Study Suggests Today’s US Students Are Less Efficient Readers

Do today’s students perform better than their peers in 1960? Given the advances in education and technology, it would be natural to assume that the answer is a resounding "yes." But, when it comes to reading efficiency, new research suggests that that’s not the case.The research, published by the International Literacy Association, compares the comprehension-based silent reading efficiency of US students (grades 2-12) in 2011 with data collected in 1960.A key finding was that students fall further behind as they advance through the grades, wrote Alexandra Spichtig,

Ph.D., Chief Research Officer of Reading Plus, and first author of the study.The study showed that today’s second-grade students are comparable to their peers of 50 years ago, but that by the end of high school, students’ comprehension-based silent reading rates average 19 percent slower than the rates of their 1960 peers."What we know — and the data underscore this — is that for many students, the progression to efficient silent reading does not develop naturally.

Many students need structured silent reading instruction," explains Mark Taylor, Chief Executive Officer of Reading Plus, a web-based silent reading program for schools.Some of the benefits of implementing silent reading instruction at home or in school are:* Expanded vocabulary* Improved comprehension* Increased efficiency* Enhanced reading enjoyment* Improved writing skillsExperts agree that without extensive silent reading practice in the classroom or at home, students will continue to struggle and literacy rates will continue to fall short or fall behind."Effective reading instruction must integrate fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension practice tailored to meet each student’s unique needs.

This study demonstrates that as long as structured silent reading practice is neglected in this country, the literacy problem is likely to continue," Taylor adds.While researchers can’t pinpoint reasons for the decline in silent reading efficiency from that of 50 years ago, it stands to reason that those students who engage in structured silent reading practice become more efficient readers and take with them a love of books that lasts far past their high school graduation.For more information

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Fall in Love with Greater Fort Lauderdale

Travelers may think of summer and beach activities when they think of Florida, but Greater Fort Lauderdale takes its relaxing vibe into the fall season.With options for off-season savings, visitors can enjoy a VIP experience for less and make the most of a fall visit to the destination, including deals on fine dining, outdoor activities, and indulgent spa experiences, just before heading into winter.-Food: Greater Fort Lauderdale Restaurant Month is back by popular demand with a new name and improved dining deals. "Crave GFL,"

Greater Fort Lauderdale Restaurant Month, is back by popular demand with a new name and improved dining deals. "Crave GFL," which runs through the month of September with many restaurants extending until October 15, celebrates the distinctive fusion of flavors that Greater Fort Lauderdale has to offer. The promotion includes a series of tasting events, and more than 45 area restaurants offer specially created three course meals priced at $37. celebrates the area’s distinctive fusion of flavors that Greater Fort Lauderdale has to offer.

The promotion includes a series of tasting events, and more than 45 area restaurants offer specially- created three-course meals priced at $37."The natural beauty of our seaside community inspires chefs to create meals that are fresh and palate-pleasing," says Stacy Ritter, president of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau."Our restaurants and cafes are taking their rightful place not only on the global-cuisine stage, but also among our abundance of visitor attractions," she adds. For more information, visit sunny.org/cravegfl for more details.-Fun:

The Vacation Like A VIP program, offering packages at a number of upscale hotels through October 15, allows visitors to Greater Fort Lauderdale to enjoy a buy-one-get-one free deal on activities, including Everglades airboat rides, visits to Sawgrass Recreation Park and Everglades Holiday Park, scuba diving, snorkeling, and surfing the FlowRider at Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort, along with other water-sport activities and water-taxi tours.Visit sunny.org/vip for additional information.-

Feeling good: Greater Fort Lauderdale’s popular spa promotion is back through October 15.During "Spatember," the promotion includes specialty services for $99 at select spas in the area, with many extending to October 15. Treatments range from organic facials and eye treatments to therapeutic manicures and pedicures, as well as unique hot stone massage sessions.The Spatember deals may be a welcome opportunity "to find some much deserved ‘me time’ to restore the mind, body, and soul without breaking the bank," Ms. Ritter says.Visit sunny.org/spatember for more information.

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Outdoor Living – Bringing the Inside Out

Enjoying your outside space does not have to take place on a dimly lit patio with moderately comfortable furniture devoid of fine furnishings and sophisticated style. According to the American Lighting Association (ALA), outdoor living can be just as entertaining, high-tech and classy as life inside your home.Regardless of the season, it is becoming common to turn a patio, deck or outdoor space into an additional family room with modern amenities and beautiful furnishings. ALA-member lighting manufacturers are making this transition easier with expanded lines of decorative lighting rated for all-weather use.

Hinkley Lighting’s CEO Rick Wiedemer, CLC, explains how the trend of accessorizing outdoor areas with traditionally indoor lighting products has gained momentum over the last several years. "It started with landscape lighting and then moved into sconces, wall sconces, and now pendants and chandeliers," Wiedemer says.It’s fairly commonplace to use sconces to highlight doorways and step lights to define spaces; today’s homeowners are also hanging elaborate chandeliers and colorful pendants over outside tables. Spotlights can be seen above grills and downlights under covered patios.

With a little creativity and imagination, just about anything goes. And the demand is increasing for those fixtures to mimic the styles and attention to detail traditionally found indoors."People want to extend their indoor living space outside, and still have the same quality of finishes outside as inside," says Rick Seidman, president and CEO of Quoizel, Inc. "They’re putting rugs, televisions and furniture outside, so we almost have to treat [outside] decorative lighting as if it’s interior."Just because the newest outdoor lighting fixtures are beautiful, don’t assume they lack the engineering to withstand harsh temperatures and extreme weather. High-quality outdoor fixtures are designed for reliability and endurance.

