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The
Read Right®
system of instruction was developed by
integrating knowledge of brain research, an
interactive constructivist model of learning, and
psycholinguistic reading theory.
BRAIN
RESEARCH
The brain is an organ of the body, just as the
heart and lungs are organs. Similar to other
organs, the brain has a specific function within
the human body, i.e. to make sense of the world
(to learn). As the brain performs the function of
learning something, a new skill for example, it
builds a new neural network which, when complete,
guides the performance of that skill in a
consistent and reliable manner. If this guidance
system does not produce the desired results, the
only solution is to change the neural network so
it is no longer guiding the process
inappropriately.
LEARNING
THEORY
The neurological guidance system for a skill
(such as walking, drinking out of a cup,
scratching an itchy nose, or reading) is created
as a direct result of the individual's initial
instruction and experience in that skill. Once
formed, this guidance system becomes implicit
(unconscious - you don't consciously think about
all of the specific muscle contractions and
extensions involved in the process of walking).
If the guidance system was built with errors in
it (due to the initial learning experience), the
process that the guidance system guides will be
done in the same erroneous way each time the
process is performed. The only way of changing
such a guidance system (learning a new way to
perform a desired task) is to create a learning
environment in which the existing neurological
network is challenged by new experiential
information. In other words, the brain has to be
forced into remodeling the old, ineffective
guidance system so it operates appropriately and
consequently produces the desired result
(excellent reading, for example). Key in this
remodeling process is defining the appropriate
expectation, insuring the learning environment
has available all the information the brain
requires to do the remodeling, and delivering
timely and appropriate feedback to the student.
READING
THEORY
In order to read excellently, one must utilize a
predictive strategy emanating from one's own
knowledge of the world to appropriately integrate
information from pre-existing knowledge of
vocabulary, language structure, phonics, and
cadence in order to answer the question:
"What does the text say?" If the brain
is focused on any other goal, is not using a
predictive strategy, and/or is not integrating an
appropriate mix of information at any given
moment in the reading act, some degree of reading
problem will be evidenced: the reading will not
be smooth and fluent, comprehension will be poor,
reading speed will be slow, and/or retention of
information will be impaired.
IMPLICATIONS
FOR READING
Poor readers have constructed a neural network
for reading that contains errors. These errors
cause them to under-utilize a predictive strategy
and/or to inappropriately integrate the
pre-existing knowledge necessary for reading.
Poor readers are reading exactly the way their
brains are directing them to read. To solve their
problems, the incorrectly-built neural network
for reading must be remodeled so the process of
reading is guided appropriately. Through her
research and 20 years of teaching and testing Read Right with thousands of
students with reading problems, the developer of
the program, Dr. Dee Tadlock, Ph.D. in Reading, has determined how
to structure the tutoring environment and what
specific methodologies and materials to use so
that the student's brain is compelled to correct
the errors in its neural network for reading.
This is why Read Right
works so much faster than other reading
improvement programs and why we can guarantee the
results. The Read Right
system of instruction sets the appropriate output
expectation, provides all the necessary
information the brain needs, and delivers timely
and appropriate feedback to the student so that
the guidance system is corrected to produce
excellent reading all of the time.
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