Fast ForWord Implementation Planning Success Guide. For educators and providers using the Fast ForWord programs

Fast ForWord Implementation Planning Success Guide For educators and providers using the Fast ForWord programs January 2018

Copyright 1996 through 2018 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 and SciLEARN are registered trademarks of Scientific Learning Corporation, registered in the U.S. and certain other countries. MySciLEARN and Reading Assistant are trademarks of Scientific Learning Corporation. Third-party trademarks Other brands and their products are trademarks of their respective holders. Trademark symbols are used only in the first occurrence of a trademarked name. Contact us Scientific Learning Corporation 1956 Webster Street, Suite 200 Oakland, CA 94612 888-665-9707 510-444-3580 (fax) www.scientificlearning.com Customer Support 888-358-0212 (US & Canada) 520-917-1200 (International) www.scilearn.com/contact

Contents Contents Contents 3 Implementation planning 5 About English language arts skills 6 Create your implementation plan 7 Set goals 7 Measure success 7 Select students 8 Plan for technology 8 Assign staff roles 8 Protocols and fidelity of implementation 10 Protocols and fidelity 10 What is fidelity of implementation? 10 Best practices for implementation 10 Protocols 11 Three ingredients for Fast ForWord program success: CAPs 12 Three metrics for success in the Reading Assistant program 12 Prepare students for the Fast ForWord program 13 Explain the purpose 13 Set the ground rules 13 Explain your role 14 Demonstrate the exercises 14 Introducing Reading Progress Indicator (RPI) to your students 15 Set up your motivational program 16 Reading Assistant Plus: What you need to know 17 Features available with Reading Assistant Plus 18 Suggested enrollment path for new and current Reading Assistant users 19 Prepare students for the Reading Assistant Plus program 21 Explain the purpose 21 Set the ground rules 21 Explain your role 22 3

Contents Demonstrate the Reading Assistant Plus program 22 Microphone and headsets 24 Introducing Reading Progress Indicator (RPI) to your students 25 Set up your motivational program 26 Prepare students for the Reading Assistant program 27 Explain the purpose 27 Set the ground rules 27 Explain your role 28 Demonstrate the Reading Assistant program 28 Microphone and headsets 29 Introducing Reading Progress Indicator (RPI) to your students 30 Set up your motivational program 31 Appendix 32 Motivational Graphics with Growth Mindset 34 Planning Guide Worksheet 47 Reading Readiness Demo Day Tips 50 Language v2 Demo Day Tips 53 Literacy Demo Day Tips 56 Reading Assistant Plus Student Checklist 59 Reading Assistant Student Checklist 60 How to Keep Your Students Motivated 61 4

Implementation planning Implementation planning When preparing to use the Fast ForWord solution, the best way to ensure success is to create and follow an implementation plan. By setting goals, determining how you will assess progress, and planning for technology and staffing at the outset, you will be in a good position to launch the program with your students and evaluate their progress. A successful implementation includes the three steps for fast change: Prepare the brain Our program builds the brain's superhighways shown to be deficient in struggling readers. In just 8 weeks, struggling readers' brains are re-wired to read more efficiently. Practice language and reading skills intensively Students make fast reading improvement because they receive five times more practice than other reading interventions on a wide variety of academic language and reading skills. Practice reading aloud, with support Like a guided reading coach for every student, our software uses speech verification technology to "listen" to your students as they read aloud, correcting and supporting them at every teachable moment To help prepare your students for the three steps for fast change, use the Motivational Graphics with Growth Mindset located in the Appendix to affect positive change in your students! You may also want to download the Fast ForWord Elementary and Secondary Presentations from the MySciLEARN Toolbox located under Getting started. 5

About English language arts skills About English language arts skills This topic details the skills addressed in the Scientific Learning programs. The Fast ForWord program is a language and literacy intervention that uses the principles of neuroplasticity the ability of the brain to rewire and improve to target the root causes of slow academic progress in students with disabilities, struggling readers, and English language learners. The program accomplishes this by improving MAPS - Memory, Attention, Processing, and Sequencing skills and incorporating the concept of FAST into each Fast ForWord exercise: Frequency and Intensity, Adaptability, Simultaneous Development, and Timely Motivation. The Reading Assistant program is the only online reading tool that uses speech recognition to correct and support students as they read aloud, helping them build fluency and comprehension with the help of a supportive listener. No other program or e-book provides comparable real-time guidance and feedback. English language arts skills addressed Cognitive skills Speaking/listening Language Reading Memory (working and short term) Listening accuracy Academic vocabulary (fiction/non-fiction) Phonemic awareness/phonics Attention (sustained and focused) Multi-step directions Complex grammar/proper tense usage Reading comprehension Processing and sequencing (sounds, letters, words, sentences) Oral reading of texts of various complexity Morphology: Latin prefixes/suffixes Oral fluency, with accuracy and prosody, phasing Reasoning, critical thinking, and problem solving Listening comprehension after text is read aloud English language conventions (oral and written) and figurative language Understanding features of print (capitals, periods, etc.) and irregularly spelled words 6

Create your implementation plan Create your implementation plan When preparing to use the Fast ForWord solution, the best way to ensure success is to create and follow an implementation plan. By setting goals, determining how you will assess progress, and planning for technology and staffing at the outset, you will be in a good position to launch the program with your students and evaluate their progress. Set goals Start with your goals in mind as this will impact other decisions you make. Your goals will relate to students who will be using the products, the schools, and the schedules that will be involved. For example, if your goal is to target language improvement in English Language Learners, this will impact the students that you select. If you want a large number of students to use the software, that may be something to look at for the whole school or district schedule. Goals should address these basic areas: Advancing student reading achievement Improving behavior, self-esteem, and classroom participation Scheduled during a specific period of the day Impacting as many students as possible Generating high levels of involvement and support among staff, students, and parents Once goals have been identified, you will need a way to communicate them to all involved in the implementation so they know what students are working toward. Measure success How will you know when you have met your goal? Assessing student achievement and measuring gains are vital and a plan for monitoring ongoing progress should be in place from the beginning. How will you ensure schools and students are on track? Fast ForWord Implementation Success report shows how well students are doing in terms of completing the exercises, attendance, and participation, and alerts you to actions needed. Reading Assistant Implementation Success report shows the reading level high score, percentage of readings at the developing level or higher, number of minutes students are reading on average, and number of selections completed per week on average. Gains report shows the reading level gains after students have taken an RPI post assessment. You may use other assessments based on the particular goals you have for your students and the skills you would like them to improve, such as participation in class, conversation, attention, and self-esteem. 7

Create your implementation plan Select students Start with your goals in mind as this will impact other decisions you make. Which students will benefit most from the products? What results do you hope to see? Which schools have the most students that need to use our solution? Select students who are: Most in need of reading intervention. Scoring far below basic or below basic on assessments. Not making adequate yearly progress. English Language Learners (ELLs) making limited to no gains on yearly language assessment. Needing improvement or practice in oral fluency and reading comprehension. Ready for accelerated acquisition of cognitive, language, and reading skills. Once you have selected your students, see the following three topics in MySciLEARN Help for information on enrolling students and creating groups for them. Add, edit, and delete students Import new students from a file Manage student groups Plan for technology Equipment must include, but not be limited to: Computers that meet our system requirements for MySciLEARN, located in MySciLEARN Help. Fast ForWord program - high quality stereo headphones of appropriate size that completely cover the ears and include volume control. Reading Assistant program - requires headsets with an attached microphone to record a student's oral reading. Please see our list of recommended headsets in MySciLEARN Help for more information. Stereo Y-adapters for the students' and coaches' headsets. The Y-adapter allows the instructor to listen to the exercise as a student works. Sturdy, clutter-free desks. Comfortable, straight-backed, non-swiveling chairs. Assign staff roles Everyone involved in the implementation will impact its success. There are three primary staff roles within MySciLEARN: The district manager usually has ultimate responsibility for the success of the program. This individual considers goals, staffing and scheduling for all schools and students. The school manager, who may be the building administrator, oversees the implementation at the individual school. This person is involved in scheduling, and monitoring student gains. 8

