Blog

June 30, 2011

Children Love Rusty and Rosy Reading

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For years, children have enjoyed Waterford Early Learning™ software in school. The personalized instruction, the fun characters, the engaging songs and activities have all become a part of children’s education across the country and globe.

With Rusty and Rosy Reading℠, children can experience that same engagement and learning from home. Parents love the program because it creates a learning experience unique to their child’s skill level. And it only takes 15 minutes a day, five days a week to see great results in their child’s learning progress.

The amusing voices and characters present activities and songs that become a part of children’s learning experiences. The Pirate ABC song is just one example of many that children can sing along with in their own way. See this video of a child singing the Pirate ABC song.

Rusty and Rosy Reading is a great learning companion for any child, either as a review of things learned in school or as a part of a homeschooling experience.

You can learn more about Rusty and Rosy Reading on the new Website www.rustyandrosy.com, launched today. Be sure to take a look at the Success Stories page and see why parents love Rusty and Rosy.

You can also get songs from the software at the iTunes store.

 

June 21, 2011

Using Waterford Inspire Whiteboard Lessons

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Interactive whiteboard technology is becoming a more apparent feature in classrooms. They are great for interactive group lessons. And with new software coming out all the time, students can interact with learning in a whole new way.

Waterford Institute™, understanding the benefits of interactive whiteboards, created Waterford Inspire Whiteboard Lessons™. These lessons give teachers quality tools to enhance classroom literacy with little or no preparation needed. The lessons are easy for teachers to use, and they complement teachers’ classroom resources.

The lessons available include Phonological Awareness series and Reading Comprehension series:

Reading Comprehension Series

After a sing-along music video, each lesson focuses on one specific phonological awareness skill such as identifying repeated sounds in rhyming words, identifying the count in syllables in words, and blending individual phonemes (sounds) to form words.

Phonological Awareness Series

After the shared reading of a digital big book, each lesson includes activities to build vocabulary and foster comprehension through active discussion. In addition, each lesson focuses on one specific comprehension strategy such as sequencing events in a story; comparing characters in a story using a graphic sequencer (Venn diagram); understanding the plot of a story by identifying the setting, characters, and central conflict; and more.

See for yourself how Inspire Whiteboard Lessons are used in the classroom. View the video.

 

May 31, 2011

Who Uses Waterford Institute Products?

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Waterford Institute™ has an array of products that are used in schools and the home. Children, teachers, and parents are able to benefit from software programs that enhance the classroom experience and increase a child’s learning. Plus, the programs are fun and engaging. Children can be heard not only singing with the program while playing, but singing the educational songs they learn in the car, at the park, and around the house.

When Dr. Dustin Heuston founded Waterford Institute 35 years ago, he wanted to provide high-quality education to every child. His dream is being realized as children around the globe are learning and increasing their skills with Waterford Institute products.

Used in School

Waterford Institute’s Waterford Early Reading Program™ and Waterford Early Math and Science Program™ are used in schools across the nation. Children in preschool through second grade benefit from these programs, which are designed to increase reading, math, and science skills through fun activities, songs, and stories. The program presents children with personalized instruction as it adapts to each child’s skill level and provides the activities that will help each child increase learning.

Teachers have implemented the programs into their classrooms for Response to Intervention (RtI) differentiated tiers, English language learners, at-risk students, advanced students, and special education students. The program allows teachers to easily monitor and modify each of their students’ curriculum. Plus, teachers can view and print students’ progress reports to inform whole-group or differentiated instruction.

Waterford Learning At Home

Through Waterford Institute’s home portal Waterford Learning At Home™, children can benefit from Rusty and Rosy Reading℠, a reading program that includes a complete language arts curriculum. By using the program just 15 minutes a day, five days a week, children can make significant progress in increasing their reading skills. The program (designed for children aged four to eight) is easy for children to use and adapts to each child’s learning performance. Packed with thousands of activities, songs, and stories, Rusty and Rosy Reading empowers children with reading confidence.

UPSTART

UPSTART (Utah Preparing Students Today for A Rewarding Tomorrow) is an in-home preschool program sponsored by the state of Utah that uses Waterford Institute’s software. Children in the program receive learning in reading, math, and science with a focus on reading instruction. They and their parents also receive special assistance through Waterford Institute’s Learning Support Center. Year one children completed the program at the Kindergarten Advanced level and teachers have commented that UPSTART children are ready to learn when they enter kindergarten.

