strings and music magazines . devon saved all summer for a new set of drums . Together,theypaintedandfixedupDevon’snewbedroom.Michievenconvinceddevon to paint it purple . They joked about meeting at the burger shop since they’re both vegetarians . Michi confessed that she messed up devon’s lunch order on purpose . “i used to do that when i got bored .”Listening Comprehension QuestionsWhat did devon order for lunch?Veggieburger,cheeseburger,fishtacos,aturkeysandwich

What about Michi made devon recognize her?her black and purple hair, her work uniform, her bass guitar, her car

What was devon saving her money for?a new set of drums, her own car, sheet music, new clothes

Which of these did Michi help devon do?Paint her room purple, get a job at the burger shop, dye her hair blue, get her driver’s license


Galaxy TheaTer

Chapter 3once school started, devon and Michi held auditions for a new band . it was hard to attract good musicians . Most kids wanted to play for one of the established bands . The most popular was a band called severe Tire damage .devon and Michi weren’t impressed with them, though . severe Tire damage was talented, but they argued too much . They never seemed to be having any fun . Michi thought you could hear it in their music, too .DevonandMichifinallyformedabandwithSheenaandRyan.Sheenaplayedamean guitar and sang . she was sweet but she was always the last one to get the joke . ryan was quiet and played a keyboard synthesizer .While the girls made plans for the band, he tried out new sounds . “now all we need is a name,” said Michi .“how about ‘The Passionflowers’?” suggested sheena, who liked to drink passion-flower tea . Michi and devon burst out laughing . ryan ignored them all .“right, or ‘The Buttercups’,” said Michi .“how about ‘The smiley Faces’?” teased devon .“oh, stop your sarcastic remarks,” said sheena . devon and Michi looked at each other . “That’s it!” they shouted simultaneously . “We’re ‘The sarcastic remarks’!” .Listening Comprehension QuestionsWho held auditions for a new band?devon and Michi, The Buttercups, sheena and ryan, severe Tire damage

Who sang for The sarcastic remarks?sheena, steve, Michi, devon

as a joke, what did devon suggest naming the band after?smiley faces, passionflowers, buttercups, veggie burgers

Who argued all the time?severe Tire damage, devon and Michi, Michi and sheena, sheena and ryan


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Chapter 4Thefirstopportunityforbandstoperformatthehighschoolwasthefalldance.Eachbandhadtoauditionfirst;thenthestudentsvotedwhichbandswouldplay.Thesarcastic remarks practiced every day after school . sheena took singing lessons and ryan wrote several new songs . devon bought the new drums she’d been saving for all summer .Finally the day of try-outs arrived . The sarcastic remarks came in second behind severe Tire damage . They would get to play at the dance as a warm-up band . They could hardly wait .“We should wear some really cool costumes,” said sheena .devon remembered the day-glow paint she found last summer . Michi bought some black fabric and sewed some costumes . sheena painted skeletons on three of the costumes . Just to be weird, she painted a smiley-face on hers . Meanwhile, ryan cre-ated a bunch of strange sound effects on his keyboard .Things weren’t going so well for severe Tire damage . The band members fought all the time, and they hardly ever practiced . on the night of the fall dance, they never even showed up .The sarcastic remarks became the headline band instead .“We’re lucky you wrote so many songs, ryan . now we’ll be playing twice as long as we thought,” said sheena .“yep,” said ryan, without looking up from his keyboard .“it’s a good thing we practiced as much as we did,” said devon .The sarcastic remarks put on a great show . Their day-glow costumes really looked coolinthedarkauditorium—evenSheena’scutesysmiley-face.Ryan’sstrangesoundeffects were perfect for the occasion . everybody danced and had a great time .Afterthedance,Devonthoughtabouthowquicklyshehadbeenabletofitinathernew school .“it’s lucky i met you at the burger stand,” said devon to Michi . Michi grinned .“That was a bacon burger with cheese, right?”


Galaxy TheaTer

Listening Comprehension QuestionsWhat did the other students do during the sarcastic remarks concert?dance, sit and listen, get bored, stand and applaud

Which band member wrote some new songs?ryan, sheena, devon, Michi

Who sewed the band’s costumes?Michi, sheena, ryan, devon’s mom

Who didn’t show up for the fall dance?severe Tire damage, ryan and sheena, devon, Michi


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The New DreamerChapter 1it’s Monday morning, and you wake up dreading school . you pull your blanket up tighter around your neck . Then you open your eyes slightly and glance at the clock on your nightstand .you should have gotten up at 7:15 . But your clock already says it’s 34:10 .34:10? you rub your eyes and sit up . your clock looks the same, your bed and nightstand look the same . But the clock still says34:10—andthisisn’tyourroom!Thewallshavepicturesofballoonspaintedonthem . The ceiling looks like the inside of a circus tent . Bright blue doors stand on the left and the right .as you pinch yourself to see if you’re awake, in walks a man dressed in a clown suit! a large flower is pinned to his suit, and he carries a silver tray with some kind of food on it . “he must be the butler,” you think . you don’t know why you know he’s a butler, but you do . despite his red clown nose and painted-on smile, he looks strangely sad and weary .“What is going on here?” you ask .“Youdon’tknow?”thebutlerreplies,spinningthetrayononefinger.“uh… no . Where’s my room? Where am i? and who are you?”“i’m surprised they didn’t tell you . you’re the new dreamer .” he says, as he puts the tray on your nightstand .“The what?” you splutter as water from his flower squirts you in the face .“The new dreamer of our city . dreamlands can’t dream up themselves, you know . our old dreamer . . . lately he’s been having nightmares, and we’re all suffering . look!” The butler pulls a rope, and heavy velvet theater curtains open, revealing a window…


Galaxy TheaTer

Listening Comprehension Questionsat the start of this story, as you wake up, where do you dread going?To school, to bed, to the circus, to the office

in the story, which of these doesn’t belong in your room?The balloon pictures, the bed, the nightstand, the clock

Whatisthefirstthingthebutlerdoesafterheenterstheroom?Hespinsatrayononefinger,hesetsatrayonyournightstand,hesquirtswaterfromhis flower, he pulls a rope to open the curtains

