Education   

Selected for Success:
How Headsprout Reading Basics™ Teaches Beginning Reading

T. V. Joe Layng, Ph.D.

Janet S. Twyman, Ph.D.

Greg Stikeleather, MA.

Section VII

Conclusion

Headsprout Reading Basics is the culmination of a major research and development effort that finds its roots not only in the content required for successful reading instruction, but also in the strategies for teaching that are the outgrowth of years of work provided by many dedicated behavioral and learning scientists. It is constructional in its design (after Anderson, Reder & Simon, 1999;Goldiamond, 1974; Skinner, 1968), comprehensive in its development (after Holland et al, 1976; Johnson and Layng, 1992; Lindsley, 1997; Markle, 1969, 1990; Tiemann and Markle, 1990; Skinner, 1957), and rigorous in its evaluation (after Markle, 1967; Sidman, 1960; Sidman and Stoddard, 1966). In summary:

• Each lesson appears as an interactive, animated Web episode and takes about 20 minutes to complete. At 3-5 episodes a week, a child will be able to complete the entire program in less than 12 weeks.
• Through highly interactive, positive experiences, a child learns that letters and sounds make words, words make sentences, and sentences make stories.
• Headsprout automatically adapts to a child's pace as it teaches. A child leaves each lesson feeling successful.
• Books are an essential part of the program - every few lessons a child receives a Headsprout Reader booklet, to encourage independent reading. Plus, you'll find a variety of other printable stories on the Headsprout Web site.
• In less than 15 hours of instruction (40 twenty-minute lessons), a child will read over 20 Headsprout stories; many with words sounded out and read for the first time.
• Children track their progress with colorful Headsprout Progress Maps. Detailed progress reports for each child are available online.

When learning to read is fun, children want to learn. This is fundamental to Reading Basics, and the reason Headsprout designed the program as a series of engaging, Internet-based, animated lessons that teach basic skills for reading. But, the real motivation, reflected by joy, pride, confidence, and enthusiasm, comes from the social reinforcement that being able to read brings to each child.

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