'Ernie the Ant' aids early learning at Woodland Heights


  • February 16, 2015
  • /   Reggle Dongan
  • /   education
"Ernie the Ant" has been helping young children learn to read for years. The popular children’s storybook character will make a debut on the computer screen for youngsters at Pensacola’s Woodland Heights Community Resource Center. On Tuesday, Feb. 17, about 30 3- and 4-year-olds will use Ernie to get ready for school, as part of the mission of enhancing early childhood education. Local entrepreneur Peter Nowak is a big investor in early childhood education in Northwest Florida. Last year, Nowak approached Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward about the pilot project involving Ernie the Ant. Hayward, also an early childhood education advocate, liked the idea and expressed interest in expanding the project to other community centers. “Mayor Hayward and I know improving our community’s quality of life and workforce starts with education,” says Nowak. “And the most cost effective way is to engage pre-school kids and their parents where they are - and get them ready.” Ernie the Ant contains an L3 monitor and speakers. When a child touches his or her name tag to the monitor, Ernie plays a short video lesson. L3 provides each child with a personalized “learning list” that accommodates individual needs. Avisod designed L3 procedures to provide for message sequencing, repetition and day-to-day customization. Future Avisod software will allow Ernie to help children first learn the letters in their names. The phonics lessons will then be grouped so each child will learn to recognize and spell her or his name. In 2009, Nowak formed Avisod LLC with a programming partner. Avisod produced the cloud-based learning tool, L3 (Look, Listen, Learn), to communicate with and train Nowak’s 300-plus employees, in his six Pensacola-based McDonald’s restaurants. Nowak donated a child’s version of L3 and 100 pre-K lessons to Woodland Heights. Since July, 3- and 4-year-olds with their parents have watched almost 2,000 lessons at the center. The lessons, from Florida’s voluntary pre-kindergarten curriculum, help get kids ready for kindergarten through phonics, math and science concepts. After children view 30 lessons, Nowak texts a Happy Meal coupon to the parent as an incentive. L3 provides automatic reports on each child’s viewing history. On Tuesday, Nowak will donate the mega-insect to the cause of early education when Ernie the Ant invades Woodland Heights Community Resource Center. Parents, community leaders, and early childhood education advocates are invited to join in the educational and entertaining activity to help young children get ready for school.
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