Hooked on Phonics(R) Introduces Get Ready to Read --

New Product Designed to Help Children Ages 3-5 Prepare for Reading Success



BALTIMORE, Dec. 14  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Hooked on Phonics(R), a highly trusted name in teaching kids to read, is introducing a brand new learning program designed to help children begin to develop the skills needed for a lifetime of reading success. The newest addition to the Hooked on Phonics product line is Hooked on Phonics Get Ready to Read, a systematic approach to teaching three- to five-year-olds phonemic awareness, letter names, and letter sounds, skills critical for learning to read. This pre-K program, along with the new Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read and Hooked on Math(R) programs, is now available at mass retailers.

The Get Ready to Read program is a fun way for parents to interact with their children while teaching them the building blocks essential for successfully learning to read. The three-level process is a comprehensive approach to prepare children to learn to read, beginning with phonemic awareness and letter recognition.

"Like anything in life, becoming a successful reader requires tackling a variety of specific skill sets," said Chip Paucek, President, Educate Products. "Our programs provide the guidance for children and parents to get excited about mastering each skill at a young age, getting a jump-start on developing a love for reading."

Phonemic Awareness

Research shows that phonemic awareness is a powerful basis of success in learning to read. In the early stages of development, phonemic awareness is solely an auditory experience. Mastering the ability to understand and hear that speech is made of individual sounds is a crucial step toward introducing a child to reading.

Letter Sounds

Once children gain phonemic awareness and have mastered letter recognition, they must learn to associate each letter sound with its letter. Only then will they be ready to begin learning to read.

Get Ready to Read is available in individual Letter Names and Letter Sounds products. Each kit (SRP $64.99) includes a workbook, a progress poster, an alphabet poster, game cards, a CD-ROM that includes original arrangements of alphabet songs, and a parent's guide. The Letter Sounds program also includes My Hooked on Phonics(R) Dictionary and 26 "Alphabet Town" poems for added fun.

The full Hooked on Phonics Get Ready to Read program combines the individual kits (SRP $249.99). It also includes a huge game mat with fun activities and two original Hooked on Phonics Video Jukebox DVDs.

Hooked on Phonics products can be found at participating retailers in the United States and Canada.  Customers should check with their local retailer for availability. Products are also available online, 24 hours a day, at http://www.hookedonphonics.com/ and http://www.amazon.com/.

About Hooked on Phonics(R)

HOP, LLC, a division of Educate, Inc., is a leading creator of educational products for families that are fun and easy to use and get results. The company works with educators, interactive designers, writers, artists and parents to develop step-by-step learning programs that help teach children critical reading, math and study skills. Since launch of the first product in 1987, more than two million families and thousands of schools have turned to the Hooked on Phonics library of award-winning programs. The company's products are available at major retailers nationwide and online at http://www.hookedonphonics.com/.

About Educate, Inc.

Educate, Inc. (NASDAQ:EEEE) is a leading pre-K-12 education services company delivering education services and products to students and their families. It has a portfolio of highly acclaimed brands including Sylvan Learning Centers, North America's largest and most trusted network of tutoring centers, providing supplemental, remedial and enrichment instruction; Hooked on Phonics, delivering highly regarded early reading, math and study skills programs; and Catapult Learning, a leading provider of educational services to public and non-public schools. More information on Educate, Inc. can be found at http://www.educate-inc.com/.

Forward-looking Statements

This release includes information about Educate, Inc. that could constitute forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "expect," "will," "should," "may" and similar expressions, or the negative of such words and expressions, are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward- looking statements contain such words or expressions. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Although Educate, Inc. believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, Educate, Inc.'s actual results could differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. The following factors might cause such a difference: the development and expansion of the Sylvan Learning Center franchise system; changes in the relationships among Sylvan Learning Center and its franchisees; Educate, Inc.'s ability to effectively manage business growth; increased competition from other educational service providers; changes in laws and government policies and programs; changes in the acceptance of Educate, Inc.'s services by institutional customers and consumers; changes in customer relationships; the seasonality of operating results; global economic conditions, including interest and currency rate fluctuations, and inflation rates. Additional information regarding these and other risk factors and uncertainties are set forth from time to time in Educate, Inc.'s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, available for viewing on Educate, Inc.'s website http://www.educate-inc.com/. (To access this information on Educate, Inc.'s website, click on "Investor Relations" and then "SEC Filings.") All forward- looking statements are based on information available to Educate, Inc. on the date of this Release. Educate, Inc. undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

HOOKED ON PHONICS and HOOKED ON MATH are registered trademarks of HOP, LLC. 

DATASOURCE: HOP, LLC



CONTACT: Cathleen Porter, [phone], , or

Monica Kingery, [phone], , both of

Mullen for Hooked on Phonics 



Web site:  http://www.hookedonphonics.com/

http://www.educate-inc.com/ 

Copyright