What does the butler do right before he reveals the window?he squirts water from his flower, he opens one of the blue doors, he walks into the room holding a tray, he sets a tray on your nightstand


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Chapter 2you get out of bed and look out the window . a large city spreads out below . you see houses and parks, along with several carnivals . you count six Ferris wheels and ten rollercoasters.Youalsoseecircustents—toomanytocount!Lookslikeafunplace…But the highways are a mess . The cars are bumper cars . instead of traveling in lanes, they keep veering off course and hitting each other . one tiny ambulance races toward the crashes . But twenty clowns just pour out of it, run around, and get back in .you look closely at a nearby park . everyone is dressed like a clown and performing constantly:juggling,ridingunicycles,swingingontrapezes—buttheylookverytired .“Atfirstweenjoyedhavingafewcarnivalridesandcircusactsaroundthecity,”explains the butler . But now things have spiraled out of control and they are every-where! everyone looks like a clown and no one can stop performing!”he tugs on a blue handkerchief to wipe his brow . The blue cloth is attached to a yellow one, then a red one, then a green one . . . Fifteen handkerchiefs later, he gives up and stuffs them back in his pocket .“That’s too bad . . . i guess . . . but what can i do about it?” you protest .“Just remember this, ‘clocks tick a second at a time,’” says the butler . he honks his clown nose and quickly leaves through the door on your right .“clocks what? This place is crazy,” you think . “i’m out of here!” you open the door that the butler went through . There is a bare hallway with a door on the other end . you run down the hall, open the door, and …you’re back in the bedroom again . you dash through the other door, but once again, end up back in the bedroom .you feel confused, then strangely tired . Maybe a nap would be nice, after all that running .


Galaxy TheaTer

Listening Comprehension QuestionsWhat has made the highways a mess?Bumper cars, ambulances full of clowns, clowns on unicycles, merry-go-round horses

What happens when the butler takes out a blue handkerchief?it is attached to more handkerchiefs, water comes out of his flower, he honks his clown nose, it turns into a bouquet of roses

What do you see when you open the door that the butler went through?a door at the end of a bare hallway, a room with two blue doors, the butler going around a corner, a city park full of clowns

What is the last thing the butler does before he leaves?he honks his clown nose, he pulls many handkerchiefs from his pocket, he points at the clock, he juggles an orange and two pieces of toast


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Chapter 3you wake up refreshed, and look at the clock out of habit . 2:89 . The same clown butler enters, balancing a tray on his head . he still seems sad . “you didn’t eat your breakfast, but here’s some dinner,” he sighs . you go to the windownight is falling, but you can see the same bumper-car highways and never-ending roller coasters . a circus elephant has gotten loose and is chasing people who must hide behind the funhouse mirrors lining the streets .“Things haven’t changed much . Maybe i didn’t dream,” you offer .“no, they haven’t,” sighs the butler . “keep trying, though . i’m sure you’ll get it . Time flies when clocks have wings!” he does one quick cartwheel; then he leaves and shuts the door behind him .you quickly run and open the door, but he has already disappeared . Nothingyoucandonow,itseems,excepttryagain.Youeatdinner—carnivalfood,ofcourse—andfeelsleepyagain.Butyouarenervous—howcanyouhelpthecity?Canyou influence your own dreams? you drift off to sleep, thinking to yourself, “dream… dream… dream…”you wake up at 18:61 . This time, you know that you’ve been dreaming .you leap up and look out the window . sure enough, at the nearest carnival, your least favorite teacher is being dunked in a dunk tank! you spot a friend of yours on a faraway roller coaster . she waves at you, and you wave back . unfortunately, little else has changed .you chuckle about your teacher, but think to yourself, “i’d better dream something more serious!”as sleep comes over you, you try to think about peaceful things . saturday mornings . Trees blowing gently in the wind…


Galaxy TheaTer

Listening Comprehension Questionshow do people get away from the elephant?They hide behind funhouse mirrors, they drive away in bumper cars, they do cart-wheels, they hang from trapezes

What does the butler do just before he leaves?he does a cartwheel, he balances a tray on his head, he squirts you with his flower, he offers you dinner

Whatisthefirstthingyouseeafteryouawakenat18:61?a teacher being dunked in a dunk tank, the butler balancing a tray on his head, your friend waving from a roller coaster, a circus elephant chasing clowns

at the end of this chapter, what do you think about as you go to sleep?Trees blowing in a gentle wind, a powerful storm coming in, lions chasing people, pretzels and peanuts


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Chapter 4The next thing you hear is your alarm clock beeping . reaching over to turn it off, you see that it is 34:10 again .The butler is already in the room . he still has a clown nose on, but his makeup is gone and he now wears a black tuxedo . he looks a bit perkier . you wait for him to perform a trick with his tray, but he just places it on your nightstand .outside, it looks like morning . Many of the circus tents have been replaced by houses . The bumper cars seem to be gone, and traffic moves smoothly along the highways . Most of the people in the parks have gone home . others are sleeping under the trees which blow gently in the wind .The streets are still full of funhouse mirrors, and the elephant is still loose, but now it is just wandering the streets .“Well, that’s a bit better anyway,” you say to yourself . “great job,” the butler says . “This might be enough! Most of the problems seem to be getting better . everyone is getting some long needed rest . and our regular clothes are back in our closets!”“Thanks,” you reply, “but i really should be getting back home . i’m not sure how long i can keep this up . i have nightmares, too, you know .”“yes,” he says .“i understand . clocks can’t run forever! Thank you, though .”you’re not sure what he means, precisely, but you nod and feel sleepy again .you wake up after what seems like forever . you open your eyes slowly, and see your old room again . The walls are plain white, the ceiling is back to normal, and there is only one door .“Whew!” you say to yourself . “What time is it?”The clock on your nightstand says 34:10 .


