What is an Individual Support Plan (ISP)?

South Africa’s policy on provision of learning support for children is outlined in the POLICY ON SCREENING, IDENTIFICATION, ASSESSMENT AND SUPPORT, published by the  Department of Basic Education in 2014. This envisages that schools will be responsible for developing an Individual Support Plan (ISP) for those learners who require additional assistance to succeed academically.

The ISP details a learner’s needs at school level, goals to be achieved, as well as the strategies, interventions, and resources needed to help a learner achieve his or her potential. For highest likelihood of success, the learning needs in an ISP are best linked to what are called SMART goals which are Specific, Measurable, Achievable and Time-Bound.

Assessment is then central both to the processes of planning and implementation of learning support for children.

Purpose of an ISP

The primary goal of an ISP is to ensure that learners with diverse needs, including those with disabilities or special needs, receive tailored support to fully participate in the educational environment and reach their full potential.  For this reason, both the planning and implementation of an ISP then needs to be done in ways that the needs of the child are catered for as far as is possible through curriculum differentiation in the school and in the classroom.

For this reason, it is envisaged that ISP’s are developed through a collaborative effort involving teachers, parents, and a school-based support team. This can include professionals such as speech therapists or psychologists. 

The work done by my practice as a psychologist links directly with the process which needs to be undertaken in schools.  I specialise in diagnostic and response to intervention assessments. I also specialise in the development of individualised learning programmes for children which can be used side by side with the school curriculum to address difficulties in reading, writing, phonics and spelling, as well as mathematics.

For children with intractible and long-term difficulties in these areas, assessments are then undertaken for concessions and accommodations. 

How Evidence from Diagnostic Assessments can be used in Developing ISP’s

In terms of government policy, an ISP is normally developed at school level through a process of consultation but needs to be assessment and evidence-based to be effective. How evidence from the steps involved in the diagnostic assessment process can contribute to developing ISP’s is outlined in the paragraphs below.

The value of diagnostic assessment is that it can be used to provide specific evidence on a child’s strengths as well as learning needs. This can then be linked to particular resources (e.g strategies, methods and materials for developing reading, writing, spelling and phonic skills).

The methods involved in each step in the diagnostic assessment process can contribute to the process involved both

• in planning individualised learning programmes (ILP’s)for children linked to particular strategies, methods and materials likely to be effective, as well as
• in providing evidence concerning whether interventions have been effective.

The process of diagnostic assessment in developing a child’s individualised learning programme (ILP) can thus provide the detailed evidence necessary for the individual support plan (ISP) developed at school level to be both targeted and effective.

How this can be done step by step is summarised as follows:

Step One

Assemble Evidence from Tests, Questionnaires, Rating Scales, the Teacher’s Lesson Plans, Classroom Reports for Parents, Previous Assessment Reports and Observation of the Child’s Work

In developing a child’s individualised learning programme (ILP) based on diagnostic assessment, information from diagnostic testing can be combined with information from:

• questionnaires (e.g. the parent questionnaire completed prior to diagnostic testing)
• rating scales (e.g. teacher ratings of a child’s performance in reading, writing and spelling compared to the profiles of other learners in the class as a whole
• the teacher’s lesson plans based on principles of inclusivity within the class as a whole
• classroom reports for parents (e.g. the child’s school reports)
• previous assessment reports and
• observation of the child’s work in relation to the work of other learners in the class (e.g. a child’s written work in his or her school books or a child’s creative writing).

In Step One, information from these various sources is assembled. This enables a profile to be constructed of the child’s history as well as his or her performance at school. Based on areas of need identified through this initial screening, diagnostic testing is then undertaken.

Step Two

Use Profile Analysis to Establish Areas of Strength and Learning Need

In Step Two, diagnostic testing is undertaken in the areas of need identified in Step One. The results of the diagnostic tests are first profile analysed to identify the child’s areas of strength as well as areas of learning need relative to the profiles of other children in the classroom.

With a battery of test results, a profile is normally created by converting the age scores into a graph. This can be using a programme such as Excel, which enables the graph to then be used as the basis for giving feedback on the test results to parents. Errors made by the child in the diagnostic tests and the phonic inventory are also grouped, classified and then profiled.

This evidence is then discussed with the child’s parents. This can be done face to face or online, using the profiles as the basis for discussion and then prioritising areas of intervention.

Based on the discussion, the different areas of difficulty are identified and then prioritised. The tests are then error analysed in Step Three to yield information concerning the child’s areas of functional difficulty which then form specific targets for instruction.

Step Three

Use Error Analysis to Identify Aims/Objectives and Specific Targets for Instruction

Up to this point, there has been a process of diagnostic assessment which has involved

• gathering of information concerning the child’s progress,
• linking this with evidence from testing,
• constructing profiles of highs and lows, strengths and weaknesses as well as
• grouping and classifying the types of errors made by the child.

Based on the areas of strength and learning need and the priorities identified through profile analysis, aims/objectives and specific targets for instruction are then created.  Once this has been done, individual errors and types of errors made by the child in the diagnostic tests and the phonic inventory are related to specific methods and materials.

Based on this process, the aims, objectives and targets for instruction can be specified, as well as the learning strategies, methods and materials which will be used to address the child’s learning needs and functional difficulties. Being evidence-based, this evidence can contribute to the development of an individualised learning programme (ILP) which is specific and linked to measurable objectives and outcomes.

Step Four

Develop an Individualised Learning Programme based on Aims, Objectives and Instructional Targets, linked to Learning Strategies, Methods and Materials which can be used to address the Child’s Areas of Need

An Individualised Learning Programme (ILP) is normally developed using a hierarchy of educational intentions. This proceeds from broad aims to specific objectives and targets for instruction. These are then linked to use of particular strategies, methods and materials.

This is done by first outlining the child’s strengths and learning needs based on the results of diagnostic testing, prioritising these and then by linking each area of need with broad aims, specific objectives, and concrete targets for instruction. In the hierarchy, aims are developed first. These outline the general purpose of a learning experience.

Objectives are then used to specify what students should be able to do after the experience, and targets to define measurable outcomes within a specific timeframe. 

These are then linked to learning strategies as well as particular instructional methods and materials to address the child’s areas of difficulty.:

Aims and Objectives

Aims are broad, overarching statements of intent that describe the general direction of learning. They express the overall purpose of a program or module, often from the perspective of the instructor or institution. 

Aims are not usually measurable, but they provide a framework for developing more specific objectives, which are more focused statements that describe the specific knowledge, skills, or attitudes students should acquire or demonstrate as a result of instruction. 

The aim is to work in an ILP with objectives which are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. These can then be linked to particular instructional targets which are achieved through use of particular strategies, methods and materials.  

