Edinburg Consolidated ISD Deploys Augmented Reality Reading Curriculum

Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District (ECISD) in Texas has implemented a supplemental reading curriculum for more than 100 of its early elementary classrooms to support reading instruction, particularly for at-risk students, English language learners and students with special needs.

The supplemental reading curriculum is Letters Alive from Alive Studios. The district originally purchased the program for 50 of its classrooms and has since expanded the program to more than 100 classrooms. Letters Alive uses augmented reality technology to display three-dimensional images without glasses in an effort to increase student engagement. The program's alphabet cards feature 3D animals that correspond to each letter of the alphabet and respond dynamically as students use the cards to build sentences.

The district took advantage of the free day of onsite professional development included with Letters Alive, so teachers and staff could learn best practices for implementing the program. The district also received a year's worth of digital progress assessments to use in participating classrooms.

Letters Alive is a full-year supplemental reading curriculum, and according to information from the company, it is designed to engage students through the kinesthetic, visual and auditory learning modalities. It is aligned to the Common Core State Standards and Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for kindergarten.

Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District is located in Edinburg, TX and serves approximately 30,000 students at 27 elementary schools, 5 middle schools, 3 high schools and one alternative campus.

About the Author

Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • AI-powered individual working calmly on one side and a burnt-out person slumped over a laptop on the other

    AI's Productivity Gains Come at a Cost

    A recent academic study found that as companies adopt AI tools, they're not just streamlining workflows — they're piling on new demands. Researchers determined that "AI technostress" is driving burnout and disrupting personal lives, even as organizations hail productivity gains.

  • robot waving

    Copilot Updates Aim to Personalize AI

    Microsoft has introduced a range of updates to its Copilot platform, marking a new phase in its effort to deliver what it calls a "true AI companion" that adapts to individual users' needs, preferences and routines.

  • teenager interacts with a chatbot on a computer screen

    Character.AI Rolls Out New Parental Insights Feature Amid Safety Concerns

    Chatbot platform Character.AI has introduced a new Parental Insights feature aimed at giving parents a window into their children's activity on the platform. The feature allows users under 18 to share a weekly report of their chatbot interactions directly with a parent's e-mail address.

  • Two hands shaking in the center with subtle technology icons, graphs, binary code, and a padlock in the dark blue background

    Two Areas for K-12 Schools to Assess for When to Work with a Managed Services Provider

    The complexity of today’s IT network infrastructure and increased cybersecurity risk are quickly moving beyond many school districts’ ability to manage on their own. But a new technology model, a partnership with a managed services provider, offers a way forward for schools to overcome these challenges.