Elements for Success

The majority of children who perform
poorly in American schools first experience difficulty
in learning to read, write and spell. These “language
arts”, as they are referred to in public education,
represent the most prevalent area for learning
problems in the United States (Shaywitz et al., 1997;
Shaywitz, 1998). For most children, the struggle to
achieve success in the language arts begins in the
early years of school. Children with limited academic
achievement ultimately receive special educational
services, but usually after reading failure and/or
general academic failure have been well established
(Riley, 1994). Students typically have either a lack of
phonological awareness of a reading comprehension
problem. Current research in neuro-cognitive science
has shown that program based on brain plasticity has
provided the most efficient way for student to excel in reading.
Such programs have been linked with reading success in
the areas of reading comprehension, phonics, and decoding.
I have found that the Fast Forword program and the Cogmed
program combined with specialized tutoring is the best way
to ensure a student’s success with reading.