Waterford Institute’s mission to use technology to promote the academic success of every child has driven the development and distribution of Camp Consonant ™, a new online program designed to help struggling readers. Camp Consonant is currently being tested in schools and learning centers with over 165 children and over 35 teachers. In these test cases, trained tutors and reading specialists assign various components of the program to enhance previous tutoring sessions or to simply reinforce reading skills.
Participation in the program requires using the program for at least 15 minutes per day, 5 days per week. Enrollment in the study allows the monitoring of usage by the Waterford staff. In return, participants receive access to a scientifically based reading remediation program as well as reports about the participant’s progress within the program.
The Camp Consonant pilot study began during the summer of 2009 and continues to enroll participants. Initial feedback from both tutors and students has been tremendous and as more feedback becomes available, researchers are able to glean important data from students’ interest in and engagement with the activity, as well as the general effectiveness of the instruction.
Camp Consonant can provide substantial benefits to students and teachers by providing access to remediation and supplemental reading instruction that is essential for struggling readers to become academically successful.
