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Parent Classes
Parents have expressed a strong, recurring opinion that the First Focus Reading allows them to participate in the progress of their child's effort in learning to read. Our standard First Focus classes encourage parents to take an active role in homework and support the reading lessons. Parents are given the dialogue and prompts used by our teachers to elicit a specific logical response to reading a word, phrase or sentence.
Our core values emphasize transparency and parent involvement in the porcess of learning to read.
We provide a Parent Training Program designed to enable a parent to learn the First Focus Reading curriculum and the teaching techniques necessary to enable a parent to teach their child to read.
Please review the parent testimonials on the Testimonials page, there is a recurring theme in the parent comments which says:
"I was able to use the First Focus Reading prompts and techniqes to help my child learn to read, to remind my child of the logical approach to reading, to address and respond to their efforts and provide guidance in the many situations when my child asked for help."
First Focus Reading teaches specific phonics and reading skills through a series of charts that are shared with students and parents.Parents are welcome to participate in the program as we provide weekly updates on the progress and the current skills being taught in the classroom. By using phonics, we start by developing a solid foundation in reading and related language arts skills.
Using the First Focus Phonics System, the reader does not have to memorize long lists of words or have a photographic memory to read successfully. Each "Chart" focuses on one phonics-decoding concept. The First Focus Phonics Charts, Student Course Book, practice material and the Read and See Books provide the opportunity for a student to master each skill being taught and allow the student to apply the concepts successfully and quickly.
A brief outline of the First Focus skill set taught via the Chart system is as follows:
Session 1: Charts 1, 2, 3A: Letters of the alphabet, consonant sounds and long vowel words.
Class hours: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Charts 1 , 2, 3A is a three hour class and is the same class taught in our Teacher Development Series. Subjects covered are:
Letters in the Alphabet
Consonant Sounds
Imaginary Pictures
Basic Penmanship for Printing Letters
The Reading Code for Long Vowels
The basic prompt to begin decoding a word
Reading long vowel words
Using the Read & See Books, Read & Find Books, Read & Draw Books
Session 2: Charts 3B and 3AB: Short vowels sounds, reading combined long and short vowel words.
Class hours: 12:30 - 3:00 PM
Charts 3A and 3B is the second class in our Teacher Development Series. Subjects covered are:
Short Vowel sounds
The Reading Code for long and short vowel words
Recognizing when a vowel has a long or short sound
Practice using the Reading Code for phrases and sentences with long and short vowel words
Playing games with Game Flash Cards
Using Quarter Books and two syllable words
Practice in tutoring a student
Issues in teaching your own child
Positive recognition, reinforcement, Rewards
Reading Games, Tools, Reading Books
Tuition: $195 per session, you may repeat the class as often as you wish over a 6 month period. This policy allows a parent to come to class several times to practice and perfect the First Focus Reading techniques.
Registration for both session 1 and session 2 will include the First Focus Teacher Training for Charts 1-5 Course Guide.
Session 3: Charts 4 and Chart 5: Consonant digraphs and consonant blends.
Class hours 9:00AM - 12:00 PM
Charts 4 & 5 is the third class in our Teacher Development Series, the subjects covered are:
Digraphs, unique sounds for words beginning with sh, ch, th, etc
Ending Digraphs, unique sounds for words ending with ck, ng, nk
Consonant blends such as br, cr, dr, fl, sm, st, sp, etc.
Practice in teaching reading skills to a child
Positive recognition, reinforcement, Rewards
Read & See Books
Session 4: Long & Short Vowels with consonant digraphs and consonant blends.
Class hours: 12:30 - 3:00 PM
This is the fourth class in our Teacher Development Series, the subjects covered are:
Reading long and short vowel words with words that have consonant digraphs and consonant blends
Decoding two and three syllable words
Open and closed syllables
Reading Games, Reading Tools
Adjusting the teaching pace to the child's capacity
The art of rewards and positive reinforcement
Memory Association Patterns (Maps)
Tuition: $195 per session, you may repeat the class as often as you wish over a 6 month period. This policy allows a parent to come to class several times to perfect the First Focus Reading techniques.
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