Fast ForWord Home Learner Success Manual for Parents Language v2: Space Commander
Fast ForWord Home Interventions for Parents One of the very first things you can do to assist your child when they are experiencing difficulty with a particular exercise is to sit with them and watch and listen as they work. You can either use a Y-splitter so that you can listen in on your own headphones or you can remove the headphones for a short time so that you can hear what is going on. That way, you will be able to identify if your child is having difficulty understanding the goal of the exercise or if it is the content. Check for Understanding 1. Ask your child to explain the exercise to you. 2. Do they understand the expectations of the exercise? 3. Do they understand how to use the mouse or keyboard? 4. Ask: Can you tell me what this exercise wants you to do? Listen with Your Child 1. Listen in with your child (we do recommend a stereo audio splitter that enables you to plug two headsets into the computer). 2. Listen to what they hear. 3. Ask them to tell you what they hear. 4. Naming sounds can be helpful too. 5. Help them to understand the difference between sounds that are the same and those that are different. The next step is to do the exercise with them. This can be achieved by using the Demo mode. These are the steps to work on the Demo. Keep in mind that no data will be recorded when using the Demo mode. To use the demos: 1. Go to www.myscilearn.com 2. Choose student login on the bottom left of the box. 3. Choose school district: BrainPro OnDemand District 4. Sign in as usual. 5. When the page comes up with the assignment look at the tabs at the top and choose DEMOS (it will say you need your teacher's permission, please let your consultant know you are going to do the Demos). 6. Choose the exercise that your child is struggling with and work together for a while until you are sure they are familiar with the task and have answered at least three in a row correctly. 7. Exit demos and allow them to work as usual.
Space Commander - Object: In this exercise, the student listens to a sentence giving directions to click or manipulate colored shapes on a board. 1. Listen with your child as they complete the exercise. Ask them to repeat back the sentence to you before clicking on the screen. This will help you identify if they are having trouble with listening comprehension and/or attention skills. 2. When presented with a 2-step direction, have your child immediately move the mouse cursor to the correct shape as soon as he or she hears the first step. Once the sentence is done, they simply need to click the first object and then complete the second part of the sentence. 3. Practice multi-step directions with your child. This is an easy and fun game you can play almost anywhere. Start with one or two directions at a time and build up to more complex directions. You can say things like: a. Touch your nose and then turn around in a circle b. Sit in the green chair and then run to the door. c. Cross your fingers, stand up, turn around in a circle, and wink at someone in the room. d. Shake your head "No", count the chairs in the room, point to the corner of the room, and wiggle your fingers. These are just some examples. There is a list of 50 multi-step directions that you can request from your consultant.
Space Commander Sample Shapes
50 Multi-Step Directions Cross your fingers, stand up, turn around in a circle, and wink at someone in the room. Shake your head "No", count the chairs in the room, point to the corner of the room, and wiggle your fingers. Snap your fingers 4 times, pretend to put a shirt on, tap your foot on the floor, and name something blue. Sing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star", pretend to wash your hands, put your elbows on the table, and touch your nose. Pretend to sneeze, walk to the door, count to 5, and sit down. Blink your eyes, pretend to take your watch off, name a shape, and say "Look over there." Wave with one hand, say "Hello", stand up, and shake your head "yes". Name something that is red, put both hands in the air, put your hand over your mouth, and count to 8. Point to a light in the room, touch your toes, name a color, pat yourself on the head. Put your hands over your eyes, stand up, jump up and down 3 times, and then sit down on your hands. Pretend to comb your hair, put your hand on your shoulder, name a color, and wave at me. Clap 3 times, pretend to drive a car, give someone a high 5, and give a thumbs up. Point to the door, take a deep breath, say a number, touch your shoulders 3 times. Snap your fingers 2 times, close your eyes, name 2 of your friends, and say the ABC's. Count the people in the room, touch your knees 2 times, put your hands on your hips, and pretend to tie your shoe. Tap your finger on the table, tell me your favorite color, scratch your head, pretend to talk on the phone. Say "Eat your vegetables", slap the table, quack like a duck, and count to 10. Look at the person next to you, stand up, hop 2 times, and take a bow.
Say "Watermelon", tell me your favorite color, cover your ears with your hands, and wave "goodbye." Give someone a high five, sit down on the floor, say your favorite food, put your hand over your mouth. Blink your eyes 3 times, stand up, jump up and down 2 times, and wink at someone. Bark like a dog, give 2 thumbs up, snap your fingers 3 times, and pretend to eat a piece of candy. Say "Donuts are sweet", tap your foot 4 times, look at the person next to you, and clap your hands twice. Shake your head "Yes", stand up, hop 4 times, and touch your knee. Put your hands over your ears, plug your nose, snap your fingers 2 times, and pretend to wash your face. Touch your toes 3 times, count to 7, say "Good Luck", and spell your name. Name 3 animals, say your age, hold up 3 fingers, and count the people in the room. Close your eyes, stand up, say your name, and shake your head "no." Pretend to open a present, snap your fingers 2 times, say "Hello", and pretend to put on your glasses. Touch your toes, put your hands on your head, pretend to eat a piece of candy, and say "this is sticky." Touch your elbows together, hop to the door, walk on your tip toes, and clap your hands 4 times. Smile, hold up 3 fingers, look at the person next to you, and pretend to take off your hat. Say a number, stand up, meow like a cat, tap your foot 2 times. Put your hands on your head, say "Speech is cool", clap your hands 2 times, and pretend to cry. Laugh out loud, say a shape, jump up and down 5 times, pretend to put on your glasses. Pat yourself on the back, close your eyes, say a word that ends in "y", and give a thumbs up sign. Turn around 2 times, cross your fingers, moo like a cow, and look up at the ceiling. Walk to the door, say "It smells funny in here", clap your hands 1 time, and rub your shoulder.
Hold up 5 fingers, look at your neighbor, say "These are my fingers", and then put your head on the table. Put your hands on your elbows, count to 10, knock on the table, and say "Good morning." Say a letter, put one hand on your head, snap your fingers 2 times with the other hand, and blink. Flap your arms, say "I'm flying", clap 2 times, and say "I'm tired." Pretend to throw a ball, hiss like a snake, count to 3, tap your foot 2 times. Wiggle your fingers, lift both hands above your head, close your hands, and say "That's it." Grab your ears, say "I can't hear you", give 2 thumbs up, say a shape. Name 1 friend, say your favorite movie, say what you ate for dinner last night, snap your fingers 2 times. Put your hands behind your back, say "I'm tied up", close your eyes, and laugh. Snort like a pig, say "That's gross", pretend to drive a car, and then blink 2 times. Touch your shoulders, growl like a lion, knock on the table, click your heels together. Touch your knees, hold up 8 fingers, pretend to sneeze, and say "Goodnight everyone."