Waterford Institute

The Community Center was created for two purposes:

1. To perform studies on how the children learn best using Waterford Research Institute’s Waterford Early Reading Program™ and Waterford Early Math and Science™ software.
2. To provide more children with an opportunity to learn to read and to acquire math and science skills using a comprehensive, research-based curriculum.

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 4-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 4 to 6. This age span covers a broad range of abilities. Having this range of abilities in one class is possible because the software allows your child to move at his or her own pace according to his or her own ability.

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

Waterford Early Reading Program has a built-in placement for this purpose. When your child first starts on the software, he will play assessment games that determine his abilities. Your child will then be placed in the software according to the scores received. This is why there can be 4-year-olds and 6-year-olds in the same class. Each child is challenged at an appropriate level.

No. Waterford Early Math and Science 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 take years to create and validate. Therefore, it is not available at this time. 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. (Refer to question 17 on testing.)

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 a parent sits with her child, the child defaults to the parent. This causes the child to miss out on the feeling of success in her own abilities.

A parent may be invited into the computer lab on an occasion for a few minutes to view the software. Parents are not to be in the computer lab unless invited, but they may watch through the large glass windows.

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.

The course runs approximately 8 months, September through April.

National holidays are recognized. Fall and spring breaks are aligned as closely to the three surrounding school district breaks as possible.

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

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. (Refer to question 17 on testing.)

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.

The software is comprehensive, systematic, and fun. Children learn the fundamental skills necessary for success in reading, math, and science while having fun and without the stress of pressure or homework.

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 from the teacher giving the answer.
• It allows children to feel the success of their own work. Children become unafraid to tackle something they do not understand because they have the confidence they can eventually accomplish the task at hand.

In some studies there is group time where the teacher works directly with the group. Even when the children are on the computer, the teacher will be observing, encouraging, congratulating successes, and monitoring difficulties and progress.

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 Assessment of Core Skills™ (WACS). ITBS and DIBELS are national standard tests.

1. ITBS is used by Waterford Research 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 Research 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 Research Institute as a computerized test that measures literacy.

Waterford Research Institute has created two software programs:

• Waterford Early Reading Program (reading software)
• Waterford Early Math and Science (math and science software)

There are three levels in both programs:

• Prekindergarten (Level One)
• Kindergarten (Level Two)
• First grade (Level Three)

Level One of the reading software starts with recognition of letters—uppercase letters, lowercase letters, uppercase and lowercase letters together—and then letter sounds are introduced.

Next children begin putting sounds together to make words and words to make sentences. This prepares children to read books. Comprehension, spelling, phonics, phonological awareness, and vocabulary are also covered plus much more. This is a very brief overview of Level One.

In Levels Two and Three, the skills mastered in Level One are expanded upon and more advanced skills are taught.

The three levels of math and science software entail:

• songs
• calendar
• weather and graphing
• numbers 0-20
• order of numbers
• addition
• subtraction
• fractions
• geometry
• algebra
• measurement
• time
• money
• positioning
• estimating
• logical reasoning
• problem solving
• science investigation
• physical science
• life science
• earth and space science
• personal and social perspectives

Again this is a brief overview.

How long it takes for a child to move through each level varies depending on where the child is placed, his or her skill level, the amount of time spent on the computer, and whether the child 1) uses the reading software for the entire class time, 2) uses the math and science software for the entire class time, or 3) uses a combination of both programs during class time.