As parents, we see education as a source of limitless opportunities for our children. School age arrives, and the first day of school signals the beginning of daily stories of friendship, adventures, and learning. ABC’s and 123’s lead to reading stories and memorizing multiplication tables.
Little by little, as expectations increase, stories of learning being fun give way to talk of frustration and confusion. Books being read by others in the class seem too difficult. Words sent home to study for spelling tests seem too advanced, difficult to retain, or are forgotten soon after the test. Concepts in math aren’t understood. Our initial response may be that extra effort or paying greater attention will solve these problems.
Children may begin to feel frustrated with the outcomes given the effort they put in. Thinking of themselves as less intelligent than their peers begins to creep in. As parents we may ask ourselves: what’s going on; why aren’t they getting it; what does this mean for my child’s future?
At Novaread we administer a comprehensive assessment that examines every skill needed to be successful in and out of the classroom. Working with children in one-on-one settings creates a unique opportunity to individualize the approach we use with each student.
The processes that enable learning to happen are complex. Children in the same grade, having difficulty with the same material, may be struggling for entirely different reasons. Identifying the root cause of these struggles is essential to the outcomes we achieve.
At this point we know we have a student who is fully capable of performing much better in school – of experiencing education for what it’s meant to be, rather than as a source of anxiety.
Testing has indicated, not just what they can’t do, but exactly why. Knowing this, we can structure an approach that begins where it needs to for that particular student. Whether we’re addressing literacy, language, or math, there is a process we can apply.
That process will flow through various stages, each step following the one before it, and every one critical to the end result. We start with a step the student can take; then we build their strength so they can keep making progress.
Level 1
Our Level 1 Reading and Spelling program successfully stimulates phonemic awareness: the ability to recognize that a spoken word is a sequence of individual sounds. This is one of the strongest predictors of later success in reading.
It provides the foundation needed to become self-correcting and independent in reading and spelling.
Level 2
Building on the skills taught in our Level 1 Reading and Spelling program, Level 2 focuses on developing fluency and speed through word recognition, comprehension, visual memory and spelling.
It extends a child’s technical ability to read to understanding and visualizing the meaning of the words on the page.
A primary cause of language comprehension problems is difficulty creating the “full picture” from written information. It’s called weak concept imagery. This weakness leads to individuals only retaining a few facts or details, resulting in difficulty with critical thinking, following directions, or expressing ideas in an organized manner. Our Imaging and Understanding program enables students to create fully detailed imagery that assists comprehension, retention and recall, ultimately improving critical thinking, reasoning, and expressive language skills
A primary cause of math difficulties is an inability to image and verbalize the concepts underlying math processes. Math Facts and Concepts stimulates thinking, reasoning, and problem solving with numbers. It emphasizes mathematical reasoning along with computation, helping students not only do, but enjoy math.