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Browse and Download Learning A-Z Research
Learning A-Z products blend teacher-led instruction with technology-enabled resources to make teaching more effective, practice more personalized, and learning more informed. Our products are based on research and backed by efficacy studies. Find out more! Browse our Research library.
ESSA — Proven Results
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McREL Study Examines Effects of Raz-Plus on Reading Achievement and Motivation
Read about McREL International's rigorous study of the effects of Raz-Plus on reading skills and motivation to read.
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Using Headsprout to Teach Early Reading and Oral Language to At-Risk Preschoolers
This study examined the role of Headsprout in preschoolers’ language development, including oral language and early literacy.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Compares Headsprout to Supplementary Literacy Instruction
This randomized controlled trial compared Headsprout to specialized literacy instruction provided by the school.
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Creating Instructionally Beneficial Gains in Reading With Headsprout
What are some of the effects of Headsprout on beginning readers? Read this study to find out.
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Randomized Controlled Trial: Headsprout as Supplementary Program for Beginning Readers
This study examined the effects of Headsprout when used as a supplemental literacy program for beginning readers.
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Independent Study: Raz-Plus and Reading Achievement in Students in Grades 3–5
This independent study in a large urban school district compared reading abilities in two student groups: one with Raz-Plus, one without.
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Tutoring Programs and Reading Achievement in Second-Grade Students
Read about second-grade students in rural schools who used Raz-Plus as part of their tutoring in this study.
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Randomized Controlled Trial: Using Headsprout With Students With Intellectual Disabilities
An intensive implementation of Headsprout in special-needs schools evaluated its effectiveness in students with intellectual disabilities.
Case Studies
School Where 45 Languages Are Spoken Raises Scores With Learning A-Z Products
This study examines how a school with 78% ELLs used Learning A-Z to improve performance and close achievement gaps.
Addressing the “Summer Slide” With Raz-Kids and Reading A-Z
This study asks whether at-risk students using Raz-Kids and Reading A-Z can overcome the “summer slide.”
Reading A-Z and Raz-Kids as Part of a District-Wide Literacy Plan
What happens when a large urban school district implements Reading A-Z and Raz-Kids for supplemental and intervention literacy instruction?
Raz-Plus and Early Reading Skills in Kindergarten Students
By including students with low pre-literacy skills, this study informs the field of potential prevention for future reading difficulties.
Raz-Kids and Developmental Reading in First-Grade Students
This case study examined how Raz-Kids impacted reading scores in first-grade students from economically disadvantaged families.
Reading A-Z and Literacy Skills in Title I School With ELL Majority
This case study addresses an implementation of Reading A-Z in a Title I school where two-thirds of students were English language learners.
Raz-Plus and Reading Proficiency in a Rural Elementary School
Examining Raz-Plus effects on economically disadvantaged students, this study compared reading proficiency in cohorts four years apart.
Headsprout and Reading Gains in Fourth Graders From Large Urban District
This case study examined the effects of Headsprout on reading comprehension for students in metropolitan Nashville.
Headsprout and Reading Proficiency in Urban School With High Minority Population
This Headsprout case study included grades K–3 of an elementary school serving predominantly minority students and low-income students.
Headsprout in an Ethnically Diverse, High-Mobility Urban School
Focused on intermediate elementary students, this Headsprout case study took place in an urban school identified as underperforming.
Headsprout and Reading Proficiency in School With High ELL Population
This case study examined the school-wide effects of using Headsprout, measured by the state’s assessment for reading.
Research Base
Foundations A-Z Research Guide
This guide highlights the research base and instructional design on which the Foundations A-Z literacy program was built, ensuring acquisition of foundational skills by students in Grades K-5.
Teaching the Foundations: Best Practices for Emergent Readers
This white paper addresses research on foundational literacy areas, including key areas identified as critical for emergent readers.
Reading to Learn: Going Beyond the Foundations
To help students learn from complex informational text, the focus of instruction shifts toward comprehension and analysis of text.