Galaxy TheaTer

Listening Comprehension QuestionsWhenyoufirstwakeupinthischapter,whatremainsthesameaboutthecity?The streets are lined with funhouse mirrors, the streets are full of bumper cars, clowns are performing in the park, people are sleeping in the park

What have replaced some of the circus tents?houses, roller coasters, funhouse mirrors, clowns

Whatisthefirstthingthebutlerdoesafteryounoticeheiswearingatuxedo?he puts a tray on your nightstand, he removes his clown nose, he talks about changes in the city, he pulls a rabbit out of a hat

When you wake up in your old bedroom, what is still strange?The clock, the walls, your bed, the butler


Galaxy theater

Justin and his Friend, BuddyChapter 1Justin was shy and didn’t have many friends . his best friend was his three-legged dog . his dog was easier to talk to than most of the kids at school, and Justin spent most of his time with him .Justin found the stray while riding his bike one day last summer . The dog was hang-ing out near the old abandoned train station where Justin often stopped to rest . Hewassorrylooking—dirty,thin,andmissinghisfrontleftleg—butheseemedfriendly . Justin pulled half a tuna sandwich out of his backpack . he tossed it to the dog, who watched him cautiously for a few seconds and then wolfed it down . “hey, there, buddy . you look pretty hungry,” said Justin . The dog wagged his tail and came closer . Justinsearchedhisbackpackformorefoodandcameupwithanoldforgottenfigcookie . after brushing some lint off, he gave that to the dog, as well .The dog followed Justin all the way home . Justintriedtoshoohimawayatfirst,butthedogpretendednottounderstand.every time Justin stopped, the dog sat and wagged his tail . every time Justin rode, the dog trailed right behind .he kept up so well, you could hardly tell he was missing a leg . soon they were in front of Justin’s house . alexis, the girl who lived next door, watched them from her front yard . “What is that?” she said, looking at Buddy and holding her nose . even though alexis was two years younger than Justin, she was always trying to boss him around . Justin ignored her and looked at Buddy .“one thing is for sure,” he said, “before you can come in the house, you’re gonna need a bath!”


Galaxy TheaTer

Listening Comprehension QuestionsBefore Buddy came along, how did Justin probably spend many of his summer days? Biking by himself, biking with his friends, hanging out with kids from school, hanging out with alexis

WhatdidJustindowhenhefirstnoticedthathewasbeingfollowed?he tried to tell Buddy to go away, he showed Buddy to alexis, he gave Buddy some food, he sped up so that Buddy fell behind

WhatdidJustinfeedBuddyfirst?Halfatunasandwich,afigcookie,somelint,ahotdog

What is most likely to happen next in this story?Justin washes Buddy, alexis washes Buddy, Buddy takes a bath, Buddy takes a nap


Galaxy theater

Chapter 2Justin did his best to get the dog cleaned up before his parents came home . he thought Buddy stood a greater chance of staying if he looked presentable . after giving him a long bath, Justin tried to untangle the dog’s fur with his sister’s hairbrush . “you’re not going to win any dog shows soon . But at least you look clean,” said Justin .Justin’s parents did let Buddy stay, mostly because they thought he was very charm-ing . They also thought that Justin could use a friend . They even had Buddy checked out by a vet and gave Justin the money to buy a real dog brush . however, they insisted that Justin use his own money to buy a new hair-brush for his sister .once he was cleaned up, Buddy appeared to be part lab and part Border collie . his favorite pastime, besides eating, was catching Frisbees . he couldn’t run very fast, but when Justin threw a Frisbee, Buddy seemed to be spring-loaded . as long as Justin threw them close enough, Buddy could catch them every time . They even made up a trick called The Three-legged Twist . Buddy would leap off Justin’s back, and then catch the Frisbee in the air . Justin didn’t think he was any good at sports . But he got very good at throwing Frisbees to Buddy .


Galaxy TheaTer

Listening Comprehension QuestionsWhat was Justin afraid might happen if his parents got home before Buddy was cleaned up?They would send Buddy away, Buddy would get dirt all over them, they would send Justin away, Buddy would be sent to the vet

Why did Justin have to buy his sister a new hairbrush?her old brush was full of Buddy’s hair, her old brush was chewed up by Buddy, it was her birthday present, it was her job to brush Buddy

What was Buddy’s favorite pastime?eating, catching Frisbees, chasing Justin’s bike, riding in the car

What was more likely to happen if Justin threw the Frisbee a long way rather than a short way?it lands before Buddy catches it, Buddy catches it in the air, Buddy leaps off Justin’s back, Buddy carries it back to Justin


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Chapter 3Justin and Buddy entered the local Frisbee dog competition . There wasn’t a category for three-legged dogs, so Justin signed up for the Mini-distance event . in this event, the idea is to see how many throws your dog can catch in one minute . if the dog catches the Frisbee while he’s in the air, you get more points . By racking up points on the shortest throws, Justin and Buddy took third place .next they entered the Freestyle event, which is where teams show off their dog’s special abilities . Buddy and Justin performed the tricks they’d been practicing, including The Three-legged Twist . With the music playing, it looked like Buddy was dancing . The crowd cheered . Theywonsecondplace,butitfeltlikefirst.Everyonepaidmoreattentiontothethree-legged dog than to the winner . “Wow, that dog of yours sure can jump,” said the judge . “it’s like he’s…”“spring-loaded?” said Justin . The judge laughed . he handed Justin a red ribbon, some new Frisbees, and a big bag of dog kibble .a popular Tv reporter was covering the event for the local news . Justin saw her walk-ing over to them, with her high heels getting stuck in the grass . she gingerly patted Buddy on the head, trying not to get her clothes dirty . “your dog is so cute” she said to Justin . “We’d love to have him come on the Morning show tomorrow . could you have him do a few jumps?”Justin was still holding a Frisbee wet with dog slobber . after wiping his hand on his jeans, he shook her hand . “Buddy would like that,” said Justin .


