By Johnny Duncan

When Dan Blanton and his wife Kim became concerned that their son, a third-grader, was struggling with reading, they turned to his teacher at Stone Lakes Elementary School, Jennifer Wojcik, who shared some valuable information that would help the Blanton’s child learn to read better.

After that initial meeting, the Blantons learned that Wojcik’s credentials and her approach to getting her students ready for the FCAT were extraordinary. As owners of a multimedia development and CD/DVD duplication company, the Blantons saw an opportunity to take Wojcik’s knowledge and approach to teaching, and help other parents. They found there was a gap in getting students ready for the FCAT and they determined the biggest challenge is getting educators, parents and students on the same page.

The instructional, learning, strategy-focused techniques that Wojcik honed throughout her career could bridge these gaps – effectively forming a partnership among educators, parents and students that help achieve high levels of success on both the reading and mathematic FCAT tests. These techniques and learning strategies have been formatted into interactive, instructional CDs designed exclusively for classroom teachers and parents.

The FCAT Educator program (www.fcateducator.com) allows educators and parents to better prepare their student for success by providing an exam overview and structured learning strategies. Math and Reading CDs are available as separate programs. This is not merely a CD for kids to practice taking the FCAT - it is an educational tool for educators and parents to become “hands-on” in helping to develop students’ learning and test-taking strategies.

The FCAT Educator is the only interactive training program designed to help the parents and teachers of Florida public school students between the ages of six and 10 to both understand the FCAT testing process and apply critical learning strategies with their students.