Mindplay: Redefining Tutoring of Students with Learning Difficulties

Judith Bliss, CEO of Mindplay recalls the story of Aiden, a second-grade student with dyslexia who faced severe difficulties learning to read and spell. Even though he was highly intelligent, he was not able to keep pace with his classmates. Mindplay, one of the leading educational software developers, was able to help Aiden learn to read. He was able to access the Mindplay Virtual Reading Coach from his classroom, as well as his home. After completing the first 10 hours, there was a profound increase in Aiden's reading skills, as well as his confidence levels. Judith says: “I was excited to view Aiden’s progress, as well as hear that Aiden’s elementary school is looking to pilot our program and that one of their assistant superintendents is looking at its broader application.”

With such numerous success stories, Mindplay has gained immense popularity among schools as well as parents across the country. Today, around 3000 schools in the US partner with the company to help students improve their reading. Parents are also accessing the program for their children in home-schooling environments. Mindplay’s Virtual Reading Coach, the flagship product of the company, uses computer-assisted instruction (CAI) to teach reading effectively to students of all ages and skill levels.

While describing Mindplay’s solution, Judith points out some of the major challenges that schools face today, such as a lack of qualified teachers and appropriate resources to ensure that all children learn to read. In addition, many teachers do not have sufficient training to teach students with dyslexia, the most common learning disorder.

As public attention has recently focused on the instructional needs of students with dyslexia, it has become imperative for schools to provide solutions to ensure that these students, approximately 8 to 10 percent of the school population, receive evidence-based interventions.

“Our web-based solution provides one-on-one instruction to students who face difficulties in reading by building an individualized prescriptive plan for each student,” explains Judith.