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See Jane sing: Musical software improves students' reading

It began as a learn-to-sing program, but a Tampa company's software is improving students' reading comprehension at schools around the state.

By Christina Rexrode
Published March 13, 2007

He'd like to teach the world to sing. But he'll help it read, too.

Carlo Franzblau, the president and founder of Electronic Learning Products in Tampa, started selling his company's first product, SingingCoach, in late 2004. The software teaches users to sing on pitch and in rhythm.

Shortly afterward, the mother of a student at Adams Middle School in Tampa told Franzblau that her daughter's reading comprehension had improved since she started using SingingCoach.

The result of that conversation, the Tune In to Reading software, has been installed in 66 Florida schools since the beginning of the school year, including 11 in Hillsborough County and 11 in Pinellas. This month, Tune In will be installed at two schools in New York.

Tune In assesses students' reading levels, then assigns them songs with suitable lyrics. "They see 'antelope' on the screen for Home on the Range, for example, and now they know how to read the word 'antelope,' " Franzblau said.

A University of South Florida study found that students who used Tune In improved their reading comprehension by at least a grade level in nine weeks.

Tune In costs less than $100 per student - cheaper than a long-term reading tutor, Franzblau points out. A retail version will be available in the fall, though a price hasn't been set.

And Franzblau sees more learning opportunities for Electronic Learning Products, which he says did about $2-million in sales last year. At the end of this month, four Hillsborough County schools will be the first to use Tune In to Mandarin.

Christina Rexrode can be reached at crexrode@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8318.

Fast Facts:

Log in to vote

On Saturday, 11 students - one from each of the Hillsborough schools that use Tune In to Reading- got the red carpet treatment when they performed at Busch Gardens. People affiliated with those schools can vote for their favorite at www.readingidols.com. The top three vote-getters win college scholarships.

[Last modified March 15, 2007, 09:06:16]