Integration of Technology Into the Classroom: Effects on reading comprehension

Reading comprehension is critical to understanding written communication. Even when students are able to recognize words and fluently read text, they my not comprehend what is read. Learning to comprehend text is critical for students to be successful in school and future careers. As new technologies emerge, there is a push to integrate technology into the classroom to promote academic success among students. Furthermore, the No Child Left Behind Act mandates the use of technology in the classroom. This research review investigated peer-reviewed studies comparing the effects of computer technology as a supplemental tool to support and improve the reading comprehension of struggling and at-risk readers with equivalent non-technological or traditional print based treatments. Technology features investigated by the studies reviewed include various types of multi-featured electronic texts, computerized supplemental reading programs, a handheld text reader, virtual manipulatives, and using computers to create responses to reading printed texts. The various technologies were found to provide equal or greater benefit than traditional means for aiding struggling and at-risk readers with reading comprehension

Effects of Technology on Literacy Skills and Motivation to Read and Write

This project is an initial investigation into how technology affects one student’s literacy learning and motivation in reading and writing. Over a period of five weeks, I incorporated technology into instruction and then observed how it affected the student’s motivation and skills while reading and writing. I conducted observations, interviews and retellings to gather all data. The primary goal of this study was to answer the research questions 1) What effects do digital literacies have on a struggling reader and writer as well as his/her motivation to read and write? 2) What additional factors influence this student’s reading and writing? Through the completion of my analysis I can conclude that technology may be effective for struggling readers and writers who are considered to be digital natives. I can also conclude when teaching reading and writing, the use of both traditional and twenty-first century strategies may be an effective strategy to improve literacy skills. Through my research I was also able to conclude positive parental involvement may have a direct correlation on a student’s improvement with reading and writing skills. This research suggests when a student is unfamiliar with technology being used there is no significant improvement with skills

Reading intervention support for the older struggling reader : a desk-reference for reading interventions

Reading interventions for the older student are a topic of discussion in school districts, especially when an increasing number of middle schools and high schools are in need of improvement in the area of reading. Because of this increase in literacy concern in the middle and high schools, there is a need to better understand areas of reading that would assist struggling adolescent readers. Research affirms the importance of including intervention assistance in the upper grades. Research indicates key areas to target: structures and features of text, decoding, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, writing and technology, as well as the incorporation of reading motivation

Effective Use of Assistive Technology to Accommodate Students with Learning Disabilities

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Utilising voice recognition software to improve reading fluency of struggling adolescent readers

Approximately 15-20% of secondary students in Australia experience reading difficulties. For many, the cognitive effort required to decode words or the lack of automaticity in the elements that contribute to fluent reading prevents effective reading comprehension. Because reading comprehension is of critical importance across the curriculum, students with difficulties in this area are at significant academic risk. One effective method of improving reading fluency is ‘repeated readings’ (NICHHD, 2000). The purpose of this study was to examine whether the use of repeated readings delivered via a home-based program employing voice recognition software (VRS) could improve the reading fluency and self-perception as readers of adolescent students experiencing reading difficulties. The intervention was designed to overcome the problems associated with delivering a repeated reading program within a secondary English classroom. These problems relate to the amount of time required to conduct such a program within the constraints of the existing curriculum, and the reluctance of students to participate in a program that would draw attention to their reading difficulties. A treatment group participated in a home-based repeated reading program using VRS over a 20-week period and their results were compared to a comparison group who participated in a more traditional school-based repeated reading program. Reading fluency, comprehensions and reader self-perception were measured before and after the intervention. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and case studies. The intervention reported in this study resulted in improved reading rate, accuracy and comprehension for both the home-based treatment group and a school-based comparison group, with evidence of larger gains in the treatment group. The students’ perceptions of themselves as readers, however, did not show significant gains

Incorporating Electronic Books into a Graduate Reading Methods Class: Improving the Comprehension of Students in Grades K-12

