Minneapolis, Minnesota – Preschool University today is proud to introduce SENTENCE READING MAGIC DELUXE 2 (v1.0) for iOS, its comprehensive new app that provides the missing link between reading words and reading books – reading sentences. The app has two modes: Sentence Building, where children drag the words into their correct positions, creating a sentence, and Reading Mode, where kids read the words of the sentence aloud and then check their work by touching the hidden picture. Featuring touch-to-hear, audible pronunciation of words, sentences, hints, and pictures that illustrate sentences, this app includes 325 sentences up to six words long, which are divided into four categories and 24 lessons. The app uses more than 50 of the most essential sight words, with special emphasis on 24 key words. SENTENCE READING MAGIC 2 has several sight word games for sight word practice and customizable settings for fonts, voices, and reward sounds.

Feature Highlights:
* Helps children become excellent, confident readers
* Familiarizes children with the most essential sight words
* Takes children from reading words to reading sentences
* Prepares children to read decodable sentences and books
* Gives children crucial practice decoding, blending, and comprehending complete sentences
* Offers children the opportunity to practice comprehension skills and increase fluency without becoming intimidated by a full page of print
* Provides children with the opportunity to become fluent readers
* Young children learn sentence building and sentence reading
* This intermediary skill, reading sentences, bridges the gap between reading words and reading books
* Adjustable levels of difficulty
* Words and sentences can be read aloud by the app
* Pictures and sound reinforce the connection between written words and that to which they refer
* Based on principles of the highly respected educator, Maria Montessori

Designed by Montessori preschool owner and lead teacher Richard Colombini, SENTENCE READING MAGIC 2 is designed as the third in a series of MAGIC apps, coming after the ABC READING MAGIC Series (learn to blend, segment and read 3-letter words and words with consonant blends), and the ABC SPELLING MAGIC SERIES (learn to build and encode 3-letter words and words with consonant blends). The goal is to enhance the learning process by setting up the right conditions for learners to be successful. The app gives emerging readers a step that will encourage skill building and confidence in reading.

SENTENCE READING MAGIC 2 operates in landscape orientation, and users can select either Sentence Building mode or Sentence Reading mode and sentences comprised of 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 words. For example, in 4-word Sentence Building mode, there is a large color photo inside a square at the center of the screen. The picture provides the concrete example on the basis of which the student can construct the phrase or sentence. Four words, each in a rectangle, appear randomly on the top half of the display. At the bottom of the screen are four empty rectangles side-by-side. The child must recognize the correct sentence, then drag the first word of the sentence to position one, the second word to rectangle two, the third word to position three, and the last word to position four. Words dragged to the wrong position will not be accepted. Having successfully dragged all the words into place, the app plays music or an appropriate sound effect. At the same time, the four rectangles become one long rectangle, joined into a new entity: a sentence. Touching the words or picture reads the sentence or phrase aloud, e.g. “She grabs Fran’s hand.”

It has been said that the best way to help children learn how to decode (read) words is by giving them lots of practice encoding words. (Encoding involves listening for the sounds and deciding which letters represent those phonemes.) The Sentence Building mode uses this principle and applies it to reading sentences. The Sentence Building mode gives children lots of practice “encoding” sentences. This is to prepare them to be successful at reading sentences.

Neuropsychologist Dr. Jeannine Herron in her book, Making Speech Visible, uses research to show the value of encoding by stating, “Children first need to construct their own words before reading words someone else has constructed.” The Sentence Building mode uses this principle and applies it to sentences. If children benefit from building words before reading words, then they will probably benefit from building sentences before reading them.

In 4-word Sentence Reading mode of the app, the large illustration square is blank. Three words are already occupying each of the four rectangles below. Here, students must read the 4-word sentence aloud. They may choose to check their answers as they progress by touching each word to hear it aloud. Having completed the exercise, the learner can touch the empty square to view the illustrative picture and hear the phrase or sentence aloud, e.g., “He swims for fun.”

An ideal interactive learning app for beginning readers, SENTENCE READING MAGIC 2 has all the qualities of an engaging, entertaining reading game for early elementary readers. There is no scoring, competition, or running clock that would put it in the category of a Game, rather than Education App. But in practice, there is often no distinction between playing and learning. And SENTENCE READING MAGIC 2 1.0 will provide hours of lively enjoyment and rigorous skill building combined in an expertly designed and executed iOS app.

Device Requirements:
* iPhone 3GS/4/4S/5, iPod touch (3rd/4th/5th generation), and iPad
* Requires iOS 5 or later
* Universal app optimized for display on all iOS devices
* 306 MB

Pricing and Availability:
Sentence Reading Magic 2 (v1.0) is $2.99 (USD) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Education category. Review copies are available on request.

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Sentence Reading Magic 2 (v1.0)
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Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Preschool University’s mission is to create and promote excellent reading materials and high quality learning tools for children. Established in 2010, Preschool University is an accumulation of over 20 years of experience and success in child reading development. It began as a promise by Montessori preschool owner and lead teacher, Richard Colombini, to prospective parents. The promise: “ALL KINDERGARTNERS ARE GUARANTEED TO READ.” The company currently offers 22 free educational apps in the App Store. Copyright (C) 2011-13 Preschool University All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other trademarks and registered trademarks may be the property of their respective owners.