Create your implementation plan The instructor is the individual who works directly with the students on a daily basis. The instructor closely monitors students to ensure they are on track. Instructors provide assistance and motivation when needed. Multiple people may play the roles, and the specific job titles of the individuals in the roles may vary. However, an implementation works best if the roles are well defined and clear to all involved. Once you have determined what staff members will be a part of the implementation, see the following topic in MySciLEARN Help for information on enrolling staff members. Add, edit, and delete staff 9

Protocols and fidelity of implementation Protocols and fidelity of implementation After considering the students you will work with, the goals you have developed for their growth, and how you will measure their success, you'll want to consider how to best schedule the program during the school day. Protocols and fidelity Schools and districts that implement our solution are able to choose from a variety of usage protocols which indicate the number of days per week each student should use the program, and the number of minutes per day required. The validity of these protocols is underpinned by considerable research by Scientific Learning Corporation, based on usage of the program by thousands of users. Selecting the most appropriate protocol for a student or group of students must first and foremost take the student s learning needs into consideration. However, other factors have to be considered as well, including staffing, class scheduling patterns, availability of technology, and the duration of time available for use of the programs. Choosing the most appropriate protocol to address these considerations, and then implementing the chosen protocol with fidelity, will result in the most positive benefit possible for the students. What is fidelity of implementation? As it relates to the K-12 educational process, fidelity of implementation is the delivery of an instructional program in the way in which it was designed to be used. Fidelity is more than just "adherence to the rules." Implementing our solution with fidelity is usually the result of a dynamic change process where all stake holders (teachers, administrators, parents and students) share a vision of what can be achieved, and are committed to experiencing that vision. Best practices for implementation To achieve the greatest gains, establish clear strategies based on the learning needs of the target population(s) prior to first starting the implementation. Examples of the issues that need to be considered up front include: The days of the school week, and the time of the school day least likely to be impacted by disruptions. How can students make up a day if they miss the activities? The physical environment(s) students will work in (for instance, computer labs, classroom) and their availability. How the implementation will be supervised and the staffing necessary to provide adequate support for students. 10

Protocols and fidelity of implementation Protocols Through this planning process, choose from the following protocols, 150 minutes per week is the minimum recommended protocol: Days per week Minutes per day Estimated duration Fast ForWord 5 days 90 minutes 4-7 weeks Fast ForWord 5 days 50 minutes 6-10 weeks Fast ForWord 5 days 40 minutes 9-13 weeks Fast ForWord 5 days 30 minutes 12-16 weeks Fast ForWord 3 days 90 minutes 7-12 weeks Fast ForWord 3 days 50 minutes 12-16 weeks Fast ForWord 3 days 40 minutes 15-22 weeks Fast ForWord 3 days 30 minutes 20-27 weeks Reading Assistant Plus 3 days Default 40 minutes (can also select 20 or 30 minutes) ongoing Reading Assistant 3 days K-3, 20 minutes ongoing Reading Assistant 3 days 4-5, 30 minutes ongoing Reading Assistant 3 days 6-12+, 40 minutes ongoing Fast ForWord 3 days, Reading Assistant 2 days varies varies When to use the 3-day protocol Using the 3-day protocol will increase the number of days a student will be on a product since they still have the same amount of content to cover in less time per week. So if you have a specific date of completion you want to reach, be sure that you select a protocol that will help you achieve that goal. For students receiving special education services, we encourage the use of a 5-day protocol (30, 40, 50 or 90 minutes) or the 3-day/50 minute protocol. If scheduling conflicts prohibit the use of these protocols, the 3-day/30-minute protocol can be utilized. However, please note that this protocol will require longer to build the neurological rewiring required for students to demonstrate the desired academic gains in language and reading and effectively engage in regular classroom instruction. 11

Protocols and fidelity of implementation Three ingredients for Fast ForWord program success: CAPs Once the implementation begins, there are three key ingredients needed for maximum student gains in the Fast ForWord program: Completion, Attendance, and Participation. When schools follow our recommended best practices, students can demonstrate significant reading gains. Schools need to pay close attention to CAPs on the MySciLEARN reports and intervene where appropriate (see Interventions in the MySciLEARN Toolbox). Implementing with fidelity means achieving high scores on each of the components: Completion Measures the pace at which a student progresses through the content, relative to that student s individualized Completion Goal. Students should make consistent progress, meeting (or exceeding) their weekly Completion Goals. A completion rate of 65% or higher is On Target. Attendance Measures how many days per week a student is using the products. Students should faithfully adhere to either the 5-day or 3-day weekly protocol. Strive to reach an attendance rate of 80% or higher for the 5-day weekly protocol and 90% or higher for the 3-day weekly protocol. These percentages are considered On Target. Participation Measures the percentage of the scheduled minutes per day a student is using the software. This indicates the student s time on task. Students should participate for the entire length of the Fast ForWord program session and a participation rate of 95% or better is On Target. Three metrics for success in the Reading Assistant program Likewise, implementing the Reading Assistant program with fidelity means that your students are progressing as follows: Achieving a reading level high score from one reading selection to the next. Reading at least 60% of the selections at the developing level or better. Fulfilling the assigned minutes per week. 12

Prepare students for the Fast ForWord program Prepare students for the Fast ForWord program Coaches fire up students and prepare them to work hard on the Fast ForWord program. Some of your students may have a knack for figuring out the exercises and meeting the goals of your motivation system. But as the coach, your goal is to give all your students the introduction to the software they need so they will be successful. Here you will learn some tips to prepare your students. Setting your students up for maximum success involves the following steps. Explain the purpose Set the ground rules Explain your role Demonstrate the exercises Set up your motivational program Explain the purpose It is important that students understand what they will be doing and how it will help them to become better learners. In an age-appropriate manner, students should understand that: The exercises they will be doing are based on many years of brain research that have helped us understand how people learn. They should concentrate and do their best to move through the exercises each session (adhere to the protocol). If they work hard and keep practicing, the exercises will help them become better listeners and readers. To help guide your explanations, use the following documents and videos, which are located in the MySciLEARN Toolbox > Getting Started > Prepare students for Fast ForWord: Elementary Student Presentation Secondary Student Presentation Fast ForWord Student Motivational video Set the ground rules Students will need to work quietly, with computer equipment, and they will need to achieve high completion, attendance and participation scores. You will want to set rules that will help them be successful, for example: Come to class every day, on time, and ready to work. Try to work through as much of the exercise as you can each day. Do not disturb your neighbor. Raise your hand if you need help or have a question. At the end of the session, log out and store your headset. 13

Prepare students for the Fast ForWord program Explain your role Let students know that you and other staff /coaches are there to support them as they work on the software by: Answering questions about how to do the exercises. Working together and offer tips when they re having trouble with an exercise. Reviewing student scores and helping them to do better. Tracking student rewards. Monitoring student success and reporting to other school staff and parents. Demonstrate the exercises Use the following Demo Day Tips documents available in the Appendixto introduce your students to the exercises: Reading Readiness Demo Day Tips (typically kindergarten and first grade) Language v2 Demo Day Tips (elementary students) Literacy Demo Day Tips (secondary students) Most students will start in one of the three products above. If you have students assigned to Reading Level 1-5, please see the demo day tips under Fast ForWord exercise resourcesunder Docs > Fast ForWord exercise resources. When demonstrating, use a projector or smart board for whole class instruction. Make the session as participatory as possible. Interactive demonstrations for every exercise take time but are well worth the investment. The best way to know if students understand the different exercises is to let them start trying. To accomplish this you will be using the exercise demos. Monitor their practice and rely on your powers of observation. Look to see that students are making consistently correct responses. Are they clicking erratically? Ask that students take their time and stress accuracy. Students who start off well tend to experience fewer difficulties and frustrations later on. Once students are familiar with the demos, they may begin and will be taken through a narration for each exercise. 14

