EdCircuit Staff 
The call for applications for the Fluency Innovator Grants is now open. Foundations in Learning is encouraging teachers and administrators who serve students in grades 3 and above and who are passionate about finding and using the best research- and evidence-based literacy solutions to apply to receive a free subscription to WordFlight™ for the Fall 2024 semester. This unique, evidence-based literacy intervention solution with a patented diagnostic helps grow students’ foundational reading skills by bridging the gap between phonics and fluency.
“Effective yet easy-to-implement literacy interventions are critical in supporting classroom instruction and helping struggling readers get on a path to fluency,” said Allison Zimmermann, CEO of Foundations in Learning, creator of WordFlight. “Day in and day out, we see the impact of WordFlight in helping students build their foundational reading skills and we designed this grant to get the program in the hands of even more educators so they can further support their students in becoming proficient and confident readers.”
When implemented with fidelity, WordFlight helps move students to proficient in foundational reading skills. After receiving a Fluency Innovator Grant in Spring 2024, one dual immersion teacher in California saw the number of students scoring as proficient in phonics and fluency double on the FastBridge assessment after only four months of using the program. Additionally, a majority of students in the class improved their proficiency in automatic word recognition and decoding, as measured by the WordFlight Diagnostic.
For the Fall 2024 grant program, interested educators who are similarly looking to achieve measurable results and who are new to using WordFlight—including teachers applying for their individual class or administrators applying for their school building or district—must agree to certain requirements to be considered for the grant. This includes, but is not limited to, educators using the program with students in grades 3-8 whose difficulty with word recognition skills interfere with reading fluency and comprehension. Groups of English Language Learners (ELL) who meet a standard for conversational English language usage and/or special education students and students with dyslexia may also be eligible for participation. The WordFlight Screener can be used for free to identify the students that will benefit from WordFlight.
Applicants must participate in training and professional development using the program, as well as agree to use WordFlight’s online component 20 minutes per day for four to five days per week throughout the grant period.
Applications are due by September 15, 2024. All grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis. Schools and districts that have more than one application will be given highest priority to receive the WordFlight Fluency Innovator Grant.
Aligned with the science of reading and based in the science of learning, WordFlight is designed for students in grades 3-8 who have not achieved reading fluency and comprehension because of deficits in their foundational skills. These skills are typically developed by the end of grade 2. WordFlight’s powerful combination of components—screener, diagnostic, instructional program, teacher resources, and ongoing implementation support—help students move beyond decoding to learn how to use letter-sound relationships in a way that results in automatic word recognition. Students without word-level fluency cannot read fluently for comprehension.
WordFlight leverages adaptive technology and provides personalized, structured practice in an engaging game-like environment that makes learning stick. Throughout the program, students experience varied task difficulty, context changes, and ongoing feedback that help students develop their automatic word recognition skills, the critical precursor to fluency.
To learn more about WordFlight and to apply for a Fluency Innovator Grant, visit https://www.wordflight.com/fall-2024-grant-program/.
About WordFlight™
WordFlight™ is the first patented literacy assessment and intervention for grades 3-8 that bridges the gap between phonics and fluency. Created by researchers and program developers with decades of experience in providing schools with effective programs to meet the individual needs of students, the online program is a proven and research-based solution that blends the best of the science of reading and the science of learning to help develop fluent readers. WordFlight is a registered trademark of Foundations in Learning, a learning company based in Coralville, Iowa. To learn more, visit www.wordflight.com.
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