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Dyslexia Reading Programs
— Evidence-Based Online Software With Oversight
Our reading curriculum for dyslexia addresses the causes of dyslexia, then trains reading fluency and comprehension.
Start With The Cause: It’s Almost Always Processing
Until you address the impediments causing the dyslexia, learning to read will be a challenge. That’s where our dyslexia reading programs start. For most dyslexic individuals, that cause of difficulty is language processing, which hinders:
- Phonemic awareness, the key to phonics and reading fluency,
- Language comprehension, which ultimately affects reading comprehension, and
- Related skills, such as working memory and attention.
You want to know how to help your child with dyslexia at home, and the most common advice is to get a tutor. However, even if that tutor has a reading curriculum for dyslexia, it’s reteaching that addresses the symptoms, not the problem. The answer is to strengthen the brain’s capacity to process and retain language in the first place.
What Gemm Learning Does Differently
Gemm Learning provides evidence-based online reading programs for dyslexia that use intensive, adaptive algorithms to push the brain to process fast enough and accurately enough to build phonemic awareness, phonics mastery, and, eventually, reading fluency.
Our primary dyslexia reading program is neuroscience-based Fast ForWord software. Our differences are:
- We treat the root causes of dyslexia, not “more of the same” that isn’t working at school.
- We provide proactive coaching. You are not left alone.
Fast ForWord is backed by 300+ studies, 700 white papers, and 80 patents. The software has helped 3 million students in 45 countries. Our students average 2+ years of reading gain in ~6 months.
Gemm Learning has been providing dyslexia programs at home since 2006, serving children, teens, and adults.
Research Snapshot
| Study | Stanford University |
|---|---|
| Published | National Academy of Sciences |
| Key Finding | Neural deficits in children with dyslexia ameliorated by Fast ForWord software using pre- and post-fMRI. |
| Why It Matters | Proves efficacy of Fast ForWord for dyslexia. |
| Read More | Read study summary |
The Science Behind Our Dyslexia Treatment
The brain is an amazing matching machine when processing is accurate.
We understand language using our auditory word memory. The brain (amazingly) can map virtually every word in a text to a word in auditory memory when the auditory word exactly matches the text. That makes reading automatic and effortless.
However, reading is challenging when auditory word memory does not match the text due to weak processing skills. For instance, when /bend/ is heard as /ben/, /bend/ in text form is not recognized; there’s no match, and so the reader has to guess.
This is why reading is so exhausting for individuals with dyslexia. Too many words are not fully recognized.
Consequently, individuals with dyslexia cannot fully rely on auditory word memory, so they first memorize, guess, or scan the words they know. This shows up on fMRI scans as scattered, inefficient, and exhausting brain activity. while reading
Our dyslexia reading programs improve processing speed and accuracy to “clean up” auditory word memory, the gateway to effortless reading.
The Research & Our Results
Dyslexia was believed to be a fixed learning disability due to the misconception that the brain is hardwired. However, the discovery of neuroplasticity in the late 1970s by scientists including Dr. Michael Merzenich—subsequently confirmed by fMRI scans in the 1990s—proved that the brain can change with training.
After linking dyslexia to weak language processing, Dr. Merzenich and Dr. Paula Tallal developed Fast ForWord. Based on the theory that improving language processing boosts reading, the software’s effectiveness has been validated by over 300 studies worldwide, including research by Stanford, Cornell, and Johns Hopkins.
fMRI scans consistently show that using our evidence-based reading curriculum for dyslexia generates new activity in the brain’s language regions, mimicking efficient readers. These findings are further supported by our consistently positive results for clients since 2006.
Gemm Learning Case Studies
Real stories, compelling results. Read more case studies here
Dyslexia
Amber
Age: 11
Location: Idaho
Diagnosis: Dyslexia
Results
In one year, Amber moved to reading at grade level (3+ years of gain during her time at Gemm Learning) and now has the confidence to assist other students.
ADHDDyslexia
Sam
Age: 11
Location: Alberta
Diagnoses: ADHD, Dyslexia
Results
Samuel struggled with dyslexia and ADHD. He felt embarrassed reading to the class, and so he avoided participating. Today, Samuel is reading with confidence and enjoyment, and his social life is much fuller.
