``Reading Fundamentals'' Online Series Debuts on BrainConnection.com.

Business Editors/Education Writers

OAKLAND, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 12, 2001

Science-based Reading Guide for Parents and Educators Outlines

the Key Skills Needed for Children to Become Strong Readers

National Reading Expert, Dr. Virginia Mann, Serves as

Consultant to the Series

Science can tell us much about how children learn to read. Now, parents and educators can find out what scientists and researchers have discovered about the brain and the complex skills a student must master before becoming a strong reader. They'll learn about these discoveries in a new online series titled "Reading Fundamentals" on www.BrainConnection.com, a Web resource from Scientific Learning (NASDAQ:SCIL).

The six-part series was written in consultation with nationally recognized reading expert Dr. Virginia Mann, of the University of California, Irvine and outlines the distinct set of skills needed for fluent reading, including a range of language skills that are critical to both the spelling and decoding of written words and to reading comprehension.

"Based on research in education and cognitive psychology, we now know that for students to be fluent readers, they must learn a distinct set of skills so that students can read sentences and paragraphs and not just words," said Dr. Mann. "For students to both read and spell, it is important to train them on several skills together, rather than learning those skills separately and sequentially."

Dr. Mann, an Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Research, School of Social Sciences, and Professor, Department of Cognitive Sciences, at the University of California, Irvine, also was instrumental in the development of Fast ForWord Reading(TM), the new computer-based training program for reading skills from Scientific Learning.

The series, "Reading Fundamentals," is based on a book written in consultation with Dr. Mann for educators and clinical professionals in private practice who use Scientific Learning's Fast ForWord Reading program.

According to Dr. Mann, research strongly supports concurrent training of other important reading skills once students have developed good phonemic awareness skills. These other important skills include: letter-phoneme correspondences, word families, vocabulary, morphology, sentence and paragraph comprehension and appreciation of literature, which form the next steps toward reading fluency.

"This is particularly important for students in the third grade who must master critical literacy skills before entering the fourth grade, when they really need to be able to `read to learn,'" said Dr. Mann.

To learn more about the basic building blocks for proficient reading, visit "Reading Fundamentals" in the BrainConnection Library, under Education Topics at http://www.brainconnection.com/library/?main=eduhome/reading-language.

Included in the series are these topics:

-- "Teaching Reading, Teaching Anything." Students learn to read most
proficiently and quickly when a distinct set of skills is taught at the same
time rather than sequentially. The first section in the six-part series
discusses the research in education and cognitive psychology behind this
concept and underscores the idea that once students learn to read, they can be
better lifelong learners.

-- "Decoding: The Connection to Reading Skills." This section looks at the
important task of decoding: what it is, what underlying skills are necessary to
become successful at decoding words, and why decoding is a crucial skill for
proficient reading.

-- "Spelling: The Connection to Reading." This section looks at the world of
English spelling: how English language spellings came to be, why good spelling
skills are crucial for proficient reading, and the progressive sequence
students naturally follow as they learn to spell.

-- "Sentence Comprehension: The Connection to Reading Skills." This section
outlines: why syntax skills, which a child first learns through oral language,
are crucial for sentence comprehension; the challenges that syntax can present
to the reader; why working memory plays an important role in sentence
comprehension; and what research tells us about the most effective way to
practice sentence comprehension skills.

-- "Paragraph Comprehension: The Connection to Reading Skills." This section
looks at why understanding literal meaning, comprehending cause and effect, and
mastering the ability to make inferences are crucial for paragraph
comprehension.

-- "Beyond Root Words: Morphology and the Connection to Reading." This section
draws a connection between word formation (roots, prefixes and suffixes) and
successful reading. It looks at how morphological skills are learned and at how
they matter for the reading of words, sentences and paragraphs. It explores
what research tells us about the most effective way to train students in
morphologically complex words and affixes.

"This series confirms what successful reading teachers have always known -- that language comprehension is critical to learning to read and that reading fluency is essential for all learning," said Sheryle Bolton, Chairman and CEO of Scientific Learning. "Education experts recognize that students who are unskilled readers by the end of third grade are at high risk for further academic difficulty and much less likely to graduate from high school."

Headquartered in Oakland, California, Scientific Learning offers CD-ROM and Internet programs developed by leaders in brain research. The Company's Fast ForWord(R) family of intensive computer-based training programs for language and reading, "train the brain" to learn faster. These training programs use patented technologies to adapt to each student's skill level, allowing students of all ages to make gains in language and reading in just weeks, rather than years. Educators can use the Company's patented Internet technology to track students' progress. Other Scientific Learning products include award-winning software and storybooks for building early learning skills and rapid assessment of reading skills, and ReWord(TM), a training program for adults working to improve their language and organizational skills. To learn more about Scientific Learning's family of neuroscience-based products, visit the Company's Web sites at www.ScientificLearning.com and www.BrainConnection.com, or call toll-free 888/665-9707.