There are several features that I particularly like. First, I love that the books are interactive. With F2B books literally come to life. Each story page has animated characters that students can interact with to act out what is written on the page. I also like that the child can have the choice of reading the book or having the book read to him or her. Additionally, a child can choose to read the book, and just have words they are unsure of read to them. Reading comprehension is assessed in a fun and natural way with interactive games that rewards children as they develop their comprehension skills. Student's reading ability is tracked in a backend system that provides meaningful information to the child's teacher or parent. With a tool like this assessing student progress, there should no longer be a need for outdated, standardized bubbletests. Finally, I love that the program provides children with the ability to write and illustrate their own books.
Reading comprehension of Calistoga preschoolers increased from 58.5 percent to 76.4 percent, with Footsteps 2 Brilliance. You can read more about what happened at the school here and in this newspaper article. Read the data behind the study here.
See for yourself
The three videos below provide great insight into how this program works. The first video shows a five-year-old girl using the program. The second brings us into it's use in the classroom and the last video is a story featured on NBC with the teacher and the parent of a student who used F2B for learning.
Lisa, what are your thoughts on this solution being specific to the iPad? don't you think this can prevent this program from being widely adopted?
ReplyDeleteI really like your blog by the way, keep up the good work.
- Oroub
@Oroub,
ReplyDeleteIt is actually device agnostic, but works best on the iPad or iTouch as touching is more intuitive for young children than pointing and clicking.
Well, this looks exciting, but I can't figure out how to use the app. It says I need to log-in, but how do I create a profile? Thanks.
ReplyDeletehas anyone figured out how to login?
ReplyDeleteHi, downloaded fine for iPad but no login details??
ReplyDeleteTo access the program you will need to buy a subscription. Please email info@footsteps2brilliance.com
ReplyDeleteFootsteps2Brilliance® is an award-winning app created by educators to give the pre-K though 3rd grade child a head start towards school success. Our comprehensive and engaging program will accelerate vocabulary acquisition, comprehension, creativity, and multiple-choice test taking skills in a child.
The Footsteps2Brilliance collection consists of a library of 18 beautifully written and illustrated e-books, over 200 interactive games, and parent-friendly reports. Innovative features include:
-1,000 most important words a child needs to become a strong reader and writer
-Auditory support and rhyming to help with reading fluency
-Three levels of game play for independent learning
-English/Spanish toggle switch on every page
-Interactive animations and music that make the stories come to life
- Create-a-Book feature enabling the early to author books
Having fun while learning with the Footsteps2Brilliance® app can happen anywhere … in the car, on a family vacation or at home! Our app can be accessed through any smart device, including iPhones, iPads, Android phones and tablets, Kindle Fires, Google Nexus tablets and traditional computers.