The Science of Reading – Part 3B: Developing Fluency (continued)

[Editor’s note: This is the fourth part of our five-part series on the best practices of learning to read and learning to read better.] To read Part 1, “Unlocking Language,” click here. To read Part 2, “Vocabulary and Comprehension,” click here. To read Part 3A, “Developing Fluency,” click here. Fluency benefits not just emerging readers, … Continue reading “The Science of Reading – Part 3B: Developing Fluency (continued)”


The Importance of Text in an Online World

We live in an age of screens, from smartphones and tablets to video instruction and other forms of eLearning. Our attention span has gotten shorter as we move from one tweet to the next, and short, in-your-face videos as opposed to pages and pages of written text. But does that mean text as a medium … Continue reading “The Importance of Text in an Online World”


Stop the Summer Slide Early this Year

As the last of the school bells ring sometime in May or June of every year, kids race out of classes and into a summer they hope will be filled with fun and adventure. Very few think about reading and the need to keep up with their hard-earned skills from the previous academic year. This … Continue reading “Stop the Summer Slide Early this Year”


Should I Be Reading Faster?

This is a question that we, at AceReader, get a lot. There seems to be a general mindset that reading faster always means reading better. But the real question is ‘Am I reading fluently?’ Here’s why. Speed, also known as rate, is the number of words you read in a minute. Most people read the majority … Continue reading “Should I Be Reading Faster?”


Study Skills Part 2 – Reading Comprehension

Last week we talked about the many types and aspects of listening. Today we’re going to address a somewhat related topic – reading comprehension. As with listening, reading has many different parts, and it is a skill; like any skill, you need to practice to get better at it. Children start learning to read with the … Continue reading “Study Skills Part 2 – Reading Comprehension”


Charting Progress in AceReader

Now that the new school year is almost upon us, teachers planning their lessons may wonder how AceReader’s Assessment Tests can help them determine how much their students will improve their reading fluency skills over the course of the next academic semester or year, as well as how they will be able to demonstrate the … Continue reading “Charting Progress in AceReader”


Guest Blog, Elizabeth Smith – Ace Reader: A Solution to a Multi-Faceted Problem

According to the 2015 NAEP Report (the last year that twelfth graders were included), slightly over 1/3 of public school fourth, eighth, and twelfth graders read at a proficient level or above.[1] The overwhelming majority of that 37% is at the proficient level. As most teachers know, “proficient” isn’t equivalent with grade level. The statistics … Continue reading “Guest Blog, Elizabeth Smith – Ace Reader: A Solution to a Multi-Faceted Problem”


Stop the Summer Reading Slide

Today’s post is a re-post of a blog we ran last year. As this year the summer slide seems even  more entrenched than ever, we thought it would be a good idea to revisit the topic. As the last of the school bells ring, kids head off to a summer that (they hope) will be … Continue reading “Stop the Summer Reading Slide”


AceReader in the Educational Environment

In some ways, reading education has not changed much over the past hundred years or so – teachers still confront the issues of how to instruct students effectively in the basic issues of learning phonemic awareness, decoding text, mastering understanding of text material (comprehension), and achieving reading fluency. What has changed is our understanding of … Continue reading “AceReader in the Educational Environment”


How to Track Student Progress

Better Readers Make Better Learners Today’s AceReader Tip: How to Track Students’ Progress A great goal is to get students through two course levels in a semester. At that point, students will have completed enough of the reading improvement activities to show good progress, and you will have enough data to complete a realistic analysis. As … Continue reading “How to Track Student Progress”