|
Newsletters Free
ANNOUNCING - SEPTEMBER 2002
24 hasselblad photo's
donated by Bill Queen.
These photo's were taken from Banff to Jasper.
Bill has 500 more pictures
that will join his section in weeks to come.
Bill's extraordinary collection
has been added to other glacier photo's
Coming soon
Banff to Toronto
Edmonton Airport
regina take out
Quebec City, St Lawrence to Poi???
700 meters around Gaspe Peninsula.
New Brunswick
The bore.
Prince Edward Island
Nova Scotia to Newfoundland
Ferry to Newfoundland
Bay of Fundy
Ferry to Portland.
Colorado
Frisco
Lake Dillon
Cutthroat Bay
Rocky Mountain National Park
John Wesley Iliff Cattleman Pioneer
------------------
8-6-99 The guaranteed solution you have been seeking.
Revised Jan 2001
THE GUARANTEED SOLUTION
YOU HAVE BEEN SEEKING.
ACCELERATED READING
Many children are handicapped for life
by their poor reading.
COMMON READING PROBLEMS
-Pronunciation deficits
-Avoidance of failure
-Competition
ACCELERATED READING SOLUTION
-Eliminate the pronunciation deficit
-Eliminate failure assignments
in reading classes
-Positive Motivation system
POOR READING
How can a child catch-up
with the good readers?
Your child needs to make up
for a 2 to 6 year difference
in pronunciation experience.
Fortunately the solution
is mostly a matter of numbers.
Here's a numerical explanation
of the problem and the solution.
THE COMPETITION
Early readers have had hundreds
of hours of practice
at pronouncing words.
They can easily pronounce
many thousands of words
after seeing the printed symbols.
Good readers easily consume
the equivalent of 100 to 200
children's books per year.
How many words is that?
100 thirty page children's books
containing 10,000 words equals
one million words per year.
200 thirty page children's books
containing 10,000 words equals
two million words per year.
Example:
How many years have the competition
been good readers?
1yr 1,000,000 words recognized
and pronounced
2yrs 2,000,000 words
3yrs 3,000,000 words
4yrs 4,000,000 words
5yrs 5,000,000 words
----------------------------
SOLUTION
The ACCELERATED READING catch up.
2 hours per day 5 days per week.
1yr 2,500,000 words - catch up
2yrs 5,000,000 words -
still catching up with the competition
3yrs 7,500,000 words -
going slightly ahead of the competition
4yrs 10,000,000 words -
staying ahead of the competition
ACCELERATED READING
A 500 hour program to make up
for a large part
of the pronunciation gap.
The program includes:
-250 hours of Peterson Reading
chorusing at 12,000 words per hour
equals 2.5 million words pronounced.
-250 hours of Accelerated Thinking
to practice organizing,
speaking and writing.
---------------------
99% SUCCESS
The Accelerated Reading system
solves 99% of reading problems
in 12 months or less.
12 months part time.
9 months full time.
Many parents say,
"We have tried everything
to solve the problem".
"Why didn't it work?"
Most parents and teachers have tried
short "band-aid" programs
to solve the reading problems.
Parents continue to be vexed
by the failures to read.
They are looking
for a "light bulb to go on".
This seldom happens,
but even if it does happen the child
still has a massive pronunciation
deficit to make up.
-------------------------
PREVIOUS REMEDIAL EFFORTS
WEREN'T LONG ENOUGH
Let's look at the numerical
problem and solution.
--------------------------
SLOW SPEED REMEDIATION
VS HIGH SPEED REMEDIATION
Slow or intermittent remedial programs
will add to the deficit.
Slow speed remediation
convinces the child
that there will be no solution.
They lose hope.
Some cry.
Most hide their dismay.
------------------------
SOLUTION
Accelerated Reading students
experience success within a few hours.
When you have replaced the years
of avoided reading practices
your child will be able to read.
(We have had 99% success with this)
Solution
Children want to be readers.
They are happy to read
when they can be successful.
To catch up,
use a rapid pronunciation program.
Use fast paced classes.
Attend at least 5 days a week.
Solve the problem
in the minimum number of years.
Use reward management
to keep the child on task.
-----------------------
Caution for parents:
A SLOW REMEDIAL PROGRAM
WILL NEVER ACCOMPLISH THE CATCHUP.
The struggling remedial student
that has just learned to decode
will keep avoiding reading.
Without a intensive program
they will never catch up
with the competition.
It is unfair to expect
the delayed reader to ever catch up
on their own.
Your well-meaning admonishments
and harassments to read continue
to defeat the child's optimism.
Problem -
POOR READERS are defeated
by the competition
The crippling effects of school failure
become a lifelong burden
that is almost impossible to lift.
Poor readers are locked away
from much of the kindness,
affection and approval available
to academically successful children.
----------------------
MORE QUESTIONS ANSWERED.
Q.
Why does it work?
A.
Strict timing 555 classes
Our students participate
in learning rituals that:
-reduce anxiety
-reduce distraction
-allow concentration
-Focus more on the input material.
In each 45 minute 555 period
students integrate and re-process
the input material.
-2250 words of input
-225 Key words or notes
-1025 words of tell-back or restating.
-450 written words consolidated on 3 pages
------------------------
555 STRICT TIMING
Learning to listen then train to speak.
Minimize group and self-criticism.
Students use thinking processes
and procedures.
Grasp significance.
Make educated decisions.
Fluency becomes possible.
Become an informed participant.
-Students do writing that will earn
them wider recognition.
--------------------
A.
PETERSON READING
-Safe group
-Positive group
-Dynamic Group
-Students like to be part of a group.
Special Peterson Phrase Lists are used.
We get around the avoidance
of specialized vocabularies like:
-Word recognition
-Science terminology
-Historical names and places
-Business and medical languages
Students say the sounds and then match
the sounds with the shapes of words
on supplemental Peterson Phrase lists.
Repeating,
chorusing,
the meaningful phrases improves
comprehension and retention.
Children in Accelerated Reading
experience significant success
within a few hours.
------------------------
SHOULD EDUCATION
BE EASY?
Some students ask this Question
"Why is this school so easy?".
"It's so easy I'm not sure
I am learning anything."
A.
Accelerated was designed
to make learning easy.
A.
Strict timing and strict rules
make school safe and easy.
The massive 42 text curriculum
is divided into small parts.
There are thousands
of 5 minute assignments.
45 5 minute assignments
in the 4 hour morning.
225 5 minute assignments per week.
7080 5 minute assignments
in 36 weeks.
Each 5 minute assignment
is scored immediately.
Assignments gradually increase
in difficulty.
------------------------
EASY PERFORMANCE
60 to 100 pages of writing per week
including notes,
rough drafts and finished papers.
1960 to 3600 pages
in 36 weeks includes:
-One 2 page research paper
per week for 36 weeks
-One documentary or book report weekly.
-One practice mastery test per week.
-One practice ACT/SAT test each week.
-One AP essay per week
copied or original.
-One mastery test per semester.
-One Standardized Test per month
-4 off-campus field trips per week.
------------------
PRIORITIES TO MAKE GAINS:
Strict timing
Fast auditory inputs
Verbal output practices
Listening to students
Students write over 2000 pages
of notes and drafts
each school year.
--------------------
Newsletter Jan 2001
ACCELERATED READING
Parents are apprehensive
about all schools.
Our procedures are different
from what many parents have thought
about reading.
REASONS FOR SUCCESS
Here are some of the reasons
for our success.
Accelerated Reading
Motivating children
with high speed successes.
If students think they can
do something they will.
Accelerated Reading gives students
many successes
until they know they can read.
---------------
NEWSLETTER JAN 2001
EARLY READING SUCCESS
Reasons for early
or successful reading.
A child reading or listening to 100
children's books in a year
has subvocalized or pronounced
over a million words PER YEAR.
Early readers have many years
to practice word recognition skills.
Talkative parents provide
more models for vocabulary.
Families that discuss current events
stimulate early reading.
Families without TV replace
the time with reading and discussion.
Those families usually
have fluent readers.
------------------------
NEWSLETTER - 8-25-99
Revised Jan 2001
HOW DOES THE BRAIN WORK
LIKE THE INTERNET?
I apologize in advance
for this over-simplification.
I may be using or misusing outdated
"computer and internet jargon."
Your brain has some similarity
to the internet.
Your brain has a much larger
capacity than 100,000 computers.
Use the largest number
you have ever used.
That number is probably not close
to the number of gigabytes
of storage capacity
in your brain.
"Hard drives?"
"Virtual memory?"
Your hard drives contain billions
of web sites of different sizes.
Your brain stores and retains
all you hear and see
in your files,
web sites,
and back up files.
New experiences and all information
inputs create more links
between the sites.
Memory patterns trigger
auditory and visual searches
by thousands of your
"search engines".
