Reading Comprehension Program

How Gemm Develops Grade Level Comprehension

Gemm changes the reading dynamic by first building a secure cognitive foundation, then grade level appropriate reading fluency. Next we develop reading comprehension.

Once your child is able to decode effortlessly and the thinking brain is able to devote its effort to what is being read, your child must be able to make sense of the text.  This requires:

--Familiarity with vocabulary and language structures

-- The ability to think while reading, providing context and awareness

Gemm Learning uses grade-appropriate exercises in the Fast ForWord reading series to develop these skills.  We design a customized program based on your child's current needs and reading level.

Familiarity with Language

Many children gain command of language in early life as crystal clear auditory processing enables them to learn by absorbing what they hear.

Unfortunately, for many students this process is incomplete.

While the software we use in the cognitive foundation building phase helps students absorb more. We also aid this process in a reading context using the Fast ForWord reading series.  It works on two major aspects of language:  grade-appropriate vocabulary, and language structure including grammar.
More on Fast ForWord Reading

Thinking While Reading

Accomplished readers think while they read. They are comparing the text to their understanding of the world. For most our students, this is a new challenge.

The Fast ForWord reading program forces students to think while reading -- categorization exercises, matching pictures to text descriptions, and organizing sentences correctly based on narrative structure's content.

Reading Enjoyment!

Ultimately, Gemm Learning's goal is to make reading more enjoyable for our students.

We automate decoding in order to make reading less exhausting.  Then we develop essential reading comprehension skills, so that your child is able to make sense of the text.  At this point, the potential exists for books to become interesting, engaging and yes, even fun!

Last Step: Metacognition

The final step in mastering reading is metacognition, the ability to read critically and self-correct as you go.
Reading Comprehension With Metacognition