Reading Program Questions
Once you purchase a program (or any web-app or PDF from this site), it will be available on your dashboard.
The apps are web-based, which means that they run from your browser and downloading to your computer is not necessary.
Note that you will need to be connected to the internet to run the apps.
If your child has an average or above average IQ, you should first try Blast Off to Reading. If you child is less
mature, and/or has learning difficulties (other than dyslexia), you may want to start with the I Can Fly Reading Program. Both programs
start with phonemic awareness, however, Blast Off to Reading is faster paced, covers more material (more rules, sounds and some ELA),
and is more difficult.
To teach to a classroom, we recommend using the lesson slides for the reading program you're using. You can use a Smart Board, to present the lessons.
Then you can use the program's app to review prior lessons using
the online flash cards and demonstrate word building, with the new sounds taught,
using the letter tiles (also review sounds from previous lessons). Your students should do the exercises from the book with you present.
Lastly, your students should do the activities in the web-app (at the end of the lesson, it will tell you which activities to do).
When the students are doing their lesson-based
activities, that's your time to give attention to those in need. From your teacher dashboard, you can view the students' progress metrics, to see which
lessons need more practice and instruct those students to play the activities for those lessons.
During this time, you could work with students one-on-one, going over the flash cards and using the letter tiles.
The programs are designed to build up on previous sounds and rules so that a student is not expected to know a sound or rule
if it wasn't yet taught. Thus, skipping around is not recommended. If, however, you're only using our programs as a supplement
to another program, then skipping around is fine.
The programs address both reading and spelling, since the two do go hand-in-hand. Note that the I Can Fly Reading Program does
not emphasize spelling as much as Blast Off to Reading, however, the activities in the I Can Fly Program do contain word building with
sounds and a spelling activity. The progress metrics will show the spelling score for the spelling activity.
Once the long vowel rules are taught, then students should begin reading 15 to 20 minutes a day with a proficient reader using our side-by-side method.
Read more about our side-by-side method.
This is very important as it will provide the bridge from decoding to fluency.
The OG approach can benefit any student learning to read. Students who are not dyslexic who use the OG approach will be better decoders and spellers. This is
because they will be taught all sounds and rules and will be able to decode words that they've never heard before. The OG approach isn't just phonics, it's a
combination of phonics mixed with rules and exceptions, and it's taught in a systematic, cumulative manner with a lot of review.
Read more about the Orton-Gillingham approach.
Before a student becomes fluent in reading, they must first learn to decode words. When they have aquired enough decoding
skills to read (usually after they learn the long vowel rules in our reading programs) they can begin to read books. This is
what will bridge the gap from decoding to fluency.
Read more about our side-by-side method.
Since 2016 we were able to offer our reading program apps as a courtesy by
subsidizing the cost with the sales from our books. In 2023, printing costs were significantly
increased and retailers doubled their fees. Consequently, our prices have
increased while our proceeds have decreased. In addition, costs to maintain and host our
software have also increased. We’re very sorry for this change and wish the circumstances were different.
