SEG Measurement, an independent research firm, announced the completion of the first phase of a study of nearly 1,000 English language learners in grades two–five in a large California school district. Study results demonstrate that students in programs using Imagine Learning’s curriculum show greater improvement in reading than students not exposed to Imagine Learning software.
The study compared growth in reading skills of students who used Imagine Learning to comparable students who did not use Imagine Learning. Students used the Imagine Learning software for approximately six months between December 2012 and June 2013. Students in second grade using Imagine Learning showed 36% greater gains in reading than students who did not use the program. Imagine Learning students in grades three–five showed 65% greater gains in reading than non-users.
“Students using Imagine Learning showed statistically significant gains in reading skills and outperformed students who did not use Imagine Learning,” said Scott Elliot, president of SEG Measurement. “These findings are particularly important, given that students only used Imagine learning for half of the school year. More extended use of Imagine Learning may yield even greater gains for the students.”
Imagine Learning is an interactive language and literacy software program that accelerates English learning. Focused on the five essential components of reading—phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension—Imagine Learning software provides oral language and academic vocabulary instruction for hundreds of thousands of students across the nation.
“We’re pleased that the results of this study confirm what we already knew,” said Marc Liebman, Chief Academic Officer for Imagine Learning. “The data shows that Imagine Learning meets the direct needs of English language learners and teachers for fostering reading skills.”
The study also gathered feedback from instructors. Teachers of students using Imagine Learning indicated that they felt the software increased student motivation to learn, engaged students while working independently, and provided differentiated instruction. The instructors found Imagine Learning to be particularly helpful in improving students’ skills in word recognition, reading fluency, and vocabulary. Read the original press release here.