Galaxy TheaTer

Listening Comprehension QuestionsWhatwasthefirstsignthattheThree-LeggedTwistwasahit?The audience cheered for them, everyone gave Buddy lots of attention, they won second place in the Freestyle event, the Tv reporter was interested in them

HowcouldBuddyearnextrapointsinthefirsteventtheycompetedin?Mid-air catches, special tricks, dancing to the music, retrieving the Frisbee

What did the reporter do right before asking Justin to come on her show?she patted Buddy’s head, she shook Justin’s hand, she shook Buddy’s paw, she got her high heels stuck in the grass

What might have happened if Justin had not been so polite?Ahandshakewetwithdogslobber,arejectedTVshowoffer,Buddywinningafirstplace ribbon, everyone ignoring Justin and Buddy


Galaxy theater

Chapter 4Justin and Buddy had to get up at dawn the next day to get to the Tv studio on time . a stage assistant rushed them to the makeup room, where Justin got his collar straightened and his hair brushed . Buddy got his coat brushed, too . They performed some Frisbee tricks right in the Tv studio . once, Justin threw the Frisbee too far and Buddy almost knocked over one of the cameras . Justin thought the reporter would get upset over this mayhem on her show, but she gave him a wink as the studio audience laughed and applauded . she tried to throw the Frisbee herself once, but it hit the ground too fast for Buddy to catch it .Justin explained how some Frisbees were designed especially for dogs to grip . They were also made so you could hold on even when they were covered in dog slobber . Buddy helped him demonstrate that by drooling all over one .Buddy was very charming . he did all his tricks and he licked the reporter’s hand . By now he had won her over: she didn’t even bother to wipe off the drool .Justin was late for school that day . But when he arrived, a bunch of kids rushed to talk to him . somehow, his homeroom teacher heard about the news show, and they had watched his televised performance during class . “Where’s Buddy?” they asked . “Why didn’t you bring him to school?”“Buddy’s taking the rest of the day off,” said Justin . The kids were disappointed, but they asked Justin to eat lunch with them .at lunch, Justin told them all about the Frisbee competition and about being on Tv . They were genuinely interested in how he learned to train his dog . someone sug-gested he give a dog-training demonstration at school, and everyone agreed that would be cool .


Galaxy TheaTer

Listening Comprehension Questionsaccording to the story, when did Justin talk about being in the Frisbee competition? Duringlunch,whenhefirstarrivedatschool,duringtheTVshow,astheaudiencelaughed

What happened when the reporter tried throwing the Frisbee for Buddy?Buddy couldn’t catch it, Buddy nearly knocked over a camera, Buddy licked her hand, she got covered in dog drool

When did the Tv audience laugh?Buddy nearly knocked over a camera, the reporter told a joke, Justin showed off a drool-covered Frisbee, the reporter tried throwing the Frisbee

Why was Justin late for school?he was at the Tv studio, Buddy was home sick, he had a flat tire, he overslept


Adolescent Literacy: Issues and SolutionsBy JosePh noBle, Ph .d .Educators know that adolescence is a difficult time, with social, emotional, and physical stresses that seem to turn our children into creatures from another planet. With all these factors turning ado-lescents’ world upside down, who thinks to look at whether or not they are reading well? Reading? Didn’t the early grades take care of that? However, what of those students who did not attain early literacy, or attained it with limited skills? What of the adolescent middle or high school student who is functioning with elementary school reading skills? With so much well deserved attention going to early literacy, adolescent literacy is many times forgotten about. This is borne out on the economic level since “state and federal funding for middle and high school reading programs in the United States has decreased,” (International Reading Association Commission on Adolescent Literacy 1999-2000) and Title I and Reading First funds are primarily budgeted for early intervention.

The literacy needs of adolescents differ from those of elementary school students, but they are just as important and are key to academic success. Middle and high school students are expected to read, comprehend, and respond to increasingly complex material, but many students don’t have the basic skills to adequately access this material at a rudimentary level, let alone at the level of sophistica-tion expected of them. To compound the difficulties faced by these at-risk students, by the time they reach high school, teachers are teaching subject matter, not reading skills. The International Reading Association 1999 report indicates the prevalence of the problem by showing how many students’ reading difficulties are bypassed in high school and continue in college: “13% of fall 1989 first-year higher education students in the United States were enrolled in courses devoted specifically to reme-dial reading.”

The Middle and high school yearsThe academic deficiencies of adolescents with language and reading difficulties begin in elementary school. Students develop compensatory strategies that help them through the elementary years, but eventually these stop-gap measures fail to work. For instance, students who compensate by taking more time to accomplish their assignments, by reading passages repeatedly and slowly, will find that, unless they work round the clock, that tactic will no longer work with the more complex material and accelerated work load they begin to encounter in middle school and later in high school.

In addition, as students begin middle school, usually 6th or 7th grade, they are entering a new type of educational environment where there is no longer the single teacher in the same classroom, but differ-ent subjects taught by different teachers in various classrooms. There is no one teacher who will get to know them closely enough to see that the difficulties at-risk students are experiencing may stem from reading problems rather than laziness or not paying attention. This type of environment demands more independence from students, giving them a wide variety of subjects to comprehend and respond to, yet many of them still do not have the reading skills to be able to stand alone academically, and they no longer receive any reading instruction. In middle school, the way teachers teach increasingly emphasizes “reading to learn” rather than “learning to read,” i.e., subject matter rather than skills. As the IRA’s position statement on adolescent literacy observes when discussing middle schools, “Although literacy growth might be recognized as important, many schools do not include reading instruction in the curriculum for all students.”


By the end of middle school, a student’s inability to compensate for a lack of reading skills can become even more problematic. As he or she struggles with academics and adolescence, adjustment problems grow. Should they fail to make the transition to high school, their prospects for ever receiv-ing a high school education decline. A June, 1998, National Center for Education Statistics study, “Subsequent Educational Attainment of High School Dropouts,” reports that one-third of eighth grade drop outs “had no credential and were not pursuing any further education.”

The transition from middle to high school is the time in adolescents’ lives when they are not only going through physical, emotional, and mental changes — new research shows that teenagers’ brains change during adolescence in fundamental ways (Newsweek, May 8, 2000) — but social changes as well, including moving into what could be the final phase of their education. The pressures on adolescents at this stage of their educational career are great, and if the demands are enough to try even the most exemplary student, the strains are many times enough to drive at-risk students to the breaking point. “The ninth grade is a particularly difficult time for at risk students, for they are both at a critical stage of adolescence, and facing a new, impersonal, and more challenging school” (Ascher, Schwartz, Keeping Track of At Risk Students).