Targets for Instruction

In essence, aims in the ILP guide the overall direction of instruction, objectives to define the specific learning outcomes, and targets for instruction to provide the measurable evidence of those outcomes. 

Targets are thus the most specific and concrete elements of instruction. They represent observable and measurable outcomes which indicate whether an objective has been achieved, and whether the learning strategies, methods and materials used in the ILP have been effective in addressing the child’s difficulties.

Learning Strategies

Once specific targets for instruction have been set, the learning strategies which will be used to assist the child in learning effectively are also outlined in the ILP. Essentially, learning strategies are tools that will be used to enable the child to optimise his or her learning process and enhance scholastic performance. 

Learning strategies encompass various study skills and methods, including organizing information, using memory aids, and actively engaging with the material. They include use of activity-based learning, use of techniques to help the child plan and monitor his or her progress, identify areas of difficulty, and use time effectively. They also include techniques and approaches that will be used to enable the child to absorb, retain, and recall information, based on his or her individual learning style and learning preferences.

The aim is to create an ILP which is a detailed plan for intervention and action to address a child’s areas of difficulty. The intervention is then tied to use of particular methods and materials as well as to a timeline which can then be used to evaluate progress made.

In-service training may also need to be provided so that all stakeholders (and particularly those people implementing the ILP with the child) are familiar with what needs to be done, as well as competent to work on the strategies, methods and materials necessary to make the ILP workable in practice.

Step Five

Prioritise and Plan a Sequence of Activities based on use of particular Strategies, Methods and Materials

Based on the ILP as a plan for intervention which links policy to practice, particular strategies, methods and materials can be linked to different areas of learning need. These areas are first identified and then prioritised. A sequence of activities using particular strategies, methods and materials is then specified.

In using our methods and materials, for example, if a child had made good progress in his ot her classroom reading but is still not a fluent reader, reading fluency work is normally initiated as the first priority. This involves work with phonically based reading fluency books and is linked to work on reading comprehension.

As reading fluency difficulties are normally linked to difficulties with phonemic and phonic skills, work on phonic skills is then initiated side by side with the reading fluency work. This focuses on the types of errors made by the child in his or her spelling tests, on the phonic inventory and in his written work.

Once this work is well underway, work on developing writing and spelling fluency is then initiated, at the third level of priority. If the child’s writing is poorly developed, work on writing skills is also undertaken.

Once progress is noted in each of the above areas, work on working memory for individual words and working memory for words in sequence can be initiated. Learning strategies and methods are used which link to the child’s learning style, in order to develop the skills to write and remember the spelling of individual words as well as to write words accurately in sequence. This is combined with work to develop both language usage and written output.

Work is done in individual sessions with the child using materials downloaded from my website, combined with published materials. This is supported by work done by the child’s parents in short 20 minute sessions at home.

Step Six  

Implement Activities using the Action Research or Clinical Teaching Cycle

The action research or clinical teaching cycle is a process used to improve both instruction and quality of teaching through reflection and iterative action. It typically involves four main stages: plan, act, observe, and reflect/evaluate.

This is done with the aim of continuous improvement of both planning and implementation, in the following sequence:

1. Planning:

Identify a problem or area for improvement in the ILP and develop a plan to address it. This involves defining the issue, setting goals, and developing strategies.

2. Implementation:
Implement the planned actions or interventions. At this stage the theoretical plan is put into practice in the real-world setting.

3. Observation:
Gather evidence and observe the effects of the implemented actions. This could involve various methods like surveys, interviews, or recoding of observations.

4. Reflection/Evaluation:
Analyse the evidence, reflect on the outcomes, and draw conclusions about the effectiveness of the actions. This stage is crucial for identifying what worked, what didn’t, and what needs to be adjusted for the next cycle.

The action research or clinical teaching cycle is then repeated, with the insights from the reflection/evaluation stage informing the next planning phase. This iterative process ensures that the processes of replanning and implementation is constantly refined and adapted based on real-world experiences, observation and feedback. 

In working with poor readers, for example, action research or clinical teaching would involve planning, implementing, observing and evaluating the effects of instructional sessions planned on the basis of diagnostic assessment. The process as a whole would be evidence-based and linked to specific areas of need identified through assessment, with the cycle of planning, implementation, observation and evaluation being repeated.

The process involved would be evidence-based and continuous. Each iteration would be informed by the previous action research or clinical teaching cycle, with the aim of achieving continuing gains and measurable improvement. 

Step Seven

Conduct Response to Intervention Assessment to Establish Gains, Ongoing Instructional Needs as well as Accommodations Necessary

Response to Intervention (RTI) Assessment involves systematically monitoring student progress in each of these three tiers. This is done to establish gains made as well as ongoing instructional needs and accommodations necessary, with the aim of

• ongoing learning support being provided to students in areas of difficulty,
• more intensive learning support being provided if necessary and
• accommodations and concessions being offered in areas which have not responded to treatment.   

RTI Assessment is mainly used in our individualised learning programmes to evaluate the gains made by children using our methods and materials in third level (individual session) work, to establish ongoing needs for instruction and to determine whether classroom accommodations (e.g. for spelling and punctuation, for reading and understanding instructions in classroom tests or for rate of work) are necessary. This is done through:

• pre and post test analysis of diagnostic test profiles in reading, writing and spelling
• analysis of gains made in phonic skills as well as ongoing phonic errors
• evidence from parents concerning children’s progress in reading, writing and spelling as well as rate of work in completing homework tasks
• evidence from school reports concerning children’s performance and rate of work in the classroom.

This evidence is then combined with

• analysis or secondary analysis of cognitive test (e.g, IQ test) profiles, and
• observation of learning strategies applied by the child.

This is done to determine a child’s learning preferences and learning style.

Step Eight

Conduct Summative Assessment to Identify Intractable Learning Problems and Concessions Needed  

An estimated 22% of all South African children do not read fluently. This percentage is very high compared to other countries, and indicates a problem with literacy levels affecting the progress of many children in school.

Based on international evidence, it is estimated that 15% of all children are likely to need assistance to read, write and spell sufficiently well to be able to achieve their intellectual potential. 9% of all children are likely to have long term difficulties with reading, writing and spelling affecting their progress at school.

As in other countries, the answer to South Africa’s literacy problem would appear to lie in providing targeted learning programmes directed at improving each child’s ability to read, write and spell fluently, followed by response to intervention (RTI) assessment to identify the 9% of children with intractible problems. Firm diagnosis of learning difficulties or dyslexia would then be based on summative assessment which includes not only the history of the learning difficulty, but also both previous assessments and targeted interventions which have been taken to improve the child’s reading, writing, spelling and rate of work at school.

Concessions and accommodations to level the playing field in tests and examinations would then be recommended to enable those children with intractible difficulties in reading, writing and spelling to achieve their potential. This would be linked to a firm diagnosis of learning disability, based on the nature of the difficulty. Other children who had achieved a high level of literacy as well as children who had been provided with successful interventions, would not need concessions.

