Route 66 Literacy Provides Web-Based Literacy Instruction for Adolescent and Adult Beginning Readers
By Benetech, posted on January 26, 2011Launch of Subscription Version Features Age-Appropriate, High-Interest Contents
At the 2011 ATIA (Assistive Technology Industry Association) conference in Orlando, Florida, Benetech® announced the launch of a subscription version of the in-demand Route 66 Literacy solution. Route 66 Literacy was developed based on scientifically-proven instructional technique and is designed to help teachers and non-teachers (tutors, volunteers, parents, and others) provide reading and writing instruction to adolescent and adult beginning readers, such as those with developmental disabilities. More information on the program can be found at http://www.route66literacy.org.
“Adolescent and adult beginning readers require an instructional program that offers the flexibility to address their individual strengths and weaknesses,” saidKaren Erickson, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of North Carolina, “Route 66 Literacy meets this need by combining reading, writing, and word study in a flexible, dynamic, internet-based instructional program. And importantly, Route 66 Literacy requires no special training to teach literacy other than basic web navigation skills.”
Route 66 Literacy is for use by adolescent and adult beginning readers working side-by-side with teacher-tutors who guide the students’ interaction with the computer. The program is appropriate for those who are not yet reading sentences and paragraphs, but do understand that print is used for reading and writing, that a correspondence exists between spoken and written words, that a relationship exists between letters and sounds, and that print is read from left to right, top to bottom. While many literacy programs are designed for kindergarteners and first graders, Route 66 Literacy offers age-appropriate, interest-appropriate, and ability-appropriate books to its adolescent and adult learners.
Individuals who provide reading and writing instruction are invited to sign-up for a free 45-day trial at http://www.route66literacy.org. During the trial period users will have the opportunity to experience the Route 66 Literacy solution 1:1 with students. Included in the trial is access to sample bookshelves with word study lessons, writing lessons and blackboards with guidance for the teacher-tutors. At any time during the trial, users can convert to a full subscription and gain access to the complete Route 66 Literacy solution.
A one-year Route 66 Literacy solution subscription is available for $140.00 and includes unlimited access to high-interest content in thematically organized bookshelves and accompanying word study lessons, writing lessons and blackboards.
The Route 66 Literacy solution is a partnership between Benetech and the Center for Literacy and Disability Studies (CLDS) of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The concept for Route 66 was developed by Dr. Karen Erickson, one of the nation’s leading experts in literacy for people with disabilities.
About Benetech
Benetech is a nonprofit technology company based in Palo Alto, California. Benetech pursues projects with a strong social rather than financial rate of return on investment, harnessing open source technology to create innovative solutions to challenging social issues. The Benetech Bookshare service is the world’s largest accessible online library of copyrighted books for people with print disabilities.