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A Shortcut to Reading

Using Linguistics and Finnish to streamline English phonics in reading instruction

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A Shortcut to Reading

A Shortcut to Reading

A Shortcut to Reading

A Shortcut to Reading

A Shortcut to Reading

Using Linguistics and Finnish to streamline English phonics in reading instruction

Using Linguistics and Finnish to streamline English phonics in reading instruction

Using Linguistics and Finnish to streamline English phonics in reading instruction

Using Linguistics and Finnish to streamline English phonics in reading instruction

Anne Vainikka
Anne Vainikka
Anne Vainikka
Anne Vainikka
1 Campaign |
North East, United States
$150 USD 3 backers
9% of $1,640 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal
Choose your Perk

The full product

$25 USD
Est. Shipping
March 2016
0 claimed

Product plus Thank You!

$100 USD
Est. Shipping
March 2016
1 claimed

Summary

My product Up the Ladder  (at http://theverbcompany.net) will provide a better way for millions of adults (and children) to learn to read English, using a new approach based on Linguistics and reading Finnish. I need funds to complete making the product. 

I grew up in Finland where children learn to read by the end of first grade although there is no subject of Spelling in school, nor Reading after the first grade. Finland ranks among the top countries in the world in terms of literacy as well as science and math education.  There is more time to study science and math because reading Finnish is so easy!

I am linguist (Ph.D.) doing research on adults learning to speak a new language, currently a visiting scholar at the Johns Hopkins University (Cognitive Science).  Reading is a real stumbling block for immigrants to the U.S., due to the complexity of English spelling.  

Three parts of my product, Up the Ladder, are ready.  I need funding to pay for the pictures, stories, and recordings for the remaining 5 parts.
What We Need & What You Get

Each of the 8 parts of 'Up the Ladder' contains 10 short video lessons that can be watched on any platform. The student watches/listens to the lesson at their own pace.  Most lessons contain five 3-page stories that reinforce the concept of the lesson.

While I eventually hope to make money out of this endeavor, my goal at this time is to complete the product so it is available for use as soon as possible. This is why I am turning to Indiegogo for funding.  To complete Parts 4-8, I need funds for (total $1,640):

  • the pictures, $140 for one year of clipart
  • the stories, written by a teacher (200 stories, $5 each or $1,000)
  • recording each lesson ($10 a lesson, $500 for the 50 lessons)

If I don't raise the full amount, I will use what I get to pay for as many parts of 'Up the Ladder' as the funds will cover. 

A $25 donation will get you a copy of the full product to try out on anyone you know with reading problems.  

A $100 donation will earn you an individualized "thank-you" on The Verb Company web page, either in your name or in the name of someone else you choose, plus the full product.

The Impact

In addition to immigrants learning English, this product is useful for:

  • native English-speaking adults who feel they never learned to read right
  • middle or high schoolers who have an IEP/are struggling readers
  • ESL students anywhere in the world (English is a world language!)

I believe the product would also be useful for children learning to read for the first time, and once the adult product is ready, I plan to move on to the child version.

By supporting this product, you will make it possible for teachers and learners of English to save countless hours of time.  Saving any amount of time in learning to read English will:

  • get immigrants to a paying job faster
  • reduce the amount of time and funding needed for Special Education and students with an IEP
  • reduce the time/money required to teach English in the developing world
  • once the child product is ready, the time saved in teaching reading can be used to increase math/science education, to improve the international rankings of the U.S.

While this is my first Indiegogo venture, I am familiar with completing big projects successfully, in particular researching and writing my 275-page dissertation, and the 2011 volume on the Acquisition of German that I coauthored with Martha Young-Scholten (culmination of years of research on the topic).  I am also a critical member of a big research project on Adult Second Language Acquisition of English at Newcastle University (England) run by my coauthor Martha Young-Scholten.  (Check my Wikipedia page on Organic Grammar!)

Risks & Challenges

This is ultimately a huge project, with far-reaching ramifications.  

The main challenge would be giving up before reaping the benefits.  I feel so strongly about my approach, though, that I believe that one way or another I will get the adult version finished, and accessible to teachers. (One of my motives was to give back to society while working on something closely related to my passion, Linguistics.)

The other main challenge is getting my web page into a shape that will work well, including international versions.  I am planning to work on this after getting the product finished.

Finally, any money that I am able to make through the web page would go into making a child version of the product that K-2 elementary school teachers could use in teaching reading for the first time.

Other Ways You Can Help

If you cannot help at this time, please let someone who might be interested know about my campaign!  (Use Indiegogo share tools)  Also, check out my webpage http://theverbcompany.net.


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