This process involved in RTI assessment and how this can be used to enable firm diagnosis of learning difficulties is outlined in the following publication. This has been widely read internationally, and can be downloaded from the publisher’s website by clicking on the link below:

http://mts.intechopen.com/articles/show/title/dyslexia-dysgraphia-and-dyscalculia-a-response-to-intervention-approach-to-classification

The pdf can also be downloaded free of charge at:

https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/79900

Key Take-Aways from this post:

• South Africa is not alone in its policies on inclusive education and the need to plan individualised support for children.

• There are both international and South African resources available which can assist in the process of planning and implementing individualised support for children.

• South Africa’s policy on ISP’s envisages that learning support is developed through a school based and collaborative process. This involves different stakeholders at school level and also takes place step by step, based on screening, identification, assessment and support.

• In linking policy and practice, each of the above steps needs to be evidence-based to be effective.  In addition, each step in the diagnostic testing process can contribute the evidence on individual children necessary to plan and implement effective learning programmes as well as effective learning support.  

• The work in which I specialise relates to diagnostic assessment, the development of individualised learning programmes (ILP’s) as well as response to intervention (RTI) assessment relating to learning needs in reading, writing, spelling and phonics, as well as mathematics. The practice also undertakes the assessments necessary to motivate for concessions and accommodations. 

What this means is that the assessments we do as educational psychologists in the practice can provide specific evidence relevant to each of the processes of screening, identification, assessment and support referred to in the policy on developing ISP’s in South Africa. We can also provide training in the methods of implementation necessary to make policy workable in practice. 

Our programme is both research and evidence-based.

Recent evidence from children who have worked with the programme is provided in two chapters, together with reviews of the research on which the programme materials are based. The links to these are as follows:

The chapter “Developing Automaticity in Children with Learning Disabilities: A Functional Perspective Part One: Theory and Assessment” can be accessed by clicking on: http://www.intechopen.com/articles/show/title/developing-automaticity-in-children-with-learning-disabilities-a-functional-perspective-part-one-the

The chapter “Developing Automaticity in Children with Learning Disabilities: A Functional Perspective Part Two: Programme Methods and Materials” can be accessed by clicking on:  http://www.intechopen.com/articles/show/title/developing-automaticity-in-children-with-learning-disabilities-a-functional-perspective-part-two-pro

Based on the results, we are offering an internet-based training course for users of our fluency-based programme. This is low cost and based on distance teaching methodologies, so it can be provided internationally. It can also be provided face to face through workshops linked to printed materials.

This is described in a separate post, which follows this one as you scroll down.

Our methods and materials are also made available at low cost to those who want to use them. There are eighty books of materials in the practice’s database, of which thirty have so far been published internationally.

This is also described in a separate post, which you can see if you continue to scroll down.

This post provides information about the types of training we provide to enable effective use of our methods and materials. This is low cost and based on distance teaching and adult education methodologies so it can be provided to programme users flexibly, as well as both locally and internationally.

Training can be organised either through distance modules supported by tutorial letters or through face to face workshops for therapists, teachers and parents.

1. If introduced through either modules or workshops, a course of training is provided in series. Each module or workshop has a theoretical and a practical side. The training is non-formal in nature and its aim is to develop both an understanding of the theory underpinning lack of fluency in reading, writing and spelling as well as practical experience in working with methods and materials which can get kids right.

2. As the aim is to develop theoretical understanding as well as practical expertise, training is presented step by step in seven modules or workshops, supported by materials. The face to face workshops can be certificated for CPD purposes.

3. The theoretical side of each module or workshop is focused on content contained in chapters on the programme, as well as video links, supporting materials and user manuals. The practical side is  introduced through practical experience in working with our methods and materials. This is supported by demonstrations and hands-on work.

4. All of the chapters on which the theoretical side of the course is based have been published internationally and are downloadable free of charge. You can get access to these via links in the sidebar, or by emailing me at pottercs@gmail.com

5. After registering for training, the written materials and accompanying links to videos can be sent to you module by module by email if working at distance, or introduced workshop by workshop if it is possible to work face to face.

6. The practical side of each module or workshop is case study based, and focused on work done with children who are poor readers. There is normally focus on children at foundation level and middle school level who are poor readers, as well as on children who have reading difficulties at either foundational. basic or intermediate reading level. Each person is asked to identify two children with whom they will be able to work on a practical level.

7. Each module or workshop in the course follows consecutively, with the aim of building on skills learned in the previous module or workshop. This means that both the theoretical and the practical sides of the course are completed in tandem, and step by step.

8. Interchangeability of distance modules backed by tutorial letters and face to face workshops backed by written handouts is based both on the non-formal nature of the course, as well as its aims. These are:

• to introduce participants to methods and materials which can be used practically in working with children
• to provide a starting point for participants who wish to work with children who are poor readers, and
• to provide enrichment and new directions to participants who are alread working with children who are poor readers.

9. As the training provided is non-formal, it does not lead to formal certification or to a certificate of competence. A certificate of attendance can be given if a workshop is being completed for purposes of CPD. Understanding of the content covered is then normally assessed for purposes of CPD through an assignment, involving completion of a short multiple choice questionnaire as well as work on practical application.

10. The aim is to link prior learning to the training provided, and the certificate of attendance is designed to be added to participants’ previous experience as well as to support new directions in the future. Certificates of attendance can also be linked to participants’ continuing professional development.

11. The focuses of the workshops supporting the course are:

• Workshop One: Developing Reading Fluency in Poor Readers.
• Workshop Two: Developing Phonemic and Phonic Skills in Poor Readers.
• Worskhop Three: Developing an Individual Support Plan: Using Profile and Error Analysis to Identify Reading, Writing and Spelling Weaknesses.
• Worskhop Four: Linking the Development of Phonics, Reading, Writing and Spelling in Poor Readers.
• Workshop Five: Developing Orthographic Transparency in Poor Readers.
• Workshop Six: Developing Writing and Spelling Fluency in Poor Readers.
• Workshop Seven: Classifying and Labelling Learning Difficulties based on Response to Intervention.

