How Reading Assistant Chooses Practice Passages

One of Reading Assistant's most valued features is that she constantly analyzes a child’s reading abilities, captures the current level of mastery, and adjusts the story selection passages to ensure that students are being challenged just the right amount.

When reading with Reading Assistant, children should be able to read 85-90% of the words accurately. This allows students to persist in reading practice while growing as readers with in-the-moment coaching from Reading Assistant.

The program begins with grade-level stories if Reading Assistant has no information about the student. Reading Assistant will adjust the difficulty of stories up or down as your child reads to keep students in that 85- 90% accuracy range.

If Reading Assistant recognizes a significant reading struggle, she will invite the child to echo read so they can finish the story and then be moved to a more straightforward reading option.  During Echo reading, Reading Assistant will read the story, one sentence (or phrase) at a time, and then invite the child to repeat it. If your students aren’t yet able to read connected text, they might be candidates for the Early Reader Skills Scaffold, which incorporates echo reading and basic phonics instruction.  Ask your teacher about implementing this option with Reading Assistant.

Encouraging your child to independently persist in reading with Reading Assistant is important.  She will jump in and help, but every word they attempt provides new data to the AI so they can be better supported. Every error is teaching Reading Assistant about your student, so it is important they keep trying and growing. Helping your student by giving them the word can confuse Reading Assistant, making her think your student can read words or navigate a skill they haven't yet mastered. It is also important to note that reading struggle is imperative for reading growth. We grow our reading muscle (brain) by making it work hard!

If a story seems too easy for your child, encourage them to read it accurately and expressively. Reading Assistant will then adjust to more challenging stories that match your student's ability.

Reading Assistant allows for student agency by letting students select from five stories, and sometimes, these selections push a child to an unexpected level. If, after three stories, the concern continues, please reach out to your student’s teacher.