Good Reading Instruction Gets to the Root of the Problem.
Most struggling readers aren’t lazy or incapable. They have a specific, identifiable gap in their skills that was never addressed. FocalPoint’s teachers find that gap and fix it.
What We Teach
K – 3: Early Reading Instruction
Alphabet Confusion — Early reading begins with the alphabet. Many students who struggle with reading still have confusion about certain letters: b, d, p, and q look so much alike that students interchange them even into older grades. Using three-dimensional letters, we help students overcome this confusion. When we resolve this, some students’ reading levels jump a year or more in a short time. Small Words — Many readers make mistakes on small words — of/from/for, that/what, was/saw. The reason is simple: the meanings of these words are never taught. Think about it — can you define the word “of”? When a reader has small word confusion, we teach each word in context with concrete, experiential examples. Students who have stumbled over small words all their lives can solve the problem and finally move on. Reading Comprehension — Reading is watching a movie in your head. When you sit down, open a book, and feel like you’re watching a movie, reading is fun. Many struggling readers never get to this point — and that’s why they don’t want to read. With visualization strategies, we help students get that movie started. Reading becomes fun when comprehension is real.
Grades 4 – 5: Inference and Higher Comprehension
In 4th and 5th grade, students need to develop higher vocabularies, more complex logic, and learn the conventions of writing. We are training readers to read between the lines, understand more difficult ideas, and explain themselves well. Inference — the ability to draw a conclusion from what is not directly stated — must be directly taught and practiced. Students need to read short selections designed to make them fill in the blanks. This skill is key to success in 4th and 5th grade and every grade beyond. We also strongly encourage reading at home. Make reading at bedtime a nightly ritual with young kids. Have middle schoolers do a half hour of reading before bed.
Grades 6 – 8: Middle School Language Arts
Middle school language arts students are expected to read and understand stories, dramas, and poems that increase in difficulty each year. We work directly with middle schoolers on understanding a variety of written materials and appropriately answering the questions being asked. We help them learn to compare and contrast, understand figurative language, and handle increasingly difficult writing assignments. Your student will complete their best compositions to date with our help, while learning skills that will carry them through high school and beyond.
High School: Writing and Literature
High school students are reading more complicated literature and expected to write more mature compositions than ever before — and many parents are not prepared to help with the new requirements. We help students directly with their writing projects: understanding the assignment, organizing their ideas, developing an argument, and producing polished work. Writing is the key skill for success in high school and college, and we teach it systematically.
Is your student struggling with reading or writing?
Schedule an assessment and we’ll tell you exactly what’s getting in their way.