Jane Offutt, developer of Accomplish Reading Program, holds a Ph.D. in Language Communications from the University of Pittsburgh. In the early 80's, after specializing in cognitive psychology, she conceptualized the unique abilities of a computer to induce comprehension monitoring, a skill that improves reading comprehension. She investigated these ideas in her dissertation Activating Children's Metacognitive Reading Processes © 1985 (University Microfilms International).

Jane's public school career included teaching elementary readers in the Title 1/Chapter I programs, as well as teaching Literature and Composition skills to 9th and 11th graders. As part of her public school responsibilities, she devised an organizational plan for the 9th grade course curriculum. She created curricula for Honors Composition and Honors European classes. Good curriculum is the backbone of good teaching.

Outside of the classroom, Jane helped students develop intellectual and leadership skills. As Yearbook Sponsor, she worked side by side with motivated young women who learned complicated procedures to produce a top-notch high school yearbook. As Model United Nations Sponsor, she guided internationally oriented students, helping them find information on third world countries. Today,  she helps students in her "No Bullies-No Gossip" Workshop at the local library. Upper elementary kids learn the language of bullies and "gossips" and how to parry their language and their extreme forms of arrogance.

Jane earned a B. A. from Allegheny College in 1970, a M. A. T. from the University of Pittsburgh in 1971, and a Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh in 1985. She holds two Pennsylvania Department of Education Certificates: Curriculum and Instruction, as well as Supervision.

Jane retired from teaching in 2002, and serendipitously discovered her own gift for writing. She wrote:  Gorgons: The Terrors of Depression to cast light on an unspoken topic. She finds Stephen King's novels too scary for her own imagination, but she agrees with his analysis: "Writing conjures the vividness of childhood, the poignancy of moments and the redemptive spurts to go on." When readers are spectators to tortured minds, they develop understanding and empathy.

Jane lives behind her computer, but she is always aware of the horizon. Nature surrounds her in her three sided glass study. Eight tall windows stretch up, and two sun lights stretch down, exposing clouds slowing sliding past. This sun-filled room is not far from a refrigerator.

Jane's favorite places to visit are Florida, Amsterdam and London. Once a year, Jane visits the sunshine in Florida during February. She goes there for the companionship of her closest friends and family. Every afternoon she looks forward to walking to the beach and setting up her three sided nylon tent. She keeps an eye on the waves and the shore birds and watches as the sun dips below the horizon.

Amsterdam is a distance, but no distance exists when she finally gets to hug Jeremy, her son, after too long of a time has passed. They talk, drink beer, and argue, in waterfront cafes along Amsterdam's canals. For her, the sunshine in Amsterdam is the Van Gogh Museum.

Jane feels most comfortable, however, in London. In her youth, she spent time studying literature, living life, and not quite believing that she was in London. These days, it is still thrilling to walk along the sidewalks of Piccadilly Circus and squeeze in as many matinees and evening shows as possible.

Accomplish Reading Program is Jane's twenty-year-old brainchild. She conceived and wrote the program in 1983. To ascertain her ideas, she researched, investigated, and wrote about them in her dissertation.

She wrote query letters to companies such as Sunburst, Corp., but Accomplish Reading Program looked amateurish next to new, sophisticated programs such as Where in the World is Carmen San Diego? She placed the 5" disk, along with the source code, in her safe deposit box, knowing its time had not yet come.

In 2001, fifteen years after she wrote the program, Jane realized she could  market Accomplish Reading Program on the World Wide Web.  She felt as empowered as the characters in the novel 2001:  A Space Odyssey when they launched a mission deep into the solar system as a rescue mission.

Jane renamed her program Accomplish Reading Program because she knew its mission would launch young folks into the world of reading. But, alas! What does a person steeped in education know about Apple Dos, Visual Basic, ISPs, servers, domains, SSLs, and how to navigate a business culture? She asked questions, but answers came back in single, unintelligible sentences.

She had no help and no hope until Howard, a volunteer for SCORE (counselors to Small Businesses), picked her up and got her going again. Then, she discovered her nephew Robbie had the programming expertise. She looked in the telephone book and found, Laurel Computer Systems, an ISP with voice communication. In a Herculean effort, they untangled Accomplish Reading Program from her former impossible Web Host.

Finally, freelance programmers are hard to find, especially one that lives a fifteen minute drive away, but she found Kevin O'Neill. His helpfulness and creative ideas began to give a look of professionalism to the program. Todd Murphy, a professional Web developer, then translated her blueprint ideas into the early version of this Web Site.

It's been a tough mission, but Accomplish Reading Program is finally off the ground and into the heart of the Internet!

Jane has a circle of friends to thank. They have stood by and listened to her space-crazed ideas as well as her down- to-earth ideas. They have provided solutions to problems that she could not begin to imagine.

When she became trapped in tangled webs, they helped free her. Now, Accomplish Reading Program can enter the minds of young readers. Any reader can now journey the universe of stories and books. They can begin a Reading Odyssey.

Accomplish Reading Program is a Quick Launch
into New Worlds of Enjoyable Books and Stories!