Community Center FAQs

The Community Center was created for two purposes:

1. To perform studies on how children learn best using Waterford Institute’s Waterford Early Learning™ program
2. To further Waterford Institute’s mission by providing every child with the finest education through the development of high-quality educational models, programs, and software

There is no charge for attending the Community Center. However, we do ask that you commit to the full length of the course and make sure your child is in attendance at the time of testing. Testing usually takes place in September and again in March or April. This testing is what allows us to offer the Community Center programs free of charge. (see Why do you test and what tests do you use?.)

Because the software is comprehensive, systematic, and engaging, children learn the fundamental skills necessary for success in reading, math, and science without the stress of pressure or homework. Children gain a feeling of confidence and empowerment in knowing they can work through difficult scenarios on their own. They gain self-confidence and greater self-esteem.

Waterford Early Learning™ is a computer-based curriculum that individualizes up to four years of comprehensive reading, math, and science for children ages four to eight. Children begin by learning basic reading, math, and science skills and progress through the program according to their skill level. The program automatically adapts to each student’s learning level to provide a learning experience that is focused on his or her exact needs.

Children learn the following reading skills:

• Letter recognition
• Letter sounds
• Blending
• Vocabulary
• Listening comprehension
• Reading comprehension
• And so much more

Children learn the following math and science skills:

• Numbers 0–20
• Addition
• Subtraction
• Fractions
• Measurement
• Time
• Money
• Problem solving
• Physical science
• Life science
• Earth and space science
• And so much more

We test at the start of the program and at the end of the program to measure gains. We use three tests: Iowa Tests of Basic Skills© (ITBS), Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills™ (DIBELS), and Waterford Assessments of Core Skills™ (WACS). ITBS and DIBELS are national standard tests.

1. ITBS is used by Waterford Institute to test basic math skills. ITBS is delivered in a group setting through a multiple-choice format with 3 to 4 choices of pictures.
2. DIBELS is used by Waterford Institute to test basic reading skills starting with recognition of letter names. DIBELS is timed and delivered on a one-on-one basis.
3. WACS was created by Waterford Institute as a computerized test that measures literacy.

The teacher interacts with the children just as a teacher in school would. The software is created as a stand-alone tool, so the children are guided through the software without much need for a teacher.

However, the teacher is always monitoring the needs of the children. If a child has a question about the software, the teacher’s role is to ask the child questions to guide him through the self-discovery process. This does two very important things:

• It keeps the study from being skewed by the teacher giving the answer.
• It allows children to feel the success of their own work. Children become confident in their learning so they can eventually accomplish the task at hand.

In some studies children participate in group time where the teacher works directly with the group. Even when the children are on the computer, the teacher observes, encourages, congratulates successes, and monitors difficulties and progress.

Occasionally, the teacher leads the children through a few Interactive Whiteboard activities. These activities include storybooks, rhymes, games, and quizzes. In these instances, the teacher guides the children through each activity as a group.

The Community Center does recognize national holidays. Fall and spring breaks are aligned as closely to the three surrounding school district breaks as possible.

The course runs approximately eight months, September through April.

No. A tutorial has been designed to teach your child how to use the mouse and how to navigate within the software. This tutorial typically takes about 15 minutes for a four-year-old to complete.

After children finish the tutorial, they usually begin using the software within the first session of class, which really excites them.

If your child has never used a mouse before, it may take your child a little longer to gain the hand–eye coordination skills necessary to use the mouse, but all children eventually learn this skill.

There are 20 computers, so there will be no more than 20 children in each class.

Your child will be with children ages four to six. This age span covers a broad range of abilities. Having this range of abilities in one class is possible because the software adapts to each child’s skill level and individualizes the lessons to provide a learning experience that is focused on each child’s needs.

No. Waterford Institute’s Waterford Early Learning program will teach your child the letters in this order: capital letter names, lowercase letter names, uppercase and lowercase letter names together, and sounds of the letters.

Waterford Early Learning program has a built-in placement for this purpose. When the children first begin using the software, they play assessment games that determine their abilities. After the assessment test your child will be placed in the software according to the scores received. This is why there can be four-year-olds and six-year-olds in the same class. Each child is challenged at an appropriate level.

No. Waterford Early Learning will begin by teaching your child to distinguish between numbers and letters, to identify specific numbers, and to make and count groups.

Unlike the reading software, the math and science software does not currently have a built-in placement tool. We have hopes of creating one, but it takes years to create and validate. Therefore, it is not available at this time and all children start at the beginning of the math and science software. Because we do a national standard testing in math, we will adjust the child’s placement if appropriate (see Why do you test and what tests do you use?).

No. The software is easy to use. The children find it empowering when they are successful in what they would call school without Mom or Dad’s help. When parents sit with their children, the children default to the parents. This causes the children to miss out on the feeling of success in their own abilities.

Parents may watch through the large, glass windows. They may also be invited, on occasion, into the computer lab to view the software.

It is not mandated, but it is recommended that you either wait in the waiting room or on the facility grounds. The waiting room has large windows allowing you to see into the computer lab. There is also a television and DVD player in the waiting area.

A child is welcome to bring non-edible treats or gifts. Edible treats are not allowed because of a wide variety of allergies.