I Can Read

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CertifiedEducation quality
03/2021
I Can Read

I Can Read

Orca Global Pte Ltd (I Can Read)
Reading
I Can Read is a curriculum program for learning to read English

The I Can Read curriculum is a structured program created by educational psychologists for students to overcome all challenges associated with reading. The curriculum includes both print and digital offerings designed to transform children into fluent, independent readers. I Can Read offers free placement assessments.

Age groups 
Preschool
Elementary
Languages 
English
Platform 
Mobile Android
Mobile iOS
Non-digital product
Registration 
Not required
Offline play 
Internet required
Pictures
Pedagogy
Educational Quality
Learning Goals

The pedagogical analysis covers how the product supports learning of the identified skills. The student’s role is assessed by four contrary pair parameters, which are selected to cover the most essential aspects on the use of the product.

Passive
Active
I Can Read Asia books offer multiple exercises with a large variation of methods that approach linguistic skills from multiple angles. This keeps up the interest of small learners. Variation is built in, so it keeps the student active, interested and keen to go on with exercises. In general, rhymes, songs and stories allow for both independent and teacher/parent-led practice, depending on the age and skill level of the child.
Rehearse
Construct
I Can Read Asia's material is clearly progressive, and new knowledge is built gradually. Learning happens in small steps, where students learn to decode phonemes. The diacritical marks direct the student's focus on the accuracy and fluency of the reading skills. All the material has very clear instructions, and the progress is based on repetition and rehearsal with various different exercises until the learner masters the new skills.
Linear
Non-linear/Creative
The curriculum follows linear, predetermined user progression, which suits language and literacy learning well. Progress can be scheduled accurately, and the books instruct the parent to trust the teacher's assessment of what tasks to do and follow the direction of the teacher. Tutor (parent) is needed for the support and supervision of the student's home studying sessions.
Individual
Collaborative
Learning with teacher or doing exercises with parent is based on face-to-face interaction. This is good for small kids, so they can get help when needed, and the instructor can keep them engaged. ICR Champs app allows for more independent learning with interactive feedback.

The following are the high educational quality aspects in this product.

Well structured home study material, which supports the in-class learning. A wide age and level appropriate range of tasks for revision.
The instructions, objectives and tasks are available at the beginning of each lesson. Home tutor (parent) can feel confident guiding the lessons at home.
The usage of the diacritical marks in order to help students to achieve more precise pronunciation and accuracy as well as eventually becoming fluent independent readers is an effective method.
The interactive app has the potential to become a great support for autonomous home learning tool.

The supported learning goals are identified by matching the product with several relevant curricula descriptions on this subject area. The soft skills are definitions of learning goals most relevant for the 21st century. They are formed by taking a reference from different definitions of 21st century skills and Finnish curriculum.