Adjustment problems can grow at this time, turning this transition into a larger turning point that will affect the rest of students’ lives. By high school, students who are already struggling to keep up are left behind, and their reaction is manifested many times in disruptive behavior and sometimes in dropping out of school altogether.

Behavioral ProBleMs in schoolA disenfranchised adolescent is at risk for developing serious behavior problems in school. According to the National Center for Education Statistics’ Schools and Staffing Survey, between 1990-91 and 1993-94 the proportion of teachers indicating that physical conflicts among student was a serious problem rose from 6.5 percent to 8.2 percent. The National Center for Education Statistics reports that a majority of public school principals (78 percent) reported having some type of formal school violence prevention or reduction program during the 1996-97 school year.

In a 1994 National Center for Education Statistics’ longitudinal study, when students were asked if disruptions by other students interfered with their learning, 39.6 percent of eighth-graders in 1988, 39.9 percent of tenth-graders in 1990, and 33.1 percent of twelfth-graders in 1992 responded in the affirmative. In addition, the National Center for Education Statistics’ “Principal/School Disciplinarian Survey on School Violence,” reports that in schools with violence prevention programs, 35-49% of teachers and staff are involved in these programs. These statistics show that almost half of the teachers and staff in some schools are spending time in violence prevention programs rather than teaching academic or vocational subjects. As Ohio’s Governor Bob Taft has said, “Students can’t learn and teachers can’t teach if violence and disruption rule the classroom.”

reTenTion – does iT Work?“Research has shown…that retaining middle school students does not improve academic achievement and may in fact signal that schools are not helping students compensate for academic deficiencies that began in elementary school” (Wells). And the Consortium for Equity in Standards and Testing found that “Students who repeat a grade typically do worse academically than those in carefully matched control groups” (Wheelock). Simply having retained students cover the same material in the same way again, hoping that the repetition will help them “get it” isn’t good enough. Accurate diagnosis


of what their problems are and specific, effective solutions need to be implemented. If a student can’t read the assignments, having him or her read them again obviously won’t work. Giving them the skills to read at their grade level will.

Adolescence is a difficult time for all students. In a research project involving 1,000 students, Hertzog and Morgan from the Center for Transition Studies at Augusta State University found that as they moved from eighth grade in middle school to ninth grade in high school, students “decreased in their perceptions of: physical appearance, job competence, romantic appeal, behavioral conduct, and, most alarmingly, global self-worth.” The self-image middle and high school students who are retained have of themselves takes even more of a beating since they feel left behind and stigmatized. They feel out of place with students who now, because of the significant physical, emotional, and intellectual changes that take place in adolescents from one year to the next, seem much younger to them. They watch their age contemporaries moving on with their lives while they appear to be at a standstill. And in a society that values achievement, success, and moving on and up, this is devastating. Add to that the fact that they still cannot perform the same work adequately, and you have a formula for disengage-ment and dropping out. Giving these students the literacy skills to succeed, to be able to read at their grade level and move on to the task of mastering the more advanced content they are receiving, is the way to help them attain the mastery and independence called for in the middle and high school environment.

sTudenTs Who droP ouT The 1995 CPS [Current Population Survey] data confirm earlier findings that students who are retained

are at higher risk of dropping out of school. Of the 13.3 percent of 16- through 24-year-olds who repeated one or more grades by 1995, approximately one-quarter had dropped out by 1995, compared to only about 10 percent of the young adults who were never held back in school (24.1 versus 10.1%).

- National Center for Education Statistics

A student who cannot find a way into the material being taught, especially a student who has had a history of being at-risk, will either look for other ways of being involved, through negative and dis-ruptive participation, or will simply drop out altogether. Many students who drop out have become disenchanted with and disenfranchised from their schools because they do not have the skills that allow them to be engaged in their own education. A student will not feel involved if he or she does not have the requisite skills to participate.

Inadequate language and reading skills are often at the root of students not reaching their potential in high school. But many times language and reading problems are not diagnosed in these older students because the focus is on subject matter and the students are adept at covering their deficiencies. These compensations can only work for so long, and as the reading material and related language arts tasks becomes more complex in the advanced grades of high school, a breaking point is reached at which these stop-gap methods no longer work. The International Reading Association pointed out that, the annual “high school dropout rate, which is related to literacy difficulties, was 11% in 1993.”

Dropping out of high school carries social and economic repercussions. A recent “Fragile Families” study determined that in urban areas like Oakland, CA, and Austin, TX, nearly half of young, single mothers and about 40 percent of the new fathers had not completed high school. Further, according to the Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics, National Adult Literacy Survey in 1992, full-time weekly wages rise substantially as literacy levels rise. The mean weekly earn-


ings of full-time workers in the third level of prose literacy were 50 percent higher than those in Level 1, and employees reading at Level 5 out-earned their peers in Level 3 by 72 percent.

a call To acTionAt the recent High School Leadership Summit held October 8, 2003, Secretary of Education Rod Paige told how “[a]t about half of the high schools in our 35 largest cities, less than half of ninth-graders graduate four years later.” Secretary Paige also cited a recent report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development which found that “American students read, write, and do math at rates lower than students in Asia and Europe. Today, our high school graduation rates fall short of the OECD average.” Acknowledging how unacceptable this situation is, Secretary Paige stated that, “High schools of all sizes and shapes need improvement….No one should be complacent. School leaders must set challenging expectations for all students and engage them with learning.”

Secretary Paige characterized the type of high school reform that is needed in the following way: “We must pay attention to factors like time on task, opportunities to practice, providing quality feedback, and using meaningful assessments of student achievement.” The Fast ForWord® products give stu-dents the opportunity to practice the skills they need to learn effectively and efficiently, focused time on task that moves them in a graduated manner towards proficiency in language and reading skills, and daily, detailed feedback on their achievement that helps teachers make appropriate interventions and determine suitable curriculum offerings.

a Proven reMedy For aT-risk high school sTudenTsThe Fast ForWord products can help at-risk students learn the language and reading skills they need to “get back on track” and back into the classroom. Students who enter high school deficient in lan-guage and reading skills need an expeditious way to catch up that will enable them to stay in school and be successful. The Fast ForWord software can help them do this by rapidly building language and reading skills such as phonemic awareness, listening accuracy, phonics skills, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, working memory, syntax, grammar, sequencing, and other critical skills necessary to being a good reader.

