Parents Invited to Point Pleasant Schools' Forum Thursday on Online Literacy Program

Students learn in different ways, at different rates. In Point Pleasant, the schools are employing new methods to help all students strengthen their literacy skills.

An online program called Achieve3000, which provides reading and writing instruction to students based on their skill level, is being used this year by students in fourth through eighth grade, said Susan Ladd, director of curriculum and instruction for the Point Pleasant schools.

“College and career readiness is dependent on students’ ability to read and interpret complex text,” Ladd said. “Achieve3000 has been proven to increase reading comprehension, fluency, vocabulary and writing proficiency while enhancing interdisciplinary literacy.”

To help get parents understand Achieve3000 and how their children can take advantage of the program at home, the district is holding an Achieve3000 parent forum at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 23 in the Point Boro High School media center. Registration in advance is required; visit the district website here to register.

Achieve3000, which is aligned to the Common Core Standards, builds literacy skills by assessing each student’s reading level and determining their individual strengths and weaknesses. The program then delivers targeted reading materials, appropriate to the student’s level, directly to his or her email inbox. It was developed by a Lakewood-based company and offers a variety of programs to schools targeting students from second grade through senior year.

“Achieve 3000 has an online database of informational text that is constantly updated with relevant and interesting articles,” Ladd said. “Every text a student receives is uniquely tailored to his or her ability, for a true differentiated learning experience. Reading materials are never too easy or too difficult but rather just right for the student’s level. This helps improve students’ literacy skills while facilitating their progress to subsequent reading levels.”

The program also provides teachers with ongoing assessments of their students’ progress, helping them target instruction to better meet students’ needs.

“Achieve3000 provides unprecedented insight into our student’s reading fluency and (the students) are already using the program to great results,” Ladd said.

And now parents are eligible for Achieve3000’s Home Edition, a free program that allows parents and guardians the opportunity to be closely involved with their child’s progress while reinforcing literacy skills at home. Parents and guardians of fourth- through eighth-graders will be able to sign up for the home edition at the forum.

“Parental engagement in the learning process is the single most important factor influencing student achievement, outside of school,” said Vincent S. Smith, district superintendent. “Studies show that when parents and guardians are involved in their children’s education, the students’ academic performance improves. Achieve3000 Home Edition provides a free, easy to use mechanism for parents to enhance their child’s achievement.”