Teaching Science: Scientific Literacy and Inquiry
Scientific literacy requires learning fundamental scientific concepts and practices, terms that this white paper defines and explores.
Ensuring Writing Proficiency: Best Practices for Teaching Writing
This paper discusses research on best practices for writing instruction, from goal-setting and prewriting to writing strategies and processes.
Vocabulary Instruction: White Paper by Dr. Timothy Rasinski
Dr. Rasinski recommends improvements to typical vocabulary teaching methods, with principles for effective, engaging vocabulary instruction.
Effective Vocabulary Instruction
Vocabulary acquisition is a key component of literacy. This white paper describes several attributes of effective vocabulary instruction.
English Language Learning: Speaking, Listening, Reading, and Writing in English
Raz-Plus ELL helps English language learners develop speaking, listening, reading, writing, and grammar skills in English.
Exceptional Learners: RtI, Special Education, and Gifted Students
Discussing research on giftedness, RtI, and special education, this paper also describes best practices for teaching exceptional students.
21st Century Skills: Preparing Students for Future Success
Learning A-Z resources promote critical thinking and teamwork, also addressing the crucial 21st century skills described in this white paper.
Reliably Teaching Children to Read
This peer-reviewed article distinguishes between programs claiming to be research-based and those following systematic research protocols.
Comprehension By Design
Learn how task analysis, content analysis, and concept analysis informed the design and development of Headsprout Reading Comprehension.
Thinking Through Text Comprehension: Part One
Find out about fundamental principles (garnered from the learning sciences) behind the design of Headsprout Reading Comprehension.
Thinking Through Text Comprehension: Part Two
The analysis of learning types, based on Tiemann and Markle’s categories of learning, is applied to reading comprehension in this paper.
Thinking Through Text Comprehension: Part Three
Read this paper for real-life examples of how Headsprout teaches investigative repertoires to answer inferential and vocabulary questions.
More Studies and Publications
Using Headsprout With Children With Down Syndrome: Effects on Decoding Skills
This study examined changes in decoding skills for students with Down syndrome using Headsprout at home under parental observation.
Headsprout and Students With Severe Intellectual Disability
This study highlights ways educators can adapt Headsprout to teach foundational reading skills to learners with severe disabilities.
Reading Motivation in English Language Learners Using Raz-Plus
Find out whether Raz-Plus affected motivation to read in these fifth-grade students learning English.
Headsprout: Report From the Florida Center for Reading Research
The Florida Center for Reading Research reviewed the central components and instructional design of Headsprout Early Reading in this report.
Headsprout and Students At Risk for Reading Difficulties
This study evaluated whether Headsprout may be an effective tool for preventing reading difficulties.
Raz-Kids and First Graders’ Reading Comprehension and Fluency
This experiment examined reading comprehension and reading fluency in students with learning disabilities who used Raz-Kids.
Reading Growth in Elementary School Students Following Tutoring Programs
Elementary school students with learning disabilities in rural communities worked to improve reading fluency.
Raz-Kids and Reading Accuracy in Second Graders
Second-grade students used Raz-Kids for independent reading practice in this study.
Headsprout and Reading Comprehension in Students With High-Incidence Disabilities
This study examined how Headsprout affected reading comprehension skills in fifth-grade students with learning disabilities or ADHD.
How Raz-Kids Impacts Third Graders’ Reading Comprehension and Attitude Toward Reading
Do students using Raz-Kids show increased reading comprehension and higher motivation to read? Find out in this master's thesis!
Experimental Study on Headsprout and Reading Fluency in Students With Autism
This study examined the effects of Headsprout as an early intervention program on students with autism.
Headsprout and Students at Risk for Dyslexia
This study measured the oral reading fluency of students at risk for developmental dyslexia before, during, and after using Headsprout.
Students With ADHD: Headsprout's Effects on Reading Fluency and Off-Task Behavior
This study compared baseline levels (before Headsprout) of off-task behavior and oral reading fluency to levels during Headsprout use.
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