Scientific Learning Introduces Early Literacy Package To Develop The Brain Fitness Of Young Learners
Fast ForWord Early Learning Series helps preschool and kindergarten students improve critical brain processing skills for early literacy development
4/9/09
Media Contact:Jessica Lindl
Vice President of Marketing
Scientific Learning Corporation
(510) 625-6784
jlindl@scilearn.com
Investor Contact:
Robert Feller
Chief Financial Officer
Scientific Learning Corporation
(510) 625-2281
investorrelations@scilearn.com
Oakland, Calif. - April 9, 2009 -Research shows that young children with inadequate language development are at-risk for developing academic difficulties.1 Without effective intervention, the majority of these students will exit high school with academic skills well below grade level.2 To help young students build the foundational reading, language and cognitive skills to become successful learners, Scientific Learning (NASDAQ:SCIL) today introduces the Fast ForWord® Early Learning Series.
The Fast ForWord Early Learning Series is designed for struggling readers, English language learners (ELL), and special education students in preschool (ages three to five) and kindergarten. The reading intervention solution consists of three products: Fast ForWord Language Basics, Fast ForWord Reading Prep, and Fast ForWord Language v2. Together, these products develop and enhance the brain fitness of young learners, preparing them to capture, process and retain information.
The Fast ForWord Early Learning series builds early reading and language skills while improving memory, attention and processing rates. This helps students better prepare for school and take advantage of the more challenging curriculum as they advance from preschool to kindergarten and beyond. Student outcomes have shown significant statistical improvements in letter-sound knowledge, letter-word identification, phonological awareness, and receptive and expressive language skills.
For example, in the urban Davenport Community School District (DCSD) in Davenport, Iowa, preschoolers who worked on the Fast ForWord products significantly improved in measures of early reading skills. During the 2007-08 school year, preschool students, ages three to five years old, were randomly divided into a Fast ForWord group and a comparison group that did not use the software. The Fast ForWord participants worked on the software 30 minutes per day, five days per week from February to May. School personnel tested the students' early reading skills using the Preschool Language Scales - 4th edition (PLS-4).
While the language skills of both groups improved relative to those of their peers nationwide, the improvement of the Fast ForWord participants was greater. The Fast ForWord participants made a statistically significant improvement with scores increasing an average of 23 percentage points, moving from the 36th percentile in November up to the 59th percentile in May. In contrast, the comparison group's scores increased an average of 14 percentage points, moving from the 37th percentile to the 51st percentile.
According to Kathy Schulte, Early Childhood Services Principal, Davenport Community Schools, "The effect of Fast ForWord programming encompasses the whole child. Parents, teachers, and other individuals predominant in the lives of our preschool Fast ForWord participants have commented on their child's ability to attend longer, communicate better, and recall information more consistently. The best part; children enjoy the Fast ForWord experience. It is a fun, positive part of their daily schedule."
About Scientific Learning Corp.
Scientific Learning creates educational software that accelerates learning by improving the processing efficiency of the brain. Based on more than 30 years of neuroscience and cognitive research, the Fast ForWord® family of products provides struggling readers with computer-delivered exercises that build the cognitive skills required to read and learn effectively. Scientific Learning Reading AssistantTM combines advanced speech recognition technology with scientifically-based courseware to help students strengthen fluency, vocabulary and comprehension to become proficient, life-long readers. The efficacy of the products has been established by more than 550 research studies and publications. For more information, visit www.scientificlearning.com or call toll-free 888-358-0212.
1 - Catts, 1993; Rissman, Curtis, and Tallal, 1990
2 - Shaywitz et al., 1999
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