Grounded in over 30 years of scientifically based research into the way the brain learns, the Fast ForWord products develop the cognitive skills of memory, attention, processing rate, and sequencing that support reading.

➤ Memory: Working memory helps students retain information they have read while they are com-prehending a passage.

➤ Attention: Focused and sustained attention allows students to concentrate on reading without being distracted.

➤ Processing: Effective processing allows students to accurately assimilate information, whether it be the content or sound of words.

➤ Sequencing: With proficient sequencing skills, students can maintain the order of what they read, such as the order of letters in a word, or the appropriate order of words in a sentence.

The Fast ForWord products develop these cognitive skills through research-based techniques of frequency and intensity, adaptivity, simultaneous development, and timely motivation to accelerate learner improvement.


The Fast ForWord products use the unique technical advantages of the computer to instruct chil-dren in the skills they need to read and learn. Scientific Learning’s Fast ForWord computer software offers unique possibilities for enabling students to hear the phonemes and sounds of language by slowing them down and digitally enhancing them so that they can be differentiated. Fast ForWord computer software also progressively and gradually changes the degree of exercise difficulty to adapt to each individual student’s incoming skill level and ongoing progress. By using adaptive algorithms, Fast ForWord software maintains a 75-80% success rate; as the student improves the exercises auto-matically become more challenging. The products’ ability to evaluate the student’s progress and automatically increase or decrease the task difficulty provides just the right amount of challenge and reward and, therefore, creates a highly motivating learning opportunity.

The student tracking component of the Fast ForWord products provides clear, action-oriented information on individual, class, or group performance. Automatic analysis, including diagnostic and prescriptive information, is displayed in graphs and tables. Timely and specific intervention guidance provides educators with recommendations to maximize the impact of classroom reading instruc-tion and the effectiveness of the Fast ForWord products. Administrator reports compare progress for students based on demographics such as gender, grade, ethnicity, and other selective socio-economic factors such as At-Risk, Bilingual, Title I, and more. Exercises are aligned to state standards and cor-related to major basal programs.

Field studies have demonstrated that by providing intervention with the Fast ForWord products for at-risk students, the number of students with language, reading, and learning difficulties will dra-matically decrease. In addition, classroom behavior typically improves while related discipline issues decrease.

Scientific Learning is confident that the students who complete Fast ForWord activity will sub-stantially improve their abilities in reading, language, listening, thinking, and communicating. Developing these foundation skills leads to improved ability to gain information in the classroom, with students typically experiencing higher levels of proficiency in many subject areas. Anecdotal evidence has shown that after participating in Fast ForWord activity, students have greater self-esteem and fewer behavior problems, are more engaged in classroom activities, and are more effective in their ability to interact with parents, teachers, and peers. Generally, they develop a stronger motivation to learn and experience greater success in the classroom.


Improvements in Comprehensive Language Skills for Adolescents and AdultsThe Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals, Third Edition (CELF-3) is a comprehensive test that identifies language skill deficits. The CELF-3 measures an individual’s ability to understand words and sentences, follow directions, recall and formulate sentences, and understand relationships between words and categories. These are skills that are critical for reading and writing, as well as for understanding classroom instruction and participating in classroom activities.

One-hundred-eleven individuals, ages 12-20, took the CELF-3 before and after working with Fast ForWord Language. Prior to Fast ForWord activity, the adolescent students performed below the aver-age range on receptive language, expressive language, and total language scores with mean scores of 76, 77, and 76 respectively. After an average of 29 days of Fast ForWord Language participation, these individuals demonstrated an average gain of more than 10 points. At post-testing, they performed within the average range with mean scores of 88 on receptive language, 89 on expressive language and 88 on the total language score.

coMBined celF scores For sTudenTs age 12-20The adolescents who participated in the above study used Fast ForWord Language. Scientific Learning’s Fast ForWord Literacy is based on Fast ForWord Language and is designed for middle and high school learners who want to improve thinking, listening, and reading skills. The interactive exercises of Fast ForWord Literacy reinforce and strengthen basic language and reading skills while challenging students to develop organizational skills and the critical communication skills necessary for better reading. The product’s sports-theme stories and exercises create a compelling framework that keeps adolescent and adult students engaged while developing listening and reading comprehen-sion, working memory, syntax and grammar skills, critical thinking, sustained and focused attention, organizational skills, vocabulary, and morphology.

a neW TiMe For adolescenT liTeracyIn its position statement, the International Reading Association Commission on Adolescent Literacy 1999-2000 states that, “In the United States, most Title I budgets are allocated for early interven-tion — little is left over for the struggling adolescent reader. Even if all children do learn to read by Grade 3, the literacy needs of the adolescent reader are far different from those of primary-grade children.” They also point out that, “Emphasizing the achievement of early readers has not produced adolescents who read and write at high levels of proficiency,” citing statistics that “13% of fall 1989 first-year higher education students in the United States were enrolled in courses devoted specifically to remedial reading,” and the “high school dropout rate, which is related to literacy difficulties, was 11% in 1993.”

The IRA’s emphasis on the reading issues peculiar to adolescents and many educators’ and parents’ concern about students dropping out of school are really the same concern: students need to develop their receptive and expressive language skills in order to be able to participate in their own education and not become so alienated that they drop out. By supplying the language skills that any student needs as a basis for reading, listening, thinking, and participating successfully, the Fast ForWord prod-ucts can help students who are on the line between participation and alienation stay involved and can


help bring back those who have already become disenfranchised. A new awareness of the problems encountered by adolescent students is growing. We now have the opportunity to bring students with reading and behavioral difficulties back into full participation in the classroom. As one 13-year-old student said after participating in Fast ForWord activity and experiencing 3 years improvement in four months, “I don’t have to work so hard to listen to what the teacher is saying. I can listen to what she is teaching.”

reFerencesAscher, Carol, and Schwartz, Wendy. “Keeping Track of At Risk Students.” ERIC Digest Number 35. 1987.