These engines find and discard
the less usable information
within milliseconds.
Your search engines select
the most correct answers
to your queries much faster
than a direct connect line
to your service provider.
The brain retrieves sound
and pictures in pictures
in scenarios.
This enables you to talk
and write the information
to meet the needs
of your listener or reader.
What has this got to do
with Accelerated Thinking?
1.
P555 divides books,
"new download files",
into short 5 minute
auditory inputs.
This is a "small file"
the memory can convert
to usable visual scenarios
without "locking up"
and losing most of the input.
Making simultaneous memory patterns
creates webs and links
needed for rapid memory.
These links are visual and auditory.
2.
The second 5 minutes,
"tell-back",
is an auditory review
of the first 5 minutes.
While you are speaking and listening
the mind races through
a "sorting" procedure
or "learning procedure".
The mind organizes the material
for speaking and writing.
It uses a software
like an "outliner".
3. The third 5 minutes,
"fast-write",
condenses the original 1000 words
of input into 10 to 20
short sentences,
150 words.
Your hand "prints" them on the paper
at 30 words per minute.
During the fast-write
"artificial intelligence" analyzes
the "look" and meaning
of the sentences.
It usually substitutes a different
and more appropriate ending
to most of the sentences
you started to write.
Your "grammar" and "spellchecker"
work simultaneously to arrange
the words in understandable formats.
More about the memory patterns.
The memory pattern is a unique "map"
or indexing of the material.
Mapping enables you to "save"
then "retrieve",
re-assemble the input.
During re-assembly you draw
conclusions of your own.
The two word phrases you scribble
on the memory pattern
are connected with lines
to create a "cluster".
This cluster diagram creates
supplemental "links".
The links to guide your re-creation
of the thoughts
in your own personal order.
You demonstrate your re-assembly
with "output":
-restatements during the tellback.
-restatements during the fast-write.
"Sorts and retrieving"
The mind performs thousands
of multiple assembly practices
within milli-seconds.
Each re-sorting and comparison
with your memories results
in minor variations.
This massive number of placements
and linkings of data
makes the retrieval process
possible and even relatively easy.
The cumulative total
of countless billions of linkings
is essential to good decision making.
Peterson Phrase lists
-An essential starting point
for learning new subjects.
-Efficient rapid input
of learning components.
-Two or three word input of words
combine to make meaningful phrases.
Common usage phrases
are more likely to be remembered.
-Multiple word inputs get stored
in multiple files in your brain.
-Chorusing practices quickly train
your mouth and voice muscles
to make the correct output sounds.
-Chorusing practices reduce
time wasting regressions,
questions poor comprehension,
and overwriting.
------------------------
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Why do you want students
to write so much?
We learn most when we
are espousing our views.
------------------------
WRITING
An opportunity to espouse
a viewpoint without a problem.
Let the ideas wash
and be kept or discarded.
-------------------
NEWSLETTER - 8-25-99
This material was originally
written by Carl Peterson
as part of Interlocking
Communications in 1966.
It was revised for
Accelerated Language 1989
and Ewritten in 1999
and 2001.
ACCELERATED LANGUAGE THEORY
Copying to learn is not a new idea.
Man has been copying to learn
since the beginning of time.
Copying of manuscripts to learn
was used by the Chinese
in 5000 B.C.
Ancient Greeks were copying
manuscripts to learn in 2000 B.C.
Copying of McGuffy's Reader
was widely used as a learning method
in frontier America,
over 100 years ago.
Newborn babies copy adults and peers
to learn all kinds of behaviors.
Accelerated Language lessons
are a logical extension
of our copying/word-processing
procedures that have been successful
for many years.
The Problem -
Writing Anxiety:
Many children freeze when asked
to write a story,
they don't know how to begin
and they cannot accomplish
the work assigned.
------------------------
THE CASE FOR COPYING -
Why does it work so well?
Copying on a paper or word processor
gets writing behavior started.
Accelerated Language divides
the overall writing task
into small steps the student
can easily perform.
Students can accomplish
the assignments and be taught
in successive stages
to write creatively as well.
The results of a word processing
copying or writing assignment
can be easily measured,
graded and rewarded
by parents or teachers.
Children learn by copying
the behaviors being practiced
around them.
They have copied many behaviors
since birth.
5 year old students can learn
to use the computer
to copy in our classrooms.
Copying assignments can be performed
without the supervision of parents.
(Excessive supervision of homework
by parents can create
a dependency behavior
where the student refuses
to do homework independently
without the help
of the parents or teachers.)
It is important to realize
the copying is not just
a time consuming task.
The student is acquiring information,
reading and rereading concepts
and relationships.
Continued exposure to innumerable
correct spellings,
punctuation,
capitalization appropriate
sentence construction
and concise writing style
provides models for the student's
writing development.
Students copying and word processing,
verbally restate or "sub-vocalize"
many words as they form
the words on paper.
Subvocalizing along with the visual
and motor processing required
adds substantially
to the student's memory
of the information copied.
Copying requires extended attention
to what could be a very tedious task.
It is very useful as an assignment
for students with short attention spans.
Copying is a good assignment
for students who read poorly
or not at all.
If students copy pages or a chapter
from a textbook each night,
you can be sure they have
interacted with the material.
Students may complain that copying
is "boring",
but that comment could be made
about most homework assignments.
Homework copying assignments
require concerted effort,
task completion and indicate
positive steps in the direction
of learning habits.
------------------------
CAUTION:
Use good judgement when asking a student
with excellent writing skills to copy.
What you are after is the behavior
of doing homework and writing.
Make assignments which can be
easily monitored and rewarded.
Don't let students get upset
with copying.
Do continue suggesting that either
copying/paraphrasing a book
or writing their own material
will receive rewards.
------------------------
COPYING IS A GOOD WAY
TO LEARN TO BE AN ARTIST.
Copying to learn art has been used
since primitive times.
Example:
American Indians are still copying
designs that originated
more than 20,000 years ago.
Copying was very heavily used
in early religious art.
Many apprentice artists would spend
most of their lives duplicating
the art of the more popular
artists of the time.
Most art teachers expect their students
to copy to learn their craft.
Copying prolifically,
allows the student to enlarge
the variety or repertoire of objects
the student can reproduce
in socially acceptable forms.
As the copying skills becomes
more sophisticated,
the student artist is more likely
to try original variations
of the work.
Eventually the student may combine
old shapes with new shapes perceived.
Artists that copy are amazed
how much detail they become aware of
and can remember.
Eventually the artist combines
colors and textures in new combinations
that may be quite unique
in that culture.
Many artists learn their art by craft
by restoring the art works
of the masters.
Serious art students all over the world
are to spend countless hours
sketching and repeating all
or component parts of famous paintings
and sculpture.
The drawing seems to become part
of the memory of the artist
so they don't have to look up the object
every time they want to draw it.
------------------------
TACTILE MEMORY?
Copying gets the artist away from
and beyond symbolic (phoney) drawing
(a happy face with sticks
for arms and legs).
The artist learns to understand
and appreciate higher and higher
levels of the communication arts.
Example:
A beginner draws a simple box
for a house,
later after copying,
the artist is likely to add
a garage,
porch,
window,
etc.
In the same way copying to read
and write gets the child
out of the ruts of primary books
and into the limitless variety
and nuance of sophisticated writing.
Copying allows the time to become
aware of mechanics and construction
in writing and art.
Everything is copied.
We move objects and words around
and internalize the material.
Sometimes we spit it out
in a new way.
It will eventually be your own way.
Copying allows close attention
to how the author manipulates words.
Artists usually look up pictures
of the object to be painted or drawn.
Example:
They may examine the animals
to see the different way the hair
flows on a collie vs other breeds.
They may refer to other art
to understand the needs
for structural support in chair design.
Some of us have talent but most of us
don't make much use of it.
Experience with art or writing,
can't be beat.
None of us draw or write
exactly alike.
Writing and painting
becomes your signature.
Experts can easily recognize
the distinctive way you use color
lines and shapes,
the look of the page etc.
Teachers learn how students
assemble their reports.
Copying to speak.
The best speakers are able to copy
the best performance techniques
of widely admired performers.
Eventually they develop slight changes
and combinations of words
that combine the better procedures
of several performers.
------------------------
NEWSLETTER 2001
COPYING RESULTS?
The disastrous pattern
of writing avoidance can be reversed
with strong intervention
in the classroom.
Parents must use the "Winning System's
Motivation Program advocated
by Accelerated Schools.
(Ask for a free copy).
Observations:
A high percentage of students
entering our school have had
very unsuccessful writing experiences.
Many have been writing far below
their intellectual level.
Some have been easily distracted
in class and could not pay attention
to their work.
Many panicked on tests
and were confused when new topics
were introduced by the teachers.
