Fast ForWord®

Product or Programme · All products and programmes
Evidence · 10 claims (2 for, 7 mixed, 1 against) · 2 studies (1 causal, 1 review), q2–q3 · 0 of 2 report an effect size · 10 claims rest on one study

Description

Fast ForWord Language is a computer-based language and reading intervention program developed and marketed by Scientific Learning Corporation for learners needing support with English language proficiency and reading skills.

Components

• Fast ForWord Language computer-based instructional program: Fast ForWord Language is "a computer-based instructional program developed to build cognitive skills students need to improve English language proficiency and reading skill." It consists of seven game-like exercises covering nonverbal and verbal sound discrimination, phonological processing, vocabulary recognition, and language comprehension, each building from basic to more complex skills. The program uses "acoustically modified speech and language training that approach the normal speed and volume of speech as the student progresses." It was designed for students struggling with reading but has been used with English language learners, and has been on the market since 1997. (What Works Clearinghouse (2006))
• Fast ForWord® adaptive computer-based reading program: Fast ForWord® is "a computer-based reading program intended to help students develop and strengthen the cognitive skills necessary for successful reading and learning." It comprises a Language/Literacy series building memory, attention, processing, sequencing, listening accuracy, and phonological awareness, and a Reading series targeting sound-letter associations, word recognition, vocabulary, and comprehension. The software adapts content and difficulty to individual responses so students respond correctly approximately 80% of the time, with usage options from 30 minutes a day for 12 to 16 weeks to 90 to 100 minutes a day for 4 to 8 weeks. (Fast ForWord® (2010))

Claims

• The WWC improvement index is +31 percentile points for English language development and +3 percentile points for reading achievement [+W]
• Fast ForWord Language shows no discernible effects on reading achievement of elementary school English language learners [-W] — (also cited [~W])
• Fast ForWord Language has potentially positive effects on English language development of elementary school English language learners [+W] — (also cited [~W])
• Both studies of Fast ForWord in the alphabetics domain showed indeterminate effects, with no statistically significant or substantively important effects [~W]
• In the comprehension domain, one study of Fast ForWord showed statistically significant positive effects, two showed substantively important positive effects, and three showed indeterminate effects [~W]
• Of 305 studies of Fast ForWord reviewed for adolescent learners, two met WWC evidence standards, six met standards with reservations, and 297 met neither [~W]
• The extent of evidence for Fast ForWord is small for alphabetics and reading fluency and medium to large for comprehension and general literacy achievement [~W]
• All five studies of Fast ForWord in the general literacy achievement domain showed indeterminate effects [~W]
• The WWC improvement indices for Fast ForWord average +2 (alphabetics), +17 (reading fluency), +8 (comprehension), and +3 (general literacy achievement) percentile points [~W]
• Fast ForWord has no discernible effects on alphabetics and general literacy achievement and potentially positive effects on reading fluency and comprehension for adolescent learners [~W]

Related Products and Programmes

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Key Sources

• What Works Clearinghouse, U.S. Department of Education. (2006). WWC Intervention Report: Fast ForWord Language. http://www.scilearn.com
• Fast ForWord®. (2010). WWC Intervention Report: Fast ForWord®, Adolescent Literacy. What Works Clearinghouse, U.S. Department of Education. https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/InterventionReport/173

Page metadata

Field	Value
type	product
id	fast-forword
title	Fast ForWord®
description	Fast ForWord Language is a computer-based language and reading intervention program developed and marketed by Scientific Learning Corporation for learners needing support with English language proficiency and reading skills.
status	review
moved_from	element/fast-forword-language-program, element/fast-forword-program-element
product_kind	software
generated	by process:sweep-kinds on 2026-10-10
trust	unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content
sources	2 — what-works-clearinghouse-2006, fast-forword-2010

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