Programs
Early Learning Services
In the classroom, Breakthrough's conceptual framework integrates the perceptual/behavioral predictors of reading success with the equally important home/environmental predictors. Breakthrough helps teachers build these integrated elements into daily activities through four essential instructional practices.
The teacher makes a weekly selection of a Breakthrough title to read aloud for a different purpose each day. The focus on Mondays is Predict and Read; on Tuesdays, Remember, Retell, and Read; on Wednesdays, Read, Integrate (personalize), and Read Again; on Thursdays, Read and Create; and on Fridays, Read, Summarize/Analyze, and Celebrate.
Children are also encouraged to read each story by themselves, both in print and on the computer. The teacher provides both whole-class and small-group instruction related to text structure and meaning. (Breakthrough's software reports help teachers group the children in appropriate skill levels.) By the end of the week, children know the book well and can read (or "read") independently.
Even very young children write by making marks or drawing pictures. As they learn to make the connection between spoken language and print, they produce increasingly sophisticated written and pictorial records of their thoughts and ideas. The practice of daily writing encourages children to value their own print production and to practice the sound/symbol connections they observe in the software and the books. Daily writing also provides the teacher with insights into each child's stage of development in the reading/writing process.
One predictor of reading success is having books and participating in reading activities in the home. Every child receives a personal Take-Me-Home copy of the Book-of-the-Week to keep. During the week, children use their Take-Me-Home books in classroom activities, such as writing alternative endings to a story, reading the story to peers, or identifying frequently used words. After a week of reading and working with the Book-of-the-Week, both in print or on the computer, children know the story well enough to take their books home and share them with their families. This brings parents into the child's literacy experience and encourages the use of language and discussion at home—activities that are predictors of reading comprehension.
Research shows that most children who become successful readers spend 1000 hours or more in lap-reading experiences (Adams, 1990). Although it cannot replace time spent with a caring adult, Breakthrough's software replicates the all-important rehearsals with symbols and sounds as children listen to and read stories as many times as they wish. Because Breakthrough's software curriculum is based on the perceptual/behavioral predictors of reading success, children also gain practice in the basic skills they need to become successful readers.
Dr. Brown and her team worked intensively with individual children in the laboratory to gain more specific information about how early learners use sounds, pictures, and text to determine what learning strategies would best support the children. The research confirmed that, to develop the motivation and focus to learn, all children need ample - but varying - exposure to specific experiences that help them make the transition from oral language to print.
Appreciating that the computer offered the best means to present personalized material to children, and to track their progress, Dr. Brown was none-the-less determined to avoid the distractions and overactive graphics that are common to much educational technology. This she managed to accomplish, and her efforts did not go unnoticed. According to Dr. John Manning, past president of the International Reading Association, "Breakthrough to Literacy is designed to help children seriously attend to print, which is the only way to develop confident and comfortable readers. Somehow, someone resisted the temptation to show off technology."
Breakthrough's software curriculum is the key to a comprehensive early literacy foundation in the classroom that will provide children with instruction targeted to their individual needs.
The pre-K through grade one software includes four instructional components. Listen to Stories provides the child lap-reading experiences as he or she listens to the stories read aloud by engaging speakers. Self-directed exploration of words and sentences within stories gives children wide experience with language and meaning. Explore Words allows the child to listen to, blend, segment, and recognize words and sentences broken into different language units: syllables, onsets and rimes, or sounds. This component gives children experiences with the structure of language at each child's developmental level. Explore Alphabet offers unlimited experiences for the child learning letter names and associated sounds. Tell Stories allows the child to experiment and practice reading aloud using a microphone and then comparing his or her own production to the model on the computer.
In experiencing these four activities, students are building their vocabulary, phonological and phonemic awareness, alphabet knowledge, and word-recognition skills. Each child's progress is individualized and self-paced. The software also tracks individual responses and enables teachers to determine how best to support each child's growth.
An additional component of Breakthrough to Literacy's research-based software program is the Reports function that automatically assesses each child's progress and adjusts to his or her level of language development. With individually tailored lessons, children can progress through the reading process at their own pace during daily reading sessions. Using the built-in management system, teachers can monitor and continue to assess students' development as they move through the program. Thirteen reports are available to teachers in the Breakthrough to Literacy program. Each report is designed to assist teachers in assessing students' progress and tailoring classroom instruction. Standardized assessments used around the country confirm student achievement using Breakthrough to Literacy.