DALLAS, April 2 /PRNewswire/ -- In an analysis of systemwide data, Voyager Expanded Learning(R) found that students who read more passages on Ticket to Read(TM) have higher average increases on their oral reading fluency measures than students who do not read passages or read few passages. Ticket to Read matches students to text that they can read independently for practice. The increase in reading fluency is incremental when student scores are evaluated in categories based on numbers of passages read. It has been well established in the research on reading fluency that students who read more become better readers.
"Our systemwide data demonstrate what we know to be true from the literature," states Dr. Julia Peyton, vice president of research and development for Voyager Expanded Learning. "More time spent reading increases automaticity and proficiency as measured by oral reading fluency, and we can obtain a measure of time on task by looking at the number of passages students are reading online."
An analysis of the third grade population of students initially identified as struggling reveals a 10 word per minute difference between students who do not read passages compared to those who read at least 20 passages. Students who did not read passages on Ticket to Read gained 21 words per minute while those who read between 1-20 passages gained an average of 25 words per minute. Those who read 20 or more passages gained 31 words per minute in the first half of the academic year.
Voyager looks at data for students who have oral reading fluency measures at benchmark periods entered into VPORT(R), the company's data management system. Comparisons such as these can be made in districts where there is varied use of Ticket to Read paired with systematic benchmark fluency measures or progress monitoring.
Ticket to Read(TM) is an interactive, Web-based, student-centered learning component that promotes practice of actual text reading and provides sequential, structured phonics activities designed to supplement reading instruction. Ticket to Read is available for student use in school and at home or any location that has an Internet connection. Reporting on student progress is available to teachers through VPORT(R), Voyager's Professional Online Resource Tool. To date students have read more than 12 million passages on Ticket to Read and more than a quarter of usage occurs during after school hours and on weekends. More than 200,000 students log on to Ticket to Read weekly, and the average student spends about an hour online.
Voyager Expanded Learning
Voyager Expanded Learning provides core, intervention, and supplemental reading programs, as well as math intervention and ongoing professional development programs, for school districts throughout the United States. Founded in 1994, Voyager has delivered extended-time reading and basic skills intervention programs, as well as large-scale reading and math programs, to more than 1,000 school districts in cities such as Buffalo, N.Y.; Miami; New York City; Richmond, Va.; El Paso, Texas; and Los Angeles, resulting in dramatically improved student performance. Voyager Expanded Learning, Inc. is a business unit of Voyager Learning Company (OTC: VLCY.PK) and based in Dallas, Texas. For more information, please visit www.voyagerlearning.com or call 1-888-399-1995.
SOURCE Voyager Expanded Learning
