Sentence Master Frequently Asked Questions

by Laureate (R), Dr. Marion Blank

	To help you decide if The Sentence Master is right for your child, we've asked Dr. Marion Blank to answer some of the questions that parents and teachers most frequently ask. 1. What is the goal of The Sentence Master? The Sentence Master is a reading program that is designed to take children who are non-readers or beginner readers and systematically lead them to thorough mastery of reading and writing tasks at the second to third grade level. 2. Will the program conflict with the program my child has at school? The Sentence Master has been designed so that it complements the work going on in school. The program can even help children master the more traditional approaches used in classrooms. 3. At what age can a child begin the program? A child can start the program around age five, and in some cases, age four. Generally, when children have language problems, the sooner they start to read the better. It gives them enormous confidence and prevents the failure that accompanies reading problems in the elementary grades. 4. My child doesn't know the alphabet yet. Can we start on The Sentence Master? Yes! As your child moves through the program, he or she will become familiar with all the letters of the alphabet. There is no reason for your child to learn letter names. If he or she knows them, fine. Successful reading, however, does not have to await letter naming. 5. My child already knows how to read some words. Do I have to take him or her through the entire program? There is no reason for a child to spend time on material he or she has already mastered. The brief Assessment Test we offer will help you determine the level that is right for your child. Call 1-800-562-6801 to obtain a free copy of the test. You can also find it on our Web site (www.LaureateLearning.com). 6. My child is 10 years old and he has never learned to read more than a few words. Can he do the program? The determining factor is not age; it is the level at which your child is reading. If he or she cannot fluently read material higher than the second grade level, then the program is likely to prove a useful entrée into successful reading. 7. My child has never been able to master the "sounding out" of words. Can she cope with The Sentence Master? Definitely. The program has been designed to bypass the demands of "sounding out" that are so painful and frustrating for so many children. 8. How much time does the program take? Usually, one word or one story is taught in a session. There should be 4 to 7 sessions a week, with each session taking about 1/2 hour. 9. My child cannot write. Can we use the program when handwriting has not yet been mastered? Yes. The writing activities are important, but they can be carried out by using a simple word processing program on your computer.