Release Notes 01.23.2025
- New Features
- Enhanced Features
- Offline Resource Updates for Maximum Effectiveness
- Improved Tablet Functionality for 24 More Waterford Activities
- 51 More Updated Waterford Digital Books Ready to Read
- 17 Fluent Math Certificates Enhanced for Engagement
- Class and Grade Information on the Overview Dashboard
- Link to Reports for Usage and Milestone Guidance
- Current Level Insights in District-Level Reports
Waterford.org will release an automatic software update on January 23rd, 2025. See below for details.
If you have any questions or feedback, visit the Help Center for more information.
Current iOS and Android App Version 2.10.3
Affects:
Waterford continues to bring new features and functionality to the software, and continuous updates are made to improve tablet functionality. To ensure that you and your students have an optimal experience, the current version, 2.10.2, is recommended. Waterford utilizes automatic updates whenever possible.
New Features
Learning Together Calendars Now Available in Haitian Creole
Affects:
Transcend language barriers with our Learning Together Calendars, now translated into Haitian Creole! This update supports families while they actively engage in their child’s education, fostering inclusivity and stronger school-family connections. Each month, a new calendar is released, available in the Highlighted Resources and Learning Together Calendars (Families) collection. November through February editions are ready for use, helping families stay connected and involved.
November December January February
Offline Resources to Strengthen Skill Coverage
Affects:
Make learning engaging with Missing Numbers in Addition and Subtraction and Power Word Exploration.
- Missing Numbers in Addition and Subtraction develops problem-solving and foundational math skills through interactive equations. Using a box filled with index cards featuring missing-number addition or subtraction problems, children solve equations, write solutions, and reinforce learning. Creative extensions include using objects or story problems to bring math to life and new worksheets that allow students to fill in the blank with the missing number.
- Power Word Exploration builds reading confidence and sight word recognition. Children search for hidden Power Word cards or locate Power Words in their environment. Activities like "Roll a Power Word" incorporate number cubes and writing exercises to solidify learning. These activity instructions include updated Power Word Practice worksheets that incorporate mapping, tracing, and writing the word.
These activities combine fun and education to enhance essential skills. Find these game-changing tools in the Highlighted Resources collection.
- Missing Numbers in Addition and Subtraction (English | Spanish)
- Power Word Exploration (English | Spanish)
- Power Word Practice Collection (English | Spanish)
New Letter Formation Assessment
Affects:
This letter formation assessment evaluates a student's ability to correctly shape, align,
space, and consistently form letters, ensuring legibility and proper handwriting
development. It focuses on accurate stroke order, letter proportions, and alignment
within the writing line. Research suggests that the process of forming letters while handwriting activates neural pathways that are associated with strong reading skills. Available in the Highlighted Resources collection, this tool empowers educators to better gauge and address student needs.
Posters and Flashcards for Everyday Learning
Affects:
Introduce visually engaging, easy-to-use tools to your learning environment with our new posters and flashcards, crafted to enhance instruction and engagement. New resources include:
- Move and Groove Poster (English | Spanish) & Activity Instructions with Flashcards (English | Spanish)
- Number Concept Flashcards 1-10
- Tripod Pencil Grip Poster (English | Spanish)
Available in the Highlighted Resources collection, these tools ensure practical learning for all users.
Educator Overview for Waterford Reading Academy Curriculum
Affects:
Discover the effectiveness of Waterford Reading Academy’s curriculum with the new Educator Overview and supporting literacy strand overviews. These resources provide educators with a comprehensive understanding of the research, curriculum design, student and classroom instruction options, reporting data, and proven effective practices that form the foundation of the reading curriculum. The supporting strand overviews include:
Updated teacher resources complement this launch, offering enhanced guidance in areas such as print directionality, segmenting syllables, and blending sounds.
Enhanced Features
Offline Resource Updates for Maximum Effectiveness
Affects:
Experience more impactful offline resources with refined instructions, engaging visuals, and updated content aligned with the latest science of reading research. New updates include card sets like:
Activity Instructions & Flashcards
- Blending Bingo: Onset and Rime Eng|Spa
- Blending Bingo: CVC Eng|Spa
- Where’s the Sound? Eng|Spa
- Sound Sense Cards Eng|Spa
- Rhyming Cards Eng|Spa
- Rhyme Time Match Up Eng|Spa
- Sound Cards Eng|Spa
- Medial Cards Eng|Spa
- Syllable Cards Eng|Spa
By providing clear, actionable instructions and age-appropriate materials, these resources ensure a seamless and effective teaching experience.
Improved Tablet Functionality for 24 More Waterford Activities
Affects:
Waterford continues to enhance its digital activities, optimizing the tablet experience for greater accessibility and engagement. These latest updates include a refreshed, modern interface, enhanced audio, and expanded Spanish language support, helping learners engage with content more effectively.
With these improvements, Waterford aims to provide a seamless, engaging experience across all devices, encouraging more interaction and fostering deeper learning.
Users will notice visual and audio updates in the following activities:
- Word Assessment
- Number Recognition and Sense
- Picture Puzzle
51 More Updated Waterford Digital Books Ready to Read
Affects:
Each book now features a new title page with accompanying audio that sets the purpose and tone for the reading experience and aids reading comprehension. Learners can access a variety of supports to build word recognition, including:
- Word pronunciations
- Definitions, images, and related words for key vocabulary
- Inspector Detector think-alouds to engage critical thinking
- Rebus images, a feature that allows learners to toggle between visual and textual representations
Learners will also notice a brief instructional video at the start of each book starring the Waterford characters and guiding students on how to make the most of the interactive features.
Waterford is updating our entire library of digital books to elevate the quality of the reading resources with an accessible, multi-sensory experience for your students. A steady stream of enhanced digital titles is being rolled out over the coming months, with 51 more available in January for families, educators, and students. You can view the full title list here.
17 Fluent Math Certificates Enhanced for Engagement
Affects:
Bring learning to life with updated Fluent Math Certificates! Designed to ensure compatibility across devices, including tablets, these updates enhance interactivity and improve student engagement. Visuals have been refreshed and objectives clarified, providing a seamless and captivating learning experience for students.
Class and Grade Information on the Overview Dashboard
Affects:
Quickly identify school- and class-level details with the addition of class and grade information as subtext in the student column. The data will also be available as additional columns in the export of the table. This enhancement improves navigation and data clarity, ensuring educators have critical insights at their fingertips.
Link to Reports for Usage and Milestone Guidance
Affects:
Easily track student progress with new links in report footers, directing educators to Usage and Milestones resources. These links help teachers understand grade-level expectations, and there are plans for more precise breakdowns in future updates.
Current Level Insights in District-Level Reports
Affects:
Get a clearer picture of student progress with the addition of a new column in district-level reports that allows users to drill down to show percent completion of the current level. This enhancement provides actionable data without altering existing workflows.
