A program does not have to be complex to be effective. In fact, at SimplySteno.com we believe that the opposite applies. We don't believe in "fluff." Every dictation, academic, lecture and project is there for a reason. And we stick to the basics, because the basics work!
If many of our "rules" seem strict, it's because we want to give you everything you need to succeed. That means both guiding and pushing you in the right direction.
The SimplySteno.com program utilizes 6 areas of focus - Dictation/Testing, Academics, Drills, Scheduling, Mental Conditioning and Creativity. All 6 of these are worked into a daily schedule that leaves nothing for you to interpret. It's all there - step by step - guiding you exactly where you need to go. That's 5 schedules a week (you need your weekends to decompress). You can check out a Sample Schedule here.
Dictation/Testing
Quality dictation is the cornerstone of any good program, and we supply the best! Our dictation material comes directly from SpeedBuilders.com and DailyDictation.com. If you've ever used their services before, you know you're getting the finest dictation out there! If you'd like to hear a sample dictation, just email us with your speed and we'll send something right over.
What kind of dictation will you get with your SimplySteno.com program? Example - if you sign up as a 150 wpm student, your dictation speeds will range from 130 to 170 - both single and 2-voice (and even a little 4-voice tossed in to keep it interesting). All dictation files are mp3's which makes them easier for you to utilize and save for later use.
We believe in a Trail, Goal, Push approach to speedbuilding. Lower speeds are perfect to practice your accuracy and form good writing habits. Your goal speed is your testing speed - the speed you are currently trying to pass. Push speeds are needed to learn productive dropping and to sharpen your listening skills.
Testing is done 3 times a week and you must pass both a single and 2-voice test at 95.5% to move on to the next speed. Testing is performed at 10-word increments. All testing dictation is read in word count to guarantee varying density - something we believe is important. All your tests will be graded, analyzed and returned to you, so that we can point out what we feel you should be focusing on.
Academics
Our academics have been designed by working reporters to make certain they are relevant to both the RPR exam and the working world. Each academic runs from 6 to 12 weeks. We've worked 4 academics into the SimplySteno.com program - English, Vocabulary, Medical Terminology and Legal Terminology.
If you've taken these academics previously, it's up to you whether you take them again. But if you don't, you can't blame SimplySteno if you don't pass those portions of your state exam.
Drills
Drills are an important part of your daily routine. We keep things interesting by providing varying dexterity, number, medical and spelling drills every single day of your SimplySteno.com program.
Scheduling
All the tools in the world are useless without a solid instruction guide. The SimplySteno.com daily schedules are the most precise you will find in any program. Every day requires from 2 to 5 hours of your time, depending on the assignments of the day. Testing days are the longest as they require typing time.
You can see a Sample Schedule here. Every day is different - designed to target specific areas of your writing and keep you from getting bored.
Mental Conditioning
As you've discovered by now, a large portion of your education is mental. Simply writing on your machine and gaining speed is the result of physical response, but it's the mental aspect of writing that hovers over that development. In the SimplySteno.com program, we work with you on that mental aspect every day.
Most students focus every ounce of energy they have into passing tests. In our opinion, that's a mistake. Your energy should be placed on your writing - all writing - how to write cleaner, without hesitation. Once you've done that, the tests will take care of themselves. We teach you how to focus that positive energy and release the negative.
Creativity
A court reporting program does not have to be boring. Okay, that's not 100% true. A good part of it needs to be repetitive. That's the nature of the beast. If you want to develop healthy writing habits, you need to develop your brain/fingers response. And the only way to do that is with positive repetition.
But there's room to have fun as well! The SimplySteno.com program also includes several games designed to work on the skills you need...without boring you in the process! One stipulation - you can only use these games if you are able to connect your steno machine to your computer (using a CAT software). To take a look at some graphics from one of our Steno Games, click here.