Release Notes 01.21.2026
Waterford.org will release an automatic software update on January 21, 2026.
This month’s updates bring new ways for educators to track student progress, introduce new tools to support reading fluency instruction and improve the learning experience for students across Waterford programs. As always, if you have questions, visit our Help Center for support.
Current iOS and Android App Version 2.16.0
Affects: 
Waterford Early Learning
To get the best experience, we recommend using the latest version of the Waterford app: 2.16.0. Updates are applied automatically whenever possible to keep things running smoothly.
New Features
Track Student Success with the New Student Playlist Report
Affects: 
Educators | Waterford Early Learning
Educators can now see completion and score information for the playlists they assign to individual students. This new report provides visibility into student progress on assigned playlists, helping educators understand which activities have been completed and how students performed. Where applicable, the report displays standards alignment for Early Reading Program (ERP) activities.
While playlists may include both scored and non-scored items, only scored items contribute to the overall playlist score, and playlists that consist entirely of unscored activities (such as songs) will not produce a score in this report.
See How Your Class is Progressing with the Class Playlist Report
Affects: Educators | Waterford Early Learning
Educators can now access class-level insights to see how students collectively perform on assigned playlists. The Class Playlist Dashboard displays overall completion and score information, supporting data-informed instruction across the classroom.
While playlists may include both scored and non-scored items, only scored items contribute to the overall playlist score, and playlists that consist entirely of unscored activities (such as songs) will not produce a score in this report.
For detailed instructions, visit our Help Site article.
Build Reading Fluency with New Offline Fluency Resources
Affects: Educators | Waterford Early Learning
Educators now have access to new offline fluency resources designed to accompany every decodable book. These materials provide structured practice that helps students build reading automaticity and develop confidence as they move from sounding out words to fluent reading.
Each decodable book includes a student practice sheet and a teacher recording sheet for assessment, both aligned directly to the text. The resources reinforce essential fluency skills—including accuracy, reading rate, expression (prosody), and automatic recognition of phonetic patterns and high-frequency words—across all program levels. All fluency resources are available in Resources & Activities and are designed to be used alongside existing reading lessons and decodable texts.
Enhanced Features
Clearer Family Code and Upstart Code Login Instructions for Caregivers
Affects: Educators | Caregivers |
Waterford Early Learning
Family Code instructions have been improved with a single, easy-to-read document that explains the benefits of family access and how caregivers can log in to view a child’s learning progress through the Waterford Family mobile app and website.
The updated one-page document automatically generates in the family’s preferred language and provides all codes on a single consolidated sheet. The language is designed to support both implementations that allow at-home use and those that are school-only, reducing the need for additional flyers or follow-up communication.
For detailed instructions, visit our Help Site article.
