Foundations I exercise interventions

Does the student understand the exercise goal/task?

Observe the student as they work through the exercise demo to determine where their understanding may be breaking down. Make sure the student clearly understands the task of the exercise. Ask: “Can you tell me what this exercise wants you to do?” If needed, explain how the exercise works. Say: “The computer will ask you a question or make a statement. You must click the picture that best answers the question or matches the statement.”

Listen along with the student while they work on the exercise. Say: “Repeat the sentence back to me and explain why you would choose one picture over the others.” This will help you identify if the student is having trouble with listening comprehension, paying attention, and/or understanding the vocabulary or grammatical concepts presented.

Are there words in the sentence or question that the student doesn't know?

Engage the student in an offline activity, such as flashcards, that focuses on the specific vocabulary they are struggling with.

Is the student noticing that the details in the pictures provide clues to the answers?

Discuss the importance of looking closely at each picture before choosing an answer. Remind the student that they can use the Replay button to listen to the question or sentence again. Go into the Ele-Bot demo and ask the student to describe some of the pictures, giving plenty of detail.

If they need more support, ask questions relevant to the picture, such as:

“Who are the characters?”

“What objects are shown?”

“Where do you think this scene might be taking place?”

“What is happening in this picture?”

For further support, provide students with verbal sentence frames as needed:

The character is _____.

The object is _____.

This picture is happening in/at/by/on _____.

In this picture _____ is/are _____.

Can the student eliminate any alternatives?

Listen to a sentence or question with the student. Can they identify at least one picture that does not fit the sentence or answer the question? This could help the student narrow down their choices, and it also has the benefit of making them think through their response instead of just answering impulsively.

Is the student using their memory skills?

Ask the student to repeat the sentence or question back to you. If they are having difficulty remembering, here are some games to help build memory and focused attention.

• Give your student a three letter word to spell out loud. Then ask them to spell it out loud but backwards. See if they can spell four or even five letter words backwards!
• If the student can't spell yet, play a following directions game like Simon Says.

Both of these games can help the student practice using their memory and attention skills while having fun, which can increase motivation and improve their progress in this exercise.

Is the student struggling with a specific language structure?

Look at the Errors section in the student's Progress Report to determine the specific language structure the student is struggling with, then provide an activity that focuses on the specific language/grammar concept.

Can the student identify unnecessary words in the question or sentence?

Listen with the student and observe them as they complete an exercise question. Remind the student that before answering, they can listen to the question or sentence again by clicking the Replay button.

1. Ask the student to identify any words that are unnecessary in a sentence they are working on, and then explain why to the student.

Example: The dog that is standing by the girl has spots.

• Explain how the clause that is provides more information about the noun dog it follows, but how it is unnecessary for understanding the sentence. Removing that is simplifies the sentence and makes it easier to understand.
2. Have the student point to the picture that best matches the reduced sentence.

Does the student understand the exercise goal/task?

Observe the student as they work through the exercise demo to determine where their understanding may be breaking down. If necessary, demonstrate how the exercise works by using your hands to simulate the acorns on the screen.

1. Hold up your closed hands with your palms facing the student.
2. Say /bah/ without opening either hand.
3. Next, say /dah/ while briefly opening then closing your right hand.
4. Finally, say /bah/ while briefly opening then closing your left hand.
5. Ask the student to point to the hand that opened when you repeated /bah/.

Try this a few times, changing which hand you open when you repeat the target syllable. Have the student explain back to you what they need to do to get a correct answer.

Can the student hear the syllables clearly?

Check the headset, volume controls, and background noise level.

Is the student staying focused on the task?

Always encourage students to do their best. Use active and engaging strategies while noting student motivation and stamina. Have the student turn off the Autoplay feature. Provide built-in breaks to support student focus.

Note that this task is rigorous and places a heavy demand on student attention. Providing brain-breaks may be essential to students completing the task successfully. Provide the brain-break prior to the point of frustration.

Other considerations: Some students might require longer/less frequent breaks while other will require shorter/more frequent breaks.

