Why reporters should dial in

• Credible, top-tier evidence: Three NICHD-funded, randomized controlled trials provide level-1 evidence — a powerful basis for investigative or policy coverage. The Torgesen/Conway RCT in the Journal of Learning Disabilities documented 40% of students no longer requiring special education services after intensive instruction.
• Compelling gains in scope and pace: Students move from below the 10th percentile into the 50th–80th percentile range on school-administered NWEA MAP and STAR assessments. Growth rates reach the 90th percentile on national norms; overall gains of 1.2+ grade levels in five months exceed schools' typical expectations (~0.5 grade levels).
• Human stories with scale: A 10-year-old with severe dyslexia began NOW! Programs® intervention and, 10 months later at age 11, accurately decoded 10th grade passages and authored a 143-page book — without assistive technology or accommodations. A teen progressed from non-reader to 12th grade reading accuracy in 10 months. Another student earned a silver medal at SkillsUSA nationals after overcoming significant reading barriers.
• From classroom to workforce — the AI-era angle: Anthropic's January 2026 Economic Index found that AI output mirrors the education level of the user — and education attainment itself is gated by foundational literacy. Adults who never built proficient reading skills are systematically locked out of the higher-education levels that, in turn, determine how productively they can use AI. NOW! Programs® now offered as an Employee Assistance Program benefit gives reporters a concrete throughline from K-12 reading instruction to adult workforce readiness, IDEA outcomes, and the federal policy debate (including the 21st Century Dyslexia Act) 
• Local relevance, national validation: NOW! Programs® NICHD RCTs are part of the Science of Reading body of research and influence Florida policy, with school-reported outcome data now documented across districts in NY, PA, FL, and MO — offering a concrete model reporters can use to explain schools, families, and workforce outcomes.
  
  
  

  What a journalist gets by covering NOW! Programs®

  • Access to classroom data, teacher perspectives, and years of student success stories
  •  Expert commentary on Florida's Science of Reading mandates, the 21st Century Dyslexia Act, and IDEA spending policy
  • A ready-to-use narrative arc from laboratory validation to real-world impact

About NOW! Programs®

NOW! Programs® (Neuro-development of Words®) delivers evidence-based, Science-of-Reading literacy instruction (speech-to-print, phonological processing, decoding and word recognition) through fidelity-monitored, high-impact tutoring by trained specialists. In real-world school and home settings, this approach yields measurable, reproducible gains for promising workforce-readiness implications for students and advanced workforce development for adults.

National Media Reach & Policy Visibility

Media Resources & Interview Availability

Leadership and research representatives from NOW! Programs^® are available for interviews, data briefings, and expert commentary on:

• Science of Reading implementation and legislative reform
• High-impact tutoring models backed by randomized controlled trials
• Fidelity-monitored delivery and measurable literacy outcomes
• Dyslexia intervention and speech-to-print methodologies
• Students' Academic and workforce pathway implications of literacy proficiency
• Upscaling adults in the workplace with advanced literacy skills needed to take on new roles