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 continues to build on existing visual perception skills with particular attention in this level to tracking. Student has demonstrated the ability to track from left to right and identify specific information while doing so at speed and basic hand to eye coordination has been introduced. Over the course of training in this level, the student has been able to demonstrate that they can successfully, in a specific amount of time, recognized and differentiate letters that are often confused.
Area 2 - Recall > Sequencing & Tracking
Student continues to grow their sequencing and memory skills and is becoming more proficient in their ability to recognize, sequence, remember, and track sets general shapes and groups of sixteen letters at increasing speed and smaller font size. The ability to correctly sequence 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.
Area 4 - Audio > Phonological Awareness & Memory
Student continues to build skills in the area of recognizing individual syllables and using those syllables to identify the words of increasing complexity that these syllables form. 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 has begun to visualize, and use groups of up to four shapes and manipulate those shapes to form a larger more complex object. Hand to eye coordination has been increased as well as visual perception. These skills are critical to both the reading and writing process. At this time, the student is allowed liberal time to complete the integration process.
Area 6 - Bamboozle > Eidetic Processing
Student has mastered and been able to retain a list of forty very basic irregular words of a third grade level or below bringing their total words mastered to one hundred and sixty. 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 begun to master the use of consonant blends in isolation and in words and has shown proficiency in this skill area. Multi-sensory techniques have been used in this process. 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 twelve 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.
Students who have successfully completed the forty training exercises comprising Level 4 of the MD4 Reading curriculum have successfully demonstrated a fundamental level of skills in a wide range of areas and completed one hundred and sixty exercises in total or twenty percent of the overall program. The specific skills trained can be found in the "Skills and Abilities Developed" section below. To view specific skills trained in each "Area" of the curriculum please see the “Skills Training by Area" below.