Subject based learning goals

Listening to and discussing a wide range of poems, stories and non-fiction at a level beyond that at which they can read independently.
Discussing their favourite words and phrases.
Participate in discussion about books, poems and other works that are read to them and those that they can read for themselves, taking turns and listening to what others say.
Explain and discuss their understanding of books, poems and other material, both those that they listen to and those that they read for themselves.
Uses reasonably accurately a repertoire of frequently used "routines" and patterns associated with more predictable situations.
Shows good control of elementary vocabulary but major errors still occur when expressing more complex thoughts or handling unfamiliar topics and situations.
Has a sufficient vocabulary to express him/herself with some circumlocutions on most topics pertinent to his everyday life such as family, hobbies and interests, work, travel, and current events.
Communicates with reasonable accuracy in familiar contexts; generally good control though with noticeable mother tongue influence. Errors occur, but it is clear what he/she is trying to express.
Recognising and joining in with predictable phrases.
Learning to appreciate rhymes and poems, and to recite some by heart.
Understand books by discussing the significance of the title and events.
Participate in discussion about what is read to them, taking turns and listening to what others say.
Explain clearly their understanding of what is read to them.
Discussing the sequence of events in books and how items of information are related.
Discussing and clarifying the meanings of words, linking new meanings to known vocabulary.
Pronunciation is clearly intelligible even if a foreign accent is sometimes evident and occasional mispronunciations occur.
Spelling, punctuation and layout are accurate enough to be followed most of the time.
Can read straightforward factual texts on subjects related to his/her field and interest with a satisfactory level of comprehension.
Can scan longer texts in order to locate desired information, and gather information from different parts of a text, or from different texts in order to fulfil a specific task.
Can write about everyday aspects of his environment e.g. people, places, a job or study experience in linked sentences.
Can write very short, basic descriptions of events, past activities and personal experiences.
Can write a series of simple phrases and sentences about their family, living conditions, educational background, present or most recent job.
Being encouraged to link what they read or hear read to their own experiences.
Learning how to use both familiar and new punctuation correctly (see English Appendix 2), including full stops, capital letters, exclamation marks, question marks, commas for lists and apostrophes for contracted forms and the possessive (singular).
Learn how to use sentences with different forms: statement, question, exclamation, command.
Learn how to use expanded noun phrases to describe and specify [for example, the blue butterfly].
Learn how to use the present and past tenses correctly and consistently including the progressive form.
Learn how to use subordination (using when, if, that, or because) and co-ordination (using or, and, or but).
Learn how to use the grammar for year 2 in English Appendix 2.
Learn how to use some features of written Standard English.
Use and understand the grammatical terminology in English Appendix 2 in discussing their writing.
Read words containing taught GPCs and –s, –es, –ing, –ed, –er and –est endings.
Read other words of more than one syllable that contain taught GPCs.
Write sentences by sequencing sentences to form short narratives.
Read aloud accurately books that are consistent with their developing phonic knowledge and that do not require them to use other strategies to work out words.
Re-read these books to build up their fluency and confidence in word reading.
Writing narratives about personal experiences and those of others (real and fictional).
Continue to apply phonic knowledge and skills as the route to decode words until automatic decoding has become embedded and reading is fluent.
Writing about real events.
Writing down ideas and/or key words, including new vocabulary.
Encapsulating what they want to say, sentence by sentence.
Can understand very short, simple texts a single phrase at a time, picking up familiar names, words and basic phrases and rereading as required.
Can understand short, simple messages on postcards
Can recognise familiar names, words and very basic phrases on simple notices in the most common everyday situations.
Can get an idea of the content of simpler informational material and short simple descriptions, especially if there is visual support.
Can follow short, simple written directions (e.g., to go from X to Y)
Can understand short, simple texts on familiar matters of a concrete type which consist of high frequency everyday or job-related language
Can understand short, simple texts containing the highest frequency vocabulary, including a proportion of shared international vocabulary items.
Can understand short simple personal letters.
Can identify specific information in simpler written material he/she encounters such as letters, brochures and short newspaper articles describing events.
Can understand regulations, for example safety, when expressed in simple language.
Can understand simple instructions on equipment encountered in everyday life - such as a public telephone.
Can understand the description of events, feelings and wishes in personal letters well enough to correspond regularly with a pen friend
Can write simple phrases and sentences about themselves and imaginary people, where they live and what they do.
Can narrate a story.
Can write accounts of experiences, describing feelings and reactions in simple connected text.
Has a basic vocabulary repertoire of isolated words and phrases related to particular concrete situations.
Shows only limited control of a few simple grammatical structures and sentence patterns in a learnt repertoire.
Pronunciation of a very limited repertoire of learnt words and phrases can be understood with some effort by native speakers used to dealing with speakers of his/her language group.
Can copy familiar words and short phrases e.g. simple signs or instructions, names of everyday objects, names of shops and set phrases used regularly.
Can establish basic social contact by using the simplest everyday polite forms of: greetings and farewells; introductions; saying please, thank you, sorry etc
Can control a narrow vocabulary repertoire dealing with concrete everyday needs.
Can copy short sentences on everyday subjects - e.g. directions how to get somewhere
Can perform and respond to basic language functions, such as information exchange and requests and express opinions and attitudes in a simple way.
Can socialise simply but effectively using the simplest common expressions and following basic routines
Has sufficient vocabulary to conduct routine, everyday transactions involving familiar situations and topics.
Has a sufficient vocabulary for the expression of basic communicative needs.
Has a sufficient vocabulary for coping with simple survival needs.
Read accurately by blending the sounds in words that contain the graphemes taught so far, especially recognising alternative sounds for graphemes.
Read accurately words of two or more syllables that contain the same graphemes as above.
Read words containing common suffixes.
Read most words quickly and accurately, without overt sounding and blending, when they have been frequently encountered.
Read aloud books closely matched to their improving phonic knowledge, sounding out unfamiliar words accurately, automatically and without undue hesitation.
Respond speedily with the correct sound to graphemes (letters or groups of letters) for all 40+ phonemes, including, where applicable, alternative sounds for graphemes.
Read accurately by blending sounds in unfamiliar words containing GPCs that have been taught.
Joining words and joining clauses using and.
Apply phonic knowledge and skills as the route to decode words.
Learning the grammar for year 1 in English Appendix 2.
Use the grammatical terminology in English Appendix 2 in discussing their writing.
Becoming very familiar with key stories, fairy stories and traditional tales, retelling them and considering their particular characteristics.
Discussing word meanings, linking new meanings to those already known.
Understand books by drawing on what they already know or on background information and vocabulary provided by the teacher.
Understand books by predicting what might happen on the basis of what has been read so far.
Understand books by answering and asking questions.
Read common exception words, noting unusual correspondences between spelling and sound and where these occur in the word.
Read words with contractions [for example, I’m, I’ll, we’ll], and understand that the apostrophe represents the omitted letter(s).
Using letter names to distinguish between alternative spellings of the same sound.
Using the spelling rule for adding –s or –es as the plural marker for nouns and the third person singular marker for verbs.
Sit correctly at a table, holding a pencil comfortably and correctly.
Begin to form lower-case letters in the correct direction, starting and finishing in the right place.
Form capital letters.
Write sentences by re-reading what they have written to check that it makes sense.
Discuss what they have written with the teacher or other pupils.
Read aloud their writing clearly enough to be heard by their peers and the teacher.
Student can read short sentences.
Student can understand simple sentences if they read them slowly and several times.
With the help of pictures student can read the names of countries or different regions in the world, animals and plants, holidays and festivities.
Student can use pictures in a reader or textbook to identify different peoples and parts of the world.
Student can use pictures and posters to understand words about animals and plants.
Student can recognise and read out a few familiar words and phrases, e.g. from stories and rhymes, labels on familiar objects, the date, the weather…
Student can read and understand names of food and drinks with the help of pictures, e.g. apple, milk.
Student can identify familiar words and phrases.
Student can recognize and read out familiar words from a story.
Student can match words and sentences with pictures.
Student can read rhymes.
Student can read and understand a simple comic strip.
Student can read and understand his/her teacher’s simple, short instructions, e.g. Bring your homework book tomorrow
Student can understand simple written school instructions.
Student can write something about oneself (e.g. name, age and where I live).
Student can write some information about his/her family: mother, father, sister, brother, etc
Student can write simple, short sentences about seasonal activities using given pictures and words, e.g. In winter I go iceskating.
Student can write simple sentences, using words given to them.
Student can write a list (e.g. a shopping list).

