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 laid the foundation for accurate visual perception that is critical for fluent reading. 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 has laid the foundation for the accurate sequencing of information and has demonstrated that they have the ability to recognize and retain the sequence of the letters of the alphabet, under the pressure of time, regardless of whether the letters to be remembered is the first, last or middle letter of a sequence.
Area 3 - Array > Visual & Auditory Memory
Student has begun to strengthen their immediate, short term and long term auditory sequential memory and demonstrated that they have an initial ability to retain three pieces of information that they have heard only once for a limited amount of time and replicate that data in its correct sequential order three times while experiencing distraction.
Area 4 - Audio > Phonological Awareness & Memory
Student has begun to recognize that words are broken into syllables and is acquiring the ability to use syllable to create and duplicate words they have heard. Multi-sensory tool are being employed to assist in this process. Student may not be completely independent in this area at this time
Area 5 - Tactile > Visual Motor Integration
Student is working to recognize shapes such as squares, triangles and parallelograms and has achieved a basic ability to orient those shapes correctly in order to duplicate data that they are seeing. At this time the integration process is limited to three individual shapes with clear outlines.
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. 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 basic principles of vowels, specifically short vowels, and the sounds associated with those vowels. Multi-sensory techniques have been used in this process. The understanding and use of vowels is critical to fluency and the student will receive additional training in this area.
Area 8 – Swift > Fluency
Student has been exposed to the concept of reading at a specific speed and comprehending as well as remembering what they have read. This process also incorporates the phonics principles trained at this level. Three hundred sentence readings have been completed in this level. Student is not yet reading fluently but is beginning to understand what fluency entails.
Students who have successfully completed the forty games comprising Level 1 of the MD4 Reading curriculum have successfully demonstrated a basic level of skills in a wide range of areas and completed five 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.