The Florida Department of Education has adopted a free, Web-based reading-intervention program for use in the state’s K-3 classrooms.
Free-Reading.net, an open-source reading product for K-12 schools, provides a 40-week supplemental program for struggling readers, as well as separate lessons and teaching tools. State Commissioner of Education Eric J. Smith approved the program last week.
Sponsored by the New York City-based software company Wireless Generation, the Free Reading materials are updated regularly, and the Web site allows teachers to contribute their own lessons.
The program is aligned with formative assessments that are used on hand-held computers that Wireless Generation markets to schools.
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