The Literacy Problem

The Literacy Problem Creates an Extraordinary Market Opportunity

The literacy problem in the U.S. translates directly into a very large market with an almost insatiable demand for successful solutions. No skill is more crucial to the future of a child, or to a democratic and prosperous society, than literacy. According to the National Assessment of Adult Literacy, low literacy limits life chances, regardless of how it is defined or measured. The failure to solve the literacy problem in the U.S. will have a lasting effect. There is a high degree of correlation between limited literacy skills, limited economic opportunity, and limited participation in sociopolitical decisions.

The literacy problem will only increase because the literacy requirements are increasing dramatically. Virtually all occupations require adults to use printed material to accomplish day-to-day tasks. Literacy can be thought of as a currency in this society. Just as adults with little money have difficulty meeting their basic needs, those with limited literacy skills are going to find it more challenging to pursue their goals. The failure to effectively teach reading has immediate impact on children, parents, teachers, schools and society in the following ways:

• Children. Children who have not developed reading skills are unable to make satisfactory progress in other academic pursuits. Their social development also suffers as they are designated as problem readers.
  
• Parents. Parents do not have the time and training to effectively teach reading. They often become frustrated with their children, teachers and schools.
  
• Teachers. Some teachers do not have the training or the time to effectively teach reading. Problem readers negatively impact the academic progress of other students.
  
• Schools. Most schools do not have the resources available to solve the literacy problem. They lack the tools required to effectively teach reading.
  
• Society. Society suffers from the failure to effectively teach children to read. The literacy problem results in a shortage of skilled workers, higher welfare and medical costs and higher levels of crime and incarceration.

The Literacy Solution - The Online Education Reading Program

We have partners who are leading authorities in the U.S. on Early Education and Emergent Literacy and an expert in instructional design, has developed the plan for the Online Education Reading Program. The Company's beginning reading program is based on a proprietary Emergent Literacy system that focuses on Phonological Awareness. Designed as a one-to-one tutoring program in early reading skills, the online system will supplement reading instruction for early readers and students at the highest risk of reading failure.

The Online Education Reading Program

The beginning reading program is designed to teach children and others how to read. The program ensures that children acquire the phonemic, alphabetic, and automaticity skills necessary for reading success. The program systematically integrates these critical skills to reading success within instructional activities and links them across instructional lessons in a hierarchical fashion. Not only does this ensure reading success, but provides the learner a unique learning experience each time they use the Company's reading program.

The Company's online beginning reading program includes 100 lessons that are carefully sequenced and scripted for children, teachers and parents with Internet access. Each lesson consists of 5-10 short activities that encompass a 30-minute session. The lessons are used in conjunction with strategically written storybooks that are selected to match the early reading skills being taught as well as the motivational characteristics of the students.

The beginning reading program incorporates the following specific reading skills within and across 100 lessons:

• Phonemic Awareness. This skill is designed to sharpen children's ability to hear and manipulate sounds at the phoneme (letter) level.
  
• Alphabetic Code. This skill is designed to insure children acquire the ability to use grapheme-phoneme relations to read and produce words.
  
• Automaticity. This skill is designed to enhance children's effortless translation of letters to sounds and sounds to words to enable children to derive meaning from what they read.
  

A Web-Based Solution

Our Reading Program is a Web-based solution to the reading problem. There are cogent reasons for delivering emergent and beginning reading instruction via telecommunication technologies. First, telecommunication technology is fast becoming the communication of today; it is an exceptionally efficient way for children, parents and teachers to access the Company's reading program. Second, recent advances in telecommunication technologies (i.e., allowing for the seamless incorporation of audio, video, graphic animation and print materials) enables the full integration of effective instructional design principles within the reading program; harnessing the power of advanced technologies to provide high quality reading instruction to children and others. Third the Application Service Provider (ASP) Web-based hosting approach will enable the seamless and uninterrupted updating of the reading program. Finally, a Web-based, highly interactive reading program will allow families and schools access unrestricted by geography or time.