IBM invests in Students with innovative “Reading Companion,” created in IBM’s Research Lab

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Nita M. Lowey (D-Westchester/Rockland), Ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, today applauded an innovative program in which IBM will provide the East Ramapo Central School District (ERCSD) with free technology to enhance reading and literacy skills for all of its early grade students. IBM will donate its Reading Companion program – cloud-based software that uses voice recognition technology to help children and adults learn how to read proficiently – to all 10 elementary schools in the public school district.

“As a grandmother of eight and a former PTA President, I believe that improving education is critical to economic opportunity and our children’s futures,” said Lowey. “Today, we are witnessing an emerging model that will help ensure our children and communities have the resources and skills they need to learn, grow, and succeed. This partnership highlights how the private sector can provide much-needed resources to support community improvement. Improved literacy is an important part of economic growth and opportunity.”

"Education is often referred to as the 21st century civil right, and innovation in education is critical for success in communities and for businesses," said Stanley S. Litow, Vice President of IBM Corporate Citizenship and Corporate Affairs.  "We created Reading Companion in the IBM Research Lab because we know that early literacy is critical to education achievement later on.  We are certain that it will make a huge difference not only in the lives of those whose literacy skills will be improved today, but for generations to come. We are privileged to provide this vital resource to students in the East Ramapo Central School District to accomplish that goal."

“We are extremely happy that our students will have access to the resources they need to improve their reading skills,” said Dr. Joel Klein, ERCSD Superintendent of Schools. “The Reading Companion program has a proven track record of success and we can’t wait to have our students use this fantastic technology to enhance their literacy skills.”

Developed by its researchers, working in partnership with schools and not-for-profit organizations, IBM says its Reading Companion program is effective, innovative, and easy to use.  Users wearing headset microphones log on to the Reading Companion website and are presented with material to read. A digital mentor "reads" a phrase to the user, who then repeats the words. The digital mentor provides immediate feedback on pronunciation. As the user's skill improves, less material is automatically narrated. IBM employees and teachers who mentor students can also create original e-books and publish them to a virtual library available to any participant worldwide.

According to IBM, nearly 200,000 new readers in 3,600 schools and nonprofit organizations in 50 countries now use this resource.  Valued at $10,000 per grant site, Reading Companion reflects a $36 million IBM investment to promote English literacy around the globe.  Reading Companion is also available as an app on smart phones and tablets that run Android operating systems, available through the Google Play store.

Congresswoman Lowey has been a consistent voice for innovative solutions through public-private cooperation and believes our economic competitiveness is directly linked to our ability to prepare students for the needs of the global economy. In Congress, Lowey has worked to improve No Child Left Behind by increasing flexibility for states and school districts, supports increasing funding for the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) to the full promised federal share of 40%, and has fought to increase investments in federal grants for local schools, which now direct more than $60 million to schools in New York’s 17^th Congressional District.

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