Community Center

Waterford Institute’s Community Center is a free community program provided for children aged four to six (preschool age) in specific areas within Utah. Through the Community Center, children learn basic reading, math, and science skills through Waterford Institute’s award-winning curriculum. A teacher assists the children through computer usage and through interactive classroom activities.

Global Reach

We can’t, of course, leave out the countries that also benefit from Waterford Institute’s programs. The United States represents only a fraction of the pre- and primary school-aged children in the world who are using the company’s award-winning software curriculum. Waterford Institute is reaching children in Romania, Senegal, Rwanda, Israel, India, China, and Taiwan.  These children are receiving instruction in English reading, math, and science, while many are also learning English as a Second or Foreign language.

 

May 10, 2011

Waterford Institute: A History

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Waterford Institute™ has 30 years of rich history in the education world, starting with its founder, Dr. Dustin Heuston. Take a look.

1954

Dr. Dustin Heuston received bachelor’s degree from Hamilton College in New York.

1959

Received master’s degree from Stanford.

1959–1962

Taught at Brigham Young University.

1969–1977

Served as headmaster of Spence School, a prominent girl’s school in New York City.

1976

Founded Waterford Institute, Inc. in New York City.

1977

Waterford Institute, Inc. moved to Utah.

1978

Pioneered interactive training using computers and videodiscs. Used a grant from the National Science Foundation to produce the world’s first educational videodisc, The Development of Living Things. Received contracts from the U.S. Army, the U.S. Navy, and various industrial clients.

1980

Began developing the Waterford School model.

1989–1993

Implemented a test model using serious computer-assisted materials in several New York City public schools as part of the New York City Public Schools Integrated Systems Project. Foundations, civic leaders, and the New York City system raised over $10,000,000 for the project. The data suggested (1) that it was imperative to work with the youngest children, as early as preschool and into Kindergarten; (2) that the software need not be adapted to foreign languages; in fact, it was preferable to have the children work directly on the software in English to accelerate their learning; (3) that the reading software needed by the market would have to be much richer and deeper than previously thought; and (4) usage is the key to success, but only about 15 minutes a day is needed (2700 minutes a school year).

1991

Began development of Waterford Early Reading Program™, the first third-generation reading program to fit the research findings from the NYC experiment.

1992

Introduced Mental Math Games Classroom Edition, a software package that increased students’ speed and accuracy in recalling basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts. Received Technology and Learning’s 1992 Award of Excellence for Mental Math Games (precursor to Waterford Early Math and Science™).

1994

Mental Math Games received a Codie Award from the Software & Information Industry Association for Best Elementary Education Program.

1995

Launched Waterford Early Reading Program. Level One was installed statewide in Idaho kindergarten classrooms. Initiated development of Waterford Early Math and Science.

1996

Signed a distribution agreement for the United States with Addison Wesley Longman which was owned by Pearson®, the world’s largest educational publisher. Selected by Microsoft—after a nationwide evaluation of available education software—to provide an education product for Microsoft’s software offerings.

1997

Released Waterford Early Reading Program Level Two (beginning reading).

1998

Released Waterford Early Reading Program Level Three (fluent reading).

1999

Established the Waterford Family Literacy Program, a multi-site community project focused on empowering families with fundamental literacy skills.

2000

Released Waterford Early Math and Science Level One.

2002

Began planning for first fourth-generation reading program, Central Park™.

2004

Released Waterford Early Math and Science Level Two and Level Three.

2005

Waterford Early Math and Science received TechLearning Awards of Excellence for Best Educational Software.

2006

Developed Rusty and Rosy Learn with Me™, a home-based platform for the Waterford Early Reading Program and Waterford Early Math and Science. Also converted Waterford Early Reading Program from C++ to Java to match Waterford Early Math and Science management and architecture (release 4.0).

2007

Released Rusty and Rosy Learn with Me in Canada.

2008

Released Waterford Assessments of Core Skills™ (adaptive reading test for young children) and Camp Consonant™ (multi-sensory reading intervention program). Waterford Early Reading Program received a Codie Award from the Software & Information Industry Association for Best Course/Classroom Management Solution and Waterford Early Math and Science received a Codie Award for Best Science Instructional Solution.

