OAKLAND, Calif., Sept. 9, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As part of the Common Core State Standards initiative, students are required to read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. To help educators gain a better understanding of how to teach fluency so their students can gain more from their reading, Scientific Learning Corp. (OTCQB:SCIL) will release a new white paper and present a free webinar by Timothy Rasinski , Ph.D., a professor of literacy education at Kent State University and director of its award-winning reading clinic.
"Fluency is an important predictor of reading comprehension and a key element of any successful reading program," said Dr. Rasinski. "Yet, it has been relatively ignored or misinterpreted for years. It's time we consider new ways of approaching reading instruction — and reading fluency is an approach that offers great potential for many students, particularly those who struggle and find reading difficult or uninteresting."
In the white paper, titled "Supportive Fluency Instruction: The Key to Reading Success (Especially for Students who Struggle)," Rasinski describes the importance of reading fluency as well as why fluency instruction is often severely limited in many classrooms. He explores how instructional methods, such as the modeling of fluent reading and assisted reading, can be used to develop fluency in students, including those who have not achieved grade level proficiency in reading. He also discusses how to synthesize the building blocks of fluency instruction into a daily lesson. To download a free copy of the white paper, visit http://bit.ly/1ecbeZd
In the live webinar, scheduled Sept. 11 at 1 p.m. Pacific (4 p.m. Eastern), Rasinski will discuss research on reading fluency and how fluency is the often-neglected bridge to comprehension. During the webinar, titled "Reading Fluency: The Neglected (but Necessary) Goal of Your Reading Program," he will share approaches to teaching this all-important skill that will move students toward better comprehension, including the use of guided oral reading and voice recognition technologies such as Reading Assistant ™. The webinar is free, but registration is required. To register, or for more information, visit http://www.scilearn.com/webinars .
Rasinski has written over 200 articles and has authored, co-authored or edited over 50 books or curriculum programs on reading education. He is author of the best selling books on reading fluency, The Fluent Reader and The Fluent Reader in Action . His research on reading has been cited by the National Reading Panel and has been published in journals such as Reading Research Quarterly , The Reading Teacher, and the Journal of Educational Research .
About Reading Assistant
The Reading Assistant program combines advanced speech recognition technology with research-based reading instruction to help students strengthen their reading fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. As students practice reading out loud, the program "listens" and provides immediate, personalized feedback and guidance. Clickable glossary words with definitions available in English or Spanish help build vocabulary, and "Think About It" questions and quizzes at the end of each selection help build comprehension. With Reading Assistant, students can improve their reading grade level up to 50 percent more than students receiving classroom instruction alone.
Scientific Learning Corp.
We accelerate learning by applying proven research on how the brain learns. Scientific Learning's results are demonstrated in over 270 research studies and protected by over 55 patents. Learners can realize achievement gains of up to two years in as little as three months and maintain an accelerated rate of learning even after the programs end. For more information, visit www.scientificlearning.com or call toll-free 888-810-0250.
Media Contact: Hallie Smith Director of Marketing Scientific Learning Corporation (619) 795-6509 Investor Contact: Jane Freeman Chief Financial Officer Scientific Learning Corporation (510) 625-6710