Does the student struggle to stay engaged?

Emphasize the importance of streaks—the highest number of correct responses in a row. Have the student use the Streaks and Completion Chart to track their highest streaks and review to see which days were higher or lower. Encourage the student to self-monitor and improve their accuracy. The sooner they complete the exercise the sooner they can move forward to something new.

Is the student aware that this exercise uses the 3-Forward/1-Back Rule to make forward progress?

Explain that accuracy is the key to moving through the content in this exercise. Students make progress based on the 3-Forward/1-Back Rule: they move forward when they get 3 answers in a row correct, but they move backward when they get 1 answer incorrect.

Because streaks record the number of correct answers in a row, charting this can help the student self-monitor by providing visual feedback of their number of correct answers in a row. Students can use the Three-in-a-Row Worksheet.

Can the student hear the difference between the syllables?

Hold your hand over your mouth to slightly muffle the sound and have the student identify whether you are saying /ba/ or /da/, /be/ or /de/, /va/ or /fa/.

Does the student hear something different than what is shown on the screen?

At early speech processing levels, what the student hears may seem different from what they see on the screen (the syllables written near the Go button). For example, they may see "ba da" but hear something that sounds like /ra/ /ya/. This is OK. Reassure the student that the exercise is working correctly. Have the student focus on listening to and remembering the first syllable they hear, and then identifying its match in the next two syllables they hear.

Does the student understand the exercise goal/task?

Observe the student as they work through the exercise demo to determine where their understanding may be breaking down.

1. Have the student click the Go button.
2. The student should watch the floating animal while listening to a syllable being repeated in rapid succession.
3. When the repeated syllable is interrupted by a different syllable, the student must quickly click the animal.

This activity can help determine if the student is experiencing difficulty with timing, which is critical for success in this exercise. Encourage the student to pay close attention so they are ready to click when the second syllable is presented.

Does the student frequently “miss” the answer because they have difficulty with timing and rhythm?

Unlike many of the other exercises, this one requires a fast response time—so timing is everything! Ask the student to tap their foot every time they hear the syllable repeated to help them improve their timing. You may also suggest the student close their eyes.

If the student has trouble using a mouse or iPad, consider switching to a keyboard and use the keyboard shortcuts:

1. Have the student press the Space bar key (Go button).
2. The student should watch the floating animal while listening to a syllable repeated in rapid succession.
3. When the repeated syllable is interrupted by a new syllable, the student must press the Down Arrow key to select the animal.
4. If the animal is selected too early or too late, the answer is counted as incorrect and the animal returns to the stump.

Is the student aware that this exercise uses the 3-Forward/1-Back Rule to make forward progress?

Explain that accuracy is the key to moving through the content in this exercise. Students make progress based on the 3-Forward/1-Back Rule: they move forward when they get 3 answers in a row correct, but they move backward when they get 1 answer incorrect.

Because streaks record the number of correct answers in a row, charting this can help the student self-monitor by providing visual feedback of their number of correct answers in a row. Students can use the Three-in-a-Row Worksheet.

Does the student easily lose focus?

1. Choose an object near the student to focus on and ask if they can hold their eyes on the object for 3 seconds without looking away. Have the student prove that they can.
2. Now ask the student if they can hold their eyes on the same object for 5 seconds. If they can, have them focus for 7 seconds. Affirm the student’s ability to concentrate for that amount of time.
3. Then explain that one answer in this exercise rarely takes more than 7 seconds of concentration.
4. Finally, ask the student to turn off Autoplay so they can determine when their 7 seconds of concentration begins. When the student has the discipline to resume with Autoplay, allow them to do so.

Does the student need help identifying the syllables?

Show the student how to use Help mode within the exercise. Using Help will not affect the student’s standing in the exercise.

1. Have the student click the Help button in the exercise to see 3 streams of syllables at the current set and stage.
2. When Help opens, have the student click the Go button to hear the corresponding syllable streams:
• 2 repeated syllables + new syllable
• 4 repeated syllables + new syllable
• 3-6 repeated syllables + new syllable

Is the student having difficulty discriminating between the two syllables?

