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A U.S. Department of Education-funded study found that WordWorld, anEmmy(R) winning PBS KIDS series, significantly strengthens early literacyskills in preschoolers, providing the building blocks essential for learninghow to read. The study is part of the Ready To Learn Initiative that examinesthe effectiveness of various technologies being used to enhance the literacyskills of young children. WordWorld brings words to life through apatent-pending methodology that embeds words into the objects they represent,crystallizing the connection between letters, sounds and words.
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Overall gains from the study demonstrate that regardless of demographic,children developed important early literacy skills by watching WordWorldduring the trial period. Key findings include:
"We set out with the goal of delivering a critical literacy tool to moms,children and educators that would bridge the gap between letter recognitionand reading," said Don Moody, CEO and Creator of WordWorld. "We are thrilledto find that by all measures, WordWorld is proven to advance children'sliteracy skills and prepare them for school."
The innovative WordWorld platform was developed in response to theNational Reading Panel report, which set the standards for assessing theeffectiveness of methods used in early literacy instruction(2). Bycollaborating with top literacy experts from around the United States totarget early literacy skills identified as most critical for supportingreading success, WordWorld reinforces the pre-literacy concept that letters(and their sounds) make words and that words have real meaning.
"This study, utilizing rigorous scientific methodology and conducted incollaboration with leading researchers at six major universities, is designedto assess the effectiveness of an educational media product, WordWorld," saidDr. Michael Cohen, president of the Michael Cohen Group LLC. "The results areencouraging: WordWorld is effective, with participating children acquiringessential early literacy skills."
To measure the effectiveness of the popular television series, the MichaelCohen Group LLC, in collaboration with university partners at StanfordUniversity, University of New Mexico at Albuquerque, University of Texas atAustin, Mississippi State, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, and CityUniversity of New York, Graduate Center used a rigorous study design, known asa randomized controlled trial, to conduct the study. The sample size wascomprised of 795 children in 105 preschool programs and featured differentdemographics across the university test sites across the nation. Eachparticipating preschool was randomly assigned into one of two groups, thosewho watched WordWorld and those who did not.
The Ready To Learn Partnership was launched in 2005 to tackle the growingliteracy crisis in the United States. It is a public-private consortiumconsisting of WTTW Channel 11 in Chicago, the Michael Cohen Group LLC, theLearning Box and WordWorld. To learn more about the Ready To Learn Partnershipand WordWorld visit http://www.rtlp.org and pbskids.org/wordworld.
About WordWorld, LLC
WordWorld, LLC, created by Don Moody, is a multimedia platform thatengages kids through television (PBS Kids), via interactive resources, andwith learning products available at Target. Through a first-of-its-kind,patent-pending learning tool, all "WordWorld" products embed words into imagesto enhance word recognition. WordWorld, LLC is part of the Ready To LearnPartnership (RTLP), a public-private consortium awarded a five-yearmultimillion dollar grant by the US Department of Education. Members of theconsortium include Chicago PBS member station WTTW and the Michael CohenGroup, an international research firm responsible for formative and summativetesting of the show. For more information please visit the company's websiteat http://www.WordWorld.com/presskit.
(1) According to the National Assessment of Education Progress(www.famlit.org/site/c.gtJWJdMQIsE/b.1351223/k.6392/Family_Literacy__You.htm).
The contents of this press release were developed under a CooperativeAgreement from the U.S. Department of Education. However, these contents donot necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and youshould not assume endorsement by the Federal Government-- Children doubled their oral vocabulary skills of words featured in WordWorld -- Children tripled their ability to read specific words featured and built in WordWorld -- Children in disadvantaged households where English is a second language showed gains in phonemic awareness, as well as oral vocabulary and reading words featured in WordWorld
SOURCE WordWorld, LLC
