Tracking Mastery Teacher Guide Tracking Mastery
Teacher Facilitation Guide • Lesson 1
AUDIO ALLIES
Learning Objective
Students will synchronize their visual gaze with Text-to-Speech (TTS) audio output, using the highlighted text as a guide to improve word recognition and decoding fluency.
Key Instructional Moves
1. The Setup (5 mins)
Ensure all students have their TTS tool active (e.g., Read&Write, Immersive Reader, or built-in OS tools). Verify that "Word Highlighting" is enabled.
2. Model & Mimic (10 mins)
Project a paragraph. Model "The Finger Chase"—point to the word the computer says. Have students do the same on their screens.
3. The Speed Dial (10 mins)
Experiment with reading speeds. Ask: "Is it easier to track when it's slow or fast? Find your 'Sweet Spot' speed."
Essential Vocabulary
TTS (Text-to-Speech)
Highlighting
Visual Tracking
Reading Speed
Teacher Tip
Watch students' eyes. If they are looking around the room, encourage them to "ride the wave" of the highlighting cursor.
Discussion Prompts
Check for Understanding
"How does seeing the word turn yellow/blue help you know what the computer is saying?"
Metacognition
"When the voice gets too fast, what happens to your eyes? How can we fix that?"
Practice Passage: The Rocket Racer
"Leo lived in a house full of gears and gadgets. He wanted to build the fastest rocket in the galaxy. Every morning, he looked at his blueprints. The engine needed a special spark. Leo searched his workshop for a silver spring. He found it under a pile of old robot arms. 'Perfect!' he shouted. Today was the day to fly."
Use this text for the modeling portion of Lesson 1.
Tracking Race Worksheet Tracking Race
Lesson 1: Visual Tracking Victory
Name:
Date:
The Mission
Open your computer's reading tool. Track the words with your eyes while the computer reads. Your goal is to stay exactly on the highlighted word!
Lap 1
Warm Up (Slow Speed)
The turtle took a long walk to the pond. He saw a green frog sitting on a big rock. The sun was warm on his shell. It was a very peaceful morning.
How did it feel?
Too Slow
Just Right
Too Fast
Lap 2
The Sprint (Medium Speed)
The blue jay flew fast over the garden. She was looking for a snack for her hungry babies. She spotted a tiny red berry near the flower pot and swooped down to grab it.
How did it feel?
Too Slow
Just Right
Too Fast
Lap 3
The Championship (Custom Speed)
Deep in the crystal cave, a sparkling dragon guarded his treasure. He didn't care about gold or jewels. His favorite thing was his collection of magic books. He would stay up all night reading by the light of his own fire breath.
Set your speed to your "Sweet Spot" and record it below:
My Perfect Speed
Mental Movie Slides Brain Movie Theater
Starring: Your Imagination
Lesson 2: Pausing to Visualize
The Mission
Listen
Hear the words the computer says.
Visualize
Turn those words into a movie in your mind.
The Pause Power
When the computer reads, it goes fast.
Let's Practice!
"The old tree house was covered in green vines. A crooked wooden ladder led up to a small door. Inside, a single lantern glowed, casting long shadows across a dusty map on the floor."
Hit Pause
Sketch the scene
Sketching 101
Be Fast
Spend only 1 minute per sketch.
No Artists
Stick figures and blobs are totally okay!
Key Details
Just draw what you HEARD.
Sketch Stop Worksheet Sketch & Stop
The "Brain Movie" Journal
Agent:
Date:
How to Play: Listen to the passage using your reading tool. When you reach the icon, stop the audio and draw what you see in your mind!
SCENE 1
The Neon City
"The city of the future was full of bright neon signs in pink and blue. Floating cars zipped between tall glass buildings. Below, robotic street cleaners swept the silver sidewalks." [PAUSE]
Director's Notes (Describe in 1 sentence)
Mental Image Box
SCENE 2
The Hidden Temple
"Giant green leaves covered the entrance to the stone temple. A golden statue of a jaguar stood in the center, with emeralds for eyes. Vines hung from the ceiling like thick ropes." [PAUSE]
Director's Notes
Mental Image Box
SCENE 3
The Midnight Library
"The library was silent at midnight. Books were flying off the shelves on their own, fluttering like paper birds. A glowing purple owl perched on the librarian's desk, watching the books soar." [PAUSE]
Director's Notes
Mental Image Box
Vocab Detective Worksheet Case File: Vocabulary
Word Detective Agency
Confidential Student Log • Unit 3
Detective:
Badge #:
Your Mission: Listen to the passage. When you hear a word you don't know, use the Highlight tool to hear it again. Then, use context clues to crack the code!
The Mystery Word Heard it! My Clue Guess Real Definition 1. ____________
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| Teacher will reveal... |
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2. ____________
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| Teacher will reveal... |
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3. ____________
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| Teacher will reveal... |
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4. ____________
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| Teacher will reveal... |
Detective Debrief
How did HEARING the word out loud help you guess the meaning?
