Technology and Teaching Transformed Our Students

Students have gained between 1-2 years reading level in 8-12 weeks by using the programme

Kidare Town, Ireland (prHWY.com) July 17, 2012 - I have struggled for years with literacy in the school environment, trying every programme and book available. I eventually made contact with the Dunne Family living just a mere 20 miles from Kildare. Mary Dunne mother of 4 children with dyslexia found inspiration and great success with the Fast ForWord programme, a ground breaking programme for children with learning disabilities.

A pupil assessed with a specific learning difficulty can make school and home life difficult for themselves and their family. But a revolutionary computer programme called Fast ForWord, Neuron Learning, has helped pupils in our school, Scoil Bhride Naofa in Kildare Town for the past 4-5 years. Students have gained between 1-2 years reading level gain in 8-12 weeks by using the programme for 50 minutes a day for 5 days of the week

Our school has been selected as the first school in Europe to try the new Reading Assistant programme which we have successfully implemented during the month of June. Reading Assistant acts as a personal, interactive tutor for our students, with immediate feedback and support. Firstly the student can read a passage silently or have it read to them, and then the student is recorded reading the passage. A list of review words appear on the screen and then the student reads the passage again. When the student has successfully read the book it progresses on to the next assigned book. Teachers and parents can review the child's recording and performance. The online Reading Assistant can be completed both in school and at home with a weekly review in school of the child's progress and attendance on the programme.

The Fast ForWord programme which we have worked on in the school helps improve short and long term memory, which is essential for word recognition. It improves pupil's concentration and attention, allowing them to focus on the task. It also strengthens processing skills and improves sequencing. Lessons are presented as fun games and as pupil's skills get stronger, the exercises get more complicated.

Since beginning the programme with 8 pupils in October 2008, we have grown to having 33 pupils on the programme this school year with great success. We have been funded by the School Completion Programme but unfortunately due to cut-backs this has been withdrawn. We would appeal to companies for sponsorship of this worthwhile and effective programme which we have seen benefitting so many of our students and we are looking forward to implementing the Reading Assistant programme with the already successful Fast ForWord |programme in the new school year and for many more years to come.

ABOUT

Neuron Learning provides the Fast ForWord family of products and Reading Assistant. These computer based programmes build: listening accuracy, phonological awareness and language structures. Students will have an improved reading foundation, listening comprehension, thinking skills and fluency. The software includes extensive diagnostic assessment tools also.

Sr. Anne Keating. Scoil Bhride Naofa, Kidare Town, Ireland

For more information please contact:
Neuron Learning
Tel: + 353 21 494 3971
Email: john@neuron.ie
Website: http://www.neuronlearning.eu/

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Tag Words: reading assistant, fast forword, learning difficulties, dyslexia, neuron learning

Categories: Education

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