ADHDDyslexia
Antonio
Age: 7
Location: Maryland
Diagnosis: ADHD, Dyslexia
Results
Antonio made enough progress to avoid summer school. His reading has improved significantly, and his test results meet the school’s expectations.
Our Reading Curriculum For Dyslexia
Drawing from the 9-program Fast ForWord series, we will create an individualized protocol for you or your child. Our dyslexia program for a 2nd grader looks quite different from a dyslexia program for a 5th grader, but the underlying science and methodology of the dyslexia treatment is the same, in three overlapping phases:
Phase 1: Build Core Skills in Systematic Tiny Steps
- Auditory processing for phonemic awareness and phonics.
- Working memory and sequencing for comprehension.
- Attention control to sustain focus and resist distractions.
The software works well as an at-home dyslexia reading curriculum for anxious readers because it is adaptive: it tries to move the student forward but slows down after consecutive errors. In addition, in the first month or so, the program is all sounds and language. There’s no text, and so for children with dyslexia, it doesn’t feel like a dreaded reading program, a source of anxiety.
By the time the exercises introduce text along with language, the expectation is that the child’s language processing will have advanced enough to handle it.
Phase 2: Make Decoding Automatic
The next set of exercises for most students in our dyslexia intervention program adds text into the mix – syllables, words, and short sentences to strengthen:
- Decoding accuracy and speed.
- Automatic recognition of spelling patterns and language syntax.
- Grammar and vocabulary so that the text makes sense.
Phase 3: Boost Comprehension
The final phase of the intervention, using Fast ForWord, ClearFluency and/or Reading Plus, aims to build comfort with reading so it feels interesting and engaging. Exercises include:
- Making inferences and thinking while reading.
- Reading stamina for longer passages.
- Guided reading practice, building reading speed.
Expected Timing of Results
Many families start noticing changes within 4–8 weeks – small but meaningful shifts, such as choosing to read more often or receiving new positive feedback from teachers.
Our internal pre- and post-testing around the 6-month mark shows an average reading gain of over 2 years in 6 months.
Parents typically report gains while on the program, such as a greater willingness to read, faster reading, better comprehension, and reading stamina. We also get consistent reports of improved focus, less time needed for homework, and more confidence.
In the years following program completion, as higher-level skills click into place, parents often report better grades, higher self-esteem, a better social life, and learning independence.
Software Has Precision Teachers Can’t Match
Many online reading programs for dyslexia have exercises that mimic reading instruction – phonics drills, word lists, and reading practice. Our programs are different. The exercises focus on the “how” of reading and learning, not the “what.”
The software leads the brain toward higher-order functions in tiny, manageable increments, using patented algorithms that adapt and respond to the student’s progress. The precision of progress in lifting processing speed and accuracy is beyond what humans can replicate.
- The patented slowed-down speech and sounds provide an access point for all students, helping them pick up rapid sound transitions within words.
- For example, your child might hear /brand/ as /ban/ at natural language speed. The software slows the word down and stretches it out so your child can pick up the /r/ and /d/ – /b-r-a-n-d/. Then the software speeds up at the student’s pace, in precise tiny increments, eventually getting to phonemic awareness, being able to hear /b-r-a-n-d/ at natural language speed.
- The exercises identify and address processing-related skill gaps, such as working memory, that tutors may not see.
Adaptive Exercises Keep Students Pushing Forward
Fast ForWord dyslexia programs are designed to engage students, session after session. The exercises use score counters, sounds, animated rewards, and lots of on-screen movement.
The adaptive exercises keep students in a sweet spot that isn’t too easy (boring) nor too hard (frustrating). Adaptivity also means a child can work independently, without getting stuck. Students also receive verbal encouragement when they make mistakes.
Because of the adaptivity, many children get their first taste of academic success. Being “good at Gemm Learning” is a source of pride – it’s getting harder, but they are keeping up.
Why Oversight Makes the Difference
Reading programs for dyslexia like this can be life-changing, but they represent a commitment. The exercises target the exact skills your child finds difficult, which can lead to a variety of reactions.
If your child is pushing back or struggling, we see it in the daily numbers and will contact you. Gemm Learning staff have helped thousands of children since 2006. We use this experience to adjust assignments and suggest adjustments to your at-home routine.
We monitor daily, check in regularly, and intervene with virtual sessions as needed. This proactive oversight is a major contributing factor to our high success rate.
It is a powerful program to change my son’s dyslexia. Within the first couple of weeks my son noticed improvement in his reading ability, he also stated that he wanted to read more and that he experienced less fatigue in his time reading. I think that this program alone allowed him to raise his ACT score 4 points”
Programs Vary By Age
The Fast ForWord series of reading programs for dyslexia starts with Foundations I and II for elementary age, and Elements I and II for teens and adults. These programs share the same cognitive research and neuroscience, but the exercises look quite different.
All Gemm Learning students start with cognitive training that includes vocabulary and language exercises, and then move to age-appropriate reading exercises. Their path through these exercises varies significantly by age and ability.
- Dyslexia programs for elementary students – typically 3-4 months in the language and cognitive programs.
- Dyslexia programs for middle school and older students – graduate more quickly to comprehension and critical thinking.
Our average student takes 6-8 months. The following sections outline what to expect from our dyslexia intervention programs by age group.
Dyslexia Reading Programs for Elementary Age
Our protocols for 1st graders and 2nd graders focus on the fundamentals of phonics – mainly mastering phonological awareness. Whereas 3rd-, 4th-, and 5th-graders spend more time one step further along, focusing on decoding words, vocabulary, and grammar.
- Core Focus: Language processing, working memory, sustained attention, and language skills in Foundations I and II, moving to fluency and basic reading comprehension in Reading 1 and 2.
- Goal: Make reading easier so the child is more willing to read. Reading practice is the key to reading proficiency.
Dyslexia Reading Programs for Middle & High School
Older children and teenagers face different challenges as schools transition from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” Traditional reading programs often fail to engage older students because they lack novelty or use childish formats.
The Fast ForWord program addresses these unique needs:
- Automaticity: The primary goal shifts to reading automaticity, which improves reading speed, comprehension, test-taking skills, and reading stamina (because reading is less exhausting).
- Age-Appropriate: Elements I and II use age-appropriate graphics.
- Accelerated Algorithm: The adaptive exercises use a steeper trajectory to enable older students to progress more quickly.
- Advanced Skills: The focus is on advanced comprehension skills, such as inferential thinking, sentence completion, and metacognition.
FAQ on Our Reading Programs For Dyslexia
What makes a reading intervention effective for students with a learning disability like dyslexia?
Reading instruction amounts to extra reading practice. It does not address the sources of difficulty, but rather works around them. By contrast, reading interventions for dyslexia, like Fast ForWord software, address the cognitive skill gaps that cause dyslexia – particularly language processing, working memory, and attentiveness – aiming to reduce or eliminate dyslexia symptoms permanently.
How long does the program take?
Most students with dyslexia need 6-8 months, depending on age, goals, and severity of delays. After the primary at-home dyslexia intervention, Fast ForWord, Gemm Learning offers Reading Plus or ClearFluency, which are guided reading programs that focus on reading fluency and speed, to help cement the gains from Fast ForWord. Students who take advantage of these programs will need more than 6-8 months.
What equipment do we need to start?
All you need is an internet connection, a computer or iPad, and inexpensive over-ear headphones.
Does this work for teens and adults?
Yes. The brain remains plastic throughout life. In fact, our teen and adult students tend to see faster results than younger students, as they have already done much of the hard work of processing the sounds of language. Our programs help make that processing automatic. Automaticity makes reading easier and faster while freeing up the brain for comprehension. Older students also tend to progress quickly through the reading-specific dyslexia programs, working only on the vocabulary, language syntax, and spelling conventions they have not yet internalized.
Online reading intervention vs traditional tutoring?
Tutoring helps manage the symptoms of dyslexia primarily by reteaching reading, which already isn’t helping much at school. Our evidence-based reading programs for dyslexia target the cognitive skill gaps known to cause dyslexia. We aim to be a one-time program that improves cognitive and reading skills in a profound and lasting way.
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