OAKLAND, Calif., July 22, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — BookNook, a national leader in providing distance learning tools for synchronous K-8 reading instruction, today announced results of its analysis of student reading skill growth during school closures due to Covid-19.

Over 40% of BookNook students were able to shift to regular online instruction in one-to-one and small group settings taking place on its cloud-based platform. Thanks to the artificial intelligence embedded in the BookNook program, students were able to receive rigorous remote instruction from not just credentialed teachers but also paraprofessionals, after-school staff, AmeriCorps members, community volunteers, and parents and caregivers.

For students who received a minimum of 5 distance learning sessions using BookNook, 90% were able to at least maintain their reading level and 57% advanced their reading level, accelerating their pace of growth by 240%. Overall, the average BookNook student gained an average of roughly three months of reading skills from March to June, comparable to what would be expected in a normal classroom setting.

“Considering the very concerning Covid Slide educators are reporting, we are thrilled to see that nearly all of our students held their ground and more than half of them advanced,” said Michael Lombardo, Founder and CEO of BookNook. “It really underscores how important live, synchronous teaching is when it comes to effective reading instruction.”

“When we transitioned to online teaching and learning, we implemented BookNook for our English Learners. The combination of explicit Phonics instruction and guided reading made ELD both effective and engaging for our students. We plan to continue to utilize BookNook for the 2020-2021 school year as it has been a consistently effective intervention and support for our students,” says Christine Hatcher, Principal of Riverside Elementary in the West Contra Costa County Unified School District in California.

About BookNook

BookNook is a social enterprise on a mission to close the reading opportunity gap by using technology to provide every student access to world class teaching, whether at school or online. Founded in 2016, BookNook has quickly grown to partner with hundreds of schools, school districts, and nonprofits across 32 states. It has received national recognition for its impact on students’ reading ability and its unique equity-based pricing model.

Teachers, Principals, Superintendents are encouraged to sign up for a quick demo on how BookNook can fit in your Fall 2020 planning and beyond by visiting https://www.booknooklearning.com/demo/

SOURCE BookNook