CONTACT:
Ben Weintraub (212-675-8567)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Effective Reading Programs: The Six Missing Pieces
New report identifies six critical elements for school reading programs missing from the No Child Left Behind Act; Merit facilitates recommended actions

Website Link:
http://www.meritsoftware.com/

New York, NY - The International Reading Association (IRA) recently released "A Call to Action and a Framework for Change: IRA's Position on NCLB Reform." The paper builds upon the National Reading Panel’s report on the essential elements of an effective school reading program. The original National Reading Panel report focused on early literacy skills for younger children and helped form the guiding principles of the No Child Left Behind Act.

The IRA recognizes the need to teach children reading skills after they have learned the basics. It recommends adding six additional items to schools’ reading programs: classroom organization, differentiated instruction, expert intensive tutoring, motivational engagement, writing, and spoken language. Merit Software enables schools to provide these elements in easy-to-implement ways.

Merit's reading programs fit into a variety of curriculums and classroom structures, so teachers can implement the classroom organization and curriculum that best fits their students' needs. The programs are designed for students reading at a grade three level and above.

Merit can be used with small groups or large classes and it aligns with state and local curriculum standards. Students work at their own pace and instruction is differentiated to accommodate a variety of skill levels.

Continuous feedback for each question engages students and helps them understand elements of the reading passage that they might be struggling with. Reward animations and progress reports motivate students to take charge of their own learning.

Reading comprehension is developed with intensive tutoring in reading strategies, writing skills and vocabulary, while Merit's Text Talker allows all text in the programs to be spoken aloud. All student scores are tracked in a comprehensive and easy to use record management system.

Two recent studies show that low achieving students using Merit Software significantly improve their scores on high stakes standardized tests for reading and writing. Conducted over a two year period at Calhoun Middle/High School in Mount Zion, West Virginia, the studies are among the first scientific-based research studies to show continuous gains in reading and writing test scores when using computer assisted instruction in schools.

The first study is published in the "Journal of Research in Technology in Education, Winter 2004-2005." The second study is published in the "Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, June 2006."

To obtain The International Reading Association report, "A Call to Action and a Framework for Change: IRA's Position on NCLB Reform," go to www.reading.org/resources/issues/focus_nclb.html.

ABOUT MERIT SOFTWARE:

Since 1983, Merit Software (www.meritsoftware.com) has been producing educational software that addresses the core competencies that students require to succeed. The emphasis is on strengthening students' ability to read, analyze data and communicate their ideas.

Merit Software's programs are known throughout the industry for providing context-sensitive tutorials for students and convenient record management features to aid teachers, tutors and parents.

Visit www.meritsoftware.com to examine the company's library of educational applications currently being used in thousands of educational facilities worldwide.

Merit's educational software has been the subject of rigorous, independent, scientific-based research. These studies have concluded that Merit's software provides an effective supplement to everyday instruction. Research findings are available on www.meritsoftware.com/research.

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