How does Kinestem Program meet each of the requirements of the Texas Dyslexia Handbook?

According to MANUAL SOBRE LA DISLEXIA (Procedimientos sobre la dislexia y trastornos relacionados) Version 2018 by TEA and following Figure 3.4 on page 31, the areas of assessment for dyslexia should be as follows.

1. ACADEMIC SKILLS

1.1. Letter knowledge:

1.1.1. Name. K

1.1.2. Associated sound. PK

1.2. Reading single words. PK

1.3. Accurate decoding of unknown words.

1.4. Reading fluency is assessed as follows:

1.4.1. Speed

1.4.2. Accuracy PK

1.4.3. Pronunciation PK

1.5. Reading comprehension PK

1.6. Writing PK

2. COGNITIVE PROCESSES

2.1. Phonological/phonemic awareness PK

2.2. Rapid symbol or object naming PK

3. ADDITIONAL POSSIBLE AREAS

3.1. Vocabulary PK

3.2. Auditory comprehension PK

3.3. Verbal expression PK

3.4. Written expression PK

3.5. Handwriting PK

3.6. Memory for letters or sequence of symbols (orthographic processing) PK

3.7. Calculation/mathematical reasoning

3.8. Phonological memory PK

3.9. Verbal working memory PK

3.10. Speed processing

The time when the Kinestem Program has an impact on it has been marked with PK (Prekinder) or K (Kinder).

THE INTERVENTION PRINCIPLES OF THE KINESTEM PROGRAM

These principles follow the Texas Dyslexia Performance Standards and we apply them to all children to reduce and prevent reading disorders.

1. Multisensory: In addition to using the classic multisensory pathways, Kinestem Program uses strategies (the connector) so that the student can easily remember the phoneme-letter relationships and write the letter without spatial orientation problems.

2. Systematic and cumulative: The teaching of letters follows the order of learning suggested by all scholars of the subject. The learning of syllables is structured in a progressive way.

3. Explicit instruction on the alphabetic principle: The alphabetic principle is explicitly taught to the student and reinforced through phonological awareness.

4. Diagnostic instruction: From the beginning of instruction the teacher can assess whether a student will require special help in reading. Moreover, the program teaches the teacher to evaluate the student's progress in each letter.

5. Synthetic instruction: Synthetic instruction is carried out to arrive at the word from the phoneme through the careful use of syllables. It is essential for reading.

6. Analytical instruction: The program develops it because it is essential for proper writing.

7. Preventive intervention: With the use of the Kinestem Program, we avoid the difficulties of learning to read in the early stages. Although the pace of learning may be slower, we ensure that the teaching will be similar to that used by specialists in reading therapy.

8. Teacher training: Teacher training is the basis of the system. That is why the instruction in the Kinestem Program does not end at the end of the classroom course and we include hours of video conference assistance.

How many students can be in a group?

1 to 3 students

What company guidance is there regarding small group implementation?

The program works well in groups of up to 3 students, as long as these groups are homogeneous. Teachers can be provided with tests to assess the performance levels of each student.

What ages is this developmentally intervention appropriate for?

The Kinestem Program works by objectives. It is designed for mental ages approximately 36 months and above. In areas where preschool education begins at age 3, students are reading with comprehension in 3- or 4-word sentences by the end of prekindergarten. It works by procedures independent of each other. These are:

1. Pointing mechanism (directionality in reading and Rapid Automatized Naming).

2. Word identification (lexical awareness). Here, the teacher works with the vocabulary and expressions that the student needs according to the Texas educational program. In this way, inadequate pronunciation and faulty expressions are corrected while the student acquires lexical awareness, so that later when he/she is able to write, he/she will be able to separate written words.

3. Visual identification (grapheme identification).

4. Auditory identification (auditory discrimination).

5. Phoneme categorization (phonological awareness).

6. Syllabic synthesis (creation of syllables and words from phonemes).

7. Grapheme/phoneme and phoneme/grapheme relationship (the relationship is established from the body itself so that learning is fast and there are no spins when writing the letters or alterations in reading).

8. Orthographic teaching begins before the student knows how to read and write

How much time does a lesson take?

If all the procedures are worked on, the time spent can be 30 to 50 minutes. There are work procedures that are games for children, such as puzzles for letter identification. This is possible because the letters used by the program are modular, constructed by circles and straight lines.

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