The PAF Reading Program is a comprehensive structured language program for teaching reading, spelling, and handwriting using multisensory techniques.  It is an effective beginning reading program for all children (Tier 1) and incorporates practices supported by scientific research. When begun in kindergarten or first grade, it prevents reading failure in children at risk for learning difficulties. In addition, it can be used as an intervention program (Tiers 2 and 3).

The PAF Reading Program is

• Scientifically Proven, incorporating all the instructional practices supported by the latest research and recommended by the National Reading Panel.
• Teacher Friendly, offering all the tools and resources teachers need to plan and teach daily reading lessons. The instructions are concise and easily accessible. PAF was designed for teachers, by teachers.
• Based on Orton-Gillingham techniques, providing the most comprehensive and effective adaptation for the classroom and the only one coordinated with a series of decodable chapter books.

All beginning readers can benefit from PAF instruction, but for struggling readers, it is critical. Many children start school without an understanding that words can be broken down into sounds (phonemic awareness). Therefore, they cannot learn the first important concept in beginning reading, that each sound in English is represented by a letter or letters (the alphabetic principle). Consequently, decoding and word recognition skills develop slowly, if at all. Without strong word recognition, comprehension suffers. PAF teaches the alphabetic principle, higher-level word analysis skills, and comprehension strategies directly, with sufficient practice and reinforcement to ensure that all children learn to read.  

In addition, since PAF teaches foundational skills and the structure of language, it is a highly effective reading program for English Learners. The foundation for learning to read is the same whether you’re learning to read in a language you are learning or one you already know. But they are not identical; language learners require additional supports. Claude Goldenberg

PAF’s step-by-step progression leads to an increased sense of mastery and self esteem. It results in minimum frustration and maximum success for teachers and students.  

PAF is a comprehensive reading program created to meet the needs of novice readers to ensure that they develop a solid foundation upon which mature reading skills can develop. As a beginning program, it focuses on the development of accurate reading and oral language. They are the bedrock of reading comprehension.

PAF teaches oral language through the direct instruction of both semantics (vocabulary) and syntax (grammar). Vocabulary is developed in both quantity and quality through the study of multiple meaning words, synonyms, antonyms, and figurative language. Because comprehension often breaks down at the sentence level, syntax is addressed with direct instruction in the use of conjunctions and other cohesive devices. Children read sentences of increasing complexity throughout the program.

In addition, reading comprehension is developed during daily monitored oral reading in which the teacher models how to apply a variety of reading comprehension strategies. Students are exposed to text structures, such as problem/solution, cause and effect, and time sequence, each with its own vocabulary. They will also learn the basic elements of storytelling: character, setting, plot, conflict, and resolution.

Comprehension is strengthened in every lesson of the program. The ultimate goal of PAF is for children to understand text independently.

The PAF Reading Program provides children with the building blocks they need to develop a solid reading foundation critical for becoming proficient readers. Concepts are taught directly and explicitly in a specific sequence, with immediate teacher feedback. Each lesson offers children with the practice needed to develop word recognition and fluency, while teachers model comprehension strategies to understand fiction and non-fiction text.  This teaching technique results in minimum frustration—and maximum success, leading not only to an improvement in reading skills, but a sense of mastery and self-esteem.

Children are taught:

• The sounds letters make and how to write them
• How to use sounds to read and spell words
• How to read and spell multisyllable words  
• How to read accurately and fluently using lists of words, phrases, and sentences, and stories that contain only sounds and words that have been taught (controlled and decodable text)
• How to apply comprehension strategies to understand what they read

Each PAF reading lesson has five components: Review, Introduction of New Material, Dictation, Reading, and Reinforcement, regardless of the level in the PAF instructional sequence. The PAF materials are very easy to use. The Teacher Handbook facilitates effective planning of lessons and includes precise instructional language. The student materials are engaging and support the direct instruction model. We invite you to explore three PAF sample lessons.