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New Vocabulary-Building Product Takes Aim at Fourth-Grade Slump

Read Naturally, Inc. Introduces First Installment of Take Aim! at Vocabulary Series Targeting Struggling Readers in Middle Grades

ST. PAUL, Minn., April 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Read Naturally, Inc., an educational publisher specializing in programs for struggling readers, announced the release today of Take Aim! at Vocabulary, a new product designed to address a major component of the "fourth-grade slump."

The fourth-grade slump, a widespread dilemma in America's public schools, refers to the learning plateau many students hit in fourth grade. This phenomenon occurs even among students who had previously been making steady gains. By eighth grade, many of these students will have seen very little progress in their reading skills; and with only a fourth-grade reading level, they will struggle in other areas as well. Why is this slump happening, and what can teachers do to combat it?

Many educators believe that the switch from "learning to read" to "reading to learn" is responsible for much of the slowdown. Candyce Ihnot, founder of Read Naturally, Inc. and 20-year veteran reading teacher, notes, "In third grade, students work on materials designed to build their reading skills; by fourth grade they are expected to read proficiently, and must do so in order to see success in other subjects. Without strong reading skills, suddenly they cannot keep up."

To address this growing concern, educators are turning to vocabulary-building products for critical middle-grade support. "As the important shift into fourth grade occurs, children with smaller vocabularies begin to fall behind their peers. This decline often accelerates in fifth and sixth grade as reading materials start to include less common words that increase the difficulty of the text," Ihnot explains.

The National Reading Panel (NRP) also concludes that vocabulary is a critical element in a child's ability to read. "Having a robust vocabulary will improve a child's decoding skills, reading comprehension level, and his ability to read fluently."

Read Naturally's Take Aim program was specifically designed to address this need. Take Aim boosts students' vocabulary knowledge using high-interest, nonfiction stories. Each unit introduces 24 new words and then deepens the student's understanding of those words through repeated exposure and supporting activities, such as comprehension questions, word-mapping activities, and crosswords.

Read Naturally spent the past five years developing and field-testing the Take Aim program in a variety of settings to ensure its success in real classrooms. Teachers participating in these field tests have been pleased with their results. "Since using Take Aim, I find students looking more carefully at words and thinking out loud about their possible meanings," says educator Jacki Ford of Philadelphia, Pa. The students are benefiting as well. "I'm learning new words every day!" exclaims Crystal, a fifth-grader in the Atlanta area.

Each Take Aim level includes 12 unit textbooks (with four stories and multiple activities per textbook), corresponding audio CDs, blackline master books with worksheets and record sheets, and a teacher's manual. The first level, Goldenrod, is intended for students who can read at a fourth-grade level and up. The Goldenrod level is now available; two subsequent levels, designed for fifth- and sixth-grade level readers, are currently being developed. Educators interested in purchasing Take Aim for their students, or just looking for more information, can contact Read Naturally, Inc. at 800.788.4085 or visit Read Naturally online at http://www.readnaturally.com/.

About Read Naturally, Inc.

For over 17 years, Read Naturally has helped improve fluency and comprehension for Title I, ELL, special education, and mainstream students both nationwide and abroad. By combining the powerful, research-based strategies of teacher modeling, repeated reading, and progress monitoring, the Read Naturally program motivates struggling readers and accelerates their reading achievements. For more information, visit http://www.readnaturally.com/.

For more information on Take Aim! at Vocabulary and the fourth-grade slump, contact Read Naturally at 800.788.4085 or email info@ReadNaturally.com.

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