BOSTON, May 10, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reading Psychology and the Journal of Educational Research, two highly acclaimed peer-reviewed education journals, have published findings from two different studies conducted by Lexia Learning, a Rosetta Stone Inc. (NYSE: RST) company. The study published in Reading Psychology explores the influence of teacher engagement on the implementation of a blended learning reading program; the study published in the Journal of Educational Research discusses the effects of the blended learning program’s school-wide implementation at an urban Title I elementary school.
“The results of these two studies indicate there is a benefit to using a blended learning approach to literacy instruction for a diverse student population, particularly in the early grades, but such an approach requires teacher engagement to be truly successful,” said Dr. Elizabeth R. Kazakoff, senior researcher at Lexia, who participated in conducting of both studies. “Becoming a proficient reader by third grade is a key predictor of future academic and career success, including high school graduation, so understanding how best to help children make the transition from learning to read, to reading to learn is paramount. These two studies give educators a deeper understanding of how educators can use educational technologies most effectively with their students.”
Brief descriptions of each study are below.
Reading Psychology
More than 760 schools across the United States participated in this study by Lexia, “Exploring the impact of engaged teachers on implementation fidelity and reading skill gains in a blended learning reading program.” Lexia researchers compared the rate of reading improvement among 19,366 students with engaged teachers with that of 171,850 students in the same schools whose teachers were less engaged with the blended learning program.
Students of the engaged teachers not only began the study with significantly higher fidelity of use and more units completed than their peers in the second group, they continued the trend of higher fidelity of use and more completed reading units throughout the study. Consequently, study results showed significant improvements in reading skills during the analyzed period for students of engaged teachers as a result of their students’ consistent use of the blended learning program.
Journal of Educational Research
The study featured in The Journal of Educational Research, titled “Elementary school-wide implementation of a blended learning program for reading intervention in a Title I school: Implications for students who are English Learners,” examined the implementation of the blended learning program in a Title I urban elementary school during the 2014-2015 school year.
The study evaluated the program’s effect on the reading performance of 641 students in kindergarten through grade five via pre- and posttests on a standardized reading assessment called Group Reading Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation (GRADE™). Researchers found that student progress in the online component of the blended learning program was a significant predictor of their reading performance growth on GRADE even when controlling for student grade level, initial student skill level, and English Learner (EL) status. Students in kindergarten through second grade showed more substantial gains than students in later grades.
“The gains in reading for students who are English Learners were especially important because 18 percent of the school’s student population are EL,” said Dr. Kazakoff. “Only 24 percent of students who are English Learners in Massachusetts, the state in which the school’s located, scored proficient or above on the 2013-14 state reading and language arts assessment, far below the 69 percent overall proficiency average. That’s not a unique phenomenon. Teachers across the United States are looking for ways to support their students who are English Learners, and we have demonstrated that blended learning can indeed help them and, even better, make the greatest impact just before that crucial third grade transition point in literacy learning.”
About Lexia Learning
Lexia Learning, a division of Rosetta Stone, empowers educators through adaptive assessment and personalized instruction. For more than 30 years, the company has been on the leading edge of research and product development as it relates to student reading skills. With a robust offering that includes solutions for differentiated instruction, personalized learning and assessment, Lexia Learning provides educators with the tools to intensify and accelerate literacy skills development for students of all abilities. For more information, visit www.lexialearning.com.
About Rosetta Stone
Rosetta Stone Inc. (NYSE: RST) is dedicated to changing people’s lives through the power of language and literacy education. The company’s innovative digital solutions drive positive learning outcomes for the inspired learner at home or in schools and workplaces around the world.
Founded in 1992, Rosetta Stone’s language division uses cloud-based solutions to help all types of learners read, write, and speak more than 30 languages. Lexia Learning, Rosetta Stone’s literacy education division, was founded more than 30 years ago and is a leader in the literacy education space. Today, Lexia helps students build fundamental reading skills through its rigorously researched, independently evaluated, and widely respected instruction and assessment programs.
For more information, visit www.rosettastone.com. “Rosetta Stone” is a registered trademark or trademark of Rosetta Stone Ltd. in the United States and other countries.