The Reading and Spelling Mastery Program

The reading program we offer recognizes that some students do not bring sufficient cognitive skills to the task of learning the reading code quickly and efficiently. Even if the code is taught completely and sequentially, a student who has a severe auditory processing deficiency, is not concentrating adequately, works too slowly, has poor memory skills, or cannot create good mental images will complete lessons very slowly or exhibit poor retention. When these skills are in place, however, students learn rapidly. The reading program we offer has been designed to remedy these significant problem areas.

Embedded within the program are procedures that evaluate, pinpoint, and develop to advanced levels the underlying mental skills required to assure fast and efficient learning-to-read skills.
Some of these skills include:
Memory: the ability to remember the sound-symbol relationship
Segmenting: the ability to separate or unglue sounds
Blending: the ability to put together sounds to form words
Auditory Analysis: the ability to manipulate or analyze small changes in groups of sounds
Processing Speed and Working Memory: the ability to retain incoming information and properly process it quickly
Attention: the ability to stay on the given task
Visualization: the ability to create and use mental images

This reading and spelling program is properly sequenced:
To handle the complex logic of our alphabet code, a child must have mastered each level of complexity in carefully sequenced steps.

The program begins with blending, segmenting, and sound analysis. To teach these skills, nonsense words are used so students do not rely on their memory of known words. Practice is provided in segmenting words into isolated phonemes and also blending isolated sounds into words. Encoding (spelling), decoding (reading), and writing exercises are used so that the reversibility of the code is made clear.

Some students struggle to correctly pronounce and differentiate between all of the sounds of the English language. These individuals get more direct instruction at a sensory level about how parts of the mouth (jaw, teeth, tongue, lips, vocal chords) interact to form the individual sounds.

Initially, the twelve consonant sounds with only one main spelling - or one spelling by position in a word - are taught (d = /d/ as in 'dog' or 'fed'). Then, the remaining twelve consonants and their most likely spelling are taught (ch = /ch/ as in 'chip' or 'much'). The 18 vowel sounds are also taught from simple to complex. First, sounds spelled with the five vowel letters are taught /a/ /e/ /i/ /u/ /o/. Then, the e-controlled sounds /a-e/ /ee/ /i-e/ /o-e/ /u-e/, followed by the 'o' vowels sounds: /oo/ /oo/ /ou/ /oi/. Finally, the vowel + r sounds are taught (/er/ /or/ /ar/ /air/).
After the student has learned the most probable spelling for each sound, the less probable, alternative spellings are introduced. For example, the /n/ sound can be represented by an n ('note'), kn ('knot') or gn ('gnat'). These alternative spellings are taught from most likely to least likely. Through use and drill, the letter patterns and the probability of their appearance are stored in long-term memory. This enables an individual to choose the most likely spelling for a word instead of randomly guessing.

Overlaps of the code, in which a letter or letter combinations represent more than one sound, are also taught. For example, the letter u can be involved in a number of different sounds: cut, full, cute, and ruin. Such overlaps often create problems when reading. Various exercises are utilized to quickly teach how letters overlap to various sounds as new vowel spellings are introduced. This method of handling alternative spellings and code overlap without memorizing rules reduces "sight words" that are taught in many classrooms by about 75%.

This Reading Mastery Program uses a unique methodology. The program we offer embeds the English reading code to an automatic level instead of passively teaching lessons that are easily forgotten in a short period of time. It is especially beneficial for older readers who have developed many bad reading habits and will fall back into old ineffective reading patterns if the skills are not taught appropriately and brought to an automatic level.

The Achievement & Learning Centre uses the following training techniques to get its tremendous results:

1. Immediate feedback: One-on-one training allows for immediate correction of errors and encouragement of correct responses
2. Concentration: the training drills require full attention, which brings faster results because of less time off task.
3. Sequencing: An introduction of tasks and information from simple to complex in small enough steps so that new material can be mastered quickly and easily.
4. Stretching: Constantly pushing activities to more demanding levels that challenge or stretch the student skills to improve.
5. Loading: Adding a task upon a task concurrently thus forcing automation and mastery of skills to a subconscious level.
   

Using these techniques and making the sequence of the reading and spelling instruction in agreement with the logic of our alphabetic system results in the most rapid mastery and automation of reading and spelling skills.

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