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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Passport Reading Journeys?
Passport Reading Journeys is reading intervention system for Middle and High School students that provides explicit, systematic and scaffolded reading instruction through high-interest content and an interactive format. Journeys' goal is to accelerate students to proficiency in reading performance by targeting students who score significantly low in reading and providing engaging age- and interest-appropriate instruction.
 
Which students participate in the Passport Reading Journeys intervention program?
The Journeys program was designed for students who are reading 2 years or more below grade level.
 
How are Writing Extension lessons used?
The Writing Extension lessons can be used at the conclusion of the 30-week Journeys curriculum or they can be done during the last weeks of the program in addition to the Journeys lessons.
 
How does the Vocabulary portion of the lesson work?
As they follow the SOLO skill path, the student is presented with Vocabulary words from the passage. The student is asked to correctly match the word with its meaning. If the student selects an incorrect response, the system will display Tools Buttons including "Context, Word Parts, Affixionary, and Dictionary." As the skills are introduced in the early sessions, the buttons are enabled. Once all the skills are introduced, all the tool buttons are enabled. The student may click these buttons and view a hint that may help them to discover the correct response. The student will be given an additional three hint buttons if they continue having difficulty finding the correct answer. Vocabulary words can also be added to the Word bank by the student. Note: The "Dictionary" hint button also becomes active and available beginning with Expedition 3.
 
What options are there for students who are severely struggling?
The Word Study lessons can be used with your whole class prior to starting Journeys or with your most struggling students every Lesson 2, 4, 6 and 8 while the other students are doing independent reading from the Journeys Reading Library. Word Study consists of 30 lessons of intensive instruction that enables students to develop automaticity and fluency with the alphabetic code.
 
What reports can be generated with the VPORT data management system, and can they be sent home to parents?
Yes, a parent report can be sent home to the parents of each student. The report can be found in VPORT, and it lets parents know their student's Reading Benchmark score (the Lexile level of the student) and the Reading Connected Text score (the words per minute on an oral fluency measure).
 
Are all lesson components teacher directed?
Many parts of the program are teacher directed; however, students are given opportunities to work in pairs during fluency practice in Lessons 2 and 4 and in small groups to write in response to reading in Lessons 2, 4, and 7 in the Passport Reading Journeys Library. They also work independently during the SOLO sessions in Lessons 5 and 10. The assessment is completed independently in Lesson 9.
 
What is Word Study?
Word Study is for those students working significantly below grade level and who need explicit instruction at the word-recognition level and additional instruction in decoding, spelling, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency.
The Passport Reading Journeys I and II Word Study Student Books focus on pre-requisite or foundational skills.
The groups are formed based on assessment, and if students are identified as reading below 60 wpm, the Word Study Placement Test is administered to determine which Word Study lesson (1 or 10) the students should start. The teacher can also review the data of the Reading Benchmark and Reading Connected Text assessments in forming groups. This information can be found in VPORT.
 
Where does the DVD come into the design of the lessons?
The DVD is used in Lesson 1 to introduce the topic of the Expedition. In Lesson 9, the DVD provides closure to the Expedition.
 
Does a scope and sequence exist for the total program?
Yes. You can find it on this site by clicking on one of the PRJ Levels on the Curriculum page.
 
How do Web-based activities and lessons support what is happening in the classroom?
SOLO presents a motivating opportunity for students to practice a Strategic Reading Set including: previewing, vocabulary, main idea, and summarization. These skills are also interwoven throughout Passport Reading Journeys curriculum, and students receive SOLO progress reports to provide a self-assessment of their performance. In addition, the VPORT online data management system provides teacher reports based on student choices in SOLO.
 
What is required for the student to use SOLO?
A computer, internet access, and headphones.
 
What assessments are given in Journeys and when are they given?
There are four types of assessments that are given throughout the Journeys intervention program. The Vital Indicators of Progress (VIP) Reading Connected Text (RCT) measure and the Lexile Reading Benchmark measures are given three times a year. The Comprehension and Vocabulary assessment is a criterion-referenced assessment in high stakes test format to assess skills and content taught. The Comprehension and Vocabulary assessment is given every two weeks in every Lesson 10 at the end of each Expedition. The fourth assessment is the SOLO assessment which is a web-based application to practice key skills providing feedback and allows teachers ongoing access to track student progress.