Remarks from student like:
"I just can't do it,"
or "I'll never be able to write,"
show very low self-esteem
and feelings of incompetence,
which only reinforced and perpetuated
this lack of success.
Many student's attitudes have changed
within a few weeks
after starting this program.
"I want to know much more
about writing."
"This is fun!"
"I can get my work done now."
Some students have been distressed
by the competitive atmosphere,
pressures,
and expectations they've encountered
in other writing classes.
Students who have been in our system
for some time are happy to discuss
their successes with newer members
of the class.
Our teachers frequently comment
that students whose writing skills
improved make marked changes
in the level of their interest
and class participation.
Teachers observe successful
word processors/writers becoming
more attentive to their work.
They ask the teacher for additional work
much more frequently.
As word processing/writing skills improve,
homework grades improve,
and the course content grades
improve proportionately.
Changes are apparent in other areas
besides word processing/writing.
It's gratifying to see changes
in student's attitudes
toward themselves and others.
Students learn to listen and help
instead of teasing
and being disruptive in the classroom.
As students develop more confidence
through writing.
They begin to be more self-assured
and assertive.
Students eventually realize
teachers are human and are open
to questions and suggestions.
------------------------
MEASUREMENT OF RESULTS:
Students at Accelerated Schools
are pre-tested and post-tested
on their writing
and grammatical skills.
The results typically show
students average a year's advancement
in grammar and spelling skills
for every 40 hours of class time
spent on the Accelerated Language course.
Summary:
The students are encouraged by successes
to prepare for a wide range
of life experiences
they have not previously considered.
They have a new list of options
and possibilities.
------------------------
FOLLOW-UP MOTIVATION
IS NEEDED
Students need a variety
of support systems to encourage
and continue to strengthen
their interest in writing.
For this reason,
we have a program for parents to use
in motivating students to continue
their writing experience
after they have left our classrooms.
We're very concerned they transfer
the word processing/writing habit
developed under our supervision
to their home environment.
When they go on to college
and later work,
they need to continue writing
to improve their communications.
Summary:
Word processing/writing is much more
than a suggested school subject.
It's a national resource
and a national issue
of critical dimensions.
Good writing is a way to give
your child independence
and self-confidence.
------------------------
CLASSROOM PROCEDURES:
PRIORITIZE THE FOLLOWING
PROCEDURES FOR YOUR CLASSROOM.
Build Self Esteem
with Accelerated Language program.
Phonics
Math
Pennmanship
Coloring
Sports.
Build up the copying speed
to 40-60 wpm.
In 10 minutes do 300 words = 30wpm =
6pages of text per hour.
If you get the students reliably
copying at high speed,
they have looked at materials
accurately enough to reproduce
the material.
Students copying at high speed
have looked at materials
accurately enough to reproduce
the material.
This is more interactive
than a student studying the pages
over and over for an hour.
When you copy you have data.
Accelerated Language maximizes
the number of attempts
to learn per hour.
The perfect assignment
to insure student success.
Students can be completely unfearful,
because they haven't failed
on any similar program before.
Managing the Accelerated Language
Program requires students
to learn and practice
many problem solving skills.
Learn to manage computers,
control the start and end time,
print,
correct,
print again,
record their score.
Students have to write 30 characters
to score their assignment.
They then have to read the number score
and reproduce it.
(Student scores are accurate,
not lies).
Editing requires the child
learn sophisticated responses;
backspace vs. control back space,
carriage return and the way
it jumps to previous lines.
Children respond to the neurological
linking like they respond
to video games.
This develops high keystroking speeds
on 90% of the most frequent words
we use in speaking and writing.
------------------------
THE ACCELERATED SCHOOLS SOLUTION
FOR WRITING ANXIETY:
A COPYING/WORD PROCESSING/CREATIVE
WRITING PROGRAM
Accelerated Schools has developed
special programs to help students
overcome their fear of writing
and to acquire the skills necessary
to continue their education.
The program assignments gradually
change from word processing
and text copying to creative writing.
Along the way the student
has the opportunity to reach
a high level of thinking
and writing independence.
Early success with writing
and word processing increases
the student's feelings
of confidence and achievement.
We have successfully intervened
at all school levels
with effective teaching
and writing methods.
After several years of such teaching
we have begun to isolate
certain patterns of behavior
characterize writing anxiety.
Further we have developed methods
to deal with it
through individualized instruction.
We use effective motivational
programs and specific courses
geared toward fluency in writing.
To establish and maintain writing
behavior we use a simple point system
with daily monetary reinforcement
and social approval.
Competition for approval in writing
is eliminated.
We use a positive grading system.
Correct work is marked.
Incorrect work is ignored
by the teacher.
At Accelerated Schools we get students
started with writing assignments,
hand copying and word processing.
We assign copying for part
of the daily homework assignment.
Students learn to get words
on paper in quantity.
They develop the habit of turning
in several pages
of writing each day.
We release the students
from all psychological pressure
to "create" and concentrate
on the behavior
of getting words on paper.
Once the student has developed
the habit of completing several pages
of copied material each day,
we gradually and carefully
encourage minor deviations
from the copied material.
Students are encouraged to substitute
an occasional word or sentence
if they think of another word
or sentence that will do as well.
Students are gradually prepared
to inject more of their own ideas,
providing time they spend
thinking about what to write
doesn't interfere
with the first goal of quantity.
Once the students are accustomed
to copying and word processing
they usually want to do
some writing on their own.
We let them do more
and more creative writing,
always being careful to minimize
the psychological pressure.
It is unnecessary for us to push
the creative and quality
aspect of writing.
Students already know
or will soon learn from their peers
and teachers that paraphrasing
and creative writing earns
better social rewards than copying.
Parents and teachers should not
push students to accomplish
or even allow extensive
creative writing until copying
and homework habits
have been firmly established.
Teacher's and parent's attitudes
must be very supportive
and not critical.
Some of the results:
Observations of our students
indicate that most students
over 8 years of age can produce
a full page of written material
in 30 minutes or less.
This means that a student copying
or writing 20 hours per month
should complete 40 or more
pages of written work.
(5 year old students average 40
minutes per full page
of copying after 100 hours
of wordprocessing.)
The results are easily observed
as page after page
of copied material is reinforced
by the parent according
to the schedule suggested
in "Winning Systems":
Rules for Scoring Study Time Chapter.
The student producing one page
of copied material receives
one point for each copied page.
If the page is filled
to all four corners,
it is worth two points.
If the student has copied neatly,
it is worth three points.
The third point will allow
the greatest possibility
for discussion.
It does allow the parent
to place a positive value
on a specific behavior.
Look for copying neater than usual,
or perhaps the student
has started to substitute
or inject words into the material.
(Points should be rewarded daily
with cash that would otherwise
be given as an allowance
for chores or as a gift.)
We suggest that parents pay
their students daily
for each point earned.
The amount of payment ranges
from .05 cents to $1.00 per point
depending on family finances.
Once students know copying
or writing an assignment
directly affects their daily income,
they will continue to work on writing.
Developing the habit of copying
is the first chance many students
may have had to successfully
accomplish homework assignments.
It may be the first time
where an assignment
repetitively performed
allowed them to get
so much reinforcement.
------------------------
SUPPLEMENTAL ASSIGNMENTS
IF YOU RUN OUT
OF PREPARED ASSIGNMENTS
A MODEL FOR GRADUAL DEVELOPMENT
OF WORD PROCESSING/WRITING SKILLS
Start by motivating the student
to simply word process/copy
material from any book.
This can be prescribed by any parent
or teacher to effectively
get around the comment:
"I don't have any homework today."
If you have a choice,
chose books or articles one
or two years below
the student's grade level.
A primary purpose of the word
processing/copying procedure
is to start the habit
of doing homework.
Students can learn a lot
by word processing/copying
correctly formed letters,
words,
sentences and paragraphs.
Starting with word processing/copying
behavior assures that with time
the student will learn writing rules.
Beware:
Don't encourage the child
to word process/write
original work too soon.
This could start
a pattern of failure.
Students forced to word process/write
original work without good outlining,
sentence construction,
and sentence and paragraph skills
may become frustrated
to the point where they try,
fail and then quit,
rather than try original work again.
Be careful.
Don't ask for some
of the more difficult assignments
at the end of this list
until the student
has firmly established the habit
of getting words on paper.
These assignments are arranged
in an approximate order
of difficulty for most students.
Don't be disturbed if your student
can't progress
in exactly this order;
just go onto the next assignment.
It may be easier for him.
Other assignments you can use.
Have the student word process/copy
several short news stories
on the same subject.
------------------------
INTERMEDIATE ASSIGNMENTS:
Word process/copy
the history assignment
from the textbook for that day.
Have the student word process/copy
the bold-faced headings,
and italicized words
or new vocabulary.
