I orginally found WBT while doing some research homework for a Master Teachers course with Tony Ryan. Intially it was a you tube clip of a teacher giving a calendar lesson just like the one I had given the day before but oh so much better. I was excited and hooked. So the next chance I had I tried my new and improved calendar lesson with amazing results. I watched more you tube clips and then started to think that some of these ideas and methods were a bit over the top and corny. So I pulled back a little while still being excited about the wholebrain theories I was reading about on the website. I shared feedback at the Master Class and shared my excitement with the theory and my hesitance with the over the top nature of some aspects but basically I was hooked.
Term break came along and I spent most of that holiday reading and watching clips and taking a huge number of notes. Some parents had complained about the sightword program we were using at the school. During that two week break I discovered Superspeed 100. When the new term started I was ready to go with Superspeed 100 as my new sightword program. When I tried it in pairs the children were cheating and jumping ahead and or got really mixed up with whose turn it was. I decided to change tactics and made it an at home program for the parents to do with their children and I did the powerpoint and other activites in class to work on sight words.
The children loved having a goal to work towards and the parents loved it as well. When this year started I also ran with it as homework. Then along came WBT certification and I thought I really need to give this another go. Now I have excited children thanking me for sightword practice and those children who were not practicing at home are now getting extra help from their classmates. The number ones are so pleased to help and the twos loved being helped. I already have a number of children who have achieved 1oo words and the year is only half way complete for us. The benefit is that I have so many children making great progress in reading because they already know so many words.
Teacher Heaven!
I love SuperSpeed 100! It is part of my homework also. Folders have to be turned in every Friday to be checked. The students also have a SuperSpeed Folder in their desk to be used in class. Once a week, a group of 6th graders come over and check each student 1 on 1 for assessment. In the same folder is their SuperSpeed Math. That is also checked weekly by the 6th graders. Students are also doing it with another copy at home for homework. SuperSpeed programs really made a difference with my students! So glad it's working for you too!!
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