Begley, Sharon. “Mind Expansion: Inside the Teenage Brain.” Newsweek. May 8, 2000.

Hertzog, Jay and Morgan, Lená. “Overview.” Freshman Transition Programs. Connecticut State Department of Education. 1999.

International Reading Association Commission on Adolescent Literacy 1999-2000. “Adolescent Literacy: A Position Statement.” 1999.

McLanahan, Sara, Princeton University; Garfinkel, Irwin, Columbia University. “Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, Oakland, California.” November 1999.

National Center for Education Statistics. 1992 National Adult Literacy Survey.

“National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988.” February, 1994.

“Principal/School Disciplinarian Survey on School Violence.”

“Schools and Staffing Survey.”

“Subsequent Educational Attainment of High School Dropouts,” NCES 98-085. June 1998.

Violence and Discipline Problems in U.S. Public Schools: 1996-97: “Violence Prevention Programs.” March 18, 1998.

Paige, Rod. “Prepared Remarks for Secretary Rod Paige at the High School Leadership Summit.” http://www.ed.gov/news/speeches/2003/10/10082003.html. October 8, 2003.

Taft, Govenor Bob. Press Release: “Governor Announces Additional $1.6 Million in Alternative Education Grants.” June 26, 2000.

Wells, Amy Stuart. “Middle School Education--The Critical Link in Dropout Prevention,” ERIC/CUE Digest No. 56. 1989.

Wheelock, Anne. “Social Promotion and Grade Retention.” Spotlight Issues. The Consortium for Equity in Standards and Testing. 1997.


aaBove average range The range of scores higher than one standard deviation above the mean.

adaPTiviTy With every mouse click, exercises in the Fast ForWord® product exercises adapt (or adjust) to the individual skill level of each student to ensure students are appropriately challenged.

aTTenTion deFiciT disorders (add) A term frequently used to describe the academic and behavioral problems of children who have difficulty focusing and maintaining attention. Also called Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders (ADHD).

aTTenTion The ability to focus on information and tasks and ignore distractions.

audiTory discriMinaTion The ability to detect differences in sounds; may be gross ability, such as detecting the differences between the noises made by a cat and dog, or fine ability, such as detecting the differences made by the sounds of letters “m” and “n.”

audiTory Figure-ground The ability to attend to one sound against a background of sound (e.g., hearing the teacher’s voice against classroom noise).

audiTory MeMory The ability to retain information that has been presented orally; may be short-term memory, such as recalling information presented several seconds before, or long-term memory, such as recalling information presented more than a minute before; or sequential memory, such as recalling a series of information in proper order.

average range The range of scores within one standard devia-tion of the mean.

axon An extension of a neuron cell body that trans-ports information away from the cell body, usually by an electrical impulse

BBeloW average range The range of scores lower than one standard deviation below the mean.

Brain iMaging Techniques Recently developed, noninvasive techniques for studying the activity of living brains. Includes brain electrical activity mapping (BEAM), computerized axial tomography (CAT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Brain PlasTiciTy The ability of the brain to change through expe-rience or learning.

ccenTral audiTory Processing disorder (caPd) A physical impairment inhibiting the ability to distinguish foreground and background noise.

cereBral corTex The outer layer of the brain; controls thinking, feeling, and voluntary movement.

cogniTion The act or process of knowing; the various think-ing skills and processes are considered cognitive skills.

cogniTive aBiliTy Intellectual ability; thinking and reasoning skills.

glossary


coMParison grouP A group that is exposed to all the conditions of a study except for the variable being tested; in Scientific Learning outcomes studies, the variable being tested is the Fast ForWord product.

coMPrehension The ability to derive the message or meaning from text; the reason for reading.

ddecode To use the alphabetic principle (that each letter represents a speech sound) to sound out a word; decoding starts when the reader recovers the phonemes that the letters of a word “stand for” and then blends those phonemes in a recognizable word.

dendriTe A branching extension from the neuron cell body that receives information from other neurons.

discriMinaTion Process of detecting differences between and/or among stimuli.

dyslexia A specific learning disability that is neurological in origin; a language-based disorder character-ized by difficulties with accurate and fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities, usually associated with insufficient phonological processing abilities.

eexPressive language Communication through writing, speaking, and/or gesture.

FFigure-ground discriMinaTion The ability to sort out important information from the surrounding environment. For exam-ple, hearing a teacher’s voice while ignoring other classroom noises (air conditioners, heaters, etc.)

or seeing a word among others on a crowded page.

Fluency The ability to read a text accurately and quickly. Fluent readers can decode and recognize words automatically and understand their meaning at the same time.

FoundaTional cogniTive skills Memory, attention, processing, and sequencing skills targeted by the Fast ForWord products.

Frequency The rate at which something occurs or is repeated. In the context of Fast ForWord products, frequency and intensity refer to the recommended protocol of daily participa-tion and concentrated activity; in the context of Fast ForWord Language v2 and Language v2 Advanced, frequency refers to the starting frequency for each of the Frequency Modulated (FM) sweeps in sequence. The base frequen-cies for the FM sweeps cover the most common frequencies found in speech: 500, 1000, and 2000 Hz.

ggraPheMe The smallest part of written language that rep-resents a phoneme in the spelling of a word. A grapheme may be one letter, such as d, l, and p; or several letters, such as ch, sh, and th.

hheMisPhere Half of the brain, the right or left.

iinTelligence quoTienT (iq) The ratio between a person’s chronological age (measured in years) and mental age (as measured by an intelligence test), multiplied by 100.


inTensiTy In the context of Fast ForWord products, fre-quency and intensity refer to the recommended protocol of daily participation and concentrated activity.

inTer sTiMulus inTerval (isi) sTage Duration of the silence between each FM sweep in a sequence.

llanguage age Language abilities typically associated (via stan-dardized, normed tests) with the demonstrated level of ability at that chronological age.

language coMPrehension The ability to understand communication from others, such as speech, written text, gestures, or sign language.

language skills The ability to comprehend receptive language and use expressive language to communicate. A student who has good spoken language skills will more easily master reading and writing skills.

leTTer-sound corresPondence The principle that each letter represents a unit of sound (a phoneme).