Soft skills learning goals

Practising to understand visual concepts and shapes and observe their qualities
Practicing letters, alphabets and written language
Practicing memorizing skills
Practicing fine motor skills
Practicing categorization and classification
Practicing to observe spoken and written language
Practising visual recognition
Learning to notice causal connections
Practicing persistent working
Learning to find the joy of learning and new challenges
Encouraging the growth of positive self-image
Learning the basics of spelling
Practicing to use foreign language as a communication tool
Using technology for interaction and collaboration
Enabling the growth of positive self-image
Practicing versatile ways of working
Learning to plan and design own written content and textual representations
Practicing to evaluate one's own learning
Practicing to use imagination and to be innovative
Practicing to use arts as a way to express
Developing problem solving skills
Learning to find solutions in social conflicts
Practicing to notice causal connections
Practicing to create questions and make justifiable arguments based on observations
Practicing to recognize and express feelings
Learning to build information on top of previously learned
Learning to combine information to find new innovations
Practicing to notice links between subjects learned
Learning to face respectfully people and follow the good manners
Supporting student to build their own linguistic and cultural identity
Practicing to work with others
Practicing communication through different channels
Learning to face failures and disappointments
Learning about different languages
Encouraging to build new information and visions
Practicing to argument clearly own opinions and reasonings
Practicing to give, get and reflect feedback
Encouraging positive attitude towards working life
Experiencing and exploring sounds and music from different sources
Learning to understand and interpret diverse types of texts
Practicing to use information independently and interactively

The Finnish Educational Quality Certificate

Our Quality Evaluation Method is an academically sound approach to evaluating a product’s pedagogical design from the viewpoint of educational psychology.

The method has been developed with university researchers and all evaluators are carefully selected Finnish teachers with a master's degree in education.

More about the evaluation