Waterford Reading Academy is an instructional program that guides students from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” The platform consists of two components, a preK-2 program and a 3-6 program, both of which can be used on any internet-enabled device. The preK-2 program offers curricula on reading, social-emotional learning, math, and science—and it is completely personalized and adaptive based on each student’s individual needs and abilities.
The 3-6 portion generally focuses on reading comprehension and independent reading of whole books. The content can be customized for individual students or for whole-class instruction.
The 3-6 portion generally focuses on reading comprehension and independent reading of whole books. The content can be customized for individual students or for whole-class instruction.
In general, Waterford Reading Academy provides CCSS and ESSA-aligned curricula in a few different segments. At the preK-K level, Waterford recommends that students engage with the software 15 minutes a day, 5 days a week. For grades 1-2, that recommendation increases to 20-30 minutes a day per course. While there’s no specific usage recommendation for 3-6 students, teachers can customize the time-related goals within the platform.
This time with the program can be individual, with students each on their own device, or Waterford Reading Academy can be implemented in small group or whole class settings.
This time with the program can be individual, with students each on their own device, or Waterford Reading Academy can be implemented in small group or whole class settings.
Regardless of which level students are at initially, early learners (preK-2) begin using Waterford Reading Academy by taking a placement exam, which determines their specific level within the curriculum.
In general, this placement exam takes about 30 minutes, and once they’re finished, students can dive into the curriculum.
Wherever students place within the curriculum, they will next get an engagement activity, followed by guided practice and assessment until they reach mastery level for each topic. Along the way, if students are struggling with a particular lesson, they will go into a remediation cycle to get additional support, and the application will teach the same topic in a different way.
In general, Waterford Reading Academy activities include a wide variety of video, animations, interactive elements, stories, and other engaging activities.
In total, there are about 10,000 activities in the early reading program, making up hundreds of hours of content. For early math, there are over 5,000 activities, making up about 300 hours. For older elementary students, Waterford Reading Academy provides learning activities and content to accompany over 140 classic and contemporary books for independent or classroom reading.
Plus, for ELL students who speak Spanish, all preK-2 content is available in Spanish as well.
For teachers and parents, reports are available to track and monitor student progress.
Parents can log in and see exactly how their children are doing. They also get personalized notifications about their child’s progress, along with simple ideas for reinforcing the learning at home.
Teachers have detailed reports and analytics that give them both the big picture and granular data on how students are meeting benchmarks and standards.
I also appreciate that Waterford Reading Academy has gone through a variety of research studies focused on assessing and improving their product.
In general, these studies have suggested that Waterford Reading Academy can help close the achievement gap, better support ELL students, and also support long-term reading improvements and gains.
Waterford also has a lot to offer in the realm of professional development. The organization's Professional Services team has a whole suite of trainings and workshops designed to help teachers and schools get the most out of the program. Topics range from implementation planning and data usage to instructional coaching and family engagement.
Finally, in terms of pricing, a single annual licence runs about $80, with bulk discounts available. Site licences vary depending on size. They start at $5,775 and top out at just over $16,000.
For those looking to test out Waterford Reading Academy to see if it’s a good fit for your classroom or school, you can contact their team to request a demo.
The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
I was not compensated for writing this review.
I was not compensated for writing this review.
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