SOI Basic Reader

Do you have students who have trouble reading? This program could be your answer!

Basic Reader is a complete reading program designed for elementary age students who are struggling with reading. There are three major causes of reading difficulties: students do not have the necessary perceptual skills; students are not ready cognitively; or the teaching method does not match the students learning style.

Basic Reader addresses all of these causes and helps students read better in five easy steps.

The goal of this program is to enable students to read. To reach that goal, we need to achieve these enabling objectives:

• Insure that students are not struggling visually
• Establish each student’s predominance for learning
• Focusing on that predominance and develop prerequisites to reading
• Return student to formal reading instruction, prepared to learn

Step 1. Vision Screening Exercises

Reproduce the six vision screening pages found in the Vision Screening packet. These tests are visually demanding. It is your job to observe the student’s behavior during the process and fill out the observation checklist.

Correct and evaluate the student’s completed exercises using the answer key. This will help you determine whether the student has the necessary vision skills to process information on a written page. The back cover of the Vision Screening wraparound has the criteria for passing each exercise.

If you have observational evidence of vision processing problems, consult with SOI before proceeding with the Basic Reader test.

Step 2. Administer the Basic Reader Test

Every student who passes the vision screening exercises takes this test. It can be administered in a group or individually. To implement the test, you will need one test per student and the administration manual. Once the student has taken the test, score it using the answer keys provided.

Using the information listed on the back two pages of the test, determine the student’s predominate learning style. This will indicate the most appropriate path for reading.

Step 3. Choosing the Best Learning Path

The Basic Readers test reveals each student’s predominant mode for learning: Figural, Symbolic or Semantic. Once the learning style has been defined, write it on the cover of the student’s workbook for future reference.

Step 4. Reading Preparation

The reading preparation portion of this program consists of both computer and workbook exercises. Every student needs a student workbook, and the Basic Reading computer program should be installed on the student computers.

There are four computer exercises that all students do first: Same and Different Small Shapes, Aiming Your Eyes, Finding Letters, and Looking for Shapes.The remaining computer exercises are grouped according to the student’s learning style. Each student should be assigned to the group (figural, symbolic, or semantic) that matches his or her learning style. The inside cover of the workbook lists all the computer exercises for each type of learner. Students should check off each module as it is completed.

The workbook exercises are done concurrently with the computer modules. Every student should do all of the workbook exercises.

Step 5. Reintroducing Reading Instruction

When a student has completed the reading preparation phase, he or she is ready for formal reading instruction. We recommend that the instruction take place with a reading specialist, keeping in mind the information about the student’s learning style.