Prepare students for the Fast ForWord program Introducing Reading Progress Indicator (RPI) to your students Before your students begin, they will take an assessment called Reading Progress Indicator (RPI). RPI is a reliable and validated measure designed to show how students are responding to Fast ForWord program use. Questions in the areas of phonological awareness, decoding, vocabulary, and comprehension are used to provide an overall reading score. The RPI assessments correlate to nationally recognized normed assessments, are reliable and validated, and provide overall reading scores that can help indicate how students are responding to Fast ForWord product use. For more information on Reading Progress Indicator and how the scores are calculated and used, see the Reading Progress Indicator FAQ in MySciLEARN Help. RPI provides four assessment levels based on the grade entered for the student: K-1, 2-3, 4-6, and 7-13+ (pre-k students are not eligible for RPI). RPI tests are not timed. The student may complete an assessment across work sessions and days, but should complete it in a timely manner. As a brief, group administered assessment, RPI, can only provide a snapshot of student performance: educational decisions should be based on multiple sources of information. Results for groups are more reliable than results for individual students. The initial RPI score, along with the students' enrolled grade and ELL and/or Special Education status are used to place your students automatically into the Fast ForWord program. For more information about RPI, please see the MySciLEARN Help topic on RPI. Sample RPI student introduction Students should understand the importance of the assessment. Below is a sample introduction to read to your students before their initial RPI assessment, and when they encounter follow up assessments. This is an assessment like any other except that you will not receive a grade. Please relax as you take it and try your very best. For the questions that are spoken, you may listen a second time. Even if you are sure of your answer, click the speaker button and listen to the question again. Some of the questions will be about made up words. Listen closely and read everything carefully so you can pick the best answer. When you reach the section of the test that has stories for you to read, FIRST read each question and all the possible answers. NEXT, read the COMPLETE story. You need to read the story ALL THE WAY THROUGH because sometimes you may think you have found the answer when really the correct answer may be found in a later sentence, and your first impression may be incorrect. After you have read the story, then go back and re-read the question and answer it as best you can. TAKE YOUR TIME! There is NO time limit on the this test. I would rather have you focus, do your best, and take a little longer to finish instead of rushing through the test and getting a low score. FOCUS on the test so you receive the best possible score. Do not allow outside distractions to interrupt you. Keep your headphones on the entire time, even when you are not being read a question. Take a deep breath and relax. Put on your headphones and prepare yourself by making sure they are turned up so you can hear. If you need help, raise your hand and I will assist you. 15

Prepare students for the Fast ForWord program Set up your motivational program Fast ForWord products employ fun animations and a points system to enhance motivation. Coaches are encouraged to supplement these built-in mechanisms with intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. Most important is that students see the value for themselves and have a stake in their own learning. Explaining the purpose and sharing success stories goes a long way in keeping students motivated to improve their learning and reading. Please see How to Keep Your Students Motivated in the Appendix for more ideas. 16

Reading Assistant Plus: What you need to know Reading Assistant Plus: What you need to know Reading Assistant Plus is the new, enhanced version of our digital guided reading tool (Reading Assistant). In addition to the features available with the first generation of Reading Assistant, Reading Assistant Plus also includes new student and teacher resources to deliver an even greater comprehensive guided reading experience. Please review the following information to gain an understanding of the new features in the Reading Assistant Plus program and when to enroll students in the new version. 17

Reading Assistant Plus: What you need to know Features available with Reading Assistant Plus Feature Patented speech verification technology that provides real-time corrective feedback Reading Assistant (First generation) Reading Assistant Plus (Next generation) Automatic calculation of words correct per minute (WCPM) Comprehension and vocabulary reports Word Wall academic vocabulary preteaching activity Reading selections assigned by genre and/or difficulty level New content and genres Infinite scroll e-book layout ipad compatibility Coming soon Auto assignment Coming soon 18

Reading Assistant Plus: What you need to know Suggested enrollment path for new and current Reading Assistant users Q: My school is starting students on Reading Assistant for the first time, what should I do? A: All students should be assigned to Reading Assistant Plus. Q: My school currently has students on Reading Assistant, what should I do? A: Active students can keep using Reading Assistant. Assign Reading Assistant Plus once the current content pack is completed or when the new semester begins. Students new to the program should be assigned to Reading Assistant Plus. Q: I already have students using the first generation of Reading Assistant. When is the best time for moving them over to Reading Assistant Plus? A: We suggest keeping students currently using Reading Assistant on the first generation version of the application until they complete their current content pack or the end of the current semester. Q: How do I prepare students for the transition from Reading Assistant to Reading Assistant Plus? A: The following three sections will walk you through: Saving the student data for Reading Assistant before deleting the Reading Assistant assignments. Downloading student audio recordings. Deleting the Reading Assistant assignments. Print/save reports Individual student reports may be saved as a PDF. See Print Reports in MySciLEARN Help for details. Group level Reading Assistant data may be exported to Excel. See Export Reports (Excel) in MySciLEARN Help for details. Download audio Create a folder on your computer to save your students audio recordings. Next, go to Student Performance Details (Reading Assistant) in MySciLEARN Help to learn how to access the Student Performance Details. 19

Reading Assistant Plus: What you need to know After opening the Student Performance Details, Reviewing Performance Details in MySciLEARN Help explains how to open one or more reading selections to download the audio files to your computer (see the paragraph Download Audio for details). Do not save audio recordings to the portfolio as this will be deleted in the next step. Delete Reading Assistant assignment Once you have saved the data for your students, you will need to remove the Reading Assistant assignment before enrolling the students in Reading Assistant Plus. See Delete a Reading Assistant assignment in MySciLEARN Help for details. Q. How do I enroll students in Reading Assistant Plus and place them in the reading content? A: Create Reading Assistant Plus assignments in MySciLEARN Help will walk you through: Enrolling students in Reading Assistant Plus Adjusting the schedule, content progression, instruction language, glossary language, and advanced settings Creating and assigning a library to individual students or creating a library for a whole group Q: Does Reading Assistant Plus work on ipad? A: Reading Assistant Plus is not currently compatible with ipad. ipad compatibility is coming soon. Q: What new genres are available on Reading Assistant Plus? A: New genres will include classic fiction, fantasy, science fiction, fairy tales, and more high interest topics for low reading level students in upper grades. Q: How long is the first generation of Reading Assistant available? A: The first generation of Reading Assistant will be phased out sometime after the 2017-18 school year. 20

Prepare students for the Reading Assistant Plus program Prepare students for the Reading Assistant Plus program Tip: Reading Assistant Plus is the next generation of the Reading Assistant program, released on 9/21/17. Please see the previous section in this guide "Reading Assistant Plus: what you need to know" for information on when to assign your students to this new program. Coaches fire up students and prepare them to try their best on each Reading Assistant Plus selection. Some of your students may have a knack for meeting the goals of your motivation system. But as the coach, your goal is to give all your students the introduction to the software they need so they will be successful. Here you will learn some tips to prepare your students. Setting your students up for maximum success involves the following steps. Explain the purpose Set the ground rules Explain your role Demonstrate the Reading Assistant Plus steps Set up your motivational program Explain the purpose It is important that students understand what they will be doing and how it will help them to become better learners. In age-appropriate language, students should understand that: The Reading Assistant Plus program will help them read better! They will be practicing fluency, which means they will practice reading more quickly and easily. They will learn new vocabulary and improve their comprehension. It will be fun! Set the ground rules You will want to set rules that will help students be successful. Students will need to work independently and take care of the headsets. Set rules that work for your setting, for example: Come to class every day, on time, and be ready to work. Focus and concentrate while you are using the Reading Assistant Plus program. Do not disturb your neighbor. Raise your hand if you need help or have a question. At the end of the session, log out and store your headset. 21