Have student word process/copy
the summary of the chapter.
Word process/copy a driver's manual.
Break a novel into small parts.
Have the student word process/copy
one part each day.
Have the student word process/copy
the description
and stage directions in a play.
Write a description of a character
or happening as the student
verbally relates it to you.
Make no changes.
Allow the student
to word process/copy it.
Underline key points and words
from a magazine you like.
Word process these words.
Copy/word process the conversations
from a chapter of a book.
Type/write rhyming words
across the page.
I.E.
play-stay,
bring-ring,
Add endings:
Playing-staying,
bringing-ringing.
Insert or change the words
that can be substituted in a story,
underline the words changed.
Have students proofread
each other's work.
Students can read copied writing
and underline key points
in the material.
Provide word processing/copying
material at a level comparable
to the student's reading level.
If the proper material
is not readily available in the home,
check it out from the library.
Teachers can provide material
for the word processing/copying
assignments.
When you check the word processing/copying,
look for small changes from the original.
Even the most insignificant change
perhaps the substitution of cool for cold
signals the start of creative writing.
------------------------
BRIDGING BETWEEN WORD PROCESSING/
COPYING AND CREATIVE WRITING.
Do several versions of each
of these examples
before expecting the student
to go on to a harder assignment.
Copy five pages of material
and then write an outline
from those same five pages
of material.
Write a new word in three
or more sentences.
Word process/copy a sentence,
then rewrite the sentence
in three different ways.
Abridge and condense.
Underline essential information
in a chapter,
then copy the underlined words.
Underline key points and words
from a chapter.
Say them into a tape recorder.
Copy/write your own dictation
from the tape.
After reading and underlining
essential details of a chapter,
relate them in a verbal exchange
with another student.
Teachers:
Group students together
to discuss material
underlined and copied.
It can be from the same
or similar material.
------------------------
THE USE OF COPYING ASSIGNMENTS
WITH LEARNING DISABLED STUDENTS
Theory:
Learning to read and spell
is an involved process requiring
correct association between
printed and spoken words
already within our vocabulary.
Many students avoiding
the standard developmental process
have not been repetitively exposed
to visual images of the words
we regularly use.
They need a great deal
of repetitive exposure
to correct word formation
and spellings to overcome
their learning differences.
They need to look at letters
and words,
say them aloud,
and write them down.
This repetitive process requires
their brain to interact
with the material
and aids in memorization.
Students copying correct models
of letter formations are performing
this task at a relatively high rate.
They will adjust
their copying to the model.
Very important to this procedure
is the high rate of stimulus
and responses the student makes.
Students with learning disabilities
tend to resist practicing sequences
when they are unsure of success.
The copying procedure allows them
to continue to make correct responses
without correction or criticism
by the teacher.
By the time the student
has repetitively copied 500 d's, b's,
p's and q's, the ability
to analyze the differences
in those letters will probably
be accomplished and correct
responses will be made.
------------------------
PROBLEM:
Many?
Most learning disabled students
fail to make the correct responses
on a few pages.
In response to teacher and parental
criticism of those pages,
the student stops trying to write.
Learning disabled students develop
a strong habit of avoidance of tasks
that contain some difficulty.
If the student is unable to read aloud,
confuses such letters as b, d, p and q,
reverses word order when spelling,
or deforms the letters
because of some undeveloped
motor skills,
a habit of avoidance develops.
The result is that these students
spend very little time on task.
The task of the teacher
at Accelerated Schools is to have
the student make correct
discriminations through many exposures
in the shape and sound of letters.
Helping the student to copy
in quantity will firmly impress visual,
auditory and kinesthetic
memories of letters,
syllables and words.
Letters and words must be seen,
heard,
spoken and written
by repetitious drill.
The student can gradually
develop memory associations
for sounds and words
that can be quickly recalled
without confusion.
The copying may initially seem to be
very tedious and time-consuming,
but getting around
the avoidance behavior by assigning
a task that will be repetitively
performed by the student,
will produce very gratifying results.
Anyone who prescribes copying
at an early stage for elementary
children can spot errors
by those students.
Watch out for reversal tendencies
at every level.
Spot malformations of letters,
and incorrect phonetic responses
to correct visual models.
The teacher or parent correcting
reversals in copying
should simply point to,
or ask the student to refer
to the original model
and allow sufficient time
for response.
The extra time allows the student
to analyze the error
and correct the response.
Copying should be taught
at an early age,
so that students accomplish
the necessary practice
and additional skill development
before they decide they are not
as capable as other students.
------------------------
SUMMARY COMMENTARY:
Students allowed to avoid trying,
accumulate massive deficits
in their ability
to present their skill.
Time spent motivating copying
is more successful than careful
analysis and criticism
of the student's mistakes.
Help students practice repetitively.
Avoid the emotional complications
which frequently develop
when a student cannot
be competitive with peers.
I suspect that most learning disability
problems could have been eliminated
or compensated for,
if parents and teachers
had been able to motivate the student
to practice in the area of difficulty.
Unfortunately most students
using avoidance tactics magnify
their deficits and receive
considerable attention
for these behaviors.
------------------------
ccc
A SOLUTION
Accelerated Keyboarding,
Alphabet and Numbers
------------------------
Instructions 8-13-01
(Give a copy of these instruction pages
to the parent and to students
that can read).
These assignments are designed to:
Help the student learn
to follow instructions.
Teach the student to be successful.
Teach the student to work rapidly.
Maximize early successes
on the computer.
Maximize early successes
in the classroom.
Gradually connect keyboard lettering
with the screen or print.
Gradually connect keyboard symbols
with the sounds of letters
and meanings of words.
Maximize the number of lines and pages
that can be completed
in a minute or hour.
Progression of difficulty:
Usage of enter key,
backspace key,
insert space with space bar.
Numbers on top of keyboard,
numbers next to each other,
numbers in sequence,
numbers in sequence
using the space bar.
Student gradually learn locations
of a few keys on the left
and top of the keyboard.
Other keys will be learned later.
No lesson is too easy.
Let the student have success
and reinforcement.
If the lesson seems too easy
let the student speed up
and have the success of quickly
filling the page
then print out and take home.
Options:
Have students repeat all lines
5 times each.
Speed will come up.
Ask for a printed copy
of Accelerated Keyboarding,
300 pages to copy from.
(cost $20.00)
Ask for this 300 page program
on an AASCI disk ($1.00).
Load it into your word processor.
(You can print out your own hard copy).
Use "Print Scrn" key to print out.
It prints only what is shown
on the screen and avoids printing
all 300 pages.
------------------------
ACCELERATED KEYBOARDING
AND ACCELERATED ALPHABET
USE CAPITALS ONLY.
SWITCH TO ACCELERATED LANGUAGE
ONLY WHEN YOU ARE SURE STUDENT
WILL EASILY LEARN
WITH CAPS AND LOWER CASE.
General Procedure:
Have student copy exactly
under each line.
Time each page or lesson.
Compliment immediately
for each increase in performance.
Compliment in front of the class
if work is good.
Scoring:
Mark in the margin,
each line that is correct.
Don't wait for student
to correct the work.
Keep rotating through the room.
Check the correction later.
Mark a progress mark "T",
each time you have read
the work accomplished.
This will save you time
in final grading.
You won't have to re-read
work already checked.
Check papers only for skills
thoroughly taught and practiced.
Only check low performers on skills
you are sure they can exhibit.
Avoid any "constructive criticism".
Re-teach missed concepts
to the entire class,
rather than to a specific student.
Pitfalls to avoid.
Avoid "constructive criticism.
Asking the student to hand-write
causes many students
to avoid writing altogether.
If possible wait till student
has typed/copied all 300 pages
before asking for hand-written work.
If students have difficulty,
go back to easier lessons
then try again later.
Students don't have to master
all letter combinations
to make progress in later
assignments.
Ok comments:
"You wrote a lot more today
than yesterday".
Starting the student:
In these lessons we will strive
for the maximum of task completion
with the absolute minimum
assistance by teacher or parent.
Try to minimize "tutoring" and "rotate"
back to the student
every 2 to 10 minutes.
Have the student sit at the computer
and push keys for several minutes.
Tell them they are free
to play around.
If they do nothing for 2 minutes
start the following procedures.
Verbal dialogue for instructor
or parent:
Watch the cursor-
(the movable mark on the screen).
Move cursor forward and back
several times.
PUSH ENTER SEVERAL TIMES,
(WATCH THE PAGE END LINES COME UP).
Have student push 5 to 30 keys.
Let the student see the result
as the characters march
across the page.
Fill the page and print it out.
Have student use the backspace key
and possibly the insert key
3 to 20 times.
Let student practice
these assignments until they feel
comfortable to proceed.
