Home-School Technology Connection Transforms Struggling 3rd Grader; Florida Boy has 500-Point Turn-Around After Using Riverdeeps Destination Success at Home

The mother of a struggling Florida third-grader turned his life around by using a program her school district makes available for home use

SAN FRANCISCO, CA; WEST PALM BEACH, FL (PRWEB) July 13, 2005 -- When the test scores for Ada Hendersons third-grade son came in, his principal couldnt quite believe them.

He called me and said 'Ada, whats going on?" she recalled.

The principals skepticism was understandable. The struggling boy had brought his score on the schools reading assessment up from a failing 368 up to 898. And he had done it in just sixteen weeks.

Adas secret? As a math teacher at Lake Worth High School, she knew that the local school district had made Riverdeeps award-winning Destination Success courseware available to students over the Internet. So she sat down with her son Kenneth at the home computer for 30 minutes each night working on Destination Success. Using those programs gave Kenneth the extra support he needed to improve in reading and math," Henderson said. They really made the difference."

Henderson had been concerned with Kenneths low scores on the Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI). Kenneths school, Wynnebrook Elementary in West Palm Beach, uses the SRI to let them know how students will do on the FCAT, which Florida students begin taking in third grade. Kenneth had comprehension problems. He struggled in retelling stories, and picking out the main ideas." Florida third graders need to pass the FCAT in order to move on to 4th grade.

Looking for something that would turn things around for Kenneth, Henderson thought of courseware she was using with her high-school math students. The district subscribes to Destination Math® and Destination Reading®, and we have access to it through the computer lab. I take my kids there at least once a week," Henderson said. Although her students naturally focus on Destination Math, she gives them time on Destination Reading as well -- and encourages them to use it at home. Reading is a critical skill in math," Henderson said. The math questions on the FCAT are written questions. If you cant comprehend what youve read, then you cant answer the question, even if you might know how to solve the formula."

Henderson had been impressed with way Destination Success visual, step-by-step approach and real-world examples motivated her high-school students, and she thought it might help Kenneth, too. Because the district made the courseware available on the Internet, she knew she could log on at home. I started using Riverdeep with him every night for at least thirty minutes," Henderson said. That became part of our nightly routine." They usually split the time half and half between Destination Reading and Destination Math.

Soon, Kenneths classroom performance began to improve. His teacher was very excited -- she wanted to know what I was doing," Henderson recalled. But it wasnt until Kenneth retook the SRI that his mother and his teacher realized how much Destination Success had helped.

Kenneths 500-point improvement on the SRI also brought the stunned phone call from the principal. He was just flabbergasted --- he did not believe it," Henderson said. Everybody who knew how he had struggled and saw his test scores said, 'we have to get Destination Success in the elementary schools!"

But for Henderson, the biggest reward was the impact that success had on how her son felt about himself. It gave him self confidence. It made him feel, 'Hey, I am smart!" she said.

Doing that well on that test, and just doing something that nobody expected him to do, that made him feel like a million dollars," Henderson recalled. And Kenneth went on to get a level 3 score on the FCAT, meaning he made it to 4th grade. You should have seen the look on his face when he opened the note from his teacher that said he had passed. It was like Christmas in July."

About Destination Success

Destination Success is a critically needed solution for bringing a diverse student population to the same high level of academic achievement -- in as little as 90 days. The Destination Success solution consists of Riverdeeps award winning courseware, Destination Math® and Destination Reading®, learning management system and professional services. Destination Success empowers educators with both the tools and the training necessary to provide effective, standards-based instruction as well as assessment. Destination Success provides teachers with the tools they need to effectively individualize instruction in a real-world classroom.

About Riverdeep®

Riverdeep Inc., A Limited Liability Company, with offices in San Francisco, California, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Dublin (Ireland) and Manchester (United Kingdom) is a leading publisher of interactive products focusing on education and personal productivity for the consumer and school markets. Riverdeep's rich portfolio of interactive award-winning products feature such well-known brands as the Destination Success solution, which includes Destination Math® and Destination Reading®; The Print Shop®; Reader Rabbit® and Kid Pix®. For more information, call toll free 888-242-6747 or visit www.riverdeep.net.

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