12. The focuses the tutorial letters supporting the course modules are as follows:

a. Tutorial Letter One focuses on course orientation, as well as the programme’s materials. After completing your registration and receiving Tutorial Letter One, you will receive a library of 27 reading fluency books drawn from my practice’s database, for use in your practical work with children at basic and intermediate reading levels. In addition, you will receive six activity books, for work in developing children’s in language, phonemic and phonic skills, reading and writing and level at foundational level.

b. Tutorial Letter Two focuses on work at foundational level in the programme, to support the first course module and the first course assignment. This module is based on a foundation level manual, a parent questionnaire, a checklist for assessing school and programme readiness, and a checklist for use in readability assessment. These are used for placement on the methods and materials used with children at  at foundational reading level.

c. Tutorial Letter Three focuses on work with the four core tests used in diagnostic assessment, which is the second course module and the second course assignment. This module is supported by a manual for the core tests as well as three checklists for rating different kinds of fluency-related difficulties. These are used for placement on the methods and materials used with children at basic and intermediate reading level.

d. Tutorial Letter Four focuses on work on reading fluency, which is the third course module and the third course assignment. This module is supported by a manual for the 3 x 3 Oral Impress Method, and a checklist for use in readability assessment at basic and intermediate reading levels.

e. Tutorial Letter Five focuses on assessment of phonemic and phonic difficulties, which is the fourth course module and the fourth course assignment. This module is supported by a manual on the instruments and rating scales used for assessing needs for phonic instruction, as well as needs for work in the writing and spelling fluency area of the programme.

f. Tutorial Letter Six focuses on work with writing and spelling fluency, which is the fifth course module and the fifth course assignment. This module is supported by a manual on the Seven Vowel Phonic Analysis System, which is used for developing orthographic transparency at basic and intermediate reading levels.

g. Tutorial Letter Seven focuses on work with sequential spelling difficulties, which is the sixth course module and the sixth course assignment. This module is supported by a manual on the Targeted Analysis, Revisualisation and Sequential Spelling Programme, as well the materials you have already received in previous modules of the course.

h. Tutorial Letter Eight focuses on response to intervention, which is the seventh course module and the seventh course assignment. It focuses in particular on the language and reading comprehension area of the programme, and on how fluency-based work in reading, writing and spelling relates to difficulties with reading, writing, spelling and rate of work in the classroom. This module is assessed through a final course assignment involving a detailed case study, based on your use of our methods and materials in tandem with the development of your own materials in clinical teaching with one child. The assignment also involves a questionnaire relating to the chapters on which the course is based, as well as the practical side of the work done in the course as a whole.

13. You will see from the above that the training provided is both theoretical and practical. As it is non-formal, it is  introduced either face to face or at distance through a combination of printed materials, videos, workshops and practical work. This is the best way to learn how to use our methods and materials, and to integrate these both with your prior learning, experience and the work you already do, as well as the type of work you aim to do in the future.

You are probably looking at the focuses of the training we can provide, and wondering how this can be related to your own existing commitments and work. The suggestion would be as follows:

Think of the training as flexible, non-formal and modular, involving a series of steps which can be taken through modules supported by workshops. Each of the steps focuses on use of our methods and materials, with the steps being introduced in sequence based on either face to face contact or through distance teaching methodologies.

Given this, the first thing to decide is if you want to embark on the journey. If you decide that you do, we can then negotiate your involvement in the modules or workshops and your envisaged timeline. We can also negotiate your deadlines for each workshop or module as well as each assignment step by step and one at a time.

What this means is that your training can be planned so that it is introduced flexibly so as to fit in with your other commitments. As you work through either the series of modules or workshops step by step, the aim is that you emerge at the end with experience of working with our methods and materials. It is a personal journey and the time you take along the path can vary.

Put another way, what I can do is to plan the steps with you so that your training runs consecutively step by step, with your deadlines for each step geared around your other commitments. This should be possible from my side as I know the programme, and have also run both formal and non-formal training courses before.

So if you are interested in working with our methods and materials and would like training in how to use these in your work with children, you are welcome to email me or phone me.

If you do make contact with me, we will first discuss your prior experience and the work you do as well as your aims for the future and other commitments. We can then work out a time framework and plan for your training which suits your needs. Once there is a plan, we can then involve you in workshops or in a series of distance modules step by step.

The aim is that as you complete both the theoretical and practical sides and network with other users, so your experience and expertise in using our methods and materials will grow. So email me on pottercs@gmail.com or phone me on 0027 82 330 7589, and we can then go forward from there.

I look forward to working with you.

How is Evidence used in the Programme?

A child’s individualised learning programme (ILP) is based on a number of types of evidence. It is designed through analysis of a child’s developmental, medical and school history as well as through diagnostic assessment. The aim is to link the child’s needs with methods and materials designed on the basis of evidence from research, and then to modify and update the ILP based on evidence from assessment and evaluation.

How are Assessment and Evaluation used in the Programme?

The way in which assessment is used in the programme follows the suggestions made in the Report of the National Reading Panel (2001), and in particular Chapter Three which focuses on the issue of fluency. Briefly, the National Reading Panel suggests that a number of informal procedures can be used in the classroom to assess fluency. These include informal reading inventories, miscue analysis, pausing indices, running records, and reading speed calculations. All these informal assessment procedures require oral reading of text.

As part of the diagnostic assessement process, we use an evaluation questionnaire to provide a number of indicators of reading fluency. This is then followed by more formal testing.

How are our Evaluation Questionnaires Constructed?

Our evaluation questionnaires use a number of indicators of  reading fluency, and are designed to provide evidence of needs for our reading fluency programme, as well as evidence of progress and gains made by children. They focus on the following aspects of reading fluency:

1. Word by word reading
2. Inaccurate reading of words
3. Incorrect reading of phrases
4. Incorrect phrasing
5. Slow rate of reading
6. Hesitant reading
7. Unconfident reading
8. Poor reading fluency
9. Poor reading comprehension owing to poor reading fluency.

We ask a number of initial questions, and this evidence is used to establish whether it is likely that a particular child has a fluency-related reading problem. If this is the case, more formal assessment using tests is conducted.

Once a child has worked been working on our programme for a few months, we then attempt to establish whether gains have been made. The aim is to establish whether there are observable differences in reading fluency. This is done through progress evaluation, using similar indicators.

What is the Aim of Assessment, and how does this link to Evaluation?

The aim of assessment is to get quantitative evidence concerning the child’s reading level relative to chronological age. This is then linked to qualitative evidence, based on observation of the way in which the child reads and spells. The level in the programme at which to start the child is based on a combination of observational, qualitative and quantitative evidence.

The quantitative evidence is based on tests of word reading, tests of sentence and paragraph reading, tests of one word spelling and tests of sequential writing and spelling. The qualitative evidence is based on fluency indicators and indices of comprehension, while the observational evidence is based on based on analysis of the child’s oral reading of text, using our evaluation questionnaires.

If you are a member of our network, copies of the evaluation questionnaires and a manual for our assessment procedures can be obtained from me at low cost, by emailing me at pottercs@gmail.com

How are Assessment and Evaluation Conducted?

The purpose of assessment and evaluation is to identify children who are non-fluent readers, and to attempt to establish if the reading fluency difficulty is an isolated one, or co-occurring with other reading, writing and spelling difficulties.