Don't try to speed up the program
unless student is consistently
doing 99% to 100% work
for 10 to 50 assignments.
Give the student hundreds
of opportunities to do "perfect work".
Don't get anxious
about student progress.
This program success is built
on very gradual increases in difficulty,
allowing rapid completion
of each lesson.
The program is probably easier
and faster than any other devised.
Don't add supplemental
hand-writing requirements.
You may force "Writing Anxiety"
on your student.
See "Winning Systems
for Accelerated Schools".
Don't offer "constructive criticism"
or criticism of ANY kind.
Simply compliment the student
for task completion and accomplishment
as often as you can.
Criticism can easily cause a student
to avoid writing forever.
Keep three measures of the lessons.
Time on task.
(Trying.)
Speed or quantity.
(Amount accomplished in a given time).
Quality.
The last and least important measure
until 200 lessons are finished.
Give 99% of verbal
and other reinforcers
for first two measures.
1% for quality.
------------------------
Commentary
Copying is a very clear
instructional sequence.
Teaches keyboard fluency
and writing skills before the student
has a chance to become fearful.
High speed exercises give the student
immediate success with the writing process.
Writing models gradually increase
in difficulty with proper
grammar and punctuation.
High speed interaction
with thousands of words and sentences
leads to fluency and mastery
of the mechanics of writing.
Fluent writing gradually turns
into "quality writing".
Massive exposures to quality writing
leave an indelible impression
on the minds of the copying student.
Many levels of low-difficulty
material encourages the student
to increase the rate of interaction
and speeds up ultimate
mastery and success.
Leads the student through
the writing process step-by step.
Gradual easy steps.
Simplifies the learning to write
and learning to learn process.
Stimulates children's imaginative
resources while they practice
writing mechanics "against the clock".
Promotes automatic recognition
of familiar words
within their speaking vocabulary.
Compatible
with all other learning methods.
Success in this program
should make the rest of the students
curriculum easier to master.
Success in the Accelerated Language Hour
is expected to carry over
into other classes and subjects.
Lets student learn writing mechanics
directly on screen.
Good looking (printer) output earns praise,
not criticism.
Students gain confidence through practice,
and reinforcement follows
each new strategy.
Students learn that they can learn,
and learn rapidly.
Students can work at their own levels
and move ahead by small steps,
without pressure.
Score most of their own work
by comparison
with the immediately available model.
If the student is not making
the connection between certain
letters or words and their sounds
try reading aloud for the student
before an attempt
to copy the words.
------------------------
THE COURSE PROMOTES:
Purposeful listening,
direction following
and other readiness activities.
This will help to start
and maintain
the sub-vocalization process.
(Mnemonic Memory).
No reading abilities
are required.
Reading skills will possibly
accelerate as writing skills grow.
Students eventually graduate
to informational,
high interest material.
Writing thruout measures
10 words per minute.
May be equivalent to a third grade
copying skill.
------------------------
WHAT CAN PARENTS
AND GRANDPARENTS DO?
Read Winning Systems and use
our Free Accelerated Language Program
with your family.
Teach your children,
grandchildren,
or anybody's children,
a wider variety of possibilities
for life and self-esteem.
If 30% of the children in schools
are not prepared to accept education,
it is time for parents to:
1.
Make sure they are equipped
with a teaching computer.
2.
Supervise the massive copying
of books if they can't read.
3.
Make sure all rewards
and privileges are paid
immediately after the copying.
4.
Check out books to be copied
that are simple enough or illustrated
to help the student copying
understand the story.
5.
If nothing else copy the comics,
or any easy part of any newspaper,
especially if it has
accompanying pictures.
6.
The interaction of the student
with the repetitive word
and sentence combinations
will teach almost anyone to read.
The key is quantity of how many times
the student tries,
not the quality of trials.
Students must be rewarded,
socially or otherwise at every minute,
of every stage,
of trying to read.
Students get little payoff
from reading's early stages.
There is little rewarding discovery
in the early stages.
Other rewards must be consistently
used to insure continuation
of the reading behavior.
------------------------
WHAT HAPPENS TO NON-READERS
OR ILLITERATES.
They try to read,
but without a series of rewarded successes
they quickly stop trying.
This happens in minutes,
if someone is looking,
or in a few hours if they're in private.
The result is a very limited number
of trials of reading per hour.
Never enough to make
significant progress.
To salvage their self image,
they avoid trying properly,
even when confronted
with well meaning instruction.
The "won't" becomes 1000%
more important than any "can't".
(Can't is hardly ever a question.)
The overlay of "Won't" behaviors
effectively stops significant
further progress in it's tracks.
The resulting groups
of avoidance behaviors
and unacceptable behaviors
eventually extinguish
the attempts of well meaning persons
that want to help.
Other Accelerated copying courses
A series of short courses designed
to prepare students for success
in school and specific subjects.
All courses include:
1.
Touch typing exercises
to increase student rate
of response and interaction
with materials.
2.
Word processing/copying
of special sequences to prepare
student for success
in each specific subject area.
3.
Selected vocabulary lists
and definitions are copied
to provide a comprehension framework
for study in specific subjects.
4.
Supplemental copying sequences
may be added by teachers as necessary.
------------------------
A PARTIAL LIST OF COURSES
DEVELOPED AND TESTED INCLUDES:
Peterson Phrase Lists
History
Science
Chemistry
Physics
Biology
Writer
Geography
Researcher
Algebra
Geometry
8-25-99 How does the brain work like the internet?
HOW DOES THE BRAIN WORK LIKE THE INTERNET?
I apologize in advance for this over-simplification. I may be using or misusing outdated "computer and internet jargon."
Your brain has some similarity to the internet.
Your brain is much larger in capacity than the brains of 100,000 computers. Use the largest number you have ever used. That number is probably not close to the number of gigabytes of storage capacity in your brain. "Hard drives?" "Virtual memory?
Your hard drives contain billions of web sites of different sizes.
Your brain stores and retains all you hear and see in your files, web sites, and back up files. New experiences and all information inputs create more links between the sites.
Memory patterns trigger auditory and visual searches by thousands of your "search engines". These engines find and discard the less usable information within milliseconds. Your search engines select the most correct answers to your queries much faster than a direct connect line to your service provider.
The brain retrieves sound and pictures in pictures in scenarios. This enables you to talk and write the information to meet the needs of your listener or reader.
What has this got to do with Accelerated Thinking?
1. 555 divides books, "new download files", into short 5 minute auditory inputs. This is a "small file" the memory can convert to usable visual scenarios without "locking up" and losing most of the input. Making simultaneous memory patterns creates webs and links needed for rapid memory. These links are visual and auditory.
2. The second 5 minutes, "tell-back", is an auditory review of the first 5 minutes. While you are speaking and listening the mind races through a "sorting" procedure or "learning procedure". The mind organizes the material for speaking and writing. It uses a software like an "outliner".
3. The third 5 minutes, "fast-write", condenses the original 1000 words of input into 10 to 20 short sentences, 150 words.
Your hand "prints" them on the paper at 30 words per minute.
During the fast-write "artificial intelligence" analyzes the "look" and meaning of the sentences. It usually substitutes a different and more appropriate ending to most of the sentences you started to write. Your "grammar" and "spellchecker" work simultaneously to arrange the words in understandable formats.
More about the memory patterns.
The memory pattern is a unique "map" or indexing of the material.
Mapping enables you to "save" then "retrieve", re-assemble the input. During re-assembly you draw conclusions of your own.
The two word phrases that you scribble on the memory pattern are connected with lines to create a "cluster". This cluster diagram creates supplemental "links". The links to guide your re-creation of the thoughts in your own personal order.
You demonstrate your re-assembly with "output":
*restatements during the tellback.
*restatements during the fast-write.
"Sorts and retrieving"
The mind performs thousands of multiple assembly practices within milli-seconds. Each re-sorting and comparison with your memories results in minor variations. This massive number of placements and linkings of data makes the retrieval process possible and even relatively easy. The cumulative total of countless billions of linkings is essential to good decision making.
Peterson Phrase lists
*An essential starting point for learning new subjects.
*Efficient rapid input of learning components.
*Two or three word input of words combine to make meaningful phrases. Common usage phrases are more likely to be remembered.
*Multiple word inputs get stored in multiple files in your brain.
*Chorusing practices quickly train your mouth and voice muscles to make the correct output sounds.
*Chorusing practices reduces time wasting regressions, questions poor comprehension, and overwriting.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Why do you want students to write so much?
We learn most when we are espousing our views.
Writing
An opportunity to espouse a viewpoint without a problem,
Let the ideas wash and be kept or discarded.
8-25-99 Accelerated language theory
Teachers manuals
ACCELERATED LANGUAGE THEORY
Copying to learn is not a new idea. Man has been copying to learn since the beginning of time. Copying of manuscripts to learn was used by the chinese in 5000 B.C. Ancient Greeks were copying manuscripts to learn in 2000 B.C.
