What is Imagine Learning, and why is Walden using it?
Imagine Learning is an award-winning, research-based language and literacy software program. It teaches language and literacy to children through various activities, games and video clips. It is adaptive to the students’ needs to help improve foundational literacy skills, and aligns to Common Core standards, with a specific focus on Foundational Skills, Literature and Language.
The Utah State of Education funds the use of Imagine Learning for Walden students who are learning how to read. This includes all Kindergarten, all First Grade students, and other students who are having difficulty with their reading. In order to keep our funding, we, here at Walden, have to successfully use the program a certain amount of time each week.
Kindergarteners need to use the program a minimum of 45 minutes a week, and First Grade and older students need to use the program a minimum of 60 minutes a week.
We would like to see Imagine Learning and ST Math (Gygi) being done at home as homework. There are many reasons for this…
- Ongoing research shows that family engagement in their child’s education improves student achievement, reduces absenteeism, and restores parents’ confidence in their children’s education. Students with involved parents or other caregivers earn higher grades and test scores, have better social skills, and show improved behavior. You are an important part of the education of your child.
- A missed school day is a lost opportunity for students to learn. In a teacher’s ideal world, students would never be absent and always arrive on time and ready to learn. Research shows that missing as little as two days a month, negatively affects a student’s academic performance. This is known as chronic absence. However, we know that sickness happens, and family situations arise. The good news is that Imagine Learning and ST Math can be done at home, or even on vacation. If your child must be absent, please have them use these programs at home. Remember that there is no maximum time limit for using these programs, just a minimum.
- Let’s keep the students in their classrooms. If the students do not fulfill the required amount of time on these programs at home, then we have to find a way for them to do it at school. This cuts into valuable instructional time in the classrooms.
- Technology is here to stay. It is our responsibility as parents and teachers toshow our children the proper use of these powerful tools. Studies provide compelling evidence that computer use can have a major, positive impact on children’s social, emotional, language, and cognitive development Children need to be taught how to use these stimulating and exciting tools in ways that promote learning and social interaction so that they will become confident and skilled users of technology as they progress in their schooling and throughout life.
- Imagine Learning can be used throughout the summer to prevent summer slippage. Studies show that the average student loses at least a month's worth of learning over the summer, especially those that are struggling. We would love for Imagine Learning, as well as other strategies, to be well-used throughout the summer so this academic slippage can be minimized.
- Imagine Learning gathers information that teachers can access on their Imagine Learning accounts to use during their instruction time. This way they can target the most needed areas. Your help at home to gather this information is invaluable.
Take some time to download and try out Imagine Learning at home. The attached paper will give you the necessary instructions. If you have trouble, bring in your device, or come and talk to me, Miss Rachel, during Parent-Teacher Conferences and I will help you get going. Let’s do Imagine Learning at home!!!
Miss Rachel
Reading Specialist