Prepare students for the Reading Assistant Plus program Explain your role Let students know that you and other staff /coaches are there to support them as they work on the software by: Answering questions. Working together and offering tips when they re having trouble with a reading selection. Reviewing their scores and helping them to do better. Monitoring their success and reporting it to their teachers and principal. Demonstrate the Reading Assistant Plus program We recommend using your first session with students to demonstrate how the program works. Follow these tips: Consider using a projector or smart board for whole class instruction. Make the session as participatory as possible. Show the Reading Assistant Plus Demo Video available in MySciLEARN on the Manage tab under Exercise Demos (please make sure to use the Reading Assistant Plus Demo Video which explains the new Word Wall feature). After showing the demo, your students will be ready to begin. You may want the students to fill out the Reading Assistant Plus Student Checklist in the Appendix for the first week and as needed throughout the implementation. The checklist guides the students through the Word Wall activity and three steps below. Word Wall activity Before students start the three main steps below, the Word Wall activity in Reading Assistant Plus lets students explore important words from a selection prior to reading that selection. This vocabulary preview helps English learners build comprehension while learning the pronunciation of some important English words from the upcoming activities. Step 1: Preview and Read On My Own Students will be more successful if they know what makes a good reader. The Read to Me option allows students to listen to a modeled reading of the selection. Students may also click an underlined word to access the glossary and read a definition of the word. After finishing the Read to Me example, students will need to click on and answer all the Think About It questions before moving to Step 2. Step 2: Read On My Own In Step 2, students will read the selection at least twice. After the first reading is complete, students may review their words to practice (red and blue words) and listen to their own recording. If they did well with their fluency after the second reading, they will move on to Step 3. Otherwise, a third reading is required before moving to Step 3. Step 3: Take the Quiz! Encourage going back to the text to answer questions. The quiz is not timed and students can take their time reviewing the text to help answer the questions. Tip: While time spent on recording is important (and fun!), without direction, students can sometimes overlook the importance of being detectives during Step 1. They should spend time learning new words and studying how the selection should sound by listening to the modeled 22

Prepare students for the Reading Assistant Plus program reader. They also should be thinking about good strategies to be successful at completing the quiz. If they work hard and keep practicing, the Reading Assistant Plus program will help them improve their reading. They might look forward to being called on to read aloud in class! 23

Prepare students for the Reading Assistant Plus program Microphone and headsets The microphone and its positioning are critically important. During your introduction, model strategies for the whole class for connecting the headsets, and getting the microphone in the correct position. The microphone should be placed at the corner of the mouth, two finger widths from the mouth. Note: Reading Assistant Plus program - requires headsets with an attached microphone to record a student's oral reading. Please see our list of recommended headsets in MySciLEARN Help for more information. 24

Prepare students for the Reading Assistant Plus program Introducing Reading Progress Indicator (RPI) to your students Before your students begin, they will take an assessment called Reading Progress Indicator (RPI). RPI is a reliable and validated measure designed to show how students are responding to Fast ForWord program use. Questions in the areas of phonological awareness, decoding, vocabulary, and comprehension are used to provide an overall reading score. The RPI assessments correlate to nationally recognized normed assessments, are reliable and validated, and provide overall reading scores that can help indicate how students are responding to Fast ForWord product use. For more information on Reading Progress Indicator and how the scores are calculated and used, see the Reading Progress Indicator FAQ in MySciLEARN Help. RPI provides four assessment levels based on the grade entered for the student: K-1, 2-3, 4-6, and 7-13+ (pre-k students are not eligible for RPI). RPI tests are not timed. The student may complete an assessment across work sessions and days, but should complete it in a timely manner. As a brief, group administered assessment, RPI, can only provide a snapshot of student performance: educational decisions should be based on multiple sources of information. Results for groups are more reliable than results for individual students. For more information about RPI, please see the MySciLEARN Help topic on RPI. Sample RPI student introduction Students should understand the importance of the assessment. Below is a sample introduction to read to your students before their initial RPI assessment, and when they encounter follow up assessments. This is an assessment like any other except that you will not receive a grade. Please relax as you take it and try your very best. For the questions that are spoken, you may listen a second time. Even if you are sure of your answer, click the speaker button and listen to the question again. Some of the questions will be about made up words. Listen closely and read everything carefully so you can pick the best answer. When you reach the section of the test that has stories for you to read, FIRST read each question and all the possible answers. NEXT, read the COMPLETE story. You need to read the story ALL THE WAY THROUGH because sometimes you may think you have found the answer when really the correct answer may be found in a later sentence, and your first impression may be incorrect. After you have read the story, then go back and re-read the question and answer it as best you can. TAKE YOUR TIME! There is NO time limit on the this test. I would rather have you focus, do your best, and take a little longer to finish instead of rushing through the test and getting a low score. FOCUS on the test so you receive the best possible score. Do not allow outside distractions to interrupt you. Keep your headphones on the entire time, even when you are not being read a question. Take a deep breath and relax. Put on your headphones and prepare yourself by making sure they are turned up so you can hear. If you need help, raise your hand and I will assist you. 25

Prepare students for the Reading Assistant Plus program Set up your motivational program The Reading Assistant Plus program provides a points system and clear feedback to students to enhance motivation. The emphasis should be on accuracy and completing reading selections. Coaches are encouraged to supplement these built-in mechanisms with intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. Most important is that students see the value for themselves and have a stake in their own learning. When a student completes an activity or selection he or she will earn the following kinds of achievement markers. These markers appear throughout the student reports in the Reading Assistant program, and in the Selection Progress and Performance Details reports in MySciLEARN. Check mark The student is still developing competency with the material Silver star The student has shown competency with the material Gold star The student is accomplished with the material Student achievement markers serve as a reward for hard work and help motivate students to keep working on the product. Keeping your students motivated is an important aspect of a successful implementation. Having students track their own achievement is a simple and fun way to achieve this goal. Also, getting creative with charts and rewards throughout the classroom is another great way to celebrate student achievement. 26

Prepare students for the Reading Assistant program Prepare students for the Reading Assistant program Tip: The first generation of the Reading Assistant program will continue through the summer of 2018. Please review the previous section in this guide "Reading Assistant Plus: what you need to know" to gain an understanding of the new features in the Reading Assistant Plus program and when to move students to the new version. Coaches fire up students and prepare them to try their best on each Reading Assistant selection. Some of your students may have a knack for meeting the goals of your motivation system. But as the coach, your goal is to give all your students the introduction to the software they need so they will be successful. Here you will learn some tips to prepare your students. Setting your students up for maximum success involves the following steps. Explain the purpose Set the ground rules Explain your role Demonstrate the Reading Assistant steps Set up your motivational program Explain the purpose It is important that students understand what they will be doing and how it will help them to become better learners. In age-appropriate language, students should understand that: The Reading Assistant program will help them read better! They will be practicing fluency, which means they will practice reading more quickly and easily. They will learn new vocabulary and improve their comprehension. It will be fun! Set the ground rules You will want to set rules that will help students be successful. Students will need to work independently and take care of the headsets. Set rules that work for your setting, for example: Come to class every day, on time, and be ready to work. Focus and concentrate while you are using the Reading Assistant program. Do not disturb your neighbor. Raise your hand if you need help or have a question. At the end of the session, log out and store your headset. 27

Prepare students for the Reading Assistant program Explain your role Let students know that you and other staff /coaches are there to support them as they work on the software by: Answering questions. Working together and offering tips when they re having trouble with a reading selection. Reviewing their scores and helping them to do better. Monitoring their success and reporting it to their teachers and principal. Demonstrate the Reading Assistant program We recommend using your first session with students to demonstrate how the program works. Follow these tips: Consider using a projector or smart board for whole class instruction. Make the session as participatory as possible. Show the Reading Assistant Demo Video (4 minutes) available in MySciLEARN on the Manage tab under Exercise Demos. After showing the demo, your students will be ready to begin. You may want the students to fill out the Reading Assistant Student Checklist in the Appendix for the first week and as needed throughout the implementation. The checklist guides the students through the following three steps that were outlined in the Reading Assistant Demo Video. Step 1: Preview and Read On My Own. Students will be more successful if they know what makes a good reader. The Read to Me option allows students to listen to a modeled reading of the selection. Students may also click an underlined word to access the glossary and read a definition of the word. After finishing the Read to Me example, students will need to click on and answer all the Think About It questions before moving to Step 2. Step 2: Read On My Own. In Step 2, students will read the selection at least twice. After the first reading is complete, students may review their words to practice (red and blue words) and listen to their own recording. If they did well with their fluency after the second reading, they will move on to Step 3. Otherwise, a third reading is required before moving to Step 3. Step 3: Take the Quiz! Encourage going back to the text to answer questions. The quiz is not timed and students can take their time reviewing the text to help answer the questions. Tip: While time spent on recording is important (and fun!), without direction, students can sometimes overlook the importance of being detectives during Step 1. They should spend time learning new words and studying how the selection should sound by listening to the modeled reader. They also should be thinking about good strategies to be successful at completing the quiz. If they work hard and keep practicing, the Reading Assistant program will help them improve their reading. They might look forward to being called on to read aloud in class! 28

