OAKLAND, Calif., July 17, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Timothy Rasinski, Ph.D., a professor of literacy education at Kent State University and director of its award-winning reading clinic, has partnered with Scientific Learning Corp. (OTCQB:SCIL) to share his expertise on the topics of reading fluency and comprehension. Scientific Learning is the maker of the Reading Assistant™ and Fast ForWord® online learning programs.
Through this partnership, Rasinski will participate as a member of the advisory board for the Reading Assistant program, and provide input into its ongoing development and enhancement. Reading Assistant is the only online reading tool that "listens" to students as they read out loud, intervenes when they struggle, and automatically scores students' oral reading. It provides individualized online reading coaching for every student, helping them to strengthen vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension.
In addition, Rasinski will write blog posts and papers, and lead webinars on issues related to fluency and its importance in reading. His most recent webinar, "Keys to Increasing Reading Comprehension in the Age of Common Core," is available on-demand. Rasinski will also provide guidance in the development of evaluation studies for Reading Assistant.
"Our own research indicates that fluency has not been priority in many schools. However, when fluency instruction is offered to students the potential for gains is tremendous. Through my work with Scientific Learning, my goal is to share my expertise to help educators understand just how important reading fluency is and the role it plays in reading comprehension," said Rasinski. "I'm also looking forward to offering my expertise to the Reading Assistant program as it evolves. I've seen the program at work for the last several years and have been very impressed by it. It's a valuable tool for helping students develop fluency."
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, now in its second edition. His scholarly interests include reading fluency and word study, reading in the elementary and middle grades, and readers who struggle. 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, Reading Psychology, and the Journal of Educational Research.
"We're excited to work with such a distinguished expert in reading education and fluency," said Robert C. Bowen, CEO for Scientific Learning. "We look forward to learning from Dr. Rasinski's knowledge and expertise, and incorporating his insights into our efforts to help students strengthen their reading fluency with the Reading Assistant program. By combining his research and experience with our online reading program, we can help students of diverse ages and ability levels rapidly strengthen their fluency and comprehension, and maximize their ability to read to learn."
About 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.
Today, more than 2.2 million learners have used Scientific Learning software products. We provide our offerings directly to parents, K–12 schools and learning centers, and in more than 45 countries around the world. For more information, visit www.scientificlearning.com or call toll-free 888-810-0250.