Practice a “live” version of the exercise with an individual student or a small group.

1. Ask the student to close their eyes and listen to you say the two sounds “ki” and “gi” (pronounced “key” and “ghee”). Have them repeat the sounds with you. Talk about changes in the shape of their mouth and jaw when they say each of the two sounds.
2. Next, ask the student to keep their eyes closed and listen carefully while you say “ki” (key). The second time you say “ki” have them raise their hand. The third time you say “ki” have them say the sound with you while raising their hand.
3. Now, introduce the “gi” (ghee) sound to the student. Ask them to listen carefully with their eyes closed. The second time you say “gi” have the student place their hand down toward the floor. The third time you say “gi” have them say the sound with you while placing their hand down toward the floor.
4. Finally, explain that you will now say a series of “ki” sounds and then sneak in a “gi” sound. Ask the student to keep their eyes closed and listen carefully. Have them raise their hand each time they hear the “ki” sound, and then lower their hand when they hear you sneak in the “gi” sound.
5. Practice with the other sound pairs, if necessary:
• shu/chu – “shoe” and “chew”
• sti/si – “stee” and “see”
• ke/ge – “cay” and “gay”
• to/do – “toe” and “doe”
• da/ba – “dah” and “bah”

Is the student unable to consistently get 3 correct answers in a row?

Challenge the student to “Beat the Teacher." The goal of this activity is to achieve accuracy and get streaks of correct answers. Students make progress based on the 3-Forward/1-Back Rule: they move forward when they get 3 answers in a row correct, but they move backward when they get 1 answer incorrect.

1. On a sheet of paper, make two columns. Put your name on the top of one column and the student's name on the top of the other column. (You can also use the Beat the Teacher Worksheet.)
2. Listen along with the student during the exercise.
3. When the student gets three in a row correct, record one point for the student. When the student makes an error, record a point for yourself.
4. At the end of the intervention, total the points for each column. Calculate the number of student points earned minus the number of teacher points earned. This number represents the total number of steps forward the student has progressed.
5. Have the student set a points goal to help them strive for even greater consistency and faster progress.

Does the student understand the exercise goal/task?

Observe the student as they work through the exercise demo to determine where their understanding may be breaking down.

Can the student repeat the target word out loud?

Ask the student to say the target word out loud. Repeating the word helps the student commit it to memory, and it tells you what word the student hears. If the student can't remember or hear the word the first time, teach them to use the Replay button to hear it again. The student can use the Replay button to as often as they want, without penalties.

Does the student know which picture represents each word?

Some of the words in the exercise—such as “thorn” or “foam”—may be unfamiliar to the student. If the student is not familiar with the vocabulary words or cannot match the pictures to the words, encourage them to use the Help feature, especially at Processing Level 1. Remind them that they need to learn the words. Beyond Level 1, they won't make progress when they use Help so they should only use it when they don't know the picture for a word.

Does the student have difficulty telling the difference between similar words they hear?

Words like “thorn” and “torn” sound similar. For words like these, make sure the student knows they can use the Replay button to hear the word repeated as many times as they want. The more the student practices hearing the word, the more likely they are to succeed with the task.

Is the student staying engaged with the activity?

Ask the student how difficult the exercise is for them. If they say it is too easy, they may be losing interest. Remind the student that advancing through content depends on correct answers.

Does the student understand the exercise goal/task?

Observe the student as they work through the exercise demo to determine where their understanding may be breaking down. Make sure the student clearly understands the task of the exercise. Ask: “Can you tell me what this exercise wants you to do?”

If needed, explain how the exercise works. Say: “The computer will play a sound. If you hear a single sound sweep, you must click the up or down arrow to match the sound. If you hear a pair of sound sweeps, you must click the up and down arrows in the right order to match the pattern of the sounds.”

Is the student aware that this exercise uses the 3-Forward/1-Back Rule to make forward progress?