May 05, 2011

Waterford Early Learning 5.0 Highlights

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Waterford Institute is getting closer to its release of Waterford Early Learning™ suite products Waterford Early Reading Program™ and Waterford Early Math and Science Program™ 5.0. As we get closer to the release, we get more and more excited to share product highlights. The following are just a few more new features schools, teachers, and students can expect to see with the 5.0 release. (See Waterford Early Learning 5.0 Preview for more highlights.)

Expect to see

  • Changes in deployment and implementation with a solution that is easily scalable with lower total cost of ownership and easier set up.
  • Data that will show the connection between progress, performance, and use—helping to inform decisions to improve student outcomes.
  • Curriculum to improve personalization and address curriculum that needs improvement.

Look for

  • Simplified install
  • Easy-to-follow Install Guide
  • New student app
  • New Waterford Manager
  • No more network management
  • New reports
  • And more

Parents, teachers, and students know the benefits of Early Reading Program and Early Math and Science Program. A special education teacher in West Orange, New Jersey testified how the instruction helped one of her students:

“C.D. is four years old. I have been working with him for over a year. He has never spoken one word at school or at home. In the weeks that C.D. has been using Waterford, he has started singing the alphabet song both at school and at home—and he can now identify his letters. We had tears in our eyes when we heard his voice for the first time.”

Learn more about Waterford Early Learning programs here.

April 28, 2011

Zero is a Big Round Hole

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Zero is a Big Round Hole

Waterford Early Math and Science™ features a variety of engaging songs to help children learn a variety of math skills such as counting, telling time, fractions, addition, etc. The tunes are catchy and fun for children to sing along with. Many teachers are not surprised when they suddenly hear a student singing along to a song that only he or she can hear as they have headphones on.

The song and video for Zero is one of the favorites at Waterford Institute™ headquarters. View the video here.

 

April 26, 2011

Waterford Institute Annual Report

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Beginning of 2011 Waterford Institute™ released its annual report. If you haven’t seen it yet, go to the Annual Reports page to see what Waterford Institute has been up to the 2010–2011 fiscal year.

Here are just a few highlights:

“What is clear in retrospect is that Dr. Heuston’s clarion call has had a magnificent ripple effect: the design elements required to help children in Harlem were the same that now allow us to educate children in Senegal and Rwanda. His instruction to build a program that could help every child learn to read has taken on new meaning these past few years and it is continuing to gather momentum and enlarge in scope.” Benjamin Heuston, PhD: President and COO of Waterford Institute. A Message from Our President.

Waterford Institute now has a presence in the United States, Taiwan, India, Romania, Israel, China, Senegal, and Rwanda.

Through Waterford Institute’s software curriculum, children around the globe receive instruction in English reading, math, and science, while many also learn English as a Second or Foreign Language.

Waterford Institute’s sales team set up an inside effort to call on charter, private, and parochial schools to present Waterford Early Learning™ and called on public school districts to present Waterford Assessments of Core Skills™ and Camp Consonant™.

Pearson®, a partner of Waterford Institute, has expanded use of Waterford Early Learning throughout the U.S. and its territories.

1,610 children participated in year one of the UPSTART (Utah Preparing Students Today for a Rewarding Tomorrow) program.

Year one children in the UPSTART program completed the program at the Kindergarten Advanced level.

Of course, you’ll find out more by reading the Annual Report. See it here.

April 14, 2011

Waterford Early Learning 5.0 Preview

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Have you been wondering what new features Waterford Early Learning™ software will have with the 5.0 release? Here’s a little preview:

Improved Data Security – Schools and teachers will have more confidence knowing their Waterford student data is more secure.

Automatic Student App Updates – Schools and teachers will no longer need to manually update client installs.

New Web-enabled Waterford Manager – Schools and teachers will be able to manage students, access reports, view and customize curriculum assignments, and manage staff by accessing the Waterford Manager at a URL hosted in their implementation.

Waterford Manager Redesign – A total reorganization of the manager content will ensure easy-access to critical features faster, with less training.

New Preschool-friendly Student Walk-up Model – With new icon-based login procedure designed for non-readers.

Simplified Activity Assignment – Schools and teachers can preview and assign Waterford curriculum easier.

New Waterford Early Math and Science Program™ Placement Tool – Students will be appropriately challenged in math and science after using the new Early Math and Science Program Placement Tool.