Prepare students for the Reading Assistant program Microphone and headsets The microphone and its positioning are critically important. During your introduction, model strategies for the whole class for connecting the headsets, and getting the microphone in the correct position. The microphone should be placed at the corner of the mouth, two finger widths from the mouth. Note: Reading Assistant program - requires headsets with an attached microphone to record a student's oral reading. Please see our list of recommended headsets in MySciLEARN Help for more information. Note: For desktop and laptop computers, all browsers except Google Chrome will prompt you to install the Reading Assistant Plug-in when trying to record. The Plug-in is not required for Chromebooks or ipad. You can install the plug-in before students start reading by following the plug-in install steps in MySciLEARN Help. 29

Prepare students for the Reading Assistant program Introducing Reading Progress Indicator (RPI) to your students Before your students begin, they will take an assessment called Reading Progress Indicator (RPI). RPI is a reliable and validated measure designed to show how students are responding to Fast ForWord program use. Questions in the areas of phonological awareness, decoding, vocabulary, and comprehension are used to provide an overall reading score. The RPI assessments correlate to nationally recognized normed assessments, are reliable and validated, and provide overall reading scores that can help indicate how students are responding to Fast ForWord product use. For more information on Reading Progress Indicator and how the scores are calculated and used, see the Reading Progress Indicator FAQ in MySciLEARN Help. RPI provides four assessment levels based on the grade entered for the student: K-1, 2-3, 4-6, and 7-13+ (pre-k students are not eligible for RPI). RPI tests are not timed. The student may complete an assessment across work sessions and days, but should complete it in a timely manner. As a brief, group administered assessment, RPI, can only provide a snapshot of student performance: educational decisions should be based on multiple sources of information. Results for groups are more reliable than results for individual students. The initial RPI score, along with the students' enrolled grade are used to place the students into the appropriate starting point within one of the four Reading Assistant content packs (K-3, 4-5, 6-8, 9-12). For more information about RPI, please see the MySciLEARN Help topic on RPI. Sample RPI student introduction Students should understand the importance of the assessment. Below is a sample introduction to read to your students before their initial RPI assessment, and when they encounter follow up assessments. This is an assessment like any other except that you will not receive a grade. Please relax as you take it and try your very best. For the questions that are spoken, you may listen a second time. Even if you are sure of your answer, click the speaker button and listen to the question again. Some of the questions will be about made up words. Listen closely and read everything carefully so you can pick the best answer. When you reach the section of the test that has stories for you to read, FIRST read each question and all the possible answers. NEXT, read the COMPLETE story. You need to read the story ALL THE WAY THROUGH because sometimes you may think you have found the answer when really the correct answer may be found in a later sentence, and your first impression may be incorrect. After you have read the story, then go back and re-read the question and answer it as best you can. TAKE YOUR TIME! There is NO time limit on the this test. I would rather have you focus, do your best, and take a little longer to finish instead of rushing through the test and getting a low score. FOCUS on the test so you receive the best possible score. Do not allow outside distractions to interrupt you. Keep your headphones on the entire time, even when you are not being read a question. Take a deep breath and relax. Put on your headphones and prepare yourself by making sure they are turned up so you can hear. If you need help, raise your hand and I will assist you. 30

Prepare students for the Reading Assistant program Set up your motivational program The Reading Assistant program provides a points system and clear feedback to students to enhance motivation. The emphasis should be on accuracy and completing reading selections. Coaches are encouraged to supplement these built-in mechanisms with intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. Most important is that students see the value for themselves and have a stake in their own learning. When a student completes an activity or selection he or she will earn the following kinds of achievement markers. These markers appear throughout the student reports in the Reading Assistant program, and in the Selection Progress and Performance Details reports in MySciLEARN. Check mark The student is still developing competency with the material Silver star The student has shown competency with the material Gold star The student is accomplished with the material Student achievement markers serve as a reward for hard work and help motivate students to keep working on the product. Keeping your students motivated is an important aspect of a successful implementation. Having students track their own achievement is a simple and fun way to achieve this goal. Also, getting creative with charts and rewards throughout the classroom is another great way to celebrate student achievement. 31

Appendix Appendix Use these printable resources to help you with your students. You may also want to download the Fast ForWord Elementary and Secondary Presentations from the MySciLEARN Toolbox located in K-12 > planning. These documents are too large to place in the Appendix. Motivational Graphics with Growth Mindset 34 Planning Guide Worksheet 47 Reading Readiness Demo Day Tips 50 Language v2 Demo Day Tips 53 Literacy Demo Day Tips 56 Reading Assistant Plus Student Checklist 59 Reading Assistant Student Checklist 60 How to Keep Your Students Motivated 61 32

Appendix 33

INSTEAD OF THINKING I LL NEVER BE THAT SMART. Keep TRY THINKING: up the great effort! I WILL LEARN HOW TO DO THIS.

Plan A didn t work But there s always Plan B!

Plan A didn t work but there s always Plan B!

I m not giving up. Let s just try something different!

I m not giving up. Let s just try something different!

Awesome

Awesome

Planning Guide Worksheet When thinking about implementing Fast ForWord and Reading Assistant, it is helpful to start with your goals in mind, as your goals will influence the decisions you make. Goals 1. Implementation Plan/Assigned To 2. 3. 4. 5. Measure Goals Reading Progress Indicator Reading level growth (DRA, DIBELS, etc.) English Language Arts testing Words Correct Per Minute Technical Requirements Staff usernames and passwords Reliable Internet Access Computer equipment Implementation at your site or lab Target Students Prioritize students for participation, examples include: ELL SPED RTI Improve fluency and comprehension*** Academic success for the students at your site Assessment of program effectiveness Staffing Lab scheduling Staffing District Manager/Coordinator: Oversight of program School Manager: School Program oversight Coach/Instructor: Daily monitoring of students ***students in Reading Assistant should be able to read 25 words per minute 2018 Scientific Learning Corporation. All rights reserved. Different for a reason.

What support and resources do you need to achieve your school s goals? Team Roles and Responsibilities Team Responsibilities Assigned to Program Oversight Overall success of implementation Overall success of program outcomes Team development District Manager Site Management Prioritize students for program participation Academic success for the students at your site Assessment of program effectiveness Staffing Lab scheduling School Manager Coach/Instructor Daily operation of the lab Plan and oversee student activity Monitor lab activities Coach struggling students Instructor What is your role? What support and resources do you need to be successful with your responsibilities? 2018 Scientific Learning Corporation. All rights reserved. Different for a reason.

How will your team communicate with each other to share success and resolve issues? How will you explain the purpose and benefits of Fast ForWord so it is meaningful for your students? What will motivate them to want to do their best? What is your schedule for demonstrating the exercises? What will the rules be in your lab or classroom? What motivational tools will you use to keep students striving for maximum gains? 2018 Scientific Learning Corporation. All rights reserved. Different for a reason.

