Fast ForWord by Program

Fast ForWord software is a suite of programs in two phases: first, cognitive reading and learning foundation, and second, specific reading skills. The first phase treats the underlying cognitive weaknesses, the cause of reading and language difficulties based on 30 years of Fast ForWord research and science, while the remaining programs -- the Fast ForWord Reading series -- develop reading skills that are now achievable due to the new higher cognitive skill level.

Your child's starting point in the reading series depends on age and current reading skill level.

Phase 1:

Strengthen underlying cognitive skills

All Gemm students start with Fast ForWord Language v2 (5-10 years of age) or Literacy (11 and up), and then advance to Language to Reading or Literacy Advanced.

These programs are building the cognitive skills required to read and learn. And yes, it is a "reading" program, but there is no text. To be a reader, first a student must be able to process and understand the language accurately and effortlessly. Fast ForWord Language and Literacy works on just that. For reluctant readers this text-free start is appealing.

Phase 2:

Develop reading skills

The Fast ForWord Reading series starts off with exercise to build fluency, spelling and grammar and then progresses through reading comprehension and finally to exercise that build critical thinking and inferential skills. The goal is automatic and effortless decoding and high level reading comprehension.

Fast ForWord is effective and fast acting, but it requires professional oversight to handle the varying and constantly changing protocol choices required to maintain your child's interest and to make the most of the time available. Please call for Fast ForWord cost info.

Fast ForWord Program Descriptions

Fast ForWord Language v2

The goal of this program is to build fundamental cognitive skills to function efficiently at natural language speed. Those skills include processing speed (the processing speed exercise Sky Gym and its predecessor Circus Sequence are famous in clinical circles), attention stamina, working memory and sequencing. There are seven adaptive exercises that work together and individually. It takes 4-12 weeks to complete.

Fast ForWord Language to Reading v2

Developing the link between spoken and written language. It adds syllables in text from to the mix, and continues to target fundamental reading and learning skills in an effort to correct any weaknesses that will impede reading success. It aims to take essential learning skills as far as they will go. It can also take 4-12 weeks to complete. Jumper Gym is the next level of Sky Gym, eventually reaching five sounds that must be remembered in order, all at lightning speed of natural language. The four remaining exercises are versions of Language v2 with written words added to the mix.

Fast ForWord to Literacy and Literacy Advanced

These are age-appropriate versions of Fast ForWord Language and Language to Reading, designed for middle and high schoolers. Literacy has a cool, space age feel to it, to keep middle and high schoolers engaged.

The goal of Literacy and Literacy Advanced is to improve language processing so that a student can automate decoding, to make an exhausting reading style more efficient, freeing up brain capacity for much stronger reading comprehension. Children doing Literacy tend to have quicker gains than younger children because the automating process is relatively quick, just a month or two.

Fast ForWord to Reading 1-5

The Fast ForWord reading program is a series of reading instruction programs that only loosely correlate to grade level. Reading 5 is far advanced beyond a fifth grade reading level. Almost all Gemm students complete at least one Reading program before graduating.

Reading 1 and 2

Reading 1 and 2 work on early foundational skills such as vocabulary, spelling, fluency of sight words and reading accuracy in sentence comprehension. Each exercise is engaging, hosted by its own colorful character. Children are able to work through the material at their own pace. The primary goal here is reading fluency.

Reading 3-4

These two programs focus on reading comprehension skills, both reading accuracy, taking in the main points of a sentence or paragraph and the ability to start make inferences. They also have vocabulary building, spelling and syntax exercises, along with continued language instruction working on metalinguistics, a dexterity with language required for higher level learning.

Reading 5 is an open-ended program that pushed many thinking skills as far as they will go, well beyond a 5th grade level. This program has comprehension and passage completion exercises that work on critical thinking, drawing inferences and abstract reasoning -- higher level reasoning and thinking skills required in reading and writing. We use this program in our ACT and SAT test prep program .

Each program in the Reading series takes 4-8 weeks.

Fast ForWord Basics

Develops early learning skills for 4-7 year olds. This is a bridge program, along with Fast ForWord Reading Prep, that prepares young children for Fast ForWord Language v2.

Inside the Tummy is a game that develops visual attention and hand-eye coordination skills. Flying Saucer and Drag Racer work on auditory attention and discrimination skills. Our pre-K children spend 30 minutes or so a day, three days a week on this program.
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