Reading Assistant
Reading Assistant is a software program for students in grade 2 – 8. The program targets reading fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension by increasing oral reading opportunities, and is designed to be used as a supplement or an intervention. Research indicates that repeated oral readings with guidance and feedback greatly assist in the development of fluent reading for good readers as well as for struggling readers (National Reading Panel, 2000). Reading Assistant enables the student to read alone. With the use of sophisticated speech recognition software, a student reads aloud independently receiving immediate intervention when encountering difficulty with pronunciation or word meaning. As the student reads, Reading Assistant records what he/she reads, how well he/she reads, and tracks his/her progress over time, providing the teacher with useful information to help guide instruction.
Once the student has signed in and chosen which story to read from the library collection, he/she may briefly scan story, click on unfamiliar words, and listen to their pronunciation. By clicking the Show Vocab icon, a predetermined set of words are underlined in the story. The student may access the meaning of any of those words by an additional click on the word. Next, the student chooses the Record my Reading icon to record his/her own reading, or the Read to Me icon to hear a professional reading of the story. The Read to Me icon, presents an expressive reading that is engaging and motivating. The Record my Reading mode is one of he distinctive features of Reading Assistant because of the level of support offered to the reader. The sentence or clause to be read is highlighted in black turning to grey when completed. If the student hesitates on a word for a few seconds, the word is highlighted in yellow; if the student is unable to read a few sentences, the automated “tutor” will supply the pronunciation of the word, allowing time for the student to repeat the word. The student is then to continue reading from that point. Depending on the amount of difficulty a student encounters with a word or words in a sentence, the “tutor” will prompt him/her to reread from the difficult part of the sentence to insure a fluent reading. Then by clicking on the Play my Reading icon, the student may listen to his/her own reading of reading the story.
The design and content of Reading Assistant is in accordance with what we know from research about the development of reading fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Research indicates a beginning level of support for Reading Assistant in reading fluency.
Strengths of Reading Assistant:
It offers a variety of opportunities for repeated readings with an emphasis on vocabulary and comprehension.
Vocabulary instruction/support is rich and robust.
Many types of support and assistance are available for readers; most particularly, immediate corrective feedback during the student’s oral read aloud.
Motivation and engagement are key characteristics of the program.
The new science and social studies texts for older students target critical thinking.
The Reports offer many possibilities to differentiate instruction.
Implementation of Reading Assistant is easy and flexible for students and teachers.
The speech recognition software may be customized for students with special needs.
Weaknesses of Reading Assistant:
· None were noted.
Source: Florida Center for Reading Research