Regularly updated information about Fast ForWord

Note:  Information on this page will be entered with the most recent info at the top under each category so you will know at a glance if there is new stuff. 

NY Educator Publication write up!

Training Dates: September 8& 9; September 9& 10---Initial training for new coaches

Call for space availability and registration- 435-6358

New Buttons! 

This will get you to the table of downloads that used to be at the bottom of this page. There are new additions shown with☺

This will get you to a page of tips for each product and for interventions. There are new additions shown with☺

August 24:  School is about to begin shortly and schools will be enrolling long lists of students.  If you need some help or just a refresher for how to do this, just contact Chris Monroe at cmonro21. 

For new FF coaches and veterans: We will be beginning a FF Forum support group shortly.  Keep your eyes on this page.

July 1:  The second annual Syracuse Circle of Learning for Fast For Word was a huge success.  So many coaches, administrators and interested staff attended that we ran out of gift bags.   We had several sessions of information an plenty of time for networking and sharing ideas.  That's what it's all about...SHARING IDEAS! There are many new schools joining the FF community and it was great to see the pending coaches take such a motivated interest in getting and making plans.  We look 'forword' to a great summer and are renewed for our implementations in the Fall.  

June 6:  Lists of the students that Scientific Learning has as your enrolled kids have been sent to every building.  Please correct any enrollments that are not appropriate.  Please complete your students demographic information if you have not already.  Finish out your kids so that they can take the RPI tests before the last day of school.  Complete the requested information about your kids on the spreadsheet sent if your kids are possibly moving on to another school.  This is not information we can get from Scilearn or progress tracker so that we can transfer files between schools if necessary.

May 6:  Colleen has just completed an initial training with several folks.  If you are in need of training, please contact jdavidson@scsd.us

May 1:  There has been training for all the Reading products overview and Advanced Progress Tracker twice in the past few months.  We probably will be offering those again over the summer and again in the fall.  If you haven't been to either one of these yet, please contact Ella Briand to state your interest.

April 23:  NEW!!!  For help in getting information from Reading products error reports see the Reading products error report charts (and on district downloads button.)

April 1:  Please have your students fill out a survey and send them to Ella at Central Offices.

March 18: 20 new people were trained with Chris Monroe in this district on the 11 &12 to use FF in their buildings.  We are spreading Fast!  

Beth came the 18 & 19 to help us work with the Reading Products with our students. Many students are working through these products at an amazing rate.  I f you weren't able to attend, email Joanne Davidson to be put on a list of potential participants and a new date for this training will be scheduled.

The FF Forum is meeting every Wednesday at various locations to share and work on projects that will help all to implement the FF programs well and facilitate the increase in our students cognitive and reading abilities. We will meet today at Blodgett.

Please have your students fill out a survey and send them to Ella at Central Offices. (worth saying again)

March 2:  Join the Fast ForWord Forum - an opportunity for all present coaches to meet and share ideas, successes, and to develop resources for all coaches to use to improve the district implementation of FF.  We meet every Wednesday 3:15-4:45 pm at different locations.  email cmonro21@scsd.us for information and registration. Hope you can join us!

February 15:  Initial training will be offered on March 11 & 12 and Reading product training the 18 & 19.  I f you are working with students on Reading products you will want to attend!  If you missed it because of our snow day you will want to sign up again.

January 15:  We have the opportunity to work with a trainer from FF’s North East Division who specializes in the Reading Products. He will be providing half day workshops (both AM and PM) at Nottingham HS in their Library Computer Lab on 1/27 and 28 during Regents week. Please share the attached agenda with your FF coaches and please ask them to RSVP Ella Briand at ext. 6358 or email JDavidson@scsd.us. They should indicate day and am or pm. They are encouraged to sign up for both sessions.

Middle school coaches and available elementary/HS coaches can attend a workshop the half day, January 30 with Beth Greer and Chris Monroe to look at advanced Progress Tracker skills. 

January 14:   Congratulations to our Scientific Learning Trainer friend, Beth Greer, on her new granddaughter, Elle Foley, born January  13!  Beth willbe with us on Jan 30 with pictures to share.

December 15:  We were so proud to see the Syracuse schools making their mark on Scientific Learning's fast track schools for good and excellent implementations. This indicates great effort on the part of those working with students to be sure that they are in class and working hard.

The following schools were listed as Excellent:                      Elmwood Elementary                      Huntington Elementary

The following schools were listed as Good:   Corcoran,  Dr. King,  Delaware, Frazer,  Grant,  Shea, Hughes, Seymour, Lincoln, Fowler, Blodgett

November 21:  Colleen O'Malley will be visiting several of our school sites to answer questions, help with Progress Tracker reports and generally give support for the fine work that our coaches are doing with the SCSD students on FF.  If you would like a site visit, please contact Ella .

October 31:  Roberts K-8 has now entered the Fast ForWord Syracuse family and we welcome all those teachers and coaches who are excited about using FF to increase their students' mental skills!

October 15:  Some videos to watch: Brain Science : use of FF with 9th grade ELA students- Bartlett HS

October 14:  Schools are increasing their FF participation & new teachers are being trained.  We would like to get some information from you.  Please email Chris Monroe with the answers to any of the following questions:

1. Who are the staff who are coaching FF groups in your school?  Would any one like to be the FF contact for your school? 

2.  Would you be interested in an afterschool inservice to increase your skills using progress tracker and developing interventions for your students? 

3.  Would you like to participate in a forum or sharing session of the type of the FF Circle of Learning, possibly held on a staff development day?

Webinars will now be posted on the Webinars button on the front page.

October 1: Please remember when enrolling your students to fill in all appropriate demographic data including grade, race and special designation...( diagnosis not necessary.)  We would like all district data to be accurate and up to date.  Thanks!

Sept. 19:  Most schools using FF have completed their demo days and the students are beginning the games.  Remember to show the students their progress after the second week and regularly after that as it is a great motivator and essential to students' understanding of their achievements-or lack there of. Print off a copy of their weekly progress report and share it with them (ie. print on Friday and share on Monday to begin the week.) 

  Keep in mind that your teachers and parents want to know about FF, too.  Use these power points to show during a teacher meeting or parents' open house.  Call Chris if you want to  have help with this overview.

At the beginning of the year, give your teachers and/or parents a survey about the students that are enrolled in our program.    teacher survey    Parent survey  Plan ahead to include an overview of Fast ForWord for your first Parent's night.  Call Chris for some resources.  Give your teachers a presentation with the Reading Brain or Willie Brown videos.

For exporting student data from one school to another click here.

Connect here for Dr. Bill Jenkins' Powerpoint from April 3, 2008 presentation.