EPS Learning has always been dedicated to equipping educators with research-based resources that deliver results. From our early roots in Orton-Gillingham principles to our current innovations, our solutions have consistently demonstrated effectiveness across diverse settings and with students of all abilities. Today, we build on this legacy by integrating the latest research on literacy and learning into our evolving programs. By combining proven practices with innovation, we continue to develop solutions that address the multifaceted aspects of literacy development, empowering educators and supporting students at every stage of their reading journey.
The Science of Reading Made Accessible
The science of reading, an extensive interdisciplinary body of research that continues to grow as new research-based insights emerge, underpins our understanding of literacy development. This evidence base, initially formalized by the National Reading Panel’s 2000 report, established the five pillars of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. The National Early Literacy Panel’s 2008 report extended that collective understanding, emphasizing how early language and literacy practices from birth to age five lay the groundwork for language development and reading success.
Each pillar of reading helps form a vital foundation for literacy growth, and EPS Learning’s teacher-friendly resources are created based on research-proven practices that strengthen and integrate skills within and across these critical pillars. In tandem with these foundational elements, Scarborough’s Reading Rope offers a model for how word-recognition skills and language comprehension combine to produce skilled reading. Our solutions are designed not only to build the essential pillars but also to intentionally interweave the skills and strands of the Reading Rope, helping students become proficient readers who can use reading for independent learning and find joy in reading for pleasure.
Current Research Supports Ongoing Innovation
As research continues to evolve and inform increasingly sophisticated understandings about literacy development, we ensure research guides our solutions. For example, for students facing challenges with word recognition, current research on orthographic mapping and automaticity (Kilpatrick, 2015) has influenced aspects of our programs. We’ve recently revised our approach to sight word recognition in one of our ESSA-validated flagship intervention programs, SPIRE, to align to this research. Additionally, concepts like the “set for variability” (Steacy et al., 2019) enhanced our understanding of how to help students decode words with irregular spelling patterns, a skill that boosts flexibility and confidence when encountering unfamiliar words. We are incorporating corrective feedback routines in our newest products to help students build greater flexibility in word pronunciation.
One of the most transformative research insights shaping our programs is the concept of the “decoding threshold” (Wang et al., 2019). Longitudinal research has shown that striving readers must first master foundational decoding skills before they can fully benefit from comprehension-focused interventions. Our EPS Reading Accelerator program, another ESSA-validated program, was created in response to this research. Once students have crossed this decoding threshold, they can attain the automaticity and fluency necessary for comprehension and advanced literacy development.
We are proud to offer a student-centered, teacher-friendly tool that blends innovation with the safe, effective application of artificial intelligence. EPS Reading Assistant provides students with AI-driven, deliberate reading practice, including real-time corrective feedback, while offering teachers unique insights into each student's reading development. The technology behind Reading Assistant is ESSA-approved and received the first-ever CODIE award for Best Science of Reading Skills Solution.
EPS Learning’s solutions equip educators with rich data to pinpoint the root causes of reading challenges and match students with the interventions they need most. By providing educators with the right tools at the right time, we empower teachers to support every critical phase of reading development—both before and beyond the decoding threshold.
Our Commitment to the Future
We believe that reading challenges are solvable, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to providing educators and students with science-based, evidence-driven solutions. As new research deepens our understanding, we will continue to develop offerings that best serve generations of readers and the educators devoted to their growth.
To continue reading, fill out this short form
