Two-thirds of U.S. fourth graders are not reading at a proficient level, and reading difficulties are often identified too late for students to catch up with their peers, even with intervention. To help schools identify children at risk for reading difficulties before they start struggling with reading, EarlyBird Education today announces the nationwide release of the EarlyBird game-based screener.
Developed and scientifically validated at Boston Children’s Hospital in partnership with faculty at the Florida Center for Reading Research, EarlyBird brings together all the relevant predictors of reading in one easy-to-administer assessment. It helps educators identify and support children at risk for dyslexia and other reading difficulties — even before they learn to read.
“Reading difficulties such as dyslexia are generally diagnosed in second or third grade, after repeated failure to learn to read and after the most effective intervention window,” said Carla Small, co-founder and CEO of EarlyBird Education. “With EarlyBird, districts and schools can move from a deficit-focused intervention model to a preventive approach that can catch children before they start struggling with learning to read. With early intervention, educators can change the learning trajectory of children who could potentially be overlooked for months or even years.”
The EarlyBird cloud-based technology platform includes a game-based app that provides comprehensive, validated student testing, and a web-based dashboard that points teachers to easy-to-understand data and evidence-based resources for individuals or groups of students. The tablet-based screener is appropriate for pre-readers, and it can be used by children as young as four years old. With data from just minutes of self-administered game play, educators can predict which children will struggle with reading and intervene in the window when intervention is most effective.
About EarlyBird
EarlyBird transforms students’ lives through the early detection of reading difficulties, including dyslexia. The cloud-based technology platform includes a game-based screening assessment and dashboard that points teachers to customized action plans and evidence-based resources. With EarlyBird, educators can identify children at risk for reading difficulties in the window when intervention is most effective — before they formally learn to read. For information, visit https://earlybirdeducation.com/.