Explain that accuracy is the key to moving through the content in this exercise. Students make progress based on the 3-Forward/1-Back Rule: they move forward when they get 3 answers in a row correct, but they move backward when they get 1 answer incorrect.

Because streaks record the number of correct answers in a row, charting this can help the student self-monitor by providing visual feedback of their number of correct answers in a row. Students can use the Three-in-a-Row Worksheet.

Can the student distinguish between the four patterns of the paired sound sweeps (up/up, up/down, down/up, down/down)?

Have the student close their eyes and focus on listening to each sound sweep sequence while you control the exercise.

1. In Help mode, randomly select different sequences, and have the student label them verbally (for example, "Up, Down" or "Weep, Woop"). Continue, until the student can demonstrate a high rate of accuracy.
2. Allow the student to work in the Sky Gym demos, while you monitor performance. If the student continues to demonstrate high accuracy, they are ready to return to the exercise.

If the student’s accuracy dips, repeat these steps before allowing them to work independently.

Does the student need help identifying the sound sweeps?

Show the student how to use Help mode within the exercise. Using Help does not affect the student’s standing in the exercise.

1. Have the student click the Help button to see all four possible sequences of sound sweeps at the current frequency (Hz), duration (length of each sound sweep), and ISI (time between sound sweeps).
2. When Help opens, have the student click a Go button to hear the corresponding sequence of sound sweeps.

Is the student struggling to hear the difference between the current sound sweeps?

Listen with the student and observe them as they complete the task.

1. Ask the student to name the two sounds that change their pitch: one goes from low to high (an UP sweep or Weep), and one goes from high to low (a DOWN sweep or Woop). You can use other names for the two sounds—me/jo, bird/frog—whatever works best for the student.
2. Write the sound names on two sticky notes and place them on the screen next to the corresponding arrows.
3. Have the student click the Go button and listen carefully to a pair of sounds.
4. Ask the student to repeat the sounds out loud. If the order was an UP sound followed by a DOWN sound, the student would say, “Weep, Woop” (or the names of the sounds the student came up with).
5. Have the student say, “Weep, Woop” while touching each sticky note with those labels.
6. Finally, have the student say, “Weep, Woop” while clicking the arrows on the screen.

Does the student have basic sequencing skills?

1. Start by using pairs of words, such as orange-apple and big-little. Say the word pair and have the student repeat it back to you in the same order. Vary the order of the words in the pair: orange-apple, apple-orange, apple-apple, orange-orange.
2. Switch to Weep-Woop as the word pair. Randomly say one of the four possible variations, and have the student repeat that sequence aloud.
3. Using a small sheet of paper, draw an arrow pointing up and an arrow pointing down right below it. Again, say the Weep-Woop variations and have the student point at the appropriate arrow sequence.

Does the student struggle with shorter sound sweeps, or when the pause between sound sweeps is very brief?

An extended flat line on a student’s progress graph is evidence that they may not yet be able to handle the increased processing load.

• Encourage the student by reminding them that they have made excellent progress and that many students hit a plateau just like this in Sky Gym.
• Remind the student of the best practices for making progress in this exercise: focus, listen intently, and identify the sequence before clicking the answer.
• If Autoplay is on, have the student turn it off so that they can choose when to start each question. This can help prevent students from getting incorrect answers, feeling discouragement, and giving in to frustration.
• Encourage the student to use the Replay button to get their ears used to the shorter and closer together sound sweep sequences.

Is the student unable to consistently get 3 correct answers in a row?

Challenge the student to “Beat the Teacher." The goal of this activity is to achieve accuracy and get streaks of correct answers. Students make progress based on the 3-Forward/1-Back Rule: they move forward when they get 3 answers in a row correct, but they move backward when they get 1 answer incorrect.

1. On a sheet of paper, make two columns. Put your name on the top of one column and the student's name on the top of the other column. (You can also use the Beat the Teacher Worksheet.)
2. Listen along with the student during the exercise.
3. When the student gets three in a row correct, record one point for the student. When the student makes an error, record a point for yourself.
4. At the end of the intervention, total the points for each column. Calculate the number of student points earned minus the number of teacher points earned. This number represents the total number of steps forward the student has progressed.
5. Have the student set a points goal to help them strive for even greater consistency and faster progress.