Demonstration Day Tips for Fast ForWord Reading Readiness Introduction Suggested discussion: We will exercise our brains during Fast ForWord. Our bodies and brains both need to exercise to be strong and in shape. We must exercise in order to see the difference and we must work hard. This will help us to listen better and to do better work in school. We must work together to keep our room quiet and our brains exercising so that all of us get into great shape for learning. Let s talk about our rules for our Fast ForWord lab: #1 We must have a quiet room. #2 We must respect our peers and our equipment. #3 Only take breaks between exercises. #4 Raise your hand if you need help or have a question. Let s learn about how to do our Fast ForWord exercises so that when you come in tomorrow, you will know the rules and instructions. Demonstrate the exercises on a Smart Board or other projective device to make all of the directions clear and to discuss strategies for correct responses with students. Make it clear from the beginning that accuracy is the key, so students should listen carefully and think before responding, especially as each item will be presented only once, so listening and focus are very important. (Talk about self-talk and key word techniques to aid memory.) Guesses will count against students. Also, explain that POINTS do not necessarily mean progress. Always aim for 10 correct responses in a row for quickest progress toward completion. Demonstrations Hungry Tummy In Hungry Tummy, we will start with feeding the bear a piece of candy. He will show us how he grabs and eats the candy and then he wants us to drag the candy into his mouth. If on a computer: If you are using a mouse, you will have to click on the candy and hold that button on the mouse down to drag the candy into his mouth. It will take some practice, but you can do it! If on an ipad: Since we are using ipads, we can just put a finger on the candy, hold it down and drag the candy into his mouth. Then, just let go and he will eat the candy. Demo the exercise and show the students how to drag the candy. Also demonstrate what happens if you let go too soon so they understand that they just do it again to get it into the bear s mouth. After we get good at dragging the candy into his mouth, we are going to match shapes and colors. You will pick a shape and drag it into the matching outline of that shape in the bear s mouth. Be careful because you have to keep holding onto it until it fits just inside the matching outline. The colors will change and the shapes will get smaller as you go through the exercise. Keep practicing and you ll see how good you can be at matching for the bear! www.scientificlearning.com 2017 Scientific Learning Corporation. All rights reserved.

Inside the Tummy Inside the Tummy is a lot like Hungry Tummy but this time you drag the shapes into the bear s tummy instead of his mouth. If on a computer: If you are using a mouse, remember to click on the candy and to hold that button on the mouse down to drag the candy into his mouth. It will take some practice, but you can do it! If on an ipad: Since we are using ipads, we can just put a finger on the candy, hold it down and drag the candy into his mouth. Then just let go and he will eat the candy. Demo the exercise and show the students how to drag and match the shapes. Also demonstrate what happens if you let go too soon so they understand that they just do it again to get it into the bear s tummy. Just like before, you will pick a shape and drag it into the matching outline of that shape in the bear s mouth. Be careful because you have to match the shape and the color. Later, the sizes will change and the shapes will get smaller and smaller. Keep practicing and you ll see how good you can be at matching! Packing Pig Goes to Work Packing Pig is going to help you learn the letter names for upper and lowercase letters. You can help Packing Pig work by listening for the name of a letter and then clicking the matching written letter. Click the loudspeaker to hear a letter name and see that letter displayed on the screen. The letter will fall onto the conveyor belt, and Packing Pig will wrap it. Later, the letter will stay in the air until you click the flashing letter. After clicking the letter a few times, the speaker will announce a letter name and give you a choice of letters. Then you must click the letter than was announced. When you click the correct letter, Packing Pig wraps it up and sends it on its way. For Keyboard Shortcuts, the Start button is activated with the space bar. You may also have students select letters on the screen by typing the corresponding letters on the keyboard. Packing Pig has Lunch Have any of you ever played a game called Memory or Concentration? That is the one where you turn over cards to try to find a match. In this exercise, Packing Pig uses that type of game to help you match upper and lowercase letters. You ll feed Packing Pig his lunch by matching the letters to clear the boxes. Click a letter to hear that letter s name. Then, click the uppercase or lowercase letter that goes with the first one. As the exercise gets harder, you must click the gift boxes to show the letters. When you see a letter that matches another letter, then click it and the pair of boxes will disappear. Let s practice to see how it works. www.scientificlearning.com 2017 Scientific Learning Corporation. All rights reserved.

Houndini Now we are going to practice finding different sounds. Houndini is a dog that will help you learn more about matching letters and sounds. Your job is to help him perform magic card tricks by finding the card that is different from the others. You click the dog to start the exercise. Houndini will show you four cards and ask you to click the card that has a different first sound than the other three cards. As you move through the exercise, it will change a bit. At first, the cards show pictures that match what Houndini is saying. Next, you just see the cards with pictures and words. Later, you will only see the words on the cards no pictures. When you get really good with the first sounds of the words, Houndini will move to the last sounds of the words. Then, when you do all the ones with the last sounds, you ll move to picking out the middle sound that is different. Remember that you are listening for the sound that is different from the others. You ll need to listen carefully because it can be tricky if you don t! You can activate that Start button with the space bar or by clicking on Houndini. Watch for students who have difficulty choosing the sound that is different as you may need to do additional intervention activities with them. Coaster To start, click the coaster operator o hear a consonant pronounced. At first, you will see the same consonant on all three coaster cars. You can click a coaster to see and hear a word that begins with the consonant. Later, you will listen for a consonant and then click the coaster car with the written word that starts with that consonant. So if you hear Coaster say /r/, (draw out the sound) what letter would you look for at the first of the word? What if Coaster said /s/? What letter would you look for then? That s right, you are going to match the sound you hear to the first letter that makes that sound. Listen carefully so you ll hear the sound the first time the coaster operator makes it! Again, you can select the Start button with space bar. Teacher Tips If students have good keyboard skills, they can use the number keys to respond for designated exercises. Instead of clicking on the responses, they can type the corresponding numbers on the keyboard. *If students are having difficulty during the demo, you can find interventions in the MySciLEARN Toolbox to pre-teach the skills to help them better understand each of the exercises. Click this link to go to the Reading Readiness Intervention page: https://help.scilearn.com/toolbox/interventions-rr.htm www.scientificlearning.com 2017 Scientific Learning Corporation. All rights reserved.

Demonstration Day Tips For Fast ForWord Introduction Suggested discussion: We will exercise our brains during Fast ForWord. Our bodies and our brains both need to exercise to be strong and in shape. We must exercise everyday in order to see the difference and we must work hard. This will help us to listen better and to do better work in school. We must work together to keep our room quiet and our brains exercising so that all of us get into great shape for learning. Let s talk about our rules for our Fast ForWord lab. #1 We must have a quiet room. #2 We must respect our peers and our equipment. #3 Only take breaks between exercises. #4 Raise your hand if you need help or have a question. Let s learn about how to do our Fast ForWord exercises so that when you come in tomorrow you will know the rules and the instructions. Demonstrate the exercises on a Smart Board or other projective device to make all of the directions clear and to discuss strategies for correct responses with students. Make it clear from the beginning that accuracy is the key, so students should listen carefully and think before responding, especially as each item will be presented only once, so listening and focus are very important. (Talk about self-talk and key word techniques to aid memory). Guesses will count against students. Also, explain that POINTS do not necessarily mean progress. Always aim for 10 correct responses in a row for quickest progress toward completion. Demonstrations Sky Gym Sky Gym is unlike anything you have experienced before. The sounds presented are actually sound sweeps that cover the frequencies in speech. The object is to listen carefully and determine whether the sound sweeps you hear are up or down sweeps. We will listen together and share strategies you might use to tell the difference. Demo the exercise and have the students tell you whether the sounds they heard were the same or different. Then determine if the sounds were High- Low, Low-High, High-High or Low-Low (the four possibilities). Encourage choral response or hand-raising. Ask those who can hear the difference to share their strategies (i.e. closing their eyes, humming to themselves, assigning an environmental sound to the sweeps for a memory association). *If the participant needs assistance identifying the sound sweeps, the participant can click the Help (?) button above the yellow planet to see all four possible sequences of sound sweeps at the current frequency (Hz), duration (length of each sound sweep), and ISI (time between sound sweeps). When the help screen opens, the participant can click a yellow planet to hear the corresponding sequence of sound sweeps. To see the response buttons highlight as the sound sweeps play, the participant can click the corresponding button at the bottom of the screen. www.scientificlearning.com 2011 Scientific Learning Corporation. All rights reserved.

