Reading Program

Purpose

To address learning challenges and enhance reading, spelling, and handwriting skills by helping individuals stabilize their perceptions, manage perceptual disorientation, and use specific techniques to improve fluency and comprehension.

Age

Suitable for children with a maturity level of age seven and up, extending through adults

Length of Program

Approximately 30 hours, typically given over the course of five consecutive days, with unlimited follow-up consultation included.

Outcome

By the end of the 30-hour facilitated program, participants will have learned and become comfortable with all the mental-focusing tools provided. Older children and adults usually see marked improvements in reading effort, accuracy and speed within this one-week timeframe, often advancing by three or more reading grade levels.

For very young children, progress might be more gradual. Post-program follow-up at home is essential in order to continue advancing over the months following the initial facilitated program.

Develops

Fluency
Achieving mastery of sight words, developing smooth left-to-right eye-tracking, enhancing vocabulary recognition, and progressing from phonetic decoding to whole-word recognition for smoother reading

Comprehension
Improving listening and reading comprehension, mastering punctuation, understanding story and essay structures, and using intention to retain information from the first readthrough.

Memory & Spelling
Employing strategies to store information in long-term memory and utilizing study techniques tailored to different learning styles.

Editing
Refining skills in self-correction of omissions, spelling and grammatical errors, punctuation use, and enhancing descriptive writing.

Positive Thinking
Fostering a relaxed and positive mindset to maximize learning potential, recognizing and releasing stress before it leads to frustration during reading, and implementing strategies to reduce test anxiety.

Reduces

• Inconsistencies in reading performance (knowing the material one day and not the next)
• Anxiety, headaches, dizziness, stomachaches or tears related to reading difficulties
• Fatigue
• Guessing at words
• Rushing and making careless reading errors
• The experience of words seeming to move on the page
• Inaccurate or inconsistent pronunciation
• The need to re-read for comprehension
• Slow, laborious phonetic decoding of words
• Reversals
• Eye-tracking issues
• Distraction while reading
• Test anxiety

• Negative feelings towards reading tasks

Reading Program Tools

The Programs provided at Rocky Point Academy get to the root of learning challenges. Each client leaves with a “tool box” The following are a list of tools that may be provided.

Click the pictures below to see a larger version of the tools' descriptions.

Orientation Procedure

This procedure corrects inaccurate perceptions in vision, hearing, balance, movement, or time. It assists in maintaining a focused state, reading and comprehending printed text, accurately processing spoken words, and enhancing activities that involve coordination or social skills.

Dial

The dial empowers the client with conscious control over their energy levels, allowing them to adjust to the most appropriate level. This technique is beneficial in social or learning environments for effective communication or productivity. Additionally, it provides the ability to manage frustration or anxiety. As an extra advantage, it can also be applied to improve sleep and performance in sports!

Release

Release is a tool crafted to alleviate frustration and anxiety, improve sleep quality, and simplify learning. Intentionally "releasing" boosts blood flow and oxygen to the brain, enhancing creativity, problem-solving abilities, and energy levels. It makes learning smooth and effortless.

Symbol Mastery

Brain scans reveal that the processes of creating and learning are so intricately connected that they trigger the same brain activity. Language and mathematics consist of many symbols, including letters, punctuation marks, words, numerals, math operation symbols, and more. Mastering these symbols in clay ensures clarity and removes any confusion, providing a solid foundation for language development, including reading, writing, and expressive and receptive language. It also enables a student to confidently determine what the equation is asking for in mathematics, providing clarity in solving problems.

Neural Network Development

Kinaesthetic and balance exercises are utilized to strengthen the neural network involved in maintaining a focused state, accurately processing information, and staying engaged in tasks.

Reading

When reading is dissected, it involves numerous essential components. Some of the key elements we focus on include:
• Eye tracking exercises
• Transitioning from decoding skills to reading fluency
• Increasing accuracy and decreasing inconsistency
• Vocabulary development
• Comprehension strategies
• Retention techniques

Writing

The components of writing encompass several key elements that contribute to the creation of coherent and effective written communication. These components include:
• Legibility: We address various potential causes of illegible writing, such as stress, pencil grip, underdeveloped fine motor skills, multiple mental pictures, incomplete neural networks, and unawareness of letter height, shape, space, or angle.
• Planning and Organization: Structuring ideas logically and creating visuals to guide the writing process.
• Grammar and Syntax: Using correct grammar, sentence structure, and punctuation to clearly express one's ideas.
• Vocabulary: Employing a rich and appropriate vocabulary to vividly express ideas.
• Spelling: Recognizing inaccuracies and developing strategies for retaining correct spellings.
• Clarity and Coherence: Ensuring that ideas flow logically and are easy to understand.
• Revision and Editing: Reviewing and refining the text to enhance clarity, coherence, and correctness.

