iSPIRE: Phonics-based Reading Intervention
In this episode of the TeacherCast App Spotlight, I sit down with Julie Ross, a National Trainer for S.P.I.R.E. to discuss how the new iSPIRE system offers an integrated approach to effective teaching and learning. About Julie Ross S.P.I.R.E. National Trainer Certified Special Education teacher in the areas of Learning Disabilities, Behavioral Disorders, and Educable Mental Handicaps. Julie has over 25 years of teaching experience with students at all education levels, K-12, in both private and public school settings. Since 2005, Julie has acted as a S.P.I.R.E. consultant, working closely with teachers in districts across the country as they learn and implement the S.P.I.R.E. reading intervention program. Links of Interest EPS Facebook:\xa0 https://www.facebook.com/EPSLiteracyandIntervention EPS LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/29656 EPS Twitter: https://twitter.com/ss_eps EPS Pinterest:\xa0 https://www.pinterest.com/epsforeducators/ Websites: http://eps.schoolspecialty.com/ https://www.schoolspecialty.com About School Specialty, Inc.\xae School Specialty is a leading distributor of innovative and proprietary products, programs and services to the education marketplace. The Company designs, develops, and provides educators with the latest and very best school supplies, furniture and both curriculum and supplemental learning resources. Working in collaboration with educators, School Specialty reaches beyond the scope of textbooks to help teachers, guidance counselors and school administrators ensure that every student reaches his or her full potential. Through its SSI Guardian subsidiary, the Company is also committed to school, healthcare and corporate workplace safety by offering the highest quality curriculum, training and safety and security products. Finally, through its SOAR Life Products brand, the Company offers thousands of products that sharpen cognitive skills and build physical and mental strength in fun and creative ways. From childhood through adulthood, they help individuals live life to the fullest \u2013 engaged, happy and well.\xa0\xa0SOAR Life Products is a customized offering for hospitals, long-term care, therapeutic facilities, home care, surgery centers, day care centers, physician offices, and clinics. For more information about School Specialty, visit\xa0www.schoolspecialty.com. About EPS Literacy and Intervention EPS Literacy and Intervention provides K\u201312\xa0blended-media\xa0solutions that build core skills and close the achievement gap in reading and math. With powerful instructional tools and high-quality materials, the company\u2019s reading and math intervention solutions are proven to help struggling students EPS offers an integrated approach to effective teaching and learning. For more information on EPS and its proven programs Wordly Wise 3000\xae, S.P.I.R.E.\xae,\xa0Academy of READING\xae, Academy of MATH\xae,\xa0MCI, ,\xa0Explode The Code\xae\xa0and EPS Custom Learning, visit\xa0http://epsbooks.comhttp://epsbooks.com @SchoolSpecialty Connect with School Specialty on social media; search School Specialty on\xa0Facebook,\xa0Twitter,\xa0Instagram\xa0and\xa0Pinterest. For ideas and resources, educational trends and inspiration for today\u2019s educators \u2013 visit theSchoolyard\xa0blog. School Specialty Unveils iSPIRETM, Research-Based Intervention Program, to Put Struggling Readers on the Path to Mastery Interactive Tool Powered by Exploros Engages Learners by Unleashing the Powerful Instruction of S.P.I.R.E.\xae to Students in a Digital Classroom GREENVILLE, Wis.\xa0\u2013 Feb. 16, 2016\xa0\u2013 According to the\xa02015 National Assessment of Educational Progress\xa0\u2013 the Nation\u2019s Report Card \u2013 only about 35 percent of U.S. fourth and eighth graders perform at the \u201cproficient\u201d level in reading. To help schools close the achievement gap with students performing significantly below grade level,\xa0EPS Literacy and Intervention, a division of\xa0School Specialty\xa0(OTCQB: SCOO), today announced the debut of\xa0iSPIRE\u2122.\xa0This interactive reading intervention program incorporates phonemic awareness, phonics, spelling, vocabulary, comprehension and fluency to accelerate literacy skill development for the lowest performing students in grades PreK-8.\xa0iSPIRE\xa0is\xa0powered\xa0by Exploros, a streamlined online teaching platform designed to connect teachers to students in a digitally transformed classroom with the teacher at the center of mastery based instruction. Through the use of a variety of digital manipulatives and drawing tools,\xa0iSPIRE\xa0builds engaging classroom experiences that promote phonological awareness and phonics-based skills. Students also participate in daily fiction and nonfiction reading activities, which help them master comprehension skills. Other interactive student activities reinforce vocabulary, comprehension and fluency and the embedded formative assessments ensure that students master key concepts to promote acceleration through the six levels of\xa0iSPIRE. Teachers and administrators who use\xa0iSPIRE\xa0will find meaningful student progress reports that deliver assessment data in real-time, allowing teachers to either immediately accelerate students who have mastered key reading concepts or pinpoint areas for remediation. Clear and explicit lessons help teachers provide targeted instruction, while on-demand professional development ensures that teachers receive continuous support. For more information about\xa0iSPIRE, visit\xa0www.epsbooks.com/iSPIRE About EPS Literacy and Intervention\xa0 EPS Literacy and Intervention provides K\u201312 blended-media solutions that build core skills and close the achievement gap in reading and math. With powerful instructional tools and high-quality materials, the company\u2019s reading and math intervention solutions are proven to help struggling students EPS offers an integrated approach to effective teaching and learning. For more information on EPS and its proven programs Wordly Wise 3000\xae, S.P.I.R.E.\xae, Academy of READING\xae, Academy of MATH\xae, MCI, , Explode The Code\xae\xa0and EPS Custom Learning, visit\xa0http://epsbooks.com About School Specialty, Inc.\xae School Specialty is a leading distributor of innovative and proprietary products, programs and services to the education marketplace. The Company designs, develops, and provides educators with the latest and very best school supplies, furniture and both curriculum and supplemental learning resources. Working in collaboration with educators, School Specialty reaches beyond the scope of textbooks to help teachers, guidance counselors and school administrators ensure that every student reaches his or her full potential. For more information about School Specialty, visit\xa0www.schoolspecialty.com