After seeing gains in students’ language, cognitive, and reading skills, K-12 districts extend the online intervention to additional schools to help struggling readers catch up to their peers
11/28/17
Media Contact:
Hallie Smith
Scientific Learning Corporation
(619) 888-0887
hsmith@scilearn.com
Oakland, Calif. — Nov. 28, 2017 — Every school has students who struggle in reading, despite months or even years of interventions. While struggling readers need 10 to 30 times more practice to catch up to their grade-level peers, few schools can offer that level of intensity. That is why a growing number of districts are trying a different approach and signing up for a free trial of the neuroscience-based Fast ForWord® language and reading intervention from Scientific Learning Corp. (OTC PINK:SCIL). By directly and intensively targeting the skills struggling readers need to catch up, K-12 educators are helping students make rapid gains and, based on the positive results, are taking their implementations district-wide.
“We used a variety of reading resources with students who struggle, but we weren’t seeing the gains we needed to see. We saw other schools in the region having success with the Fast ForWord program, so we signed up for a free trial to see if it could help our struggling readers and English language learners,” said Carla Voelkel, deputy superintendent for educational services for Dickinson Independent School District in Texas. “During the free trial, we saw gains in students’ memory, attention, and processing skills, and their reading fluency. Their self-confidence improved, too. As a result, we decided to purchase Fast ForWord for all 12 schools in our district.”
Developed by neuroscientists, the Fast ForWord program uses a unique three-step approach to deliver fast gains to struggling students. First, it prepares the brain for reading by improving the foundational language and cognitive skills that are often weak in these students. Second, it provides personalized, intensive practice on a variety of language and reading skills — more than any other approach or intervention. Third, it uses speech verification technology to support and listen to students as they read aloud, like a guided reading coach. Once these areas are addressed, students’ language, reading, and all learning improve quickly, and changes continue even after they complete the program.
To sign up for a free trial, visit http://pages.scilearn.com/FreeTrial2.0.html. For more information, visit www.scientificlearning.com.
