• What’s New – Merit Reading Software Improves Reading Comprehension, Says the Journal of Research on Technology in Education
• Customer Feedback – Accu-Reading
• Resource for Teachers – The Visual Thesaurus
• Grants for U.S. Educators

The Journal of Research on Technology in Education’s Winter 2004-2005 issue contains a study showing that Merit reading programs increase standardized test scores. This publication signifies the authority and importance of the Merit Software study.

Consultants at Marshall University in West Virginia used a treatment group and a control group to evaluate the effectiveness of Merit programs on 6th and 8th graders. Students in the treatment group made significant gains. Scores on the Stanford Achievement Test-9 Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension increased by 13.1% and 10.5%, respectively.

For more information about this study, go to: http://www.meritsoftware.com/merit_calhoun_summary.pdf

To read the Journal of Research on Technology in Education abstract, go to: http://www.meritsoftware.com/jrte_vol37_n2_merit.pdf

[back to top]

"The software works well. Our students like it, and really like the instant results it gives. Plus, it motivates them. We’ve seen real improvement on their test scores,” says an educator at Westminster West Middle School in Westminster, MD, about Merit Software’s Accu-Reading.

Researchers at Marshall University used Accu-Reading for the study published in the Journal of Research on Technology in Education. Accu-Reading helps students apply key reading skills to science and social studies reading passages. Students learn strategies for analyzing vocabulary, understanding main idea, sequence and inference.

For a complete software description or to try the downloadable evaluation version, go to: http://www.meritsoftware.com/software/accu_reading

[back to top]

Thinkmap, Inc has created The Visual Thesaurus. This unique resource uses interactive maps to display meanings and relationships for over 140,000 words. The Visual Thesaurus includes tools such as a History List and a Relationships Filter.

Find out more, at: http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?B=19396&U=70008&M=5222

[back to top]

Garth Brooks' Teammates for Kids Foundation provides grants to non-profit organizations that specialize in working with children. Funding priorities include grants for promoting educational achievement in areas of documented weakness, and grants for promoting learning opportunities in low-income areas. Funds may be used for the purchase of educational technology.

Go to: http://www.teammates4kids.com

[back to top]