MMean The sum of all scores divided by the number of scores, resulting in an average.

MeMory The ability to store information and ideas, which is essential for word recognition, comprehension of complex sentences, and remembering instruc-tions. Includes both temporary or “working” memory and long-term memory.

MenTal age The age for which a given score on a mental ability test is average or normal. The term is most appropriately used at the early age levels where mental growth is rapid.

MorPhological aWareness The ability to understand and correctly use the base words, small words, letters, and letter com-binations that modify the meaning of a word (e.g., re/view) or its part of speech (e.g., sad/ness).

nn The number of individuals assessed in an out-comes study.

neuron The cellular unit of the central and peripheral nervous systems.

neuroscience Study of the brain and its functions, especially their relation to behavior and learning.

neuroTransMiTTer A chemical released by neurons to relay informa-tion to other cells.

norMs Statistics that provide a frame of reference by which meaning may be given to test scores. Norms are based upon the actual performance of students of various grades or ages in the standardization group for the test. Because they represent average or typical performance, they should not be regarded as standards or univer-sally desirable levels of attainment.

nuMBer oF sequence eleMenTs Number of FM sweeps in a sequence.

ooral language Those verbal communication skills needed to understand (listen) and to use (speak) language.

PP The probability of getting the observed results by chance.

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PhoneMes The smallest units of sound in spoken language that make a difference in the meaning of words. When added together, phonemes create syllables, which allow the creation of words; English contains 44 phonemes and these bear a compli-cated relation to the 26 letters of the alphabet. Sometimes one letter represents one phoneme, but sometimes two letters represent a phoneme or one letter represents two phonemes. For instance, “ox” is made up of three phonemes: /aa/, /k/, and /s/, “she” is made up of two pho-nemes: /sh/ and /e/.

PhoneMic aWareness The ability to hear, but also explicitly identify, and manipulate the sounds of spoken language.

Phonics A method of instruction in reading that is based on the alphabetic principle that there is a pre-dictable relationship between phonemes (sounds in spoken language) and graphemes (letters that represent the sounds) that can be used to decode and read words.

Phonological aWareness The understanding that words are composed of sequences of sounds and the ability to identify and manipulate the sounds of language.

Phonology The scientific study of the speech sounds of a language.

PlasTiciTy The ability of a neural network to be reconfig-ured or rewired; changing connections within a neural network.

Processing Accurately distinguishing speech sounds, identi-fying letter and word forms, and understanding the relationship between the two.

rrecePTive language Language that is spoken or written by others and received by the individual.

sseManTics The expressed meaning of sentences and words.

sequencing Placing the detail of information in its accus-tomed order (for example, days of the week, the alphabet, etc.). In the context of read-ing, sequencing is the ability to determine the order of letters within words or words within sentences.

sighT Words Words a student can recognize on sight without applying phonics or other word-attack skills. These tend to be the high frequency words, many of which do not use phonetic spellings.

siMulTaneous develoPMenT Exercising multiple skills at the same time. Each Fast ForWord exercise focuses on a specific set of reading tasks and simultaneously develops underlying cognitive processes such as memory, attention, processing, and sequencing.

sound Blending The ability to combine smoothly all the sounds or parts of a word into the whole.

sTandard deviaTion (sd) A measure of variation from the mean that shows how closely the scores cluster around that mean.

sTandard error (se) The variation in score that takes into account the group size.

sTandardized TesT A test that compares a child’s performance with the performance of a large group of similar children (usually children of the same age). Also called a norm referenced test. IQ tests and most achievement tests are standardized.

sTandard score A score that has been converted to a standard scale in order to compare it to scores from other tests.

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sTaTisTical signiFicance Statistical term indicating that a result has ninety-five percent certainty of being due to a factor (such as the Fast ForWord products) other than chance.

sTiMulus duraTion The duration of each sweep.

sTreaM The pattern of high and low FM sweeps over the number of sequence elements in a given stimulus.

synaPse The physical structure that makes an electro-chemical connection between two neurons.

synTax The structure of a language, or the rules that specify how grammatical markers and words are combined to make meaningful sentences; the part of speech of a word (for instance, noun or adverb).

TTiMely MoTivaTion The Fast ForWord® exercises provide immedi-ate rewards for correct responses. In addition, patented technologies give students only one opportunity per question to respond correctly, which reduces guessing and encourages students to maintain high levels of attention and effort.

vvisual discriMinaTion The ability to detect similarities and/or differ-ences in materials that are presented visually, e.g., ability to discriminate “h” from “n,” “o” from “c,” “b” from “d,” etc.

visual MeMory The ability to retain a mental picture of informa-tion that is presented visually; may be short-term memory, such as recalling information presented several seconds before; long-term memory, such as recalling information presented more than a minute before; or sequential memory, such as recalling a series of information in proper order.

vocaBulary Includes knowing the meaning of single words that represent objects, groups of objects, actions, relationships, qualities of space and time and knowing how these words function as parts of speech (e.g, nouns, verbs, etc.).

WWord aTTack skills The ability to analyze unfamiliar words visually and phonetically.

Word recogniTion The ability to read or pronounce a word; usually implies that the word is recognized immediately by sight and that the student does not need to apply word analysis skills. Does not imply understanding of the word.

Working MeMory The short-duration, limited-capacity memory system that simultaneously stores and manipu-lates information in order to accomplish a task. Working memory specifically refers to a system that uses internal speech to store and manipu-late information — as a series of letters, a list of words, a set of sentences. An analogous system called the “visual spatial scratchpad” stores visual or graphic information.

WriTTen language Encompasses all facets of written expression, e.g., handwriting, capitalization, punctuation, spell-ing, format, ability to express one’s thoughts in sentences and paragraphs, etc.

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