Istation to offer MetaMetrics’ new professional development track that supports phonics and decoding instruction
DURHAM, NC & DALLAS, TX – August 24, 2023 – MetaMetrics®, developer of the Lexile® Framework for Reading and Quantile® Framework for Mathematics, announces the addition of a new professional development module for educators focused on foundational reading. Offered through Istation, a leader in educational technology, the new science of reading-aligned module expands the Lexile® and Quantile® Educator Academy to include research on best practices for teaching phonics and decoding as well as how to use new instructional support tools released earlier this year. Istation is the exclusive education reseller of the Lexile and Quantile Educator Academy.
“The foundational reading module of the Lexile Certification Course supports educators who are working with our youngest learners on their journey to become proficient readers. We are thrilled to offer this new addition to schools and districts through our relationship with MetaMetrics.” — Chris Blevins, Chief Alliance Officer, Istation
The new optional track, “Foundational Reading: Phonics & Decoding,” is part of Module 3 of the Lexile® Certification Course. Educators taking the course can now choose between the Growth Planners and Career Databases track or the new Foundational Reading track. This new option provides an overview, background and research about the science of reading, as well as best practices in foundational reading instruction. In addition, the module covers classroom applications for Lexile® Find a Decodable Book and Lexile® Decodable Passages available on the Lexile® and Quantile® Hub.
“By taking the Lexile and Quantile Educator Academy course, I was able to connect with educators all across the U.S. who are very passionate about helping students and families just like I am. I gained a deeper knowledge of the Lexile Framework and learned how to use tools that support both my students in the classroom and families at home.” — Tiara Miles Clarke, teacher, author and Certified Lexile & Quantile Educator
Launched by MetaMetrics in February 2021, the Lexile and Quantile Educator Academy was developed in partnership with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This program provides meaningful instruction to help educators learn how to use Lexile® and Quantile® measures to differentiate instruction, communicate effectively with parents and peers, and improve student learning. With the addition of the new Foundational Reading module, the Educator Academy now provides additional support for educators who are using phonics-based curricula to teach students to read using materials that are explicitly designed to be highly decodable (uses letter sounds students have learned). Watch the overview video for details.
To support educators in locating high-quality decodable materials for their students, MetaMetrics launched Lexile Find a Decodable Book and Lexile Decodable Passages in January 2023. These two resources make it easy to find decodable materials written by published authors for the purpose of supporting phonics instruction and students’ literacy growth through reading practice. Caregivers, parents and teachers can search and sort Find a Decodable Book by vowel sounds to find books that match the sequence of letter sounds being taught in the classroom. Decodable Passages provides over 100 fun, engaging passages designed to work with popular phonic scopes and sequences, written by published decodable authors. Find a Decodable Book is a free resource and Decodable Passages is free for teachers in partner states or available to any educator with a premium Hub subscription.
Istation and MetaMetrics have been partners since 2014, when MetaMetrics’ Lexile scale was linked with the ISIP Early Reading and ISIP Advanced Reading assessments. To sign up for the Educator Academy or learn more about pricing, visit info.istation.com/metametrics.
About MetaMetrics
MetaMetrics is an award-winning education technology organization that offers the only scientifically valid, universal scales for measuring silent and oral reading and listening (Lexile) and math (Quantile) with plans to develop measures for writing. The Lexile and Quantile Frameworks measure student ability and the complexity of the content they encounter. Lexile and Quantile measures and related technologies link assessment to instruction and provide next steps for students of all ages and abilities. The measures also provide valuable insights into students’ potential for growth. MetaMetrics’ measures, products and services are licensed to over 50 education product companies and 20 state Departments of Education to help achieve that growth. For 35 years, MetaMetrics’ work has been increasingly recognized for its research-based approach to improving learning. For more information, visit MetaMetricsInc.com.
About Istation
Founded in 1998 and based in Dallas, Texas, Istation (Imagination Station) has become one of the nation’s leading providers of richly animated, game-like educational technology. Winner of several national educational technology awards, the Istation program puts more instructional time in the classroom through small-group and collaborative instruction. Istation’s innovative reading, math and Spanish programs immerse students in an engaging and interactive environment and inspire them to learn. Additionally, administrators and educators can use Istation to easily track the progress of their students, schools and classrooms. Istation now serves over 4 million students throughout the United States and in several other countries.