The reason for this is that the proportion of fluent versus non-fluent readers in any classroom varies. As the National Reading Panel (2001) suggests, some non-fluent readers have established adequate reading skills but have not established fluency in reading as they do not enjoy the experience of reading. Others may be non-fluent readers as they have not had sufficient experience of reading. Others may not have sufficient reading material available to learn to read.

Still others may have difficulties with reading and require use of reading materials which are written in a way conducive to establishing reading fluency. Others may have more deep-seated difficulties with reading requiring specialised treatment.

The purpose of initial assessment and evaluation is to try and find the reasons for a child’s lack of fluency with reading, as well as make suggestions for methods which can be used to change this pattern of behaviour. The purpose of progress evaluation is to determine the child’s response to the programme material as well as the methods used in working with him or her, as a way of determining whether or not the programme is effective.

What does this Mean on a Practical Level?

There is a practical reason for working in this developmental way, and the reason is diagnostic. Previous research indicates that in every group or classroom of children, there is likely to be about 25% of the group who are non-fluent readers (defined as children whose lack of accuracy and speed of reading interferes with the ability to complete classroom reading tasks quickly and accurately, and whose accuracy and speed of reading are below chronological age). Among the non-fluent readers, there will be a subgroup of children who have learning difficulties affecting reading, writing and spelling.

In our programme, evidence from assessment and evaluation are thus used diagnostically to establish whether the child only has a reading fluency problem, or has a broader-based learning problem. This is done over time, through action research involving test teaching.

What is Test Teaching?

Test teaching, as used in our programme, involves the use of action research in teaching. Specifically, this means the use of our methods and materials diagnostically in an action research cycle, involving:

Planning

Implementation

Observation and

Evaluation.

What this means is that parents, teachers and therapists are asked to use observation when using our methods and materials to establish whether or not improvements in fluency are taking place. Reading fluency has a number of different dimensions, and for this reason evaluation questionnaires are used to record observations of different aspects of reading behaviour. These indicators can then be linked to evidence from more formal assessment using tests, as a basis for establishing whether the programme is effective.

Why is Test Teaching Important?

Test teaching is important as not all methods and materials work equally well with all children. Both methods and materials may need to be changed, implemented using different learning strategies, or implemented more or less frequently. Additional interventions may also need to be undertaken.

Additional interventions may be needed with many children for the reason that previous research indicates that about 15% of all children have learning difficulties, and that about 9% will have difficulties which are intractable, requiring individual focus and specialised treatment. What this means on a practical level is that every classroom is likely to have a number of children with reading fluency difficulties, as well as a subgroup having additional learning difficulties.

Test teaching thus involves a process of diagnostic intervention, with the aim of establishing whether or not a particular child ’s difficulties respond to treatment, or whether more in-depth work is necessary. This is done through a cycle of action research, in which assessment and evaluation are central.

How are Assessment and Evaluation linked to Test Teaching?

In using our materials, there are two stages. The first stage of establish whether or not a child has a fluency difficulty. The next stage is then to establish whether the difficulty is an isolated one or is part of a more general pattern of learning difficulty.

Identification of needs for more specialised treatment is thus done through the evaluative process involved in test teaching using our methods and materials. Work on the child’s reading is used to establish whether or not the child’s fluency improves, or whether the child needs more specialised treatment. Where rapid improvement does not take place, this is followed by more in-depth assessment.

In Summary

Our methods and materials are designed to be used developmentally with children with reading, writing and spelling difficulties. They are used through a diagnostic process of test teaching involving:

Initial assessment and planning

Intervention focused on developing fluency

Observation based on test teaching

Evaluation of response to the intervention

Replanning, broadening the intervention, or referral for more in-depth assessment and treatment.

It will be evident from the above that our individualised learning programmes (ILP’s) are evidence-based. Both assessment and evaluation are integral to test teaching, as part of a process of action research focused on establishing whether each child’s programme is effective.

How is the programme designed?

The aims of our programme are to develop a resource of low cost material which can be used by parents, teachers and therapists to teach children to read, write and spell. This is done through the use of electronic material, all of which can be sent out by email. This makes it possible to deliver the material anywhere in the world quickly, and at low cost.

The methods and materials in the programme focus on developing basic skills and automaticity in reading, writing and spelling. Automaticity in reading is developed through use of phonically based, large print readers, the content of which can be used to teach children to read, write and spell. Automaticity in writing and spelling is also developed on the basis of phonic methods, which are used to develop the working memory skills involved in spelling individual words accurately, as well as writing and spelling words accurately in sequence.

What materials are available?

There is a core series of twenty graded reading fluency books for children who are poor readers. There are also branching series of reading fluency books at different reading levels, which can be used in working with children with reading difficulties. These are best used with manuals, which outline the methods which are likely to lead to optimal results.

In addition, there is a foundational level of materials, for children who are starting out but experiencing difficulties with establishing the relationship between sound and letters. This series consists of basic readers with accompanying activity books. These materials are best used with manuals activities are based on use of simple, low-cost equipment for introducing the sound/letter relationships with children, and also the use of a word and sentence maker with key words drawn from the foundation readers.

What methods are used in working with the programme materials?

The methods which have been found to be effective in using the programme materials are described in a series of manuals. These are made available to you once you are a member of our network.

We suggest becoming a member of our network as this will provide you with access to both training materials and workshops. These are low cost, and designed to provide you with the practical experience necessary to work with the materials effectively. Networking and trouble-shooting with others who have used the methods  effectively is also helpful. 

What methods and materials are used in working with reading fluency?

A manual for use in developing reading fluency is usually provided to you first, after you join our network. This normally takes place through involvement in working with us with children, as well as through the workshops we run with parents, teachers and therapists.

Once you have worked with at least five children on reading fluency as well as the development of phonemic and phonic skills, additional manuals detailing methods for using the materials for developing writing and spelling can also be made available to you. These are used most effectively working with support from others who have previously had success. 

The reason for this is that developing reading fluency is usually a matter of using the right combination of methods and materials, as well as persistence. Developing writing and spelling fluency is more complex, and involves the right combination of materials, methods linked to the child’s learning preferences and learning style, as well as persistence.

What methods and materials are used in working with writing and spelling fluency?

As with the methods and materials for developing reading fluency, methods and materials as well as  manuals for developing writing and spelling fluency are made available through involvement in working with us with children, or through the workshops we run with parents, teachers and therapists. The requirement for making these additional methods, materials and manuals available is usually that you have used the reading fluency methods and materials successfully with at least five children.

The reason for this is that writing and spelling difficulties are normally linked to reading fluency, phonemic and phonic difficulties as well as difficulties with working memory for both individual words and words in sequence. If you have had experience in working with reading fluency and have found our phonically-based materials and methods useful, you will also be likely to have access to both pre and post-test scores on the children with whom you have already worked, as well as additional evidence which indicates that the children’s parents have found our reading fluency methods and materials effective.

