Science of Reading

Reading Horizons Expands its Literacy Instruction Program with Sound City for K–2 Learners

• By Kristal Kuykendall
• 06/06/22

Foundational reading instruction provider Reading Horizons, has expanded its flagship solution Reading Horizons Discovery, adding a K–2 program called Sound City, the company said in a news release.

Sound City “aligns with the science that informs reading development and empowers teachers to help K–2 students connect speech to print and decode and spell words with greater proficiency,” Reading Horizons said.

Reading Horizons will host two webinars — on Tuesday, June 7 at 5 p.m. Eastern and on Thursday, June 9 at 5 p.m. Eastern — to share how the Science of Reading built into Sound City functions help young students learn to decode and spell words more proficiently. Learn more about the webinars at ReadingHorizons.com/company/events.

“Teachers need tools that will help them bring the science of reading into their classroom. Sound City was designed to add momentum to the development of decoding and spelling proficiency so all students can read fluently before 3rd grade,” said Stacy Hurst, chief academic officer of Reading Horizons. “Sound City’s instructional materials assess and enhance students’ learning at all stages of foundational reading development.”

Sound City offers the following features to enhance reading instruction:

• Daily five-minute “phonemic awareness” lessons that follow the gradual release of responsibility model and align to National Reading Panel recommendations
• 44 direct-instruction lessons — one for each phoneme in the English language — aligned to Reading Horizons phonics lessons
• Interactive “sound wall” software enabling students to record and photograph their own sound articulation to build “personal digital sound walls”
• Classroom instructional materials, including wall posters, portable sound wall cards, and a phoneme card set to support teacher instruction

Sound City also provides educators with skill assessments, review activities, and games to ensure student mastery, retention, and engagement, the company said.

Learn more at ReadingHorizons.com.