What is a good process for selecting a reading curriculum?
How can I determine if a reading curriculum is explicit and systematic?
You will know it is explicit if it includes step-by-step teaching points or scripts for skills such as phonemic awareness [recognizing beginning and ending sounds, counting words in a sentence, and syllables in words], making sound-letter associations, and phonics rules appropriate to the reading level in the materials.
How will I know if essential components are covered?
You will know essential components are covered when you see stories at the child’s reading level, with opportunities to read them repeatedly to develop fluency, and discussion questions that require sentence answers for opinions and facts.
You can test a selection of 100 or more words from a few of the stories against the Fry Readability scale to determine whether the materials are decodable for your students’ reading levels. Look for the absence of pictures in the samples to ensure students do not infer words from pictures.
Is it appropriate for the age of my students' especially struggling and older readers?
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If your students are older, are the story topics appropriate to interests for their age and grade level, while still being written at their reading level?
20 Minute Phonemic Training offers repeated reading story topics about friendships and rural and suburban life. Reading levels are geared to struggling readers still functioning at 2nd to 3rd grade reading level.
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As their teacher, you decide what content is appropriate. Sample a section to decide whether it will appeal to your student(s) ' age level.
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20 Minute Phonemic Training provides scripts for you to show the students how to use mouth movements with auditory and visual elements when reading and writing words.
Do the students have opportunities to practice?
Skill development takes practice. Shooting hoops, playing musical instruments, and jumping rope are no different than reading and writing. Time to practice with supervision are essential. Verify that the curriculum and the school day make this time available to students.
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With 20 Minute Phonemic Training each session scripts opportunities for practice reading, blending, segmenting, mapping sounds to letters, practicing phonic rules, and writing words and sentences.
Does the curriculum provide a means for assessing progress?
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Are tests or other tools for assessing and reporting progress included?
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Look for schedules, forms and reading materials designed for progress monitoring and reporting.​
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20MinutePhonemic Training includes writing sample analysis tools, word spelling list assessments, and stories for reading samples, along with step-by-step directions for analyzing collected student samples. Using the student samples, the educator and parent can see specific phonemes, phonics rules, and skills that are strengths and weaknesses for the individual student.
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Initial assessment, daily data, and teacher and student charting of daily results record exactly what the student knows against what they need to know to become a grade-level reader and speller.
Are there reviews or studies available that document the program's effectiveness?
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What is the source for reviews and studies?
Could there be bias?
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20 Minute Phonemic Training is based on historical, independent studies and researcher data collected from real students.
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The author lists student results from her 30 years of experience in the course and on the website.
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Independent reviews are available on Amazon.com and on Udemy.com from consumers who used the curriculum.
Does the curriculum make goal-setting simple?
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How do the initial assessments flow into lesson planning and student placement in the curriculum materials? Is the data individualized to student need? Is the data aggregated to school buildings or grade levels?
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With 20 Minute Phonemic Training, data from collected samples is easily translated into goals and objectives measured each day the child engages with the program. Goals steadily move from early foundation skills to the next skill in the growth sequence. Student daily graphs reflect their progress.
How much preparation time does it require?
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Are the materials for teaching already prepared or will the teacher need to make and prepare items for instruction?
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The summary page created from student work samples sets the stage for where to begin teaching. The manual contains lists and materials for teaching.
With 20 Minute Phonemic Training students’ daily work guide the next day’s lesson.
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Daily prep involves reading the list created from previously analyzed work samples and selecting pre-made word, sentence, and story lists included in the book 20 Minute Phonemic Training.
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In classes of 2 to 3 students, grouping students with similar profiles from their sample analyses reduces planning time.
What professional development is included?
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New curriculum requires time and assistance to become acquainted with the resources.
20 Minute Phonemic Training has an on online course available on the website. School districts can contact the author for special pricing for large groups of students to have individual access or online zoom presentations to larger groups.
What is the total cost?
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Books, workbooks, manipulatives and other materials are expensive. School districts need materials that are efficient, reliable and affordable.
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20 Minute Phonemic Training is all three.
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Place orders on the store page.
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Teaching manuals cost: 20.70 per instructor
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Student workbooks cost: 16.50 per student
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Online training course: 49.00 per student for a 4 hour training session