IXL Learning, a K-12 learning program used by 1 in 9 U.S. students, announced expanded phonics content for pre-K through 1^st grade, rounding out its language and foundational reading skills curriculum for early learners. With adaptive technology, insightful analytics and a playful student experience, IXL Language Arts is designed to support the teaching of early literacy.

IXL's curriculum is uniquely suited to the methodical nature of early literacy instruction. IXL breaks every topic down into specific and scaffolded skills, allowing educators to target each step of the reading process and help students build up to fluency. For example, IXL's progression for the short "i" sound starts with an audio skill that asks students to identify which of two words contains the short "i" sound. More rigorous skills then challenge learners to drag-and-drop letters to spell short "i" words, and to choose the sentence containing short "i" words that matches a whimsical illustration. Within each skill, IXL's adaptive content challenges every student at just the right level so they can build language abilities at their own pace.

IXL also helps educators understand their students' performance so they can address knowledge gaps early on and adjust their teaching to best support each learner. While many early literacy products simply track which activities students have practiced, IXL Analytics goes deeper, analyzing trouble spots, grouping students working on the same level of difficulty in a skill, alerting teachers when students may need help and more.

"Nurturing budding readers is a special and rewarding responsibility—and often a challenging one, as students' early language abilities can vary widely," said Paul Mishkin, CEO of IXL Learning. "With a unique blend of carefully crafted curriculum and insightful data, IXL helps educators build a strong literacy foundation for every young learner."

For students, IXL uses meaningful and developmentally appropriate challenges to spark curiosity and build confidence. Skills feature tactile question types that are inherently fun for children—such as dragging-and-dropping letters, clicking on images and sorting words—engaging them while keeping them focused. IXL also exposes learners to hundreds of different words to build their vocabulary and uses humorous images to stimulate their imagination. And, students earn ribbons and certificates as they reach new learning milestones, giving them ample opportunity to celebrate their achievements.

IXL covers pre-K through 12^th grade math and language arts and 2^nd through 8^th grade science and social studies, and is aligned to the Common Core and all state standards. IXL features 10 free practice questions each day for students not subscribed to IXL; subscribers may practice unlimited questions across all grade levels. IXL is available online and as an app for iPad and Android tablets. For more information and to subscribe to IXL, please visit www.IXL.com.