May 27, 2005
dgordon@cast.org
40 Harvard Mills Square, Suite 3
Wakefield, MA 01880
Tel: 781-245-2212 ext. 279
Literacy Program Based on CAST Research Named Best Software for Special Needs Instruction
WAKEFIELD, Mass.— Thinking Reader®, an innovative reading comprehension improvement program developed and published by Tom Snyder Productions, has won the 2005 Codie Award for Best Education Instructional Solution for Special Needs Students from the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA).
Based on CAST's research into digital learning environments and its Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework, Thinking Reader provides upper elementary and middle school students with instruction and practice in using key reading strategies. The program enables struggling readers to read the same high-quality, unabridged novels as their peers—books such as Tuck Everlasting and The Giver. Through prompts, hints, model answers, and immediate feedback, students receive the differentiated instruction and individualized support needed for success.
"We're so pleased that Thinking Reader has been recognized by the industry with its most prestigious award," said David H. Rose, Chief Scientist of Cognition & Learning and a Founding Director of CAST. "We congratulate Tom Snyder Productions, which has shown such creativity and commitment in developing and disseminating this research-proven solution to classrooms. Universally designed educational products really can help all learners succeed—as Thinking Reader demonstrates."
Thinking Reader originated in CAST's "Engaging the Text" and "Strategic Learning Editions" research projects funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. In a two-year scientifically based validation study, students using Thinking Reader demonstrated significantly greater gains in comprehension on the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Tests than did their peers in a traditional strategy instruction condition.
Now in their 20th year, the Codie Awards showcase the software and information industry's finest products and services. Codie winners are selected after two extensive rounds of reviews&madsh;first by the software trade press, technology writers for popular media, and experts in specific subjects, and finally by voting members of the SIIA, the principal trade association for the software and digital content industry.
Tom Snyder Productions (www.tomsnyder.com), a Scholastic company, is a leading provider of K-12 software solutions.
About CAST
CAST is a nonprofit education R&D organization that works to expand learning opportunities for all individuals, especially those with disabilities, through the development of innovative, technology-based educational resources and strategies. To learn more, go to www.cast.org.
