For best results, devote your initial class sessions to teaching students how to work in the software. Students need to learn program basics, as well as how to complete the steps for passing each story.
Students complete the following series of steps to pass each story.
- Select a Story: The student selects a story to work through.
- Key Words: The student clicks each key word to read along to the pronunciation of the word and learn more about the word.
- Prediction: The student uses the title, picture, and key words to write a prediction about the story.
- Cold Timing: The student reads the selected story for the first time for one minute, marking any difficult words. Then, the computer generates a graph that shows how many words the student read correctly.
- Read Along: The student reads the story along with an audio recording for a predetermined number of times, vocalizing quietly with the narration.
- Practice: The student practices reading the story, without audio support, several times until he or she is able to read it accurately at the predetermined goal rate.
- Quiz Questions: The student answers the comprehension questions.
- Retell or Word List: The student retells the story or writes a summary. Or, in the Phonics series, the student reads a word list until he or she is able to read it accurately at a predetermined goal rate.
- Spelling: In Phonics stories, the student tries to spell three words related to the story's text..
- Pass: The student reads the story for the teacher. To pass, the student must read at his or her goal rate, using appropriate expression and making three or fewer errors. Then, the computer generates a graph that shows how many words the student read correctly. The student must also answer all comprehension questions correctly, and retell the story well enough to meet the teacher's expectations (or pass the Word List step).
