Benefits of Computer- Assisted Instruction for Beginning Readers

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1 Benefits of Computer- Assisted Instruction for Beginning Readers Paul Macaruso Community College of Rhode Island Alyson Rodman Lexia Learning Systems American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Chicago, Illinois (November, 2008)

2 Enhancing Literacy Skills in Young Children Literacy crisis 50% of students score below grade level (The Nation s Report Card: Reading 2002) Benefits of phonological awareness identification of sounds in words (Report of the National Reading Panel, 2000)

3 Phonological Awareness / Phonics Blachman (2000) Most effective reading instruction couples phonological awareness with phonics skills Hatcher et al. (2004) Students with weak phonological skills are in special need of phonological awareness training

4 Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI) Systematic and structured Intensive Immediate feedback Engaging Relatively independent

5 CAI Outside of Classroom Instruction Mitchell and Fox (2001) Kindergartners and low-performing first graders activities from Daisy Quest and Daisy s Castle were as effective as teacher instruction in building phonological skills Lonigan et al. (2003) At-risk preschoolers students in the treatment group using Daisy Quest and Daisy s Castle made greater gains than controls on tests of phonological skills

6 CAI Supplementing Classroom Instruction Hecht and Close (2002) at-risk kindergartners receiving phonological awareness training using Waterford Early Reading Program (WERP) scored higher on tests of phonological skills, letter-sound knowledge and word reading than controls Cassady and Smith (2003) kindergartners using WERP made greater gains than controls on tests of phonological awareness. The importance of integrating CAI into classroom instruction is highlighted

7 Evaluation of CAI in a Highly Controlled Study Macaruso and Walker (2008) Used Lexia s Early Reading with matched kindergarten classes Morning and afternoon classes taught by the same teacher using the same curriculum Treatment students showed higher post-test scores on measures of phonological awareness than control Group differences more dramatic for low performers

8 Current Studies Extension of previous study: preschool classes using Lexia s Early Reading Replication of previous study: larger sample of low-performing kindergartners using Lexia Early Reading and Primary Reading

9 Lexia Learning Systems Early Reading and Primary Reading Phonological awareness/phonic word attack skills Intrinsically motivating with immediate feedback Focused learning environment Differentiated, Independent practice with recursive branching

10 Lexia Activities Demo: Early Reading and Primary Reading

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13 Preschool Study Early Childhood Education program in public schools in Revere, MA Pairs of classes taught by the same teacher Random assignment of classes to treatment and control groups Four pairs of classes in study treatment classes showed sufficient CAI use Same curriculum for all classes Language and Emergent Literacy Skills

14 Kindergarten Study Kindergarten classes in Revere, MA Six treatment classes and two control classes Analyses restricted to low performers (Total Test standard scores on GRADE equal to or below 85) Only students with sufficient CAI use in treatment group Same curriculum for all classes (Scott Foresman Reading Street)

15 Preschool Implementation of CAI Programs CAI use in classroom 2 or 3 weekly (10 15 minute) sessions over four months sufficient CAI use at least 200 minutes 19 treatment and 19 control students Kindergarten CAI use in classroom (3 classes) or laboratory (3 classes) 2 or 3 weekly (15 20 minute) sessions over seven months sufficient CAI use at least 600 minutes 47 treatment and 19 control students

16 Group Reading Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation (GRADE) Preschool (Level P) phonological awareness visual skills concepts listening comprehension Kindergarten (Level K) phonological awareness early literacy skills listening comprehension word reading

17 Preschool Total Test Graph Preschool Students - Total Test Gains 104 GRADE Test Standard Scores Lexia Control 90 Pre Test Post Test

18 Preschool Phonological Awareness Graph Preschool Students - Phonological Awareness Gains GRADE Test Raw Scores Lexia Control 6 4 Pre Test Post Test

19 Kindergarten Total Test Graph Kindergarten - Total Test Gains 105 GRADE Test Standard Scores Lexia Control 75 Pre Test Post Test

20 Kindergarten Word Reading Graph Kindergarten - Word Reading Gains 9 8 GRADE Test Raw Scores Lexia Control 3 2 Pre Test Post Test

21 Summary and Discussion Phonics-based CAI enhances early literacy skills in preschoolers and kindergartners Benefits for preschoolers mainly in area of phonological awareness Low performers in kindergarten show overall benefits most notably in word reading

22 Preschool study highly controlled Treatment and control classes taught by the same teacher with the same curriculum Random assignment of classes to treatment and control groups Group differences not due to teacher or classroom factors

23 CAI: An effective supplement to instruction CAI activities can be integrated into curriculum Relatively small investment of time Largely independent work Classroom (center activity) or laboratory

24 Implementation concerns Many instances of low use: whole classes (preschool study) and individual students (kindergarten study) Investment and commitment required for CAI to show benefits Monitoring CAI use, tracking progress, interventions when needed