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May 15, 2001

Reaching the Struggling Reader

By Terry Lankutis

If at first you don't succeed, try another program. Creative reading software individualizes instruction and motivates students at any grade or age level.

Many students who struggle with reading do so because they cannot decode the printed word. For these students, standard approaches to acquiring reading skills may not address their specific learning styles. Some may have a diagnosed learning disability, others may be nonnative speakers, and still others may simply be late learners.

Brain research shows that when learners receive information in more than one mode, more of the brain works to process that information. For example, a student may have a better chance of comprehending what a word means and how it works in the context of a sentence if he or she simultaneously sees and hears it read aloud. More specifically, a strong auditory learner who only receives information in visual format may court failure because he or she hasn't encountered reading materials that suit those auditory strengths.

The four programs reviewed here are a sample of titles, each targeting a different facet of the reading process and presenting information in multiple modalities: visual, auditory, and tactile. Each allows students and teachers to experiment with customizing features to fit individual needs. They range from straightforward practice tools, such as Earobics and Lexia, to more technologically and conceptually advanced programs, such as Kurzweil 3000 and Co:Writer. Each offers something unique to the challenged reader. Kurzweil 3000, with its Optical Character Recognition and Web reading capabilities, and Co:Writer, with its text-to-speech and topic dictionary options, are tools students can use to help read core curriculum material and complete written assignments. Programs such as Earobics and Lexia assist students in the mechanical skills of reading, such as phonics and decoding the written word. Taken together, these products illustrate the types of reading software available and highlight diverse modes of content delivery and instruction.

Unique Features of Reading Software

Key features of two of the programs reviewed here are Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and text-to-speech technology. Text-to-speech technology is one of the simplest, most powerful tools for students who struggle with reading and writing. It allows students who may be strong auditory learners to rely on their strengths to understand the printed text by having material read aloud. OCR offers high-quality scanning capability that lets readers change the appearance of text. For instance, they can change the color and background, increase or decrease font size, alter the way text is highlighted (by word, sentence, or paragraph), and modify the voice and speed at which it is read. The ability to see, hear, and track text simultaneously provides students with new avenues unavailable to them in strictly printed format.