CARS & STARS Online is a digital reading comprehension program based around the repeated application of twelve core reading strategies to make students better readers who can analyse and interpret any text at a high level of understanding. The multi-level program is designed to be entirely paper-free, with all student answers entered directly into the software, and results instantly recorded and corrected automatically, requiring no teacher marking.
The STARS module of CARS & STARS Online provides scaffolded instruction – signposted in the program as modelled instruction, guided practice and independent practice – that supports student success with the strategies introduced in the CARS module. Students, in simple terms, are shown how to do something first, then guided through doing it themselves, before ultimately being left to do it independently.
The STARS module is organised into five parts and each lesson part is integrated with scaffolded instruction and directly and explicitly organised by scaffolded instructional techniques. The STARS module guides students through the learning process. They progress from prior-knowledge activation to modelled and guided direct instruction with peer learning, before turning to text-guided modelled and guided practice, and finally reaching the ultimate goal of fully independent work.
A review lesson follows every three strategy lessons. The reviews are used to assess students’ mastery of the reading strategies taught in those three lessons in the STARS module, to make sure that students can work directly with the strategy and aren’t experiencing any lingering difficulties or issues.
For the same reason, a final review follows all 12 strategy lessons. The final review is used to assess students’ mastery of all 12 reading strategies – the complete range of the main strategies taught across the program – and involves answering 12 selected-response questions that focus on the specific reading strategies. In this way teachers and administrators can be sure that students have benefited from strategy instruction and are totally capable in utilising each strategy in their reading comprehension.
If you are interested in learning more about the CARS & STARS Online subscriptions and how they can help children to achieve better results, then sign up for a free trial to be an integral part of your child’s reading success.
