Reading Eggs 'Hatch' in U.S. Market: Archipelago Learning Becomes Exclusive Distributor of Popular Australian Literacy Product for Early Learners

Reading Eggs is Perfect Complement to Study Island, a Favorite of U.S. Teachers, in Archipelago's Line-Up of Online Instructional Programs

DALLAS, Aug. 9, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- To help young students 'crack' the reading code, Archipelago Learning, a leading subscription-based online education company, announced today that it has become the exclusive U.S. distributor of the school version of Blake Publishing's Reading Eggs. The playful, online early literacy program hails from Australia and is creatively designed to support core literacy teaching that will drive early reading successes and help students, ages three to eight, become proficient readers.

Developed by a highly experienced team of teachers, education writers, and developers, Reading Eggs comprises 100 research-based lessons within a highly motivational framework. The program is rich with an assortment of instructional tutorials, review activities, and games. Blake Publishing has a long history in publishing award-winning and internationally renowned K-12 reading materials for several major U.S. publishers. Its high-quality educational resources provide a vast array of literacy resources and programs for teachers and students, alike.

"We are thrilled to add this very clever and exceptional balanced literacy reading program to our Study Island family, and to offer it to our growing customer base," said Tim McEwen, chief executive officer for Archipelago Learning. "We understand the role that early literacy development plays in student achievement in elementary school and beyond. With this engaging product, we are giving preschool and early elementary teachers an important tool that will have their students experiencing tremendous success early in their literacy acquisition process, thus ensuring that reading for meaning is achieved."

Each of the simple-to-navigate lessons that make up the Reading Eggs program offer between six and eleven sections that focus on core reading skills and strategies essential for sustained reading success. The animated program begins at an emergent reading level, focusing on letter sounds, first sight words and reading simple sentences. Using their very own avatar or online character, students navigate their way through a host of fun and interactive activities as many times as they want. With each lesson, students gain valuable repetition and practice of the five pillars of reading skills the National Reading Panel determined essential for reading proficiency: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency. As lessons are successfully completed, students are provided a corresponding online-leveled reader as well as earn the opportunity to add a Reading Eggs' fun "critter" to their collection. After ten lessons, students complete a mastery quiz that provides teachers with a report summarizing what each child has learned thus far along with diagnostics to inform instruction.

For older students, the program's Story Factory opens up a world of story writing and reading where young scholars can write their own stories and enter them in a weekly story writing competition sponsored by Reading Eggs.

Teachers will find the diagnostic tests and student management tools useful in placing students in the appropriate reading level within the program. All student activities and progress are recorded, showing teachers a list of test results and lessons finished with a complete scope and sequence of content covered. In addition, the teacher toolkit provides access to a wide range of interactive whiteboard resources, 96 spelling tests, and interactive lesson ideas.

"The cool graphics, appealing songs, rewards, and work-at-your-own-pace program really grabs the attention of young readers, including struggling and reluctant readers," added McEwen. "The playfulness of the Reading Eggs program, combined with its strong instructional focus, creates a solution that is educationally rigorous but still suits the learning style of young children who learn best through play."

The complete Study Island product offering is available for purchase by schools, districts and learning centers, as well as parents and students. Purchase prices specifically for the Reading Eggs program begin at $199 for an annual, single class subscription. For more information please visit the Reading Eggs section of the Study Island website at: http://www.studyisland.com/readingeggs.

Contact your Kentucky Sales Rep, Pat Ryan [pat.ryan@studyisland.com] to register for a FREE Trial or, go to: secure.studyisland.com/readingeggs/schools_freetrial.cfm