Top Secret
Vocab Detective Teacher Key Word Detective Agency
Teacher Case Files • Lesson 3
Target Vocabulary & Passages
1. Gigantic
Tier 2 Word
"The whale was so gigantic that its tail was bigger than our entire boat! We felt very small as it swam past us."
CONTEXT CLUE: "Bigger than our entire boat / We felt very small."
2. Cautious
Tier 2 Word
"The cat was very cautious as she walked across the thin branch. She moved slowly and looked carefully before every step."
CONTEXT CLUE: "Moved slowly / looked carefully / before every step."
3. Abandoned
Tier 2 Word
"The old house looked abandoned. The windows were broken, the yard was full of weeds, and nobody had lived there for many years."
CONTEXT CLUE: "Nobody had lived there for many years / broken windows / weeds."
The Detective Method
STEP 1: Listen to the passage with TTS. Identify words that "sound" new or difficult.
STEP 2: Highlight the mystery word. Listen to it three times. Does the sound remind you of any other words?
STEP 3: Look at the "Neighbors" (the words around it). Do they give you a hint?
STEP 4: Test a replacement. "The whale was so BIG that..." Does it still make sense?
Teacher Facilitation Tips
Remind students that TTS helps them hear the "music" of the language. If they can't decode the word visually, the audio pronunciation might trigger their background knowledge of having heard the word spoken before.
Click Back Challenge Worksheet Click-Back Quest
Don't guess! Good readers "click back" to hear the story again. Find the hidden evidence to complete your quest.
Adventurer:
Rank: Evidence Scout
1
The Baker's Mistake
Click-Back Skill
"Mr. Crumb was making a birthday cake for a giant. He used ten bags of flour and a bucket of sugar. But he forgot one thing! Instead of blue icing, he accidentally grabbed the bucket of neon orange frosting."
What color was the icing the baker actually used?
I clicked back to check!
2
Space Station Repair
Click-Back Skill
"Commander Nova needed to fix the solar panels. She asked the robot to hand her the heavy wrench. 'Not wrench number five,' she said. 'I need wrench number seven-B.' The robot beeped and handed it over."
Which wrench number did the Commander ask for?
I clicked back to check!
3
The Secret Garden
Click-Back Skill
"In the middle of the garden stood a fountain. It wasn't pouring water; it was pouring sparkling silver sand. Beside the fountain, three purple squirrels were eating acorns from a golden plate."
What were the purple squirrels eating their acorns from?
I clicked back to check!
Headline Hero Report Worksheet Headline Hero
Official Reporter's Notepad • Unit 5
Press Badge #
Breaking News Dept.
Listen to the "News Flash" story using your reading tool. Use your notebook to catch the five W's. Then, write the HEADLINE that tells the whole story!
Field Notes
Who was it about?
What happened?
Where did it take place?
When did it occur?
Why did it happen?
The Big Headline
Retell the story in one catchy sentence.
Fact-Check List
I used TTS to listen to the whole story.
I paused to write my notes.
I clicked back to check my facts.
Reporter Signature
Assignment Date
News Flash Source Texts Newsroom Source Texts
Teacher Reference • Lesson 5 Summarization
Breaking News Feed
How to use these texts:
Provide one of the following passages to students digitally. They should use their Text-to-Speech tool to listen, then fill out their Headline Hero Report . You can choose to assign different stories to different groups or have the whole class report on the same "Breaking News" event.
STORY A
The Library's Midnight Secret
"Yesterday evening, the town librarian, Mrs. Bookman, was shocked when she opened the front doors of the Oak Street Library. She found that hundreds of storybooks had come to life during the night. In the children's section, a small blue dragon was seen reading a cookbook, while a group of brave knights was having a picnic in the history aisle. Mrs. Bookman believes the books started acting out their stories because someone left a magic bookmark inside a fairy tale book. The library will remain closed until all the characters decide to go back into their pages."
Answer Key Hints:
Who: Mrs. Bookman / StorybooksWhat: Books came to life / characters acting out stories
Sample Headline:
"Magic Bookmark Brings Library Books to Life!"
STORY B
The Popcorn Blizzard
"Residents of Sunnyvale woke up to a delicious surprise this morning. Instead of rain or snow, fluffy white popcorn began falling from the sky at exactly 8:00 AM. Scientists say a unusual cloud formed over the local movie theater's giant corn silo, causing the snack to rain down on the whole town. Mayor Kernel has asked all citizens to grab their largest bowls and help clear the streets. While the 'snow' is salty and buttery, the Mayor warns people to watch out for unpopped kernels on the sidewalks, which could be slippery."
Answer Key Hints:
Where: Sunnyvale / Near movie theaterWhy: Unusual cloud over a corn silo
Sample Headline:
"Sunnyvale Wakes Up to Buttery Popcorn Blizzard!"