Concept Mastery

Entails the development, exploration, and application of essential life concepts. These foundational elements are crucial for all learning, behavior, and productivity. They are also the foundations for all math. Mastery of these concepts aids in:
• Effective planning and organization
• Task initiation
• Enhancing flexible thinking
• Sustaining focus
• Boosting working memory
• Advancing time management skills
• Strengthening impulse control
• Improving social skills
• Building self-motivation
• Increasing the ability to understand and think mathematically

Auditory Fine-Tuning

This process is specifically designed to ensure precise perception across all senses, enhancing receptive and expressive language, communication, balance, and motor skills.

Concentration Bubble

A visualization tool designed to enhance intention and focus. It can also be valuable for reducing anxiety and increasing confidence when presenting to others.

Mindset Modification Tool

The importance of mindset lies in its profound impact on how individuals perceive and respond to situations, especially for nonverbal learners who perceive pictures so vividly. When one begins to recognize and alter an unproductive mindset quickly and easily, it will:
• Enhance Learning: Facilitate better understanding and retention of information.
• Boost Confidence: Increase self-assurance by overcoming limiting beliefs and embracing challenges with a positive outlook.
• Improve Problem-Solving: Enable more creative and efficient problem-solving by approaching situations with an open and flexible mindset.
• Reduce Anxiety: Minimize feelings of stress and anxiety by reframing negative thoughts and focusing on constructive perspectives.

Organizational Strategies

Choose from a variety of organizational strategies to effectively arrange binders, bills, clothing, paperwork, crafts, collections, and more. Organization is proven to:
• Increase Productivity
• Reduce Stress
• Enhance Efficiency
• Improve Focus
• Foster a Positive Environment

Study Strategies

A range of study strategies and memory techniques are examined, enabling clients to select the ones that suit them best. Study strategies are essential because they:
• Enhance Learning Efficiency
• Boost Retention
• Improve Focus
• Build Confidence
• Encourage Independence

Mind Mapping

We offer a unique spin on mind mapping by adopting a more visual approach that incorporates Accelerated Learning Techniques, including brain accessing patterns. Some key advantages include:
• Boosts Creativity
• Enhances Memory
• Improves Organization
• Facilitates Problem-Solving
• Increases Productivity

This versatile tool can be used in studying, writing, planning large projects, and organizing thoughts.

Test-Taking Strategies

Test-taking skills: Discover how to enter an exam feeling positive and relaxed; how to prepare for various types of exams (such as multiple choice, essay, and fill-in-the-blank); and explore tips to effectively access memory while taking the exam itself.

Managing Bullying

Managing Bullying: We hope that our children never have to experience this, but reality tells a different story. These techniques have proven highly effective in reducing and eliminating bullying.

Visual Spatial Learning Techniques

Visualization is a potent technique that can be utilized in different areas of life to boost performance, enhance well-being, and attain personal success. It is particularly beneficial in scenarios such as: learning spelling words, overcoming phobias, retaining memory, and enhancing skills in sports and public speaking.

Music Mastery

Music notation functions as its own language, bringing with it a unique set of symbols for individuals to learn. Similar to words, these symbols can create confusion and lead to disorientation, making it a frustrating process. By employing the symbol mastery process, these symbols are given meaning, allowing clients to "read" music more effortlessly.

Writing

Our math exercises start at kindergarten level and progress to the client's current grade level, filling in any gaps along the way. Manipulatives/clay are used to ensure each developmental concept is understood rather than memorized. Exploring mathematical symbols through symbol mastery (see symbol mastery tool) helps resolve confusion in written equations. The areas addressed include:
• Arithmetic: The study of numbers and the basic operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, including decimals and fractions.
• Algebra: Involves variables and the rules for manipulating these symbols to solve equations and understand mathematical relationships.
• Geometry: Focuses on the properties and relationships of shapes, sizes, and figures, including concepts like points, lines, angles, surfaces, and solids.
• Trigonometry: Deals with the relationships between the angles and sides of triangles, and the functions derived from them.
If a student is in high school, we can progress into higher level math. Although a client may have great ideas and information about a topic they often struggle getting it down in a logical and acceptable structure. Seeing the structure in a clear, visual manner helps organize information.

Story Mapping

Our unique visual-spatial Story Mapping Process leads students through the steps of creative brainstorming, character and plot development, organizing events and transitions, enriching the story, and editing.

Rocky Point Academy

Reading Program

Purpose

Develops

Reduces

Reading Program Tools

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