It will then be possible to build on this experience, and to develop the right combination of materials to target the child’s specific difficulties with spelling and use of written language, and then use methods linked to the child’s learning preferences and learning style. The published materials we have available are books of graded phonological referencing materials, as well as materials for developing sequential memory for words through targeted revisualisation.

These can be seen in the following section of this post. 

Materials available for use by others

There are eighty books of materials in the practice’s database. The following have been published internationally in the United States. If you look on the left hand side of home page, you will see that the titles of the books are listed with links to the publisher’s website. These are made available in the widgets bar on the left hand side of the posts made on this website.

These can be copied and dropped into your browser. Once at the publisher’s website, each book of materials is made available to you at low cost as a pdf. After download, the font size can then be adjusted prior to being printed out one-sided on A4 sized paper, and bound.  

The list of books of materials published so far is as follows. Each book has been named after one of the characters in the stories on which our reading fluency books are based. 

Materials for Phonological Referencing

Jill the Dog’s Choice: Level One Activities for Phonological Referencing (short vowels with single beginning and single ending consonants)

Jud the Rat’s Choice: Level One Activities for Phonological Referencing  (short vowels with double beginning and single ending consonants)

Doctor Skunk’s Choice: Level One Activities for Phonological Referencing (short vowels with double and triple beginning and double as well as triple ending consonants)

Max the Mole’s Choice: Level Two Activities for Phonological Referencing (long vowels based on vowel digraphs)

Mrs Squirrel’s Choice: Level Two Activities for Phonological Referencing (long vowels based on vowel digraphs)

Materials for Reading Comprehension using Partnered Paired Reading

Edna Rabbit’s Choice: Stories for Partnered Paired Reading (level one stories and comprehension activities)

The Hare and the Tortoise and Other Stories for Partnered Paired Reading (level two stories and comprehension activities)

Mrs Weasel’s Choice: Fables and Stories for Partnered Paired Reading (level two fables, stories and comprehension activities)

Mrs Fieldmouse’s Choice: Fables and Stories for Partnered Paired Reading (level three fables, stories and comprehension activities)

Miss Vole’s Choice: Comprehension and Summarising Activities for Partnered Paired Reading (level four reading, summarising and comprehension activities)

Alphonse Pink Pig’s Choice: Comprehension and Summarising Activities for Partnered Paired Reading (level five reading, summarising and comprehension activities)

Tom the Cat’s Choice: The Vikings — Factual, Inferential and Integrative Comprehension Activities (level six reading, summarising and comprehension activities)

Materials for Reading Fluency (English)

Jud the Rat and Tom the Cat

Tom the Cat Tries to Trick Jud the Rat, but Gets Very Wet and Cold

Tom the Cat Tries to be Clever, but Lands up Sick in Bed

Jill the Dog and the Shop in the Village

Jud the Rat and Max the Mole

Doctor Skunk’s Visit

Going to the Seaside

At the Beach

Jud the Rat and Max the Mole

Doctor Skunk Tries to Find his Lunch

Doctor Skunk’s Visit

Doctor Skunk’s Bus Ride

The Shop Under the Palm Trees

Jud the Rat and Sid the Badger

Sid the Badger –Bus Driver

Sid the Badger’s Test Drive

Doctor Skunk Plays Baseball

Materials for Reading Fluency (Afrikaans)

Jan die Rot en Tom die Kat

Tom die Kat Probeer om Jan die Rot te Truuk, Maar Word Baie Koud

Tom die Kat Probeer Slim Wees en Beland Siek in Sy Bed

Materials for Targeted Revisualisation

Sid the Badger’s Choice: Level One Activities for Targeted Revisualisation

Bill the Hedgehog’’s Choice: Level Two Activities for Targeted Revisualisation

Colonel Tortoise’s Choice: Level Three Activities for Targeted Revisualisation.

Models for working with the programme’s methods and materials

There are a number of different ways in which parents, therapists and teachers have worked with our methods and materials to date. In addition,  both school principals and programme administrators are currently using our methods and materials in reading centres and tutoring programmes.

There is a model for working with the methods and materials if you are parent working with your own child. There are also a number of ways in which the methods and materials can be used if you are a teacher or therapist. There are additional models of programme usage which can be used by school principals or programme administrators who wish to improve reading, writing and spelling abilities in children, and are looking for low cost and effective ways in which this can be done.

These different models for working with the programme materials are outlined in the rest of this post. Each of these approaches is evidence-based.

What evidence is used to determine the level at which to start a particular child? 

If you look on the left hand side of home page of this website, you will see that there are a number of a series of books of materials which are graded in terms of difficulty. They can be used with methods for developing reading fluency as well as methods for developing phonemic and phonic skills. There are also methods for use in developing the working memory skills involved in spelling individual words, as well as for writing and spelling words accurately in sequence.

The level at which to start each child is determined through pretesting on a battery of reading, writing and spelling tests, which yield scores as well as reading fluency indicators. These are then used to determine the child’s learning needs as well as the priorities in his or her individualised learning programme (ILP).

The development of reading fluency is usually the top priority, determining the starting point as well as level in the child’s programme. An initial book drawn from the first ten of the reading fluency books in the core series listed on the website is normally chosen to start working with a child at primary school level. An initial book drawn from books eleven to twenty is normally used to start working with a child at high school level.

Subsequent decisions on additional ebooks are then taken on the  basis of evidence from progress evaluation. Both assessment and evaluation are used to establish whether the child has improved, and also whether the child can benefit from further work with the programme materials, or additional uses of the material to develop skills in writing and spelling.

How is the programme normally used if you are a parent working with your own child? 

To access and use our methods and materials effectively, a parent will need to be working with at least one of their own children. The child will need to be diagnostically tested, and to enable this to take place, the parent will need to make contact with me based on either a teacher or a therapist’s recommendation. This is normally done by cellphone or email, supported as necessary by additional WhatsApp contact.

Based on the child’s reading, writing and spelling test scores from diagnostic testing, as well as additional evaluative evidence that the child has reading, writing and spelling difficulties, an individualised learning programme (ILP) is developed based on the child’s learning needs. The child’s parents are then provided with their first book of materials, which is normally a reading fluency book. A copy of the book can also be made available to a therapist or teacher working with the child if the parent requests this.

The programme is then implemented. Once there there are observable differences in reading fluency through use of the materials with the accompanying methods, additional areas of priority as well as additional methods and materials are added in to the child’s ILP. At this point, the child’s programme  normally involves the parent, teacher or therapist working with the child to develop a number of types of learning areas simultaneously.