There’s this and so much more.

Waterford Early Learning 5.0 will be available mid May.

 

April 12, 2011

Waterford Institute in Senegal

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In January 2010, Waterford Institute™ established a partnership with Case des Tout-Petits in Dakar, Senegal, to implement a pilot program using our software. Since then, the National Agency for Early Childhood Development in Senegal has asked to expand the pilot program nationally in all of the Case des Tout-Petits preschools.

Established in 2000 as a personal initiative of President Abdoulaye Wade, President of the Republic of Senegal, the Case des Tout-Petits is a national preschool program administered by the National Agency for Early Childhood Development. The primary focus of the Case des Tout-Petits is early childhood development, with a concentration in language development, hygiene, socialization, and educational games. At President Wade’s request, the Case des Tout-Petits Ouest Foire in Dakar added English language instruction. In the pilot program, through the use of Waterford Institute’s Waterford Early Learning™ program four- and five-year-old children have been receiving instruction in basic English language skills at a young age when they are more able to learn and retain multiple languages.

Through engaging activities, stories, and songs, Waterford Early Learning teaches children to read and speak English, first providing reading basics starting with the ABCs and then moving on to more complex skills in phonics, phonological awareness, language concepts, comprehension, and vocabulary.  The children are not learning just language skills, but they are building a foundation for a lifetime of learning, using academic building blocks as well as computer education.

The children, with teacher assistance, began using Waterford Early Learning for 25 minutes per day, five days per week. For the first month, teachers were actively involved in assisting the children, but as the children became familiar with the style, language, and program instructions, they began using the program on their own, without teacher assistance or intervention. Soon, the children began spontaneously singing the ABCs on their own.

When parents see the children working on the computers while wearing headphones, they ask what the children are doing and say, “Is it really possible for the children to understand English through the program?” They are surprised at how quickly the children are learning English just through the program. Some parents even ask if it is possible to have the program at home so the children can continue learning outside the Case des Tout-Petits.

Waterford Institute is excited to help spread the program throughout other Case des Tout-Petits in Senegal. At the moment, we are working with the Agency to deploy the program in those locations and are training staff to provide ongoing support and evaluation in Senegal.

To learn more about the Case des Tout-Petits, visit http://www.case-toupetit.sn/Programmectp_anglais.html.

April 05, 2011

Waterford Early Learning

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Waterford Early Learning™ software programs (Waterford Early Reading Program™ and Waterford Early Math and Science Program™) are the feature products of Waterford Institute™. With a complete digital language arts and math and science curriculum, Waterford Early Learning software is engaging children in personalized learning. Through the fun activities, memorable music, appealing graphics and video, and diverse characters, children are enjoying learning.

Plus, parents and teachers alike are thrilled about the progress their children are making through use of the software. See for yourself why Waterford Early Learning software is helping children build the foundation necessary for a lifetime of learning.

“By the end of the year, without any other change in reading curriculum, that class had the highest number of students at benchmark. . . . It was more growth than in any other first-grade room. It was very substantial. And it told me that Waterford would have an impact on students.”
~ Dan Weisz | Principal | Tucson, Arizona

“My four-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Miranda was an emerging reader when she started [Waterford]. When she finished the program she was reading at a second-grade reading level and read over two dozen chapter books in two months. I didn’t work with her much at home during this time period, so I know it was Waterford that accelerated the pace of my daughter’s reading.”
~ Laurann Wilkey | Parent

“Most of [our preschool] students were coming from homes where there were no books in the home.  With the Waterford Early Learning program, all of those [pre-literacy skills] were incorporated so they were actually getting a head start for kindergarten.”
~ Jenny Moon | Technology Resource Teacher | Gadsden, Alabama

“We all have our own learning styles, and Waterford, because it is multi-dimensional, helps to tune in and to key in on the students’ learning styles.”
~ Gloria B. McCoy | Principal

“I am a special education teacher for children with emotional disabilities, and they often have significant learning disabilities. For me, Waterford has opened the door to so many nonreaders.”
~ Daria Conklin | E.D. Teacher | Timberlane District | New Hampshire

“Waterford is the best program I have ever seen for reaching all of our students.”
~ Dr. Barbara Wright | Principal | Common Lanes Elementary | Florissant, Missouri

Want to learn more about Waterford Early Learning? See our products page.

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