Moon Ranch To work on Moon Ranch, you will click the yellow planet on Granny s tractor to hear a syllable repeated in rapid succession. When the exercise interrupts the repeated syllable with a new syllable, which differs by a single phoneme, then you must click the farm animal to be moved into the pasture. If the animal is clicked too early or too late, the trial is counted as incorrect. When you answer the trial correctly, the exercise raises the animal a little higher toward the fence. Points are awarded for each correct answer. Each of you will have a turn at the computer to do this. First, we are going to practice. When you do this exercise, once you click the start button you will hear one sound repeated and then a different one. For example, ba, ba, ba, ba and then it will change to da. As soon as the sound changes, you need to click the mouse or up arrow. Begin the demonstration. Hoop Nut To work on Hoop Nut, you will click the yellow planet on the tree launcher to hear a target syllable. The participant must listen carefully as each of the two astro-nuts in the acorns present a different syllable. One presents the target syllable, while the other presents a syllable that differs from the target syllable by a single phoneme. You must click the acorn that presents the target syllable. Points are awarded for each correct answer. Bonus points are awarded after 12 correct answers. *One way to enhance listening for the same sound is to have the children close their eyes and say first or second to indicate order marking the matching sound to the stimulus sound. Whalien Match To work on Whalien Match, you will click a whalien on the screen. The exercise pronounces a syllable or word. Then you must click other whaliens on the screen to find the whalien with the matching syllable or word. If you click a new whalien that matches one already clicked, then you must then go back and click the first whalien of the pair to confirm the match. The two whaliens are then rescued by the vehicle on the surface. Points are awarded for each correct match. (Show the first demo of four boxes and, demonstrate a left to right strategy, listening for matches. Have the students call out if they hear a match and have them tell you where it is. The goal is to find the matches in as few clicks as possible, so listening and remembering where you heard a match are very important. ) *In this exercise, students can fail to progress when they click randomly. Progress is shown as the student demonstrates accuracy for this task. If the students are having trouble hearing matching sounds, demonstrate by targeting one sound and go through until you find its match. www.scientificlearning.com 2011 Scientific Learning Corporation. All rights reserved.

Robo-Dog To work on Robo-Dog, you will click on the yellow planet on Goldie the robodog s tag to hear a word pronounced. Four pictures appear on the screen. The participant must click the picture that represents the pronounced word. Points are awarded for each correct answer. Robo-Dog presents words that differ by initial or final sound, or both. For example, the words rake and lake differ by initial sound. At the highest level, Robo-Dog also presents academic vocabulary, such as math and science terminology. *If the participant needs assistance with the vocabulary, the participant can click the Help (?) button next to Goldie to activate help. A question mark inside the planet indicates that help is on. When help is on, the exercise pronounces the word for each picture and briefly displays the picture on the screen before each trial is presented. This allows the participant to review the vocabulary before the actual trial starts. Help remains on until the participant turns it off by clicking the Help button again, or until the participant completes all of the trials in the current content group. Space Commander Space Commander helps improve the ability to listen to spoken directions of increasing length and complexity, comprehend them, and keep them in memory long enough to plan and carry out the required action (working memory). To work on Space Commander, you will click the yellow planet on the control tower to hear the flight commander Admiral Bird present an instruction and illuminate the shapes on the flight deck. You must then follow that instruction. To touch a shape, you must click it. To move a shape, you must click and hold the mouse, drag the shape to the new location, then release the mouse button. Points are awarded for each correct answer, and bonus points are awarded after nine correct answers. Ele-Bot Ele-Bot helps improve the participant s understanding of the relationship between words, grammar, and meaning (language structures). In this exercise you will click the yellow planet on Ella the electro-bot to hear a sentence pronounced. Two to four pictures are displayed on the screen. You must click the picture that most accurately represents the sentence. Points are awarded for each correct answer. Always enlist students in teaching strategies for the exercises. If all students understand the directions clearly and have strategies in place for each of the exercises, they will have more success when they begin the program on their individual computers. www.scientificlearning.com 2011 Scientific Learning Corporation. All rights reserved.

Demonstration Day Tips for Fast ForWord Coaches Introduction Explain to students the purpose of their Fast ForWord training. The object of Fast ForWord exercises is to get our brains in shape. Scientists have discovered that even if we missed important information or instruction early in school, we can rewire our brains to improve our learning potential and performance in school. Encourage students to talk about how they get into good physical shape; training for a sport, strengthening and conditioning. Or, ask how they best learn to play an instrument. Emphasize that in order to improve, we have to be consistent about the time we put into the goal we have set. Working out once per week will not strengthen our muscles like working out every day will. Michael Jordan can shoot amazing shots because he has practiced them over and over again. This is also true of our brains. In order to become more efficient learners, we will have to come to Fast ForWord daily for 50 or 90 minutes (depending on protocol). We will have to keep the room quiet so all can benefit from training and we will reduce interruptions for optimum concentration. If you need to leave the room, raise your hand and break after an exercise. If you need help, raise your hand quietly. Discuss other rules you have established, or have students assist in establishing rules for an effective training environment. For added motivation, share success stories of other students who have gone through Fast ForWord exercises. If possible, have students complete a Student Survey to encourage a private self diagnosis as to possible deficiencies. Demonstrate the exercises on a Smart Board or other projective device to make all of the directions clear and to discuss strategies for correct responses with students. Make it clear from the beginning that accuracy is the key, so students should listen carefully and think before responding, especially as each item will be presented only once, so listening and focus are very important. (Talk about self-talk and key word techniques to aid memory). Guesses will count against students. Also, explain that POINTS do not necessarily mean progress. Always aim for 10 correct responses in a row for quickest progress toward completion. Demonstrations Space Racer Space Racer is unlike anything you have experienced before. The sounds presented are actually sound sweeps that cover the frequencies in speech. The object is to listen carefully and determine whether the sound sweeps you hear are up or down sweeps. We will listen together and share strategies you might use to tell the difference. Demo the exercise and have the students tell you whether the sounds they heard were the same or different. Then determine if the sounds were High-Low, Low-High, High-High or Low-Low (the four possibilities). Encourage choral response or hand-raising. Ask those who can hear the difference to share their strategies (i.e. closing their eyes, humming to themselves, assigning an environmental sound to the sweeps for a memory association). *Despite the fact that these are older students, if you notice anyone having particular difficulty with this task, you might assign them to Flying Saucers in the Fast ForWord Language Basics program to help them acquire the necessary skills to perform well in Space Racer. Often older students can complete Fast ForWord Language Basics within a few days. It s important that any student that is recommended for Fast ForWord Language Basics is spoken to individually about the reasoning for doing this exercise. 2007 Scientific Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Demonstration Day Tips for Fast ForWord Coaches Galaxy Goal This exercise has a girl playing soccer trying to make a goal. While the ball is in the air, you must listen for when the sound or space between sounds is different. Each of you will have a turn at the computer to do this. First, we are going to practice by holding one wrist with our other hand. Hold your wrist like this (demonstrate with them) and I will say a word over and over again. When I change to a new word, I want you to let go of your wrist as quickly as you can! Cat, cat, cat, cat, cat, dog. (Do it a few times, getting faster each time.) Now, I m going to make it harder because I m going to use sounds instead of words. (I repeat the activity using sounds like ga and va instead of the words.) When you do this exercise, the animal will make a sound like ba, ba, ba, ba and then it will change to da. As soon as the sound changes, you need to let go of the mouse or spacebar. (Begin the demos and demonstrate using the spacebar. With the next few trials, have students practice by holding and letting go of their arm for each trial.) Spin Master In this exercise, when you click the planet, it makes a sound. Listen to the sound and then click on the record that makes the same sound as the first one. To practice, you can tell me left or right according to record that makes the same sound. (Begin the demos, click on the planet and have students indicate which record makes the same sound.) The first sound was va ; what record made the same sound? *One way to enhance listening for the same sound is to have the children close their eyes and say first or second to indicate order marking the matching sound to the stimulus sound. Lunar Tunes This exercise is like the concentration game you may have played with matching pictures, but you have to match sounds instead of pictures. When you hear a sound, you want to click on the box that has the same sound. (Show the first demo of four boxes and, demonstrate a left to right strategy, listening for matches. Have the students call out if they hear a match and have them tell you where it is. The goal is to find the matches in as few clicks as possible, so listening and remembering where you heard a match is very important. ) *In this exercise, students can fail to progress when they click randomly. Progress is shown as the student demonstrates accuracy for this task. If the students are having trouble hearing matching sounds, demonstrate by targeting one sound and go through until you find its match. 2007 Scientific Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Demonstration Day Tips for Fast ForWord Coaches Stellar Stories In this exercise you will hear part of a story and then you will be asked questions about it. Click on the box that has the picture that answers the question or describes the statement about the story. You will also be asked to follow directions and to find the picture that matches the meaning of a sentence which is presented. Sometimes the sentences get longer, so you really have to listen to each sentence carefully. (Demo this exercise and provide explanations about the items, as needed. Repeat the directions out loud during the demonstration to highlight self-talk techniques). Star Pics This time the computer will give you a word and you are to click on the picture that goes with that word. It can be tricky because sometimes the words sound the same, but they are really not, so you want to listen very carefully and click on the right word. Let s do this together and repeat what we think we heard. *Once again, have students close their eyes to enhance listening skills and have them tell you whether the matching word was the first or the second one presented after the stimulus. Always enlist students in teaching strategies for the exercises. If all students understand the directions clearly and have strategies in place for each of the exercises, they will have more success when they begin the program on their individual computers. 2007 Scientific Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Reading Assistant Plus Student Checklist Name: Date: Story title: Word Wall I completed the Word Wall activity. Step 1 I looked at the cover and pictures. I listened to Read to Me. For extra practice, I listened a second time and read aloud with the reader. I used the glossary for unfamiliar words. Words I checked: Step 2 I recorded My Reading #1. WCPM goal: WCPM achieved: I listened to My Recording #1. I clicked my Red and Blue review words and practiced saying them. Words I reviewed: I recorded My Reading #2. WCPM achieved: I recorded My Reading #3 (if needed). WCPM achieved: Step 3 I took the quiz. I went back to the story for help on the quiz questions. Final scores Best Quiz Score: WCPM on first reading: WCPM on last reading: The Story in My Own Words 2017 Scientific Learning Corporation. All rights reserved. Different for a reason.