At the end of a number of months’ work, the child’s progress is then assessed through post-testing, as well as through evaluation questionnaires. Based on response to intervention, the child’s ILP is then added to or extended, to enable a number of areas of learning need to be addressed. 

How can the programme be used if you are a therapist or a teacher working with a single child? 

To access and use the methods and materials with children as a teacher or therapist, you will need to be a member of our network. This means that a teacher or therapist will need to be want to work with our methods and materials with at least one child. The child will need to be diagnostically tested, and the parent will also need to make contact with me based on your recommendation. This is normally done by email, supported if necessary by cellphone contact.

As the aim of the programme is to provide methods and materials at low cost, a number of teachers and therapists are working with the practice in this way. If the teacher or therapist is initially working with only one child, the decision as to which level of the programme to place the child will be taken based on the child’s reading, writing and spelling levels, as well as additional evidence whether the child has reading, writing and spelling difficulties. 

The results reported by of parents, teachers and therapists are as follows:

After a child has worked through two books using the accompanying methodology, there are normally observable differences in reading fluency. After between six and eight books, the child is normally a fluent reader. Other areas of reading improvement then follow from there. 

The development of writing and spelling fluency is more complex, and usually takes longer. Persistence as well as the use of appropriate methods and materials for developing phonemic and phonic abilities, word analysis and working memory skills are normally needed. As with the development of a child’s reading skills, short twenty minute sessions of work are used to develop the child’s skills. Response to intervention assessment is then used to establish and quantify learning gains made, and to plan the next steps necessary.  

In summary, to work with our materials as a teacher or therapist, you will need to be a member of our network. This is enables you to learn to use our methods and materials effectively at low cost, and gain experience in how the methods and materials work. If you then decide that you wish to continue using our methods and materials materials in your work, there is normally no escalation in costs, whether you work with small numbers of children, or much larger numbers of children.

Our aim is to enable our methods and materials to be widely used at low cost, and this model works well if you a therapist or teacher who works in a practice or in a school, where you are expecting to work with at least five children over a year. Other therapists and teachers report that they are able to get the parents of the children involved in supporting their work by doing additional work at home. Using the programme materials in this way normally leads to improvements in reading fluency, with backwash effects into other reading, writing and spelling skills.

There are also other models which can be used if you are working with a large number of children (e.g. in a therapy centre or in a school environment). A suitable model can be worked out with you, once we know your needs and the particular circumstances in which you work.

How can the programme be used if you want to start a reading centre or reading programme? 

There are currently eighty ebooks, activity books and manuals in our data base. This body of material can be used as a low cost materials base if you would like to start a reading centre or a reading programme in which you work with other therapists, or teachers, or tutors, or volunteers.

In use the materials to start a reading centre or a reading programme, you will need to be a member of our network. You will also need to have experience in working with our materials yourself, or to have at least one teacher or therapist working with you who has had experience in working with our materials. This experience can then be used to train other teachers or therapists, or tutors or volunteers in how to use the materials effectively, as well as to supervise their work to ensure that our methods and materials are used effectively.

There are already a number of therapists and teachers who have started reading centres using our materials, as well as reading programmes in schools. There are also school principals, programme administrators and parents who have indicated that they wish to make a wider contribution in the area of reading, who are working to develop reading programmes both in schools and in the community.

Normally the development of a reading centre or tutoring programme involves the following steps:

1. It is necessary to involve at least one an experienced teacher or therapist who believes, as we do, in the value of using graded phonically based material in working with children with reading difficulties, and who has also seen the value of repetition in developing greater fluency and automaticity in reading.
2. This person might be yourself. Alternatively, if you are a school principal wishing to start a reading programme or a reading club in your school, or if you are a programme administrator or a person wishing to make a wider community contribution in reading, the person you identify might be a teacher who has reached retirement age but still wishes to make a contribution to children who need better reading skills.
3. Alternatively, the teacher or therapist you identify might already be working with our materials as part of an existing school programme, or working with them in a part-time context in the area of reading fluency. The important issue is that it is previous experience in working with our materials in reading fluency which is likely to drive a new programme forward.
4. The reading centre or programme does not need to have physical premises. However, there will need to be space available where work with children can be done.
5. Once these steps have been taken and suitable space for working has been identified, the next step is to work with us to develop a low cost model for using our methods and materials with the children with whom you are working. If things work well, the arrangement can then be extended. If things do not work out, the arrangement can be allowed to lapse with no costs or penalties to yourself, or any of the people working with you.

In a nutshell, there are currently eighty phonically based, large print ebooks in our data base. These are used with tried and tested methods which have been demonstrated to be effective. The aim of networking with us is to enable these methods and materials to be used widely and at low cost.

In summary

Whether you are a parent working with your own child, a teacher or therapist working with one child or with a number of children, or a school administrator or administrator of a charitable organisation or foundation wishing to make an impact on reading, writing and spelling difficulties, there should be a way of using our methods and materials at low cost to do this. If there is not one listed in this post which is appropriate to what you want to do or the type of contribution you want to make, we will try and work something appropriate out with you.

The one element which is common across all the different models is that implementation and use of our programme needs to be evidence-based. Our materials and methods have been workshopped with children who have reading and learning difficulties, and the evidence indicates that where the materials are used consistently and properly, they work well. There are publications which indicate this, and the evidence presented is consistent.

We are aware that home, school and programme contexts vary considerably. So if you wish to use our materials and you find that the models presented in this post do not coincide with the particular uses you have in mind, you are welcome to contact me by email at pottercs@gmail.com so we can take your ideas forward.

As use of our methods and materials programme is based on assessment, my next post will be on the use of evidence in the programme. This will focus on how assessment and evaluation are used to establish whether programme useage is effective.

A Network of Users 

There is a network of people currently using the programme’s methods and materials, as well as people who have used the programme’s methods and materials effectively in the past. Some are parents, some are teachers and some are therapists.

Parents normally have a child with a learning or reading difficulty, who have found out about the programme through the internet, or through a person who has used the programme materials, or through a person who works with children, or through a person who does assessments. Many of the people using the materials are based in South Africa. Some are from other countries. This is possible as the materials are electronic, and are sent out by email.

How are assessment and evaluation built into the process of using the ebooks?

The programme is assessment and evidence-based. The initial ebook in the series is chosen based on the child’s one word reading, sentence reading, one word spelling and sequential spelling test scores. The use of the book is then workshopped with the parent and the child, by a person who is familiar with the methodology and the content of the series. This process can be undertaken through the internet, but is usually best conducted by someone with whom one can interact face to face.

Parents report that the methods used to work with their children are easy to learn. The evaluation procedures are also easy to use, as they are designed to record observable differences in the child’s reading fluency.

What materials are available?

The materials are phonically regular, large print reading fluency books which are made available electronically. Once the books are printed out and bound, they can then be used for developing reading fluency, as well as for teaching the child how to read and spell.

