U.S. Department of Education-Funded Study Demonstrates, WordWorld, PBS KIDS(R) Television Series Works as Critical Early Lit...( NEW YORK Jan. 8 /- 30 million Ame...),Health

NEW YORK, Jan. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- 30 million Americans in the U.S. are functionally illiterate and their children are two times more likely than average to grow up illiterate(1). The need for additional tools to help children learn to read is more crucial than ever. President-Elect Barack Obama has pledged $10 billion toward early childhood education in the United States. WordWorld, launching its second season, has set the standard for how best to use interactive media in early-literacy instruction.

A U.S. Department of Education-funded study found that WordWorld, an Emmy(R) winning PBS KIDS series, significantly strengthens early literacy skills in preschoolers, providing the building blocks essential for learning how to read. The study is part of the Ready To Learn Initiative that examines the effectiveness of various technologies being used to enhance the literacy skills of young children. WordWorld brings words to life through a patent-pending methodology that embeds words into the objects they represent, crystallizing the connection between letters, sounds and words.

Overall gains from the study demonstrate that regardless of demographic, children developed important early literacy skills by watching WordWorld during the trial period. Key findings include:

    -- Children doubled their oral vocabulary skills of words featured in
       WordWorld
    -- Children tripled their ability to read specific words featured and
       built in WordWorld
    -- Children in disadvantaged households where English is a second language
       showed gains in phonemic awareness, as well as oral vocabulary and
       reading words featured in WordWorld

"We set out with the goal of delivering a critical literacy tool to moms, children and educators that would bridge the gap between letter recognition and reading," said Don Moody, CEO and Creator of WordWorld. "We are thrilled to find
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