The Reading.com app stands out in the educational technology space due to its engaging, research-backed approach to literacy. Developed by educators and based on the proven Direct Instruction method, Reading.com equips children to grasp early literacy concepts and skills—all while making precious memories with supervising adults.
An independent, third-party research firm, EdTech Recharge, recently conducted a report on the efficacy of Reading.com’s logic model. In summary, there are five hallmarks of the app’s design as it guides children from basic letter recognition to confident reading in 99 lessons. In this article, we present these five hallmark findings.
These findings are outlined according to the ESSA Tiers of Evidence rating. ESSA (The Every Student Succeeds Act) is an educational law that guides school districts and state education agencies to choose and implement intervention programs for students. Interventions must be evidence-based with proven outcomes.
ESSA ratings fall under four tiers:
- Tier 1: Strong Evidence that is supported by at least one well-designed and implemented randomized controlled trial.
- Tier 2: Moderate Evidence that is supported by at least one well-designed and implemented quasi-experimental study.
- Tier 3: Promising Evidence that is supported by at least one well-designed and implemented correlated study, including statistical controls for biases.
- Tier 4: Demonstrates a Rationale for practices that have a well-defined logic model, are supported by research, and are to be studied for efficacy.
Reading.com’s Tier 4 evidence report is another step toward ensuring evidence-proven reading instruction for children’s early literacy in-app, as follows.
1. Pedagogic Design: Structured Literacy Approach in Digital Application
Reading.com embodies a structured literacy approach that closely aligns with traditional methods emphasizing systematic, cumulative, and explicit instruction (Foorman et al., 2018; Moats, 2019).
Through the app’s modules, learners engage in activities designed to enhance accuracy, reading, and comprehension skills. All modules are designed to involve a parent or supervising adult to ensure the child’s skill development and provide adequate correction. Research indicates that combining digital features with adult scaffolding can significantly benefit language and literacy development, particularly in young learners aged 3-8 (Savva et al., 2022).
2. Learning Design: Interactive, Explicit Instruction With Spaced Review
With 99 lessons organized by complexity, Reading.com offers a structured approach to learning. Each lesson includes explicit instruction, spaced review, and interactive practice, ensuring learners receive targeted direct support (Archer & Hughes, 2011). Studies have shown that a structured curriculum, when effectively implemented, can significantly improve literacy outcomes (Sirinides et al., 2018).
View the full research report to see more.
3. Instructional Design: Supporting Learners’ Intrinsic Motivation
When a learner is intrinsically motivated, they engage in reading because they enjoy it. The intrinsic motivation and level of engagement are more likely to equip the reader with greater reading success. Reading.com engages learners through interactive activities, intentional “reward” systems, and smart organizing of lessons to encourage autonomy, relatedness, and competence (Deci et al., 2013). By incorporating rewards directly linked to learning activities, the app keeps learners motivated and engaged, ultimately leading to improved reading proficiency (Wang et al., 2020).
4. Multimedia Design: Facilitating Engaging and Effective Learning
Reading.com’s multimedia design is carefully crafted to optimize learning outcomes and engagement. The design avoids distracting details, focusing on clean visuals and interactive elements to reinforce learning for English literacy (e.g. Gee & Price, 2021; Mayer, 2019). Reading.com applies many evidence-based principles of multimedia play, including instructional games, decodable books, and printables in addition to in-app lessons.
5. User Design: Adult Engagement Required
Adult engagement is pivotal in supporting learners’ literacy development. Whether it’s parents, caregivers, tutors, or teachers, adults play a crucial role in facilitating learning (Wilder, 2014). Research has shown that family involvement and tutoring can significantly impact learners’ academic performance and motivation (Markovitz et al., 2014). Reading.com facilitates adult engagement by providing scripted instructions within the application.
Learn More: View the Full ESSA Tier 4 Report for Reading.com
To read more about the research findings that demonstrate why Reading.com will likely improve learners’ reading skills, access the full ESSA Tier 4 report crafted by EdTech Recharge below.
View the Full Report
For further inquiries about Reading.com, send an email to [email protected].