1. Effective Use of Edmark Reading
Kay Osborn

2. Edmark Reading Program
 Edmark Reading is designed for students
with developmental disabilities and for
students struggling with phonics approaches.
 Edmark Reading Program is a sight word
approach.

3. Features
 Individualized
 Systematic presentation of information
 Highly repetitive
 Multi-sensory: See the words
Hear the words
Say the words
Touch the words

4. Student Prerequisites
 Point to or respond in some way to select a
correct choice from a multiple-choice array
 Say back or sign words
 Have sufficient receptive language to follow
teacher cues

5. Teacher Prerequisites
 No special training required
 Positive, encouraging attitude
 Patience to work slowly and consistently

6. Two Levels
 Edmark Reading Program, Level 1
Teaches 150 words, with comprehension
Reading Level Kinder through Grade 1
 Edmark Reading Program, Level 2
Teaches 200 words, with comprehension
Reading Level Grade 1 through 3

7. Why does it work?
 Designed based on strategies that work with
certain learning styles (individualized,
systematic, etc.)
 Designed with Applied Behavioral Analysis
techniques (stimulus shaping, positive
reinforcement, etc.)

8. Time commitment
 One lesson should take 5-15 minutes
 Number of lessons is at the teacher’s
discretion, but lessons should be
discontinued if fatigue is a factor or making
successive errors
 Lessons should be daily, minimum 3-4 times
a week

9. Numbering system
 Lesson Numbers –All lessons have a
sequential number
 Each type of lesson has a number – WR,
Tests, Direction Cards, etc.
 Word Number- each of the 150 words taught
has a number

10. Recordkeeping – Student Record Book
 Provides lesson sequence- after a student
reaches criterion you move on to the next
lesson indicated in the Student Record Book
 Write in pencil
 Record date and errors
 Valuable information for IEPs, data based
decision making
 Should go with student when they transfer

11. Instructional Components, Level 1
 2 types of tests:
Discrimination, Pre/post-tests
 5 kinds of lessons:
Pre-reading Lesson
Word Recognition Lessons
Direction Card Lessons
Picture/Phrase Lessons
Story Book Lessons

12. Pre-reading Lessons
 Teaches visual discrimination
 Student demonstrates the ability to match identical
configurations
 Student is not required to name objects, words,
letters
 Correction procedure - 3 chances allowed, if a
student misses an answer, cover up that answer and
ask again
 Criterion - no more than 4 errors
 Recordkeeping - Record date and errors

13. Discrimination Test
(How to determine where to start a
student in the program)
 Start with Discrimination Test, Lesson 9
If a student has more than 4 errors the student
should start on Lesson 1, Pre-Reading
If a student has fewer than 4 errors, move to
Pre-Test 1, Lesson 10

14. Pre-Test and Post-Test
 One Pre-test in Level 1, Lesson 10
Check words missed
 Post-tests are given after every 10 Word Recognition
Lessons
Write in words missed
Criterion: No errors
The letter and number in parentheses refer to the
lesson where the number is originally taught

15. For your consideration
 For students already using Edmark Reading
Program a master pre/post test is included in
the packet. This is designed by the
presenter and not part of the Edmark
Reading Program. It is useful in determining
placement, regression, and present levels of
functioning for those students already using
Edmark Reading Program.

16. Word Recognition Lesson
 Teaches one word per lesson till lesson 60, then 2
words per lesson and plurals, plus word endings:
-ed, -ing
 Two student responses:
Multiple choice frames - student points to the word
and reads it
Read back frames - student reads the word aloud

17. WR codes in left margin
Asterisk means it is a readback frame - teacher
says “Read it”
A, B, C means it is a multiple choice frame.
The first column on the left is A, the second
is B and the third is C. The teacher says,
“Show me _____(A, B, C)___.”
If there is no code, there is only one obvious
choice.

18. Numbers on left
 wr19-3b
Means: Word Recognition Lesson 19
Frame 3
Column b
Teacher says: “Show me green”.

19. WR- Word Recognition
 Each word is repeated enough times
throughout the program to give permanent
acquisition. There is systematic repetition of
learned words.
 Criterion - No more than 4 errors
 Recordkeeping - Write in word errors and
date

20. Sequential Progression
 The teacher can decide if the student needs
to spend more time on a lesson or would
progress better by skipping a particularly
troublesome lesson
 If you choose to skip a lesson and let the
student do the next lesson, make sure to
return to the problem lesson and meet the
criterion on it.

21. Picture / Phrase Card Lesson
 Teaches comprehension by matching pictures to
phrases
 The Picture/Phrase card is in front of the student with
the stacked phrase cards
 The student reads the phrase card aloud and
matches it to the correct picture
 Criterion: No errors
 Record keeping - date and letter of the phrase
missed

22. Direction Card Lesson
 Teaches comprehension by having the student read
Direction Card and match an illustration
 Teacher lays Direction Card in front of student and
spreads out Illustrations. The teacher has the
student read the words in box 1 and put the
matching illustrations in that box.
 Criterion - no errors
 Recordkeeping - write the date and the boxes
missed

23. Story Book Lesson
 Systematic use of words in regular reading
format
 Student reads the story aloud
 Criterion - No criterion for Story Book
Lessons
 Recordkeeping - Record date and word
errors

24. Program Support Materials
 Supplemental Stories - Extra reading
practice. Use as teacher sees the need.
 Signing Manual - Gives the sign for all words
taught in the program.

25. Class Room Set Up
 For distractible students face present the
lesson with them facing away from class
room activities
 Tilt boards are very useful for Word
Recognition Lessons
 Have lessons organized so students don’t
wait while you gather papers

26. Motivation -
 Reward success!
 Build rewards into your classroom behavior
program
 Have students read to parents and
administration.
 Be proud!

27. Organizational Ideas
 For ease of reaching the materials and
grouping students the Edmark Reading
Program can be divided into 4 pieces and
stored in magazine holders. Attached is the
materials division. The Story Book Lessons
are the only piece that must be shared.

28. Organizational Ideas
 Another way to access Edmark Reading
Program is to use hanging files in a portable
file.
 Picture Phrase Cards can be stored in a 3
ring binder for easy access

29. Organizational Ideas
 If you get a new kit, Direction Cards and
Picture Phrase Cards come in solid sheets to
be perforated. Before you perforate them,
you might want to use different colored
highlighter to mark on the back on solid
pieces before you separate the pieces for
easier grouping.
 Over 600 little pieces of paper in the kit!

30. Edmark Reading Program, Level 2
 Teaches 200 new words
 Reviews 150 words from Level 1
 Teaches compound words

31. Instructional Components, Level 2
 Four types of lessons
Pre-test / Review
Word Recognition Lessons
Picture / Phrase Cards
Story Book Lessons

32. Materials:
 Pro-Ed
Edmark Reading Program Level 1 $475
Edmark Reading Program Level 2 $475
Other recommended reading resources:
Effective Literacy Instruction for Students with
Moderate or Severe Disabilities, Copeland & Keefe
Teaching Reading to Children with Down Syndrome,
Oelwein

33. Supplemental Materials-
Available Separately
 Edmark Reading Program Software -
Can be used independently or in correlation with the print
curriculum.
Positives - Visually and auditorily interesting, students can record
their own voice reading, automatic record keeping, kids like it,
strong reinforcer for words learned
Be sure to teach “Call your teacher” and do not let the students
learn the code to make adjustments.
Compatible with TouchWindow, mouse, alternate keyboard, single
switch

34. Supplemental Materials - Continued
 Supplemental Worksheets
286 blackline masters providing practice
using Edmark words in cutting and pasting,
drawing lines from words to matching
illustrations, circling words to match
illustrations and underlining words to match
illustrations.

35. Supplemental Materials- Continued
 Edmark Bingo - game format for teaching the
words learned. Students on different levels
can play the game at the same time.
 Edmark Homework - activities to do at home
and encourage parent involvement
 Edmark Spelling – Teaches the spelling of
Edmark words through the activities of
writing, filling in missing letters, drawing,
writing a dictionary definition.

36. Edmark Functional Word Series
Teaches 400 useful sight words using the
same method
Signs Around You
Fast Food / Restaurant Words
Grocery Words
Job / Work Words
 Available separately from Pro-Ed