Readable Blog

The COVID-19 pandemic has left a lasting impact on student learning, with middle school students particularly bearing the brunt of these disruptions. New research from the NWEA highlights the stark reality: eighth graders are projected to need an additional nine months of schooling to reach pre-pandemic performance levels, while third graders require just over two months. This widening gap in student achievement underscores the urgent need for innovative solutions to help our students catch up. One such promising solution is Readable English.

Introduction: Understanding the Challenge

In education, ensuring that every child can read proficiently is a cornerstone of academic success. However, many students face significant challenges due to language barriers, learning disabilities  like dyslexia, or other obstacles. The experiences shared by New Albany Schools in Mississippi from working with third-grade students highlights the transformative impact of Readable English, a tool that can significantly aid those struggling to read. The following insights are gleaned from the work of Gywn Russell (Former Principal and now Director of Curriculum), and Beth Matlock (Principal and Dyslexia Specialist) at New Albany Schools.

In the journey of education, the ability to read is often heralded as the gateway to knowledge, empowerment, and success. Yet, for many children, this seemingly straightforward task can present formidable challenges. As educators and parents, understanding the intricate connection between cognitive load theory and a child's ability to read is crucial in ensuring that every child, regardless of their background or cognitive capacity, has the opportunity to unlock the world through literacy.

SF Bay Area, CA/ Bloomington, IN (April 17, 2024) - Readable English, a literacy access and intervention software company that invented  an English language pronunciation guide that uses visual cues, called glyphs, to make the language phonetic without changing the spelling, today announced the appointment of edtech veteran Tim Waldron as its new Chief Executive Officer. Waldron succeeds Ann Fitts, the company's esteemed founder, who has stepped down from her CEO role after five years. Fitts will stay engaged in the company as a board member.

There's more to reading than just phonics and how to partner with Readable English to bring effective reading intervention to students.

The secret sauce for early readers has three main ingredients (hint, hint) and it really works. Readable English and MetaMetrics teamed up in an effort to solve the literacy crisis and early evidence proves the system is working.

Watch the webinar recording to learn:

• Why there’s more to reading than just phonics.

• How the Lexile scale can now measure skills beyond reading comprehension and how this can be applied to developing readers.

• The real-world impact these Lexile measures in Readable English have had with English learners, helping an Indiana school double their state ILEARN test scores.

• How edtech companies or districts can partner with Readable English to bring this reading intervention program to their schools or customers.

*We are happy to share the views of our guest writer, Melanie Nelson, MSD of Warren County District Instructional Coach. Her viewpoint after 2 years of Readable English implementation within her district is greatly appreciated. The district data she shares is a testimony to not only the Readable English program, but also to the dedicated and passionate teachers in MSD of Warren County that believe ALL students CAN learn to read on grade level! Thank you Melanie for allowing us to share this!

Imagine living your entire life with the inability to read. How many missed opportunities would arise due to illiteracy? Unfortunately, all of us know family members or friends that struggle with literacy skills; including the ability to read accurately and/or fluently, comprehend what’s been read, or write effectively. 

With the end of the school year quickly approaching, it is important to prioritize maximizing impact on student literacy growth with the tools that Readable English offers to teachers and students. Literacy is an essential skill that students need in order to succeed in all areas of their lives. Whether it is reading for pleasure, comprehension, or critical thinking, literacy is the foundation for learning and understanding.

By focusing on literacy growth, students are better able to understand and learn from the materials they are presented with. This leads to improved academic performance and better preparation for future success. 

The English language can be mastered… or can it? With the understanding of a few English idiosyncrasies, you soon learn that the language makes no sense at all.

Native English speakers seem to be able to pick up the oddities and mimic them well. But for non-English speakers trying to speak the language, it’s not long before they are scratching their heads in bewilderment.

When changing one letter changes the sound of a word, silent letters disrupt phonetics, homophones sound the same without being so, and odd phrases make literally no sense, confusion can prevail.