Student Checklist Student Name: Date: Title and part: STEP 1 I looked at the cover and pictures. I listened to Read to Me. For extra practice, I listened a second time and read aloud with the reader. I used the glossary for unfamiliar words. Words I checked: I answered the Think About It Questions. STEP 2 I recorded My Reading #1. WCPM Goal Achieved I listened to My Recording #1 I clicked on my Red and Blue Review words and practiced saying them. Words I practiced: I recorded My Reading #2 Achieved I recorded My Reading #3 (if needed) Achieved STEP 3 I took the quiz. I went back to the story for help on the quiz questions. Best Quiz Score: WCPM on first reading: WCPM on last reading: The Story in My Own Words

How to Keep Your Students Motivated This resource will show you how to design a motivational program so students get the most out of their time on Fast ForWord exercises. Fast ForWord product studies show that by maximizing the Student Success Formula, CAPs (Completion, Attendance, Participation), students reach the greatest academic gains. You ll want to encourage your students to complete the content, attend regularly, participate according to the protocol, and follow the recommended product sequence (2 products per year). Keep in mind that your motivational system can be as simple or as complicated as you like! See below for a variety of ideas. The exercises, while fun, are also hard work. Motivational activities, including rewards and prizes, may be used to encourage participants during their Fast ForWord product sessions. An effective and age-appropriate program can motivate participants to stay on task with the Fast ForWord products to achieve their learning goals. Your motivational program should address the components of CAPs. Meaningful Rewards and Reinforcement All Fast ForWord products are uniquely designed with several built-in positive reinforcements: Points are awarded for every correct response Fun animations are displayed as a visual reward throughout exercises Success Viewer displays content complete Teachers and coaches can supplement these built-in motivators with their own reward system. By finding rewards that are meaningful to your students as both individuals and groups, you can create a fun, productive, learning environment. Intrinsic Rewards are a popular alternative to extrinsic reward systems. Challenging participants to set goals for themselves, track their progress, review their reports and share their achievements can be part of an intrinsic reward system, and integrated into the overall school program. Age-appropriate rewards are very important. An announcement in the newsletter or other forms of recognition from peers, parents, or teachers can mean a lot to students of any age. Check with participants as to what type of reward is meaningful to them. Suggested prizes under $10 are pencils and pens with the Fast ForWord product logo, shirts and hats with logos, paperback books, small stuffed animals, free movie passes, gift certificates to book or video stores, fast food or ice cream store gift certificates. Extrinsic rewards such as posters, pens, candy, and pizza parties are favorite reward items with many schools and participants. Education-related items such as an exciting paperback book, dictionaries, thesaurus, and calculators are meaningful items to many participants. Parent groups and community donations can assist with providing prizes.

Customized motivational activities such as contests, token economies, bulletin board displays, and recognition ceremonies can keep the interest level high to ensure consistent participation and positive results. Bulletin Board Ideas High Score Board: participant s name, screen shots of Fast ForWord exercises, highest points score card, etc., spotlight the participants who beat their own points or who get highest points overall Wall of Fame: participants names are placed on the Wall of Fame when they maintain a participation level greater than 95%. Progress Board (Points or Exercise % Complete): Participants can use Fast ForWord product-specific charts to track Points and/or Exercise % Complete, then use colorful stickers or crayons to track their progress. Charts are available in the Resource Library. Exercise-Specific Displays: Create colorful displays using the specific Fast ForWord product characters. Characters and screenshots are available in the Resource Library as well. Setting up a Token Economy Whether you are using points or exercise percent complete, students will enjoy shopping at a Fast ForWord store. Set up a small store with age-appropriate prizes and assign a point or dollar value to each item. Once a week, the students who have earned enough points or reached a targeted level of completion may shop for a prize. Keep in mind that some students will like to earn small prizes more frequently, while others may prefer to save their points for a larger prize. Suggested Prizes for Elementary School Students: stickers, pencils, play-doh, hair clips, yo-yos, bubbles, erasers, checkers, books, friendship bracelets, wrist bands, beanie babies, jump ropes, small trinket boxes, bag of marbles, etc. Suggested Prizes for Middle & High School Students: pencils and pens, free internet time, gift certificates to bookstores, itunes gift card, or fast food restaurants. www.scientificlearning.com 2011 Scientific Learning Corporation. All rights reserved.

For Groups Involve the students in developing a point system based on what they want. Would they rather work for something big as a group or smaller things as individuals? What (within reasonable limits) would they like to work towards? Create a challenging, yet attainable group goal. Whether this goal is a total number of points or reaching a certain completion level, they can all be tracked on a bulletin board. These points can be used for something big at the end of the Fast ForWord session (i.e. a pizza or make your own sundae party). You can add or subtract points based on adherence to the protocol and behavior. Divide the class into two groups. The group that meets or exceeds the goal (such as total number of points, completion level) after a specified period of time earns a prize (e.g., a party size subway sandwich party). For exercises that are especially challenging, or during days where students motivation seems to be waning, you can award extra points (e.g., have a Double Points for Stellar Stories Day ). If the teachers in the school agree, students can earn points towards a free homework pass or for more internet time. Draw a Fast ForWord exercise name out of a hat at the end of the day. The student who improves his/her score the most in that exercise gets a prize. If students need to earn community service hours, have them earn their hours with their time working on the Fast ForWord exercises. Bulletin Board Ideas Create a Wall of Fame based on attendance and/or participation. Create friendly competition by setting up a race. Set up a High Score Board on a Fast ForWord exercise. www.scientificlearning.com 2011 Scientific Learning Corporation. All rights reserved.

Emphasize CAPs with an attendance board. Add variation to the week. Spotlight a student with significant achievement. Emphasize CAPs with a completion challenge for the exercises. Assign points for good group behavior. This challenge is for the entire class or group. The struggling students in a class compete with those in other classes to eliminate their flags. High scorers get to sit with a bear or other stuffed animal. Recognize students who complete products! www.scientificlearning.com 2011 Scientific Learning Corporation. All rights reserved.

Post rules. Emphasize benefits. Reinforce brain fitness! Place a quiet sign on the door. Your Turn Post word lists. Display characters and exercises. What kind of motivational system would you like to set up for your lab? Remember that your system can be simple! Writing a student s name on the board or recognizing percent complete verbally may be enough to keep the students in your groups motivated. What will motivate your students? Remember that printable art work and a plethora of other documents are available in the Resource Library. www.scientificlearning.com 2011 Scientific Learning Corporation. All rights reserved.