Archipelago Learning, a subscription-based, software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider of education products, has added two new product lines with the addition of ESL ReadingSmart™ and ReadingMate™, providing a way for teachers to individualize instruction for both non-native and native English speakers in reading and English language arts. The two web-based solutions provide individualized learning environments for students in grades 4-12.
ESL ReadingSmart offers English language learners (ELLs) content-based instruction to develop English language proficiency, with an emphasis on literacy and academic language development. Statistical analysis has proven that ESL ReadingSmart is an effective intervention that raises students' reading and language academic performance. For native English speakers, ReadingMate is a supplemental reading intervention program that prepares students to read at grade level and develop necessary reading skills.
“According to the National Center of Education Statistics, approximately 21 percent of school-age children in the United States speak a language other than English at home,” said Tim McEwen, chairman, chief executive officer and president of Archipelago Learning. “ESL ReadingSmart and ReadingMate deliver an effective solution by offering individualized focus in crowded, multi-cultural and multi-level classrooms, building the foundation needed to develop solid reading comprehension skills and improve academic performance.”
ESL ReadingSmart is designed for newcomers, as well as beginning, intermediate, early advanced, and advanced readers. Instructional materials are written at a variety of English proficiency levels, helping teachers address the challenge of teaching ELL students in multi-level classrooms. Lessons for each unit contain activities that support all four modalities of language learning: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
Based on the Common Core State Standards for English language arts and reading, ReadingMate helps students improve their skills for vocabulary development and reading comprehension. It offers students the opportunity to read independently and comprehend increasingly complex Lexiled® texts.
Lessons in both programs contain multi-cultural, multi-genre reading selections and activities for students, as well as online lesson plans, worksheets and printable handouts for teachers. Lexiled reading passages and related activities can be used to enhance existing curricula. Students needing extra support have multiple options for developing their knowledge and skills, including listening to selections read aloud, using roll-over definitions for unfamiliar vocabulary, and receiving immediate feedback on online activities.
ESL ReadingSmart and ReadingMate each contain a student assessment module that offers teachers and administrators the ability to run individual, class, school and district reports, and measure progress in terms of Lexile and grade level gains.