Does the student understand the exercise goal/task?

Observe the student as they work through the exercise demo to determine where their understanding may be breaking down.

Is the student able to repeat the directions back to you?

Building memory and attention skills is important for this exercise. Encourage students to build their memory and focused attention by practicing it offline with you in a game.

• Give your student a three letter word to spell out loud. Then ask them to spell it out loud but backwards. See if they can spell four or even five letter words backwards!
• If the student can't spell yet, play a following directions game like Simon Says.

Both of these games can help the student practice using their memory and attention skills while having fun, which can increase motivation and improve their progress in this exercise.

Does the student use any memory strategies?

Ask the student how they remember the directions. Do they repeat the directions to themselves? Do they look to see where the board pieces are located?

Memory strategies are useful ways to build working memory which is important for reading and learning. Teach your student a memory strategy like hovering their cursor or finger over the first shape/color they hear while they wait to hear the second direction.

Does the student have difficulty correctly identifying colors?

If the student has color vision deficiencies, provide feedback based on the nature of their issue.

• If the student is completely color blind and unable to differentiate between red and green or blue and yellow, they will need to skip this exercise.
• If their color blindness is less severe, using a visual aid cheat sheet with the names of the colors written under each color may help them to more quickly identify the colors in the exercise.

Does the student understand sequence words like “before” and “after”?

Look at the Errors section in the student's Progress Report to see if they are struggling with particular sequence words. Try these strategies as needed.

• Use a whiteboard to show the student how the words “before” and “after” work when giving directions.
• Play a following directions game like Simon Says game using only sequence words in your directions.

Does the student have trouble maintaining focus for the duration of the directions?

Have the student to take a short activity break between questions, which can help them maintain focus while listening.

1. Turn off the Autoplay option.
2. Complete a question.
3. Look up and count four ceiling tiles.
4. Continue to the next question.

Does the student understand the exercise goal/task?

Observe the student as they work through the exercise demo to determine where their understanding may be breaking down. Make sure the student clearly understands the task of the exercise. Ask: “Can you tell me what this exercise wants you to do?” If needed, explain how the exercise works. Say: “Click the object, listen to the sounds, and match them together to clear the screen.”

Can the student repeat the word or sound they are trying to find?

When the student can hold the word or sound in their working memory it will increase their success with this exercise.

Is the student attempting to find matches in a haphazard way?

The student has a limited number of clicks to find a match. The more they click around randomly looking for a sound match, the more clicks they lose and the less progress they will make. Clicking randomly will decrease the number of available clicks more quickly than using a strategy. Guide the student in using the following strategies:

• Teach the student to use a left-to-right, top-to-bottom strategy. After clicking the first object, the student should hold that sound in their memory while they go left-to-right seeking the matching sound. Clicking in a pattern can help the student remember the sound for each location on the screen.
• Have the student remember the first sound and then click until they find the matching sound. If the student can’t remember the first sound, have the student click the location again to commit it to memory.
• Have the student continually whisper the first sound until they locate the matching sound. When the student finds the match to the sound they are whispering, have them go back and click the original location to complete the match. Repeat this process with the next sound.

Is the student confused by the speech processing?

Work with the student to listen for “sounds” vs. “words.”

1. Simulate environmental sounds (beep of a horn, moo of a cow, roar of a lion, and so on) and have the student repeat what they hear. The student will almost always be good at this. Go through several examples.
2. Then, transition to the kinds of sounds students hear at the earliest levels of the exercise. For example, when the word cap is heard at processing level 1, the student will usually hear it as cowp.
3. At this point, ask the learner to repeat the sound 5 times. This gives the student the opportunity to refocus and use repetition as a strategy for improving their working memory.
4. Transition the student to working in the demos and have the student repeat the first sound they hear 3 to 5 times before clicking other objects on the screen.