Launch yourself into the world of Rapid - a unique Special Needs reading resource which really supports and motivates your pupils. Providing you with your very own virtual reading assistant through exciting speech recognition software, it offers you an invaluable ‘extra pair of hands’ for your classroom. Rapid has been developed to help your struggling readers fast forward to reading success and provides that all important support to each pupil making sure every moment spent reading really counts. Take a look at Rapid in action to see for yourself how easy Rapid is to use in the classroom, not to mention how much pupils love it! Read about other teachers who are using Rapid - hear their views, thoughts and experiences as they embark on a Rapid journey, and why not visit our press office and see what the papers think. We hope your interactive journey will show you a real insight into Rapid. However if you would like to know more, please do not hesitate to contact your local literary specialist. The National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), recently trialled the Rapid reading materials and software on behalf of Harcourt. NFER independently commissioned, carried out and wrote all case studies, with no input from Harcourt and therefore are honest representations of what teachers and pupils felt about the materials. Schools wished to remain anonymous. A sample of schools in England, Wales and Scotland were selected to trial the materials. The sample consisted of ten primary schools and one secondary school, representing a range of types and contexts. Location: Lambeth No. of Pupils: 468 Preface: A large, two-form entry primary school situated in the inner London Borough of Lambeth, close to Brixton. A residential area with a high level of deprivation. Location: South Bristol No. of Pupils: 365 Preface: A mixed community primary school, with nursery provision, drawing its pupils aged 3-11 years from the local area. Location: North Bristol No. of Pupils: 295 Preface: A mixed, community junior school located in a suburb of North West Bristol, with pupils aged 7-11 years. Location: Worcestershire No. of Pupils: 425 Preface: A two-form entry primary school with nursery provision, providing for pupils aged 3-1 years. This school is located in Worcestershire in a relatively affluent area. Location: Surrey No. of Pupils: 192 Preface: A small, one-form entry primary school providing for pupils aged 4-11 years. Situated in the north of Surrey, the school draws pupils from a wide catchment area. Location: Manchester No. of Pupils: 198 Preface: A small primary school situated in a relatively deprived area of north Manchester, provides for pupils aged 3-11 years. Location: Edinburgh No. of Pupils: 161 Preface: A small primary school located in central Edinburgh located in a relatively deprived area. Location: Dundee No. of Pupils: 292 Preface: A mainstream primary school for pupils aged 4-11 years. Location: Streatham, Lambeth No. of Pupils: 468 Preface: An average sized primary school located in the Streatham area of Lambeth and provides for pupils aged 4-11 years. Location: Swansea No. of Pupils: 270 Preface: An average sized primary school located on the outskirts of Swansea, which provides for pupils aged 3-11 years. Location: Kent No. of Pupils: 1138 Preface: A large secondary school located in a relatively deprived area towards the north of Kent. A high number of pupils have Special Educational Needs.