Tom Donahue

Greater San Diego Area United States

Chief of Design at CA Math & Science Challenge

Our mission at Activated Reader! is to provide schools and teachers with the research-based tools they need to close the Vocabulary-Reading Comprehension Gap. K-1 Oral Vocabulary Gap: Many children enter school 3,000-4,000 words behind their peers in oral vocabulary (reading-readiness words). Since vocabulary is kept simple in Kindergarten and First Grade, this hidden handicap only shows up in 2nd grade when the vocabulary level of the books jumps. The Vocabulary-Reading Comprehension Gap: As children advance through elementary school the K-1 Oral Vocabulary Gap turns into an accelerating Reading Comprehension problem, hurts academic performance in all subjects, and is largely respons...