Research

Waterford.org is committed to evidence-based practice and programs whether it’s testing our own curriculum or contributing to broader early education research and policy efforts.

Investments in early learning pay off

Research shows early childhood interventions for young learners are more effective than those that come later in life. This is why Waterford has been committed to early learning since 1976.

Waterford Upstart Found to Have a Significant Impact on Early Literacy Gains

Waterford Upstart was evaluated against high-quality preschool programs in Utah to determine their effectiveness on early literacy.

The study shows that children who use Waterford Upstart at home before starting kindergarten showed positive gains, even when compared to children enrolled in high-quality public and private preschools.

The study also found that Waterford Upstart children showed similar gains in social-emotional development compared to their peers in high-quality preschools.

Read the Report

 

Waterford.org & ESSA: Evidence-Based Research

Waterford software has been formally assessed in a variety of schools and districts of varying size, location, and socioeconomic status, and results are consistent in supporting the software’s considerable effectiveness.

“The consistency of the research results, both within and between studies, is striking.”

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Summary of Alignment

Waterford Upstart Summer Learning Path

In response to school and daycare closures due to COVID-19, Waterford.org designed an accelerated version of our kindergarten readiness program, Waterford Upstart. The Waterford Upstart Summer Learning Path provided families in nine states and the Navajo Nation access to early learning resources to help prepare their children for school during the summer before kindergarten.

The results were substantial. Over 13,000 children participated, and on average they entered kindergarten at nearly a first-grade skill level. Read the full report to discover how the Summer Learning Path impacted children and families in a time of uncertainty.

Read the Report

White Paper: The Science of Reading

What does neuroscience tell us about how the brain learns to read? What does educational research tell us about effective reading instruction? Learn more about the Science of Reading here!

Read the White Paper

In Progress: i3 RURAL UPSTART STUDY, EVALUATION AND TRAINING INSTITUTE

In 2013, Waterford was awarded a federal i3 grant to fund the validation of Waterford Upstart as a school readiness program for rural children. A randomized controlled study—the gold standard for a research trial—is currently being conducted by ETI, an independent evaluator.

Results from the first year are showing substantively important and statistically significant positive effect.

i3_partners

Creates Long-Term Results

WATERFORD UPSTART PROGRAM: UTAH STATE OFFICE OF EDUCATION

An independent evaluation by the Utah State Office of Education shows children who participated in Waterford Upstart the year before kindergarten saw immediate positive gains and were still outperforming state averages on standardized tests in grades first through third.

BALL STATE UNIVERSITY STUDY, 1ST GRADERS

Researchers at Ball State University studied the effects of Waterford on the reading achievement gains of 46 1st graders using the CTBS Terra Nova standardized test. The lowest-performing students benefited the most and dramatically outperformed the low-performing comparison group. By the end of the year, their test scores were equivalent to those of the moderate-performing students in the comparison classes.

Helps Close The Achievement Gap

Helps ELL Students

TUCSON STUDY, 15 TITLE 1 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

Waterford was tested on 740 kindergarten students from 15 elementary schools with Title 1 funding in the Tucson Unified School District. The study evaluated the reading achievement of students alongside 15 comparison schools in the same district. The Waterford students consistently outperformed the comparison group on all outcome measures. One of the most notable findings was that ELL students showed greater gains than both the ELL students in the comparison group and the native English-speaking groups.

UTAH WATERFORD UPSTART PROGRAM EVALUATION: EVALUATION AND TRAINING INSTITUTE, LOS ANGELES, CA

An external evaluation of Waterford Upstart by the Evaluation and Training Institute shows children who participate in Waterford Upstart score two and three times higher academic growth rates than children who are not using Waterford Upstart.

Prepares Preschoolers

Builds Critical Skills

FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY STUDY, 
42 UNDER-RESOURCED KINDERGARTENERS

This study compared the pre-literacy gains of Waterford users to a control group over the course of a school year. Waterford users significantly outperformed the comparison group in phonemic awareness tests, invented spelling and word reading. The researchers used several standardized tests to compare the two groups. The chart above compares the effect size of these multiple tests.

STATEWIDE IDAHO STUDY, 8 SCHOOL DISTRICTS

Waterford was implemented in eight school districts and the study evaluated nearly 2,500 Idaho students, using a historical comparison group from the same schools from the previous year that had not been exposed to Waterford. Researchers reported that Waterford produced the highest results with the lowest-performing children who initially were at risk for learning to read well, and demonstrated the use of Waterford is directly correlated with reading gains.

More Use Equals Higher Gains

Waterford curriculum is co-developed with the expertise of nationally recognized researchers and practitioners.

Marilyn J. Adams

PhD

Joseph K. Torgesen

PhD

Isabel Beck

PhD

Robert Siegler

PhD

Richard K. Olson

PhD

James Barufaldi

PhD

Philip B. Gough

PhD

David C. Geary

PhD

William H. Teale

PhD

Barbara Wise

PhD

Jean Casey

PhD

Patricia Kerr

PhD

Stephanie Sheffield

MD

Patrick C. Donaghy

PhD

June Schofield

1st GRADE TEACHER