The purpose of this paper was to explore how various features of electronic books captured students’ attention and built their confidence and knowledge base, and to what extent, if any, reading electronic books supported critical thinking skills and understanding of the text of students in grades K-12; the experienced teachers were enrolled in a summer reading/writing literacy program, offered by a mid-western university. The graduate reading methods course consisted of a tutoring session utilizing electronic books to improve the comprehension of students in grades K-12. The experienced teachers implemented electronic books to provide a context that helped their students to build conceptual and experiential background as they construct meaning and develop important literacy skills. The electronic books helped K-12 students expand their knowledge of fluency and retelling as they followed along reading for meaning and pleasure. The interactive capabilities of electronic books made the screen more attractive to K-12 students and thus supported their understanding of the text. They demonstrated what they understood from the text in book discussions; therefore, the electronic books were useful to them. The electronic books, multimedia applications, and audio recordings were part of the instruction and played a prominent a role in increasing levels of comprehension. The experienced teachers, who were exposed to electronic books, responded positively to implementing them into the curriculum. This paper may serve as a model for both professors in teacher education and reading teachers to integrate technology in a meaningful context in their instruction

The Effects of Text-to-Speech on Reading Comprehension of Students with Learning Disabilities

In this study, I implemented the use of technology to investigate the effectiveness of text-to-speech (TTS) on the reading comprehension of students with learning disabilities (LD). In a freshman self-contained classroom, I used the classroom-based text and TTS on four participants during a 48-min English class period for 16 weeks. An A-B-A-B withdrawal design evaluated the effectiveness of TTS on reading comprehension, the dependent variable, measured through accuracy of participants’ responses to reading comprehension questions from curriculum-based measures (CBMs). Following intervention, I assessed maintenance of the effect of TTS on reading comprehension for 4 weeks. Additionally, I measured participants’ perspectives on the use of TTS when reading using a researcher-developed social validation survey. After visual analysis of the data, results showed a functional relation between the independent variable and participants’ increased reading comprehension accuracy as measured by CBMs. Three out of four participants scored higher on reading comprehension using TTS as the intervention when reading instructional passages. Results on participants’ oral reading fluency (ORF) also indicated an increased level of words read per min at the end of each condition. Comparison of pre- and posttest achievement on the universal screener (i.e., Lexile) showed that two of four participants increased their reading scores. Maintenance results showed continued increase in reading comprehension accuracy on CBMs with TTS compared to baseline performance. Social validation questionnaires revealed participants enjoyed using TTS to acquire information from literature. Lastly, major findings are discussed with implications for practice and recommendations for future research needed to increase the use of TTS in the classroom. KEYWORDS: assistive technology, learning disabilities, legislation, secondary, special education, text-to-speec

The effects of text-to-speech on students with reading disabilities

Text-to-speech (TTS) is becoming a common accommodation/support for students with reading disabilities to improve reading skills. This review examines the effects TTS has on reading comprehension, reading rate, written language, as well as the social validity of students with reading disabilities and other print disabilities. Twenty-eight peer-reviewed studies published between 2002 and 2019 were selected for analysis in this review. The reviewed research indicates that reading rate increased, while reading comprehension had mixed results, and writing skills did not significantly improve when TTS was used. Research also confirmed the social validity of TTS. Future research into the effects of TTS was recommended

Tech for Understanding: An Introduction to Assistive and Instructional Technology in the Classroom

This paper examines the different types of assistive and instructional technology available to students who are classified with one or more of the thirteen disabilities outlined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (referred to as, IDEA). While the roles of assistive and instructional technology are different, there are many instances where their uses may overlap. Thus, while these two categories will be discussed separately, it should be noted that some information may be applied to each category and more than one piece of technology. The purpose of this paper is to provide an introduction to the world of assistive and instructional technology for those who may be new to its concepts, particularly parents who have recently learned that their child may benefit from extra assistance and future educators who are interested in learning more about the devices they will be using to reach their students. Each of the thirteen disabilities will be discussed briefly, and then each disability will be assigned several types of assistive and instructional technology that serve it well. This will by no means be an exhaustive list of all types of technology available to teachers, parents, and students. However, it will attempt to provide a varied glimpse at some of the options that are available and how they may help children who are struggling to access the curriculum