Copying of McGuffy's Reader was widely used as a learning method in frontier America, over 100 years ago.
Newborn babies copy adults and peers to learn all kinds of behaviors.
Accelerated Language lessons are a logical extension copying/word-processing procedures that have been successful at Accelerated Schools for many years.
The Problem - Writing Anxiety:
Many children freeze when asked to write a story, they don't know how to begin and they cannot accomplish the work assigned.
THE CASE FOR COPYING - Why does it work so well?
Copying on a paper or word processor gets writing behavior started.
Accelerated Language divides the overall writing task into small steps the student can easily perform. Students can accomplish the assignments and be taught in successive stages to write creatively as well.
The results of a word processing copying or writing assignment can be easily measured, graded and rewarded by parents or teachers.
Children learn by copying the behaviors being practiced around them. They have copied many behaviors since birth.
5 year old students can learn to use the computer to copy in our classrooms.
Copying assignments can be performed without the supervision of parents. (Excessive supervision of homework by parents can create a dependency behavior where the student refuses to do homework independently without the help of the parents or teachers.)
It is important to realize the copying is not just a time consuming task. The student is acquiring information, reading and rereading concepts and relationships.
Continued exposure to innumerable correct spellings, punctuation, capitalization appropriate sentence construction and concise writing style provides models for the student's writing development.
Students copying and word processing, verbally restate or "sub-vocalize" many words as they form the words on paper. Subvocalizing along with the visual and motor processing required adds substantially to the student's memory of the information copied.
Copying requires extended attention to what could be a very tedious task. It is very useful as an assignment for students with short attention spans.
Copying is a good assignment for students who read poorly or not at all. If students copy pages or a chapter from a textbook each night, you can be sure they have interacted with the material.
Students may complain that copying is "boring", but that comment could be made about most homework assignments. Homework copying assignments require concerted effort, task completion and indicate positive steps in the direction of learning habits.
CAUTION:
Use good judgement when asking a student with excellent writing skills to copy. What you are after is the behavior of doing homework and writing. Make assignments which can be easily monitored and rewarded. Don't let students get upset with copying. Do continue suggesting that either copying/paraphrasing a book or writing their own material will receive rewards.
COPYING IS A GOOD WAY TO LEARN TO BE AN ARTIST.
Copying to learn art has been used since primitive times .
Example: American Indians are still copying designs originated more than 20,000 years ago.
Copying was very heavily used in early religious art. Many apprentice artists would spend most of their lives duplicating the art of the more popular artists of the time.
Most art teachers expect their students to copy to learn their craft.
Copying prolifically, allows the student to enlarge the variety or repertoire of objects that the student can reproduce in socially acceptable forms. As the copying skills becomes more sophisticated, the student artist is more likely to try original variations of the work. Eventually the student may combine old shapes with new shapes perceived. Artists that copy are amazed how much detail they become aware of and can remember.
Eventually the artist combines colors and textures in new combinations that may be quite unique in that culture.
Many artists learn their art by craft by restoring the art works of the masters.
Serious art students all over the world are to spend countless hours sketching and repeating all or component parts of famous paintings and sculpture. The drawing seems to become part of the memory of the artist so they don't have to look up the object every time they want to draw it. Tactile Memory?
Copying gets the artist away from and beyond symbolic (phoney) drawing (a happy face with sticks for arms and legs). The artist learns to understand and appreciate higher and higher levels of the communication arts.
Example: a beginner draws a simple box for a house, later after copying, the artist is likely to add a garage, porch, window, etc.
In the same way copying to read and write gets the child out of the ruts of primary books and into the limitless variety and nuance of sophisticated writing.
Copying allows the time to become aware of mechanics and construction in writing and art.
Everything is copied. We move objects and words around and internalize the material. Sometimes we spit it out in a new way.
It will eventually be your own way.
Copying allows close attention to how the author manipulates words manipulate words.
Artists usually look up pictures of the object to be painted or drawn. Example: They may examine the animals to see the different way the hair flows on a collie vs other breeds. They may refer to other art to understand the needs for structural support in chair design.
Some of us have talent but most of us don't make much use of it.
Experience with art or writing, can't be beat.
None of us draw or write exactly alike. Writing and painting becomes your signature.
Experts can easily recognize the distinctive way you use color , lines and shapes, the look of the page etc.
Teachers learn how students assemble the their reports.
Copying to speak.
The best speakers are able to copy the best performance techniques of widely admired performers. Eventually they develop slight changes and combinations of words that combine the better procedures of several performers.
WHAT ARE THE RESULTS?
The disastrous pattern of writing avoidance can be reversed with strong intervention in the classroom and with support of parents using the "Winning System's motivation program advocated by Accelerated Schools. (Ask for a free copy).
Observations:
A high percentage of students entering our school have had very unsuccessful experiences in writing. Many have been writing far below their intellectual level. Some have been easily distracted in class and could not pay attention to their work. Many panicked on tests and were confused when new topics were introduced by the teachers. Remarks from student like: "I just can't do it," or "I'll never be able to write," show very low self-esteem and feelings of incompetence, which only reinforced and perpetuated this lack of success.
Many student's attitudes have changed within a few weeks after starting this program. "I want to know much more about writing." "This is fun!" "I can get my work done now."
Some students have been distressed by the competitive atmosphere, pressures, and expectations they've encountered in other writing classes. Students who have been in our system for some time are happy to discuss their successes with newer members of the class.
Our teachers frequently comment that students whose writing skills improved make marked changes in the level of their interest and class participation. Teachers observe successful word processors/writers becoming more attentive to their work. They ask the teacher for additional work much more frequently. As word processing/writing skills improve, homework grades improve, and the course content grades improve proportionately.
Changes are apparent in other areas besides word processing/writing.
It's gratifying to see changes in student's attitudes toward themselves, toward others, and toward their teachers. Students learn to listen and help instead of teasing and being disruptive in the classroom.
As students develop more confidence through writing, they begin to be more self-assured and assertive. Students eventually realize that teachers are human and are open to questions and suggestions.
Measurement of results:
Students at Accelerated Schools are pre-tested and post-tested on their writing and grammatical skills. The results typically show that students average a years advancement in grammar and spelling skills for every 40 hours of class time spent on the Accelerated Language course.
Summary:
The students are encouraged by successes to prepare for a wide range of life experiences that they have not previously considered. They have a new list of options and possibilities.
FOLLOW-UP MOTIVATION BY PARENTS IS NEEDED:
Students need a variety of support systems to encourage and continue to strengthen their interest in writing. For this reason, we have a program for parents to use in motivating students to continue their writing experience after they have left our classrooms. We're very concerned they transfer the word processing/writing habit developed under our supervision to their home environment. When they go on to college and later work, they need to continue writing to improve their communications with other peers and superiors in the work world.
Summary:
Word processing/writing is much more than a suggested school subject. It's a national resource, a natural concern, and today, a national issue of critical dimensions. Good writing is a way to give your child independence and self-confidence.
CLASSROOM PROCEDURES:
PRIORITIZE THE FOLLOWING PROCEDURES FOR YOUR CLASSROOM.
Build Self Esteem With Accelerated Language program.
Phonics
Math
Pennmanship, Coloring, Sports,
Build up the copying speed to 40-60 wpm.
In 10 minutes do 300 words = 30wpm = 6pages of text per hour.
If you get the students reliably copying at high speed, they have looked at materials accurately enough to reproduce the material , which must be more interaction than a student studying those 6 pages over and over for an hour.
When you copy you have data.
Accelerated Language maximizes the number of attempts to learn per hour.
The perfect assignment to insure student success.
Students can be completely unfearful, because they haven't failed on any similar program before.
Managing the Accelerated Language program requires students to learn and practice many problem solving skills.
Learn to manage computers, control the start and end time, print, correct, print again, record their score.
Students have to write 30 characters to score their assignment.
They then have to read the number score and reproduce it.
(Student scores are accurate, not lies).
Editing requires the child learn sophisticated responses; backspace vs. control back space, carriage return and the way it jumps to previous lines.
Children respond to the neurological linking like they respond to video games.
This develops high keystroking speeds on 90% of the most frequent words we use in speaking and writing.
ccc
THE ACCELERATED SCHOOLS SOLUTION FOR WRITING ANXIETY:
A COPYING/WORD PROCESSING/CREATIVE WRITING PROGRAM
Accelerated Schools has developed special programs to help students overcome their fear of writing and to acquire the skills necessary to continue their education. The program assignments gradually change from word processing and text copying to creative writing. Along the way the student has the opportunity to reach a high level of thinking and writing independence.
