Reading and Phonics using Fast ForWord®

How can Fast ForWord® help primary school children?

Perhaps the most crucial skill any child will learn in primary school is the ability to read. Yet learning to read is one of the most difficult challenges young students will face in their lifetime. It's a period of intense learning and a period where critical brain processing skills are developed. Because reading requires many different events to take place simultaneously in the brain, our primary education products are designed to develop and strengthen the foundational processing skills of the young learner. Raviv Practice London uses computer intervention tool Fast ForWord® to accelerate reading and phonics integration.

Fast ForWord® is an online language and reading intervention software that builds foundational reading and language skills while improving memory, attention and processing rates. It is an evidence-based series of programmes that increase reading ability by one year in three months of work.

Parents and teachers note many important benefits beyond reading, such as better focus, better attitude, and even better scores in other subjects.

A summary of Fast ForWord®

How does it work?

Fast ForWord® products exercise and develop the processing efficiency and literacy skills that primary students need to read, listen, think, and participate successfully in the classroom. The first of the programmes is suited to early readers and is called Foundation I. This on-line computer intervention is done entirely at home but the results can be monitored remotely to ensure the best kind of highly responsive learning. Each answer the student provides is monitored, and further questions are provided to increase or hold the challenge level. The student is presented with a 10% increase in challenge each day.

To learn more, see The Fast ForWord science.

Fast ForWord® - Foundations 1

Fast ForWord® - Foundation 1 maps the brain to improve the fundamental cognitive skills of memory, attention, processing, and sequencing, while simultaneously improving reading and learning skills. It assists parents and teachers in implementing the essential first steps in developing these critically important prerequisites for successful reading.

Fast ForWord® - Foundations 2

This builds on the cognitive and language skills addressed in earlier Fast ForWord® programme. It continues to improve the key cognitive skills (Learning MAPs) through exercises focused on sound-letter comprehension, phonological awareness, beginning word recognition and English language conventions.

The Fast ForWord® Reading Series

The Fast ForWord® Reading series of programmes is a reading intervention solution that increases processing efficiency and builds critical reading skills so that students get the most from their existing instructional approach.

These products focus on the five components of reading:

  • Phonemic awareness,

  • Phonics

  • Reading Fluency

  • Vocabulary

  • Reading comprehension.

Fast ForWord® - Reading 1

This software is a computer-based series of exercises that builds critical early reading skills, with a focus on phonemic awareness, early decoding skills, appreciation of print, and motivation for reading.

Fast ForWord® - Reading 2

Fast ForWord® - Reading 2 software is a computer-based series of exercises that consolidates early reading skills with a focus on applying phonics and decoding strategies.

Fast ForWord® - Reading 3

This software is a computer-based series of exercises that expands reading skills with a focus on applying knowledge of word origins, word forms, sentence structures, and punctuation rules to improve comprehension. It continues the development of cognitive skills but presented in the context of reading.

How is the programme delivered?

  • The student does a Reading test and it provides a reading age based on comprehension, vocabulary, decoding, and phonological awareness.

  • Students work 5 days per week with fixed durations of either 30 or 60 minutes per day.

  • Each day you will receive a summary of the work done the day before.

  • Each week you receive an in-depth report of the errors, progress and whether or not the weekly target has been met.

  • Once all the targets are met, and each module is completed, another Reading Test is done to see the reading gain.

What are the results?

What should I do next?

If you are interested in accessing the Fast ForWord® programme, or just want to learn more, then:

What other tools does Raviv Practice London have for individuals wanting to improve their reading skills?

We have a number of programmes and services that can help children of primary age or above. For example, our Speed Reading Programme or even our Advanced Reading Programme for Secondary school students.