Frequently Asked Questions

The Accelerated Early Reading Outcomes (AERO) Reading Curriculum is a comprehensive and structured reading intervention. It contains 78 units categorized into nine levels based on the specific skills addressed in each unit. Within each of the 78 units, there are normally 2-4 lessons, plus an additional review lesson in many units for students needing more practice and support. Each lesson is designed to be implemented within 20 minutes.

Each AERO lesson contains 4-7 activities focused on developing students’ phonological awareness, phonics skills, spelling, decoding, word recognition, reading fluency, vocabulary, or comprehension. The activities within each lesson are carefully and systematically sequenced across lessons and units to ensure cumulative practice and the development of the skills necessary to read independently. The AERO Scope and Sequence provides a comprehensive and complete view of the skills and concepts taught in the curriculum.

AERO is designed for students in the early grades who are experiencing difficulties learning to read. It may be used to provide small group reading instruction in a classroom setting, and may serve as either a pull-out or push-in intervention. It may also be used as a reading tutoring program.

AERO can be delivered by a range of people, including teachers, tutors, assistants, or volunteers. AERO was developed to be used by instructors with varying levels of experience and knowledge, not just reading interventionists or veteran teachers with specialized knowledge of reading difficulties.

AERO was specifically created for online delivery on CLI Engage (cliengage.org). To facilitate delivery, four types of materials are provided online: lesson pages with comprehensive instructions and scripts to guide delivery of lessons, teacher demonstration materials (i.e., posters, cards, and books teachers show students during lessons), assessment materials (i.e. the materials for students to look at and read), and student materials (i.e., interactives and e-books for individual student work). Teacher Demonstration Materials, assessment materials, and student materials are all easily accessible on the AERO Materials website at aeroreading.org. No login or password is required to access the materials here. All a teacher needs are laptops/tablets with internet access to display materials and a quiet place to deliver instruction. More information about curriculum delivery can be found in the AERO Start-Up Guide.

The Words on Target Videos are a fun way to boost vocabulary learning! These short, engaging videos link movements to vocabulary words, making learning active and joyful. They can be used as “brain breaks” – short breaks from the curriculum that allow students to move around – that work to promote learning. Each video has a simple pattern: first, watch our friendly characters, Tio and Coco, show a move. Then, join in and do the moves together. Finally, it’s your students’ turn to shine as they try the moves on their own. These videos teach the meanings of words that appear in the AERO curriculum; they can be used to reinforce learning for students receiving AERO tutoring, but they can also be used effectively on their own, by teachers and students who are not using AERO. Teachers can use the same video multiple times to reinforce learning. You can access these videos on the Words on Target Videos page.

Yes! There is a series of training courses available on CLI Engage that introduce the curriculum, outline best practices for effective reading instruction, and provide detailed directions for how to implement the activities within the curriculum. To access courses in the AERO training series, go to the Online Learning and Professional Development section of your CLI Engage dashboard.

Yes! AERO is grounded in over 30 years of scientific research about effective instruction for students in the early grades who are experiencing difficulties learning to read. More information about the program’s background can be found in the AERO Start-Up Guide.

Yes! The AERO Reading Curriculum is accompanied by Mastery Checks. AERO Mastery Checks occur approximately every two units as a way to monitor students’ progress and ensure proficiency of skills taught in the previous units before moving to the next unit.  On the AERO Assessment System page you can learn more about Mastery Check assessments, and the other two types of AERO assessments.

To access all the AERO assessments, log into CLI Engage, expand the “Screening, Progress Monitoring, and Observation” section, and select “AERO Assessments.” AERO assessments are organized into 12 different Waves. To access the assessment you want, you will need to choose the appropriate Wave as follows:

• Placement Test: Wave 1
• Placement Check Assessments: Wave 2
• Mastery Check Assessments: Waves 3 – 11
  • Level 1, Mastery Checks 1-4: Wave 3
  • Level 2, Mastery Checks 5-8: Wave 4
  • Level 3, Mastery Checks 9-12: Wave 5
  • Level 4, Mastery Checks 13-15: Wave 6
  • Level 5, Mastery Checks 16-21: Wave 7
  • Level 6, Mastery Checks 22-26: Wave 8
  • Level 7, Mastery Checks 27-31: Wave 9
  • Level 8, Mastery Checks 32-35: Wave 10
  • Level 9, Mastery Checks 36-40: Wave 11
• Optional Placement Test (for the end of the school year and/or when exiting the program): Wave 12

Each time you go to the AERO assessment page, the system will remember the last Wave you selected. If you do not see the assessment you want to administer, be sure you have chosen the appropriate Wave.

Yes! AERO includes three types of assessment that teachers can use to make data-informed decisions: Placement Test, Mastery Check, and Placement Checks. Placement Test results provide the teacher with information on which unit in the curriculum is the appropriate starting point for the student. Mastery Check results help inform teachers’ instructional decisions as teachers are prompted to proceed to the next unit, review an activity, or reteach a lesson based on student’s performance. Placement Check results provide the teacher with the unit in the curriculum that aligns with the student’s current skills and teachers are encouraged to move students ahead in the curriculum (e.g., skip units) based on these results. More information about AERO assessments can be found in the AERO Start-Up Guide and on the AERO Assessment System page.

AERO may meet the needs of students who need support in foundational reading skills, including students who failed the third grade STAAR reading assessment because of lack of mastery of foundational reading skills. However, because of its concentration on the development of early reading skills, AERO does not fully align with the TEKS for English Language Arts and Reading in third grade.

AERO assessments generate parent reports that describe children’s performance in the program. The results provided in these reports may indicate skill areas that children are still developing. If so, parents can use the “Family Resources” QR code or link on the report to access individualized reading activities to do at home with their child.