"One of the things consumers are concerned about when shopping for lighting is durability," says Seidman. "It really has to be able to withstand the elements. With new technology, fixture finishes are actually built into the material so that it weathers beautifully."Wiedemer concurs."You want to have something that’s meant to be in the weather. Normally a rustic finish fixture will weather better," he says. "The principal thing these are engineered for is to be rained upon. Rain will not collect inside the fixture, it will drain out…. A typical interior fixture is not made that way."The latest all-weather lighting is at your local ALA-member showroom.For a listing of showrooms or to view outdoor lighting videos, go to americanlightingassoc.com.

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Solving A Major Problem in Additive Manufacturing

A new approach to making everything from jet engines to toys, called 3D printing, is creating a revolution in manufacturing — and a small company called Sigma Labs, Inc (NASDAQ:SGLB) has an enabling technology that can make it happen.In traditional manufacturing, companies start with metal or other materials, then cut, shape or drill the material to get the finished products.In the late 1980s, however, researchers at MIT came up with a radical new idea. Instead of cutting material away, why not build things by adding layer after successive layer? The method they developed was similar to printing ink onto paper, only in three dimensions.

3D printing, also called "additive manufacturing," is now becoming big business. GE Aviation uses it to build jet engine fuel nozzles, for instance, instead of welding together 20 small pieces. Technology Review recently named additive manufacturing one of its 10 "Breakthrough Technologies."But 3D printing turns out to have a major challenge: It’s extraordinarily difficult to build identical top-quality parts every single time. In fact, Sigma Labs has now solved this problem, ensuring that every part and product is built correctly.How?

The company uses sensors to measure key parameters such as the temperatures of the material as each layer is deposited. Then it uses sophisticated algorithms to process the data, and to determine if the resulting part meets customer quality standards."When we monitor every layer, for every part, we can tell if it’s a good part," explains John Rice, CEO of Sigma Labs.Sigma has installed its PrintRite 3D system at 3D manufacturing facilities for more than a dozen key companies, such as Siemens, Honeywell, Woodward, and Pratt & Whitney.Rice envisions that, once the technology is proven in actual operations, Sigma’s patent-protected approach may fuel explosive growth in 3D printing, and become an essential part of 3D metal manufacturing operations, dreaming of "Sigma Inside," such as Intel chips in personal computers."This has the potential to be a major transformative technology by enabling the leap to volume AM metal production," says Rice.

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How to Increase Your Savings on Your Terms

"You need to save money." You tell yourself this. Others tell you this too. However, according to the 2015 FDIC National Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked Households*, approximately nine million U.S. households don’t use any type of bank account to save their money. Since banks tend to offer similar products and services, even those who do save often don’t see a need to explore their options. Understanding the ins and outs of saving for the future is the first step to becoming a successful saver.It’s important to note that all savings accounts are not created equal. Online bank accounts often offer higher yields than traditional bank branches, with savings account interest rates and certificate of deposit (CD) interest rates that are higher than the national average annual

percentage yield (APY).For instance, Goldman Sachs Bank USA (GS Bank) empowers consumers to save by offering a high yield savings account and CDs to help achieve savings goals, while at the same time providing the convenience and the security of a traditional bank. Additional advantages include no minimum deposit required to open an account, no transactions fees and only a $1 balance required to earn the APY associated with an account. With the backing of Goldman Sachs, GS Bank customers have access to a range of savings products that will help them save, as well as the expertise of a 148-year-old financial institution.Digital alternatives to traditional banking don’t have the

overhead that comes with managing branches and are therefore able to be more competitive with their rates, providing consumers with a realistic way to accumulate savings with higher interest rates and a stronger financial portfolio.Accumulating savings can be difficult at any age. Here are some small steps that can make a big difference in the long run:Make a budget: If you don’t know what you’re spending each month, start paying attention. Track your spending for a few months and make a budget to live by. Track the money you save by eliminating unnecessary spending and put it right into your online savings account.Split-deposit paychecks: Consider having your employer split-deposit

your paycheck to your checking account and a separate high-yield savings account. This way, saving becomes automatic and because your savings account is separate, you might be less tempted to spend it.Manage spending: For instance, you could save money by bringing your lunch. If, for example, you average $8 a day for lunch at work, that’s $40 per week and $2,000 per year. It adds up. If you were to bring your lunch from home for about $2 per day, you could achieve a savings of $1,500 per year to add to your savings account. Homemade sandwiches taste pretty good when you’re watching your savings grow.Sock your money away: Once you accumulate significant savings, you may want to

move some of your savings to an FDIC-insured fixed-rate CD account to lock in an interest rate. A CD is a type of savings tool that offers a higher rate than most standard savings accounts. Generally, there is little risk and most typically don’t have monthly fees.Keep your savings safe and secure: Consider keeping all or a portion of your core savings in an FDIC-insured bank. This can mean keeping your money in savings or CD accounts that are insured by the FDIC up to the maximum allowed by law. According to the FDIC**, since the FDIC was established in 1933, no depositor has lost a penny of FDIC-insured funds. For more information about FDIC deposit insurance coverage

and limits, visit FDIC.gov/deposit.As you work towards achieving your savings goals, you can learn more about savings strategies and financial insights from GS Bank by visiting www.GSBank.com. Have additional questions? You’ll find someone to connect with at 1-855-730-SAVE (7283). Start saving more right now to make a difference for your future.*2015 FDIC National Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked Households (link to: https://www.fdic.gov/householdsurvey/) **According to the FDIC (link to: https://www.fdic.gov/deposit/deposits/) **According to the 2015 FDIC

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