Early success with writing and word processing increases the student's feelings of confidence and achievement. We have successfully intervened at all school levels with effective teaching and writing methods.
After several years of such teaching we have begun to isolate certain patterns of behavior that characterize writing anxiety. Further we have developed methods to deal with it through individualized instruction. We use effective motivational programs and specific courses geared toward fluency in writing.
To establish and maintain writing behavior we use a simple point system with daily monetary reinforcement and social approval.
Competition for approval in writing is eliminated. We use a positive grading system. Correct work is marked. Incorrect work is ignored by the teacher.
At Accelerated Schools we get students started with writing assignments, hand copying and word processing.
We assign copying for part of the daily homework assignment.
Students learn to get words on paper in quantity. They develop the habit of turning in several pages of writing each day.
We release the students from all psychological pressure to "create" and concentrate on the behavior of getting words on paper.
Once the student has developed the habit of completing several pages of copied material each day, we gradually and carefully encourage minor deviations from the copied material. Students are encouraged to substitute an occasional word or sentence if they think of another word or sentence that will do as well.
Students are gradually prepared to inject more of their own ideas, providing time they spend thinking about what to write doesn't interfere with the first goal of quantity.
Once the students are accustomed to copying and word processing they usually want to do some writing on their own. We let them do more and more creative writing, always being careful to minimize the psychological pressure.
It is unnecessary for us to push the creative and quality aspect of writing. Students already know or will soon learn from their peers and teachers that paraphrasing and creative writing earns better social rewards than copying.
Parents and teachers should not push students to accomplish or even allow extensive creative writing until copying and homework habits have been firmly established.
Teacher's and parent's attitudes must be very supportive and not critical.
Some of the results:
Observations of our students indicate that most students over 8 years of age can produce a full page of written material in 30 minutes or less. This means that a student copying or writing 20 hours per month should complete 40 or more pages of written work.
(5 year old students average 40 minutes per full page of copying after 100 hours of wordprocessing.)
The results are easily observed as page after page of copied material is reinforced by the parent according to the schedule suggested in "Winning Systems": Rules for Scoring Study Time Chapter.
The student producing one page of copied material receives one point for each copied page. If the page is filled to all four corners, it is worth two points. If the student has copied neatly, it is worth three points. The third point will allow the greatest possibility for discussion, but it does allow the parent to place a positive value on a specific behavior, ie., copying was neater than usual, or perhaps the student has started to substitute or inject words or sentences of his own into the material. (Points should be rewarded daily with cash that would otherwise be given as an allowance for chores or as a gift.)
We suggest that parents pay their students daily for each point earned. The amount of payment ranges from .05 cents to $1.00 per point depending on individual family finances.
Once the copying habit is firmly established, and once students know that copying or writing an assignment directly affects their daily income, they will continue to work on writing.
Developing the habit of copying from a printed page is the first chance many students may have had to successfully accomplish homework assignments. It may be the first time where an assignment repetitively performed allowed them to get so much reinforcement.
SUPPLEMENTAL ASSIGNMENTS IF YOU RUN OUT OF PREPARED ASSIGNMENTS
A MODEL FOR GRADUAL DEVELOPMENT OF WORD PROCESSING/WRITING SKILLS
Start by motivating the student to simply word process/copy material from any book. This can be prescribed by any parent or teacher to effectively get around the comment: "I don't have any homework today."
If you have a choice, chose books or articles one or two years below the student's grade level.
A primary purpose of the word processing/copying procedure is to start the habit of doing homework. Students can learn a lot by word processing/copying correctly formed letters, words, sentences, and paragraphs. By starting with the word processing/copying behavior your can expect that with time the student will learn the rules of writing.
Beware:
Don't encourage the child to word process/write original work too soon. This could start a pattern of failure. Students forced to word process/write original work without good outlining, sentence construction, and sentence and paragraph skills may become frustrated to the point where they try, fail, and then quit, rather than try original work again.
Be careful. Don't ask for some of the more difficult assignments at the end of this list until the student has firmly established the habit of getting words on paper.
These assignments are arranged in an approximate order of difficulty for most students. Don't be disturbed if your student can't progress in exactly this order; just go onto the next assignment. It may be easier for him.
Other assignments you can use.
Have the student word process/copy several short news stories on the same subject.
Intermediate assignments:
Word process/copy the history assignment from the textbook for that day.
Have the student word process/copy the bold-faced headings, and italicized words or new vocabulary. Have student word process/copy the summary of the chapter.
Word process/copy a driver's manual.
Break a novel into small parts. Have the student word process/copy one part each day.
Have the student word process/copy the description and stage directions in a play.
Write a description of a character or happening as the student verbally relates it to you. Make no changes. Allow the student to word process/copy it.
Underline key points and words from a magazine you like. Word process these words.
Copy/word process the conversations from a chapter of a book.
Type/write rhyming words across the page. i.e., play-stay, bring-ring, add endings: playing-staying, bringing-ringing.
Insert or change the words that can be substituted in a story, underline the words changed.
Have students proofread each other's work. Students can read copied writing and underline key points in the material.
Provide word processing/copying material at a level comparable to the student's reading level. If the proper material is not readily available in the home, check it out from the library. Teachers at school can provide material for the word processing/copying assignments.
When you check the word processing/copying, look for small changes from the original; there may be none, but even the most insignificant change, i.e., the substitution of cool for cold, signals the start of creative writing.
Bridging between word processing/copying and creative writing.
Do several versions of each of these examples before expecting the student to go on to a harder assignment.
Copy five pages of material and then write an outline from those same five pages of material.
Write a new word in three or more sentences.
Word process/copy a sentence, then rewrite the sentence in three different ways.
Abridge and condense. Underline essential information in a chapter, then copy the underlined words.
Underline key points and words from a chapter. Say them into a tape recorder. Copy/write your own dictation from the tape.
After reading and underlining essential details of a chapter, relate them in a verbal exchange with another student.
Teachers:
Group students together to discuss material they have underlined and copied. It can be from the same or similar material.
THE USE OF COPYING ASSIGNMENTS WITH LEARNING DISABLED STUDENTS
Theory: Learning to read and spell is an involved process that requires correct association between printed words and spoken words already within our vocabulary. Many students avoiding the standard developmental process have not been repetitively exposed to visual images of the words we regularly use. They need a great deal of repetitive exposure to correct word formation and spellings to overcome their learning differences.
They need to look at letters and words, say them aloud, and write them down. This repetitive process requires their brain to interact with the material and aids in memorization.
Students copying correct models of letter formations are performing this task at a relatively high rate. They will adjust their copying to the model. Very important to this procedure is the high rate of stimulus and responses the student makes.
Students with learning disabilities tend to resist practicing sequences when they are unsure of success.
The copying procedure allows them to continue to make correct responses without correction or criticism by the teacher. By the time the student has repetitively copied 500 d's, b's, p's, and q's, the ability to analyze the differences in those letters will probably be accomplished and correct responses will be made.
Problem:
Many? Most learning disabled students fail to make the correct responses on a few pages. In response to teacher and parental criticism of those pages, the student stops trying to write.
Learning disabled students develop a strong habit of avoidance of tasks that contain some difficulty. If the student is unable to read aloud, confuses such letters as b, d, p and q, reverses word order when spelling, or deforms the letters because of some undeveloped motor skills, a habit of avoidance develops.
The result is that these students spend very little time on task. The task of the teacher at Accelerated Schools is to have the student make correct discriminations through many exposures in the shape and sound of letters. Helping the student to copy in quantity will firmly impress visual, auditory, and kinesthetic memories of letters, syllables, and words.
Letters and words must be seen, heard, spoken, and written by repetitious drill. The student can gradually develop memory associations for sounds and words that can be quickly recalled without confusion.
The copying may initially seem to be very tedious and time-consuming, but getting around the avoidance behavior by assigning a task that will be repetitively performed by the student, will produce very gratifying results.
Any one who prescribes copying at an early stage for elementary children can spot errors by those students. Watch out for reversal tendencies at every level.
Spot malformations of letters, and incorrect phonetic responses to correct visual models.
The teacher or parent correcting reversals in copying should simply point to, or ask the student to refer to the original model and allow sufficient time for response. The extra time allows the student to analyze the error and correct the response.
Copying should be taught at an early age, so that students accomplish the necessary practice and additional skill development before they decide that they are not as capable as other students.
Summary Commentary:
Students allowed to avoid trying, accumulate massive deficits in their ability to present their skill. Time spent motivating copying is more successful than careful analysis and criticism of the student's mistakes. Help students practice repetitively. Avoid the emotional complications which frequently develop when a student cannot be competitive with peers.
