I have to still say that Fast ForWord is the best thing that has happened to my family! And its rewards have been doing their 'thang for almost a year :) My DD is still going strong and she hasn't lost any of her gains made from the program.
When issues of reading concerns come up in conversations, I always ask if they have considered this program. Unfortunately, not many people are familiar with it so I refer them to the BrainPro website and tell them to search for my blog about the process if they are interested. Sometimes I'm curious if anyone uses the program after our conversation so if this blog has been helpful to you in your choice of programming, I would love a comment below! :)
Overall, I'd say that the biggest improvement is in her ability to learn something new in a timely manner. I no longer need to purchase 5-7 different text and work textbooks that cover the same material 5-7 different ways for the sheer repetition of it. She has only 1 math textbook, which is now at grade level!, and she can comprehend the new information as it is introduced and reviewed in just one program. She has only 1 cursive workbook, 1 phonics workbook, and only 1 spelling workbook! More importantly, she is able to handle her workload without the added emotional stress of "I can'ts." We can progress through her curriculum at a good pace, without needing to take calming breaks, relearning episodes, or intense scaffolding. This all leads to her ability to feel competent in her work and, interestingly enough, responsible for her education.
This may seem like small stuff and you may think I'm over crediting the program, but if you were to really know where we were for YEARS before the tremendous gains from Fast ForWord, the program's impact speaks for itself. Reread my last paragraph without the improvements and you may get a glimpse of how difficult things were for her, for me as a parent and teacher. We are truly thankful :)
(March 24, 2014)