Detailed tutorial letters and manuals as well as workshops are available to support implementation of the  programme. There are also activity books which accompany a number of the reading fluency books at foundation levels in the programme. These have been designed for children who start in the programme as non-readers, and have been used successfully with children who have not learned to read using other methods.

What does this mean in practice?

The child is placed on an methods and materials as part of an individual learning plan (ILP) which is developed  based on assessment. The child’s progress is then evaluated by the parent, as well as by others who are working with the child, or teaching the child.

Based on the evaluation, successive ebooks are then chosen and either downloaded from the publisher’s webstie or sent to the parent by email. This is done with the aim of enabling parents, therapists and teachers to get materials at a level appropriate to improving the child’s reading ability. What this means is that the aim of the programme is for children with reading difficulties can be identified early and then placed on low cost, phonically based, large print reading materials which are either delivered by email or downloaded from the publisher’s website.

The initial two ebooks in the ILP are used to establish whether the methods and materials work with the child. After completing two  books there are normally observable differences in reading fluency. Once there are  observable differences, the trick is then persistence, as after completing between six and eight books the child is normally a fluent reader.

Once a child reads fluently, there are usually many other benefits in improved reading comprehension as well as more rapid rate of work in the classroom. At this stage, work in writing and spelling fluency is normally commenced. The methods and materials used for this are linked to additional books of materials which are then worked with by the parent and child.

Can schools also use the materials?

Both schools and reading centres are currently using the materials, and report that these are effective. Therapists and teachers are also using the programme’s methods and materials.

For a school or reading centre to use the materials, a low cost model for using the material is worked out with the person working in the school or reading centre, depending on the needs of children, as evidenced by their one word reading, sentence reading, phonemic and phonic skills, as well as their individual word spelling and sequential spelling needs.

How is access to the materials arranged?

This is done personally. Our aim as a programme is to get children right, at low cost to parents as well as low cost to others working with the children. The first step is to make contact with me by email at pottercs@gmail.com  The  second step is to to work with me or join a workshop so you can try out the materials, and see if they work for you.

 

 

What is Dr Charles Potter’s reading fluency programme?

Dr Charles Potter’s reading fluency programme is a resource of large-print phonically based ebooks which can be used for developing reading fluency, phonemic and phonic skills, and reading comprehension. The materials can also be used to develop spelling and sequential writing and spelling skills.

There are eighty reading fluency books in the series in my practice’s database. The books are graded in terms of difficulty from foundational through basic to more advanced levels. There are also activity books which accompany books at the foundational level.

Since 2016, a number of the reading fluency books as well as other books of materials have been published internationally. The links to these can be found in the side-bar on the left.

What is the aim of the programme?

The aim of the programme is to promote access to materials and methodologies for developing reading fluency at low cost. This is done through providing access to the materials, through workshops as well as through a network of parents, therapists and teachers who have used the programme and found it to be effective.

What are the ebooks about?

The ebooks are a series of stories about animals. The story in each book has been developed for and then workshopped with children who have reading difficulties. Each word in each story can be phonically decoded, and the stories are written and formatted in a way which enables the book to be printed out and bound, and then read by parents, working in partnership with their children.

The books aim to develop reading skills and to entertain. Parents report observable changes in reading fluency, and at the same time indicate that their children enjoy the stories and find the characters funny. Many parents also report that they find the books amusing, despite the amount of repetition necessary to improve their children’s reading fluency.

.How are the ebooks used?

As the ebooks are designed to develop reading skills as well as entertain, they can be read for enjoyment. Their chief usage, however, has been in developing reading fluency.

The best results have been obtained where parents and their children have used the ebooks regularly in twenty minute reading sessions, and have used a repetitive paired reading method called the 3 x 3 oral impress method. A tutorial letter outlining this method is provided with the initial ebook free of charge. A workshop is normally also conducted with the parent by a skilled programme user, to ensure that the method is used correctly with the child.

Parents report that the 3 x 3 oral impress method is easy to learn and then implement. Parents also report that workshopping the method with a skilled programme user is helpful when working with the ebooks for the first time.

So how do I access the material?

Drag and drop the link to a particular book of materials into your browser. The link will then take you to the website of a publisher in the United States where you can access and download the book as a pdf.

You will see from the list of books that there are reading fluency materials, materials for developing phonemic and phonic skills through phonological referencing, materials for developing reading comprehension skills as well as materials for developing spelling and working memory for individual words and words in sequence. Each of the books has been found to be effective when used with children.

I am an educational psychologist who specialises in working with children with learning and reading difficulties. As part of this work, I have been developing a reading fluency programme based on a series of ebooks. There are eighty ebooks and supporting activity books completed so far, of which there are twenty in the primary series. The titles of the these are listed in the widgets sidebar on the left of this screen.

About the Ebooks

The ebooks have been written based on a theory of structured phonics which uses a seven vowel system for word analysis, and are used with a new form of oral impress procedure based on paired reading. This is simple to implement. It differs from the types of paired reading procedures documented in the literature, as it involves additional repetition to develop phonic associations and also builds in visual tracking. The aim is to develop automaticity in reading. This is done by providing repetition both through the text of the ebooks, as well as through the procedures used to work with children. Tutorial letters are provided for parents, and manuals for therapists and teachers. There are also evaluation procedures to establish a child’s needs as well as to establish whether the programme is effective.

Access to the Ebooks

The increasing costs of educational material are a major impediment to getting children with reading difficulties right. Our aim is to provide access to a data base of low cost materials which are effective. As the materials are in electronic form, they are being accessed by parents, teachers and therapists both locally and internationally. There is an expanding network of people involved, and our experience suggests that the materials can be used in schools and in homes, as well as at distance. The ebooks, activity books and supporting tutorial letters and manuals are provided by email, and are currently being used by the parents, teachers and therapists of an increasing number of children with reading difficulty both locally as well as in a number of other countries.

Results

The programme is based on neurolinguistic theory, and the results from assessments and parent evaluations have been very promising with both primary school age children as well as with adolescents. As a result a number of therapists and teachers are using the ebooks and other materials in our data base both to work with individual children as well as to develop reading centres. If you would like access to the reading fluency programme and supporting materials , email me at pottercs@gmail.com  so I can put you in touch with others who are using the programme, and work out what you need.

If you would like to read more about the reading fluency programme, you can access a chapter about the programme’s theory, its development and its initial results by clicking on the following link

http://www.intechopen.com/articles/show/title/using-phonically-based-e-books-to-develop-reading-fluency

The chapter was published in 2015 and reports results up the end of 2014. Since then there have been additional results as the programme has expanded, indicating its effectiveness. The chapter is published open-source, and can be downloaded free of charge. For more recent results, you are welcome to email me at pottercs@gmail.com