Academy of READING
Academy of MATH
Lesson Plans – the Third Month of Student Training
“If the reader does not recognize words quickly enough, the meaning will be lost. Although the
initial stages of reading for many students require the sequential learning of phoneme awareness and
phonic principals, fluency and automaticity in decoding and word recognition must be
acquired as well.”
-Dr. Reid Lyon
“Automaticity allows children to direct cognitive resources to comprehension. Only after a text has
been successfully decoded are readers able to focus on comprehension.”
-Shira Lubliner
OBJECTIVES
Academy of READING

Readers must learn to connect the 44 phonemes (sounds of the spoken language) with the appropriate
letter or letter combinations. In order to do this, students must develop auditory perceptual skills to be
able to hear the separate sounds in words and then map them to the correct position in the word. As
students progress through Sound Match and Visual Match training and begin the higher order skills of
Letter-Sound Match and Auditory-Visual Match training, they will develop the ability to automatically
recognize the letter patterns of words to become accurate and fluent decoders. The student’s lack of
fluency has likely been their greatest hurdle, but is essential as they make their way toward reading
proficiently and with comprehension.
Academy of MATH

The Academy of Math pedagogical model incorporates task-analysis to break skills down into simpler
components, a sequential approach to build computational fluency, and positive feedback and
motivational elements to boost confidence and self-esteem. Computational fluency allows students to
draw on mastery of concepts (Terms) to answer math operations questions (Operations), then combine
their knowledge of concepts and operations to solve high order problems (Word Problems). This
methodical approach gives students the opportunity to focus on conceptual understanding, computational
fluency, and strategic competence. As learning math is hierarchical (new skills built upon learned skills),
students are moved through their ITP’s only as they demonstrate understanding and proficiency
(mastery).
The Academy of Math - Intervention Best Practices
It is imperative that students progress through their training program at a rate that ensures proper skill
acquisition, yet with enough success and positive feedback to keep them motivated. The AutoSkill
Management System provides you many reports to determine your student areas of weakness and skill gaps.
Click on the following link to learn which reports will help you make that determination:
http://www.autoskill.com/HH06/1_jan/AoRPart2.pdf
The Academy of READING – Auditory-Visual Match Classroom Activity
Auditory-Visual Match; CVVC Letter Patterns using Vowel Diphthongs & Diagraphs
OBJECTIVE: To review the sound of diagraphs and diphthongs. This skill emphasizes the use of
diphthongs. A diphthong is a combination of one or more vowels making one sound- ow, ou, aw, ie, ei
PROCEDURE: On the chalkboard, print the word family you wish to emphasize. Begin by writing the first
line to a poem, with the final word a member of your chosen word family. Proceed by letting volunteers give
additional lines, all ending with a word of that family.
Example:
Ow
(Diphthong)
I saw a purple cow
He left my house just now
His garden he must plow
To plant his lovely flowers
Around a giant tower
Some diphthongs you may wish to utilize in this activity are:
ee :weep
ie: tied
oa: coat
ea: mean
heel
lies
coal
beam
feel
dies
goat
heat
ai: wait
pail
bail
Academy of READING – Letter-Sound Match Classroom Activity
Letter-Sound Match: Blending Words with 3 or 4 Phonemes
OBJECTIVE- To introduce the concept of blending and segmentation. The ability to blend individual
sounds indicates the students are aware of, and can direct their attention to, the component sounds in words
and reflects their understanding of the nature of the sound system. Phonemic Segmentation involves the
ability to direct and focus attention on the separate sounds in a word. The objective is to build relationships
between sounds and what word these sounds stand for or represent when put together.
Activity 1: Rubber Band Stretch
Teacher models with a large rubber band how to stretch out a word (like man) as the word is said, i.e.
“man”- mmmmmm/aaaaaaaa/nnnnnnnn/ When bringing the rubber band back to its original length, say
the word “man”. Students will then be asked to pretend to stretch rubber bands as they say the sounds in
different words. Students will try to guess the word that is being “stretched” or blended.
Activity 2: Word Segmentation
This activity can use: (a) 4 by 4 inch square pieces of cardboard with letters on them; (b) a chalk or white
board; or (c) a magnetic board and letters. The teacher pronounces a 3 or 4 phoneme word. The objective is
for the student to place or write the letter for each sound as you pronounce the word. This lesson can be
enhanced by asking the students, “What sound do you hear in the beginning? In the middle? At the end?”
Students are building these words through segmentation.
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Academy of READING – Making Modifications
If a student is having difficulty mastering a single skill and is getting frustrated, you may consider making
modifications to the students’ training assignment. If the automatic interventions combined with your efforts
to work individually with the student have not succeeded in helping the student understand how to master the
skill, the teacher can alter the mastery criteria for that single skill to allow the student to move on. This would
be done to prevent frustration reaching unacceptable levels resulting in an unmotivated student.
Be aware that any modified skill will be presented to the student again at the end of their ITP. It is possible to modify the
mastery criteria for an entire skill area, but this option should only be considered in extreme instances as it
risks reducing the effectiveness of the training.
Modifying Time Outs
 Some students require more response time in Sound Match training. If you see that a student is trying to
find the correct match by first clicking on the target sound, then clicking on the option sounds to hear the
match, you may increase the time criteria to allow the student more time to find the correct response.
 You may also want to extend the Time Out criteria when you are working with a student and listening
with them using a “Y jack” and headphones so that you can hear what the student is hearing, and provide
coaching as necessary to help them recognize the correct sound.
Modifying the Response Time Mastery Criteria in Visual Match or Auditory-Visual Match training
 When a student is meeting the accuracy mastery criteria, but is having difficulty meeting the consistent
response time criteria (three times in a row within 100 or 120 ms), it is possible to modify the response
time range (RTR). The level to which you change it depends on the range that students have had from
session to session and how quickly you want them to master the skill.
 In order to determine the appropriate modification, look at the RTR of the students last three sessions by
clicking on Show Trial Details on the Student Training Progress page. As an example, if the pace of the
student’s last three sessions were at a pace of 1100 ms, 1281 ms, and 1312 ms, take the highest number
(1312) and subtract the lowest number (1100) to determine the range of 212 ms. Modify the RTR to a
number close to the range, i.e. 200.
 When the student resumes training after modifying the skill, remind the student to strive for accuracy
looking first at the target, and then from left to right all 3 options before pressing the appropriate key; i.e.
“Target – 1 – 2 – 3 – Press”.
Making Modification for ELL/Special Education Students
 ELL and Special Education students require the closest monitoring, support, and coaching. If a special
needs student is having difficulty, it is reasonable to modify the mastery criteria to a level where the
student is experiencing success.
 You can expect that it will take longer for ELL/Special Education students to progress through their
ITP’s as it may be necessary for them to repeat skills that have been modified incrementally until the
student can work successfully at the AutoSkill Mastery Criteria.

We would like to hear from you! We hope that you have found these tips and
strategies helpful. Let us know what you have found to be effective with
your Academy students. We’d like to share your success so that other
teachers can benefit, too!
Please email Becky Jennings at
bjennings@edtechpartners.com Look for our new Best Practices section to
be coming soon at www.edtechpartners.com
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