Headsprout improvements on the way!

[lougle]

I've just received this email about Headsprout:

You'll soon have access to all 130 adaptive online episodes!
Learning A-Z is merging Headsprout's two elementary reading products — Headsprout Early Reading and Headsprout Reading Comprehension — into one adaptive, effective, and fun K-5 online reading program. Beginning Friday, you'll have full access to all 130 student-immersive instructional episodes, as well as a number of new improvements and features.

Help students remember their new login
As part of this product improvement, students will use an improved system to log in. To help your students remember their new login credentials, log in to the website Friday morning, click on the Manage Students button, and select Send Home Information to generate new Personalized Student Login Cards.

What's New?
• Full access to all 130 adaptive episodes
• New student incentives and reward program
• Enhanced management tools and reporting
• New Early Reading bookroom
• Additional Fluency Building resources

Fantastic!

Thanks for info Lougle but am sceptical of this (as are Headsprout creators) as many changes not in line with behavioural science but more in line with what they think people would like to see.

I'll be watching with interest.

Really? Are they changing the actual content of the two programs? Maybe I'm reading it incorrectly.

It will I'm sure still be better than most stuff on the market but they are messing with it, in a way that on the surface, seems better but isn't. A great shame.

So... If the marketing people feel teaching kids to read isn't enough to help sales, and they need a better system of systematic reinforcers for the actual customers (teachers & parents) they might be right.

But why mess with the product? Why not just design one and bolt it on?