I suspect that most learning disability problems could have been eliminated or compensated for, if parents and teachers had been able to motivate the student to practice in the area of difficulty. Unfortunately most students using avoidance tactics magnify their deficits and receive considerable attention for these behaviors.
ccc
a solution
Accelerated Keyboarding,
Alphabet and Numbers ------ Instructions 8-13-91
(give a copy of these instruction pages to the parent and to students that can read).
These assignments are designed to:
Help the student learn to follow instructions.
Teach the student to be successful.
Teach the student to work rapidly.
Maximize early successes on the computer.
Maximize early successes in the classroom.
Gradually connect keyboard lettering with the screen or print.
Gradually connect keyboard symbols with the sounds of letters and meanings of words.
Maximize the number of lines and pages that can be completed in a minute or hour.
Progression of difficulty:
Usage of enter key, backspace key, insert space with space bar.
Numbers on top of keyboard, numbers next to each other, numbers in sequence, Numbers in sequence using the space bar.
Student gradually learn locations of a few keys on the left and top of the keyboard.
Other keys will be learned later.
No lesson is too easy. Let the student have success and reinforcement. If the lesson seems too easy let the student speed up and have the success of quickly filling the page and then print out and take home.
Options:
Have students repeat all lines 5 times each. Speed will come up.
Ask for a printed copy of Accelerated Keyboarding, 300 pages to copy from. (cost $20.00)
Ask for this 300 page program on an AASCI disk ($1.00). Load it into your word processor. (You can print out your own hard copy).
Use "Print Scrn" key to print out. It prints only what is shown on the acreen and avoids printing all 300 pages.
ACCELERATED KEYBOARDING AND ACCELERATED ALPHABET USE CAPITALS ONLY. SWITCH TO ACCELERATED LANGUAGE ONLY WHEN YOU ARE SURE STUDENT WILL BE EASILY LEARN WITH CAPS AND LOWER CASE.
General Procedure:
Have student copy exactly under each line.
Time each page or lesson.
Compliment immediately for each increase in performance.
Compliment in front of the class if work is good.
Scoring:
Mark in the margin, each line that is correct. Don't wait for student to correct the work. Keep rotating through the room. Check the correction later.
Mark a progress mark "T", each time you have read the work accomplished. This will save you time in final grading. You won't have to re-read work already checked.
Check papers only for skills that have been thoroughly taught and practiced.
Only check low performers on skills you are sure they can exhibit.
Avoid any "constructive criticism".
Re-teach missed concepts to the entire class, rather than to a specific student.
Pitfalls to avoid.
Avoid "constructive criticism.
Asking the student to hand-write causes many students to avoid writing altogether. If possible wait till student has typed/copied all 300 pages before asking for hand-written work.
If students have difficulty, go back to easier lessons then try again later.
Students don't have to master all letter combinations to make progress in later
assignments.
Ok comments:
"you wrote a lot more today than yesterday".
Starting the student:
In these lessons we will strive for the maximum of task completion with the absolute minimum assistance by teacher or parent.
Try to minimize "tutoring" and "rotate" back to the student every 2 to 10 minutes.
Have the student sit at the computer and push keys for several minutes.
Tell them they are free to play around.
If they do nothing for 2 minutes start the following procedures.
Verbal dialogue for instructor or parent:
Watch the cursor-(the movable mark on the screen).
Move cursor forward and back.
several times.
Push ENTER SEVERAL TIMES,
(WATCH THE PAGE END LINES COME UP).
Have student push 5 to 30 keys. Let the student see the result as the characters march across the page. Fill the page and print it out.
Have student use the backspace key and possibly the insert key 3 to 20 times.
Let student practice these assignments until they feel comfortable to proceed.
Don't try to speed up the program unless student is consistently doing 99% to 100% work for 10 to 50 assignments.
Give the student hundreds of opportunities to do "perfect work".
Don't get anxious about student progress. This program success is built on very gradual increases in difficulty, allowing rapid completion of each lesson.
The program is probably easier and faster than any other that has been devised.
Don't add supplemental hand-writing requirements.
You may force "Writing Anxiety" on your student. See "Winning Systems for Accelerated Schools".
Don't offer "constructive criticism" or criticism of ANY kind.
Simply compliment the student for task completion and accomplishment as often as you can.
Criticism can easily cause a student to avoid writing forever.
Keep three measures of the lessons.
Time on task. (Trying )
Speed or quantity. (amount accomplished in a given time).
Quality. The last and least important measure until 200 lessons are finished.
Give 99% of verbal and other reinforcers for first two measures.
1% for quality.
Commentary
Teaches keyboard fluency and writing skills before the student has a chance to become fearful.
Fun, high speed, exercises that give the student immediate success with the writing process.
Copying is a very clear instructional sequence. Writing models gradually increase in difficulty with promper grammar and punctuation. High speed interaction with thousands of words and sentences leads to fluency and mastery of the mechanics of writing. Fluent writing gradually turns into "quality writing". ca
Massive exposures to quality writing leave an indelible impression on the minds of the copying student.
Many levels of low-difficulty material encourages the student to increase the rate of interaction and speeds up ultimate mastery and success.
Leads the student through the writing process step-by step.
gradual easy steps.
Simplify's the learning to write and learning to learn process.
Stimulates children's imaginative resources while they practice writing mechanics "against the clock". Promotes automatic recognition of familiar words within their speaking vocabulary.
Compatible with all other learning methods.
success in this program should make the rest of the students cirriculm easier to master.
Success in the accelerated Language hour is expected to carry over into other classes and subjects.
Lets student learn writing mechanics directly on screen.
Good looking (printer) output that earns praise, not criticism.
students gain confidence through practice, and reinforcement that follows each new strategy.
Students learn that they can learn, and learn rapidly.
Students can work at their own levels and move ahead by small steps, without pressure.
Score most of their own work by comparison with the immediately available model.
If the student is mot making the connection between certain letters or words and their sounds try reading each of the words out loud for the student before an attemp to copy the words.
The course promotes: purposeful listening, direction following and other readiness activities.
This will help to start and maintain the sub-vocalization process. (Mnemonic Memory).
No reading abilities are required. Reading skills will possibly accelerate as writing skills
grow.
Students eventually graduate to informational, high interest material
Writing thruput measures
10 words per minute. May be equivalent to a third grade copying skill.?
WHAT CAN PARENTS AND GRANDCHILDREN DO?
Read Winning Systems and use our Free Accelerated Language Program with your family.
Teach your children, grandchildren, or anybody's children, a wider variety of possibilities for life and self-esteem.
If 30 % of the children in schools are not prepared to accept education, it is time for parents to:
1. Make sure they are equipped with a teaching computer.
2. Supervise the massive copying of books if they cant read.
3. Make sure all rewards and privileges are paid immediately after the copying.
4. Check out books to be copied that are simple enough or illustrated to help the student copying understand the story.
5. If nothing else copy the comics, or any easy part of any newspaper, especially if it has accompanying pictures.
6. The interaction of the student with the repetitive word and sentence combinations will teach almost any human being to read.
The key is quantity of how many times the student tries, not the quality of trials.
Students must be rewarded, socially or otherwise at every minute, of every stage, of trying to read.
Students get no payoff on the confusing early stages of reading. There is little rewarding discovery in the early stages. Other rewards must be consistently used to insure continuation of the reading behavior.
What happens to non readers or illiterates.
They try to read, but without a series of rewarded successes they quickly stop trying. This happens in minutes, if someone is looking, or in a few hours if they're in private.
The result is a very limited number of trials of reading per hour.
Never enough to make significant progress.
To salvage their self image, they avoid trying properly, even when confronted with well meaning instruction.
The "won't" becomes 1000% more important than any "can't".(Can't is hardly ever a question.)
The overlay of "Won't" behaviors effectively stops significant further progress in it's tracks.
The resulting groups of avoidance behaviors and unacceptable behaviors eventually extinguish the attempts of well meaning persons that want to help.
As a society we resign our efforts to " helping the poor homeless".
Homeless are mostly uneducated or improperly motivated people.
Until you make the right combinations of the above corrective procedures, you are wasting your love attention and effort.
Other Accelerated copying courses
A series of short courses designed to prepare students for success in school and specific subjects.
All courses include:
1. Touch typing exercises to increase student rate of response and interaction with materials.
2. Word processing/copying of special sequences to prepare student for success in each specific subject area.
3. Selected vocabulary lists and definitions are copied to provide a comprehension framework for study in specific subjects.
4. Supplemental copying sequences may be added by teachers as necessary.
A partial list of courses developed and tested includes:
Peterson Phrase Lists
History
Science
Chemistry
Physics
Biology
Writer
Geography
Researcher
Algebra
Geometry
Back to top
Accelerated Schools
1,000+ Free Books
Ewriting
100,000+ Free Pictures
Memory Pictures
Comments / Q & A
Email us:
info@acceleratedschools.org
Bookmark this page
Copyright© 2004.
All Rights Reserved.
|