Reading Programs - Fast ForWord

I only just learned that Fast ForWord existed.

It seems to be computer based. 

Info from their website below.

Early Reading Programs

While reading problems vary for ages 4 to 7, the underlying source of difficulty is almost always phonological awareness, the target of our reading programs.

Protocol
Our early childhood reading programs help reading fundamentals, the cognitive and language skills required for reading fluency.

Elementary Age Reading Programs

Target: Fluency, the ability to read at natural language speed with prosody (natural speech emphasis). Fluency is important because it requires automatic, subconscious decoding, the foundational skill for reading comprehension.

Protocol

Elementary age children need at least 2-3 months on Fast ForWord Language v2 and Language to Reading v2, before graduating to our reading skills programs, which cover spelling, vocabulary, decoding, and reading comprehension.

Our elementary age reading programs have a computer-game feel — levels, points, prizes — and a self-paced design that together add up to an engaged student experience.

Middle School Reading Programs

Target: Comprehension (Literal). Reading difficulties often show up in later grades as the content gets progressively more challenging. This can be due to a lack of automaticity in decoding, but can also reflect weak vocabulary or delays in essential reading comprehension skills.

Protocol

Our middle school reading programs take students back to basics, building reading fluency and listening comprehension skills using Fast ForWord Literacy and Literacy Advanced. We then move students to the reading series — typically Reading Level 2, 3 and 4 — to build vocabulary, spelling and other reading comprehension skills.

High School Reading Programs

Target: Comprehension With Metacognition. If a student is a struggling reader at high school, it is generally up the parent to intervene — by this age, most schools assume students are proficient decoders, with the focus being on metacognition, self-regulated learning.

Protocol
Our reading programs for high school students start with fluency, vocabulary, spelling and comprehension and then train students to think actively while reading, the ultimate reading skill.

Teenagers start with Fast ForWord Literacy and Literacy Advanced. Most high school students complete at least two programs in our reading series, typically Reading Level 3 and Reading Level 5, which work on reading accuracy, making inferences from paragraphs, and metacognition skills as required for SAT, ACT and college level reading.

Logistics and Compliance
Our reading programs can be helpful before sitting ACT or SAT, although they do require consistent effort and attendance, a challenge for some high schoolers. Older students see results quickly, in 2-3 months in most cases.