Orthographic mapping
to increase sight word automaticity
From 2nd Percentile to Remarkable Growth: How Sprout Helped This Second Grader Shine
When Carter entered second grade, he was significantly behind in reading. After a comprehensive assessment and targeted instruction through Sprout Labs, Carter made rapid gains across multiple reading domains. The program uncovered his unique learning profile that helped unlock his true potential.
The Challenge: An Eager Child Struggling to Read
Carter's mom, Amy, knew something deeper was going on. He seemed interested in books and stories, but reading just wouldn't click. Despite his effort, Carter couldn't consistently recognize first-grade high- frequency words and had fallen behind his peers.
Carter’s teacher suggested that he may catch up on his own, but Amy didn’t want to risk him falling behind. That’s when she contacted Sprout.
The Discovery: A Hidden Strength Behind the Struggle
Exceptional Phonological Working Memory
98th percentile - Carter could process sound patterns at a high level
Slow Automatic Letter Retrieval
10th percentile - Carter struggled to quickly name letters
A comprehensive assessment by Carter’s Reading Specialist uncovered a striking contrast. Carter had exceptional phonological working memory, but very slow automatic letter retrieval.
“It was like working with a student who had a powerful engine but kept hitting red lights.” - Reading Specialist Stephanie
Driven by Innovation from the Head and Heart
A Note from Our Founders
As founders, we know that reading education isn’t just powerful and promising – it’s personal. Some of us have dedicated our careers to studying the science behind reading success, while others of us have experienced first-hand the challenges families face when a child struggles with reading. We know, both intellectually and emotionally, how essential reading skills are for children to grow into confident, happy, and successful adults who love to learn. Sprout Labs was born from this passion.
Carla Small
Co-Founder and CEO
is a business executive, a leader of the Boston Children’s Hospital accelerator that backed the development of EarlyBird, and the parent of a child with dyslexia. She joined Drs. Gaab and Petscher in launching EarlyBird Education, and now Sprout Labs, as part of her personal mission to equip families with the tools and confidence they need to help children discover the joy and rewards of reading.
Nadine Gaab, PhD
Co-Founder and Scientific Advisor
Nadine Gaab, was a developmental neuroscientist at Boston Children’s Hospital when she developed the EarlyBird assessment, proven effective at predicting dyslexia and other reading challenges in young children. As both a professional and a mother, she recognized the power of bringing a proactive, preventive approach to educators, and now families, and joined forces with the team to create Sprout Labs.
Yaacov Petscher, PhD
Co-Founder and Scientific Advisor
Associate Director at the Florida Center for Reading Research, contributed his extensive research, data and expertise in developing and implementing EarlyBird. Understanding the transformative potential of their combined work, he collaborated with Dr. Gaab—not only for reading education, but for improving lives. Together, they combined years of research, data, and knowledge to bring EarlyBird, and now Sprout Labs, to life.
Research-based.
Scientifically-tested.
The Plan: Expert-Guided Support Built Just for Carter
Strengthening letter-naming fluency
addressing the specific bottleneck in Carter's reading process
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Building confidence
through responsive instruction that matched how his brain learns best
Carter worked consistently in the Sprout app and had regular check-ins with his reading specialist, who tracked his growth and adjusted instruction as needed.
The Results: A 6-Month Transformation
Skills
Before
After
Growth
Word Reading
1st percentile
15th percentile
+14 points
Decoding
4th percentile
30th percentile
+26 points
Vocabulary
32nd percentile
46th percentile
+14 points
Following Directions
33rd percentile
58th percentile
+25 points
Word Matching
33rd percentile
68th percentile
+35 points
Within a few weeks, Carter started showing early signs of improvement.
By the middle of the school year, he had closed major skill gaps and was keeping up with the rest of his classmates.
Many Sprout Labs families see early gains in the first month. With consistent support, most children are capable of catching up within the same school year.
Reading Specialist Insight
Stephanie, Licensed Reading Specialist
Masters in Education with 10+ years experience
Orton Gillingham Certified
Passionate about making reading fun for struggling readers
“Carter could process sounds at a high level, but retrieving letter names quickly was a challenge. This created a bottleneck that made decoding and word recognition more effortful, even though he clearly had the underlying skills.Through consistent, multi-sensory instruction and a strong focus on orthographic mapping, Carter began connecting sounds to letters more fluently. His decoding improved, and his word reading started to reflect his true potential. Carter’s progress is a reminder that when instruction is thoughtfully aligned with a student’s learning profile, even small shifts can lead to meaningful breakthroughs."
What We Learned About Carter
Unique Processing
Carter processes information in a unique way
Beyond "Trying Harder"
The key was targeting the right areas
Expert Interpretation
Understanding his learning profile was key
Targeted Support
Addressing specific areas accelerated progress
Carter doesn't lack ability — he simply processes information in a unique way. Once that was understood and addressed through expert interpretation and personalized support, his progress accelerated. The key wasn't "trying harder" — it was targeting the right areas.
The Science Behind The Results
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Comprehensive assessment
Addressing specific areas accelerated progress
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Expert guidance grounded in the Science of Reading
Helped decode his learning profile and guide targeted support
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Progress monitoring
Ensured instruction evolved with his growth
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Confidence-building instruction
Matched to Carter's strengths
Parent Q&A with Amy, Carter's Mom
Q: Why Sprout Labs?
A: Carter's reading struggles were keeping me up at night. I just knew something was off. Sprout Labs allowed us to tackle his reading challenges before his school flagged it as urgent.
Q: Biggest Surprise
A: How validated we felt when we got the assessment results! It reinforced that we were doing the right thing by acting early.
Q: Changes Observed
A: The biggest change has to be in Carter’s confidence around school and reading. His teachers are blown away!
Q: Advice to Parents
A: You’re not overreacting by worrying about your child’s reading when they’re young. My advice is don't wait, and trust your gut.
The Takeaway for Families
Reading struggles aren't always about intelligence
Sometimes reading struggles aren't about a lack of intelligence — they're about a mismatch between how a child learns and how they're being taught.
The right insight makes all the difference
Understanding a child's unique learning profile can transform their educational experience and unlock their potential.
Personalized support leads to breakthroughs
With the right insight and support, even the most puzzling challenges can become turning points.
Expert guidance is essential
Professional assessment and specialized instruction can reveal hidden strengths and address specific learning needs.
