The Progress & Performance of cognitive and phonological training for this level of the MD4 Reading program are shown below by training area. To view all skills trained in each individual area please see the "Skill Training by Area" below.
Area 1 - Optic > Visual Perception
Student has demonstrated moderate degree of skill in accurately perceiving the difference between dissimilar types of visual information of average complexity. In this level of training revolves around the recognition of letters that are often confused and the ability to recognize these letters in a short period of time.
Area 2 - Recall > Sequencing & Tracking
Student has demonstrated that they can accurately track and remember strings of letters and identify those letters in the correct order as significant speeds. This accomplishment demonstrates skill in sequencing, visual memory at a moderate level and some hand to eye skills. The ability to correctly sequence information beyond simple letters continues to grow and the student is demonstrating these abilities at a higher level of difficulty and complexity and in a shorter amount of time.
Area 3 - Array > Visual & Auditory Memory
Student continues to build strength in strengthen their immediate, short term and long term visual sequential memory and demonstrated that they have an initial ability to retain three pieces of information that they have seen only once for a limited amount of time and replicate that data in its correct sequential order three times while experiencing distraction. Iso-sensory techniques have been employed in this process. To the untrained eye it may appear that an inordinate amount of time is being spent on the retention of three pieces of information, however this foundation and the unflinching strength in this area is critical for greater memory capacity at a higher level. This repetition also serves to build confidence in the student’s memory abilities.
Area 4 - Audio > Phonological Awareness & Memory
Student continues to build skills in the area of recognizing individual syllables and using those syllables. Student has demonstrated a stronger ability to use syllables that they have heard to form real phonologically regular words. Multi-sensory tool are being employed to assist in this process. Student may not be completely independent in this area at this time but are beginning to gain proficiency that can be translated to other words containing the same syllables.
Area 5 - Tactile > Visual Motor Integration
Student continues to demonstrate more sophisticated skills in the area of moving an object to a specific place in space and repeating that process to form a larger, more complex object. These skills are critical to both the reading and writing process. At this time, the integration process is growing but not maximized.
Area 6 - Bamboozle > Eidetic Processing
Student has mastered and been able to retain a list of forty irregular words of a fourth grade level bringing their total words mastered to two hundred and forty. Student has not been allowed to misspell these words and has been strictly restrained from ingraining incorrect spellings. Multi-sensory techniques have been employed in this process.
Area 7 - Harmony > Phonics
Student has achieved some skill in the recognition and use of diagraphs and has reviewed and become more fluent in long and short vowels as well as consonant blends. The understanding and use of consonant blends is critical to fluency and the student will receive additional training in this area.
Area 8 – Swift > Fluency
Student continues to build reading speed and comprehension by reading sentences three times at increasing speeds and answering comprehension questions about the material read. Three hundred sentence readings have been completed in this level with eighteen hundred sentences completed overall. This process also incorporates the phonics principles trained at this level. Student is not yet reading fluently but is gaining speed without sacrificing comprehension.
