MaxScholar utilizes an Orton-Gillingham approach with a focus on
phonics, phonemic awareness, reading of words, fluency, and writing to
build reading skills in struggling readers like dyslexic students, ESL
students, and those who have gaps in their reading foundation. This
online subscription is accessible from any internet ready device.
MaxScholar recommends Chrome. I don't use Chrome as my default, but it
was actually a good thing. I made MaxScholar the Chrome homepage, so the
girls could navigate their way to the program without me.
The Reading Intervention Program features
3 distinct programs your student can work with to improve their reading
skills. Each program begins with a placement test so that your student
is at the precise level for them.
- MAXPHONICS works on mastering phonemes and letter sounds by using a variety of multi-sensory, online lessons that include videos, practice drills, and games.
- MAXREADING uses highlighting, outlining, and summarizing strategies that help your student master reading comprehension.
- MAXWORDS builds vocabulary skills by focusing on prefixes, suffixes, Greek and Latin roots syllabication and spelling rules to improve reading comprehension and fluency.
Students and parents have independent logins, and the program automatically returns them to their correct lesson when they log back in. This is very helpful for us, as the girls don't always remember where they're supposed to be and what they're supposed to be doing. When I log in, I can see how long they spent on each program, what they did, what their scores were, etc. Parents also have access to a wide variety of additional downloadable
resources including lesson guides, readers, sight words, drills and even
workbooks.
So far, Madison has spent most of her time in MaxWords. She's been doing word sorts this year, and I realized that she had NO idea what open and closed syllables were - we've never discussed syllable types. We started with the few that I thought she'd pick up easily - R-controlled, Cons-le, and vowel teams. This was incredibly helpful for her as she words on breaking down longer words.
Reagan is still a new reader, so she spent time with phonics. She knows her letters and sounds, she knows word families, but blending sounds is still something she needs to work on.
Overall, the girls really enjoyed using the program, and I really liked that they could work independently at my laptop while I focused on the other. We're heading into our "school lite" for summer, and I think that we'll keep MaxScholar going to keep our reading skills moving forward!