Manuscripts are subjected to both the scrutiny of five editors from these specialty areas and then to extensive clinical trial. Vocabulary is selected on the basis of frequency of use, phonetic regularity, and instructional value. Complex sentences are limited to those types that appear first in the language of native speakers. Complex sentences are used only to clarify the relationship between agents, actions, ideas, and events. Each complex sentence is analyzed for readability.
Research suggests that struggling readers rely on word order to determine the sequence of events.
A hidden timer tracks how long the student takes to read and respond to the passage. After completing the cloze paragraph, the student sees a bar graph of correct responses. The teacher may view a second graph that tracks fluency by calculating the student's rate of correct responding. The vocabulary used in the cloze paragraph and multiple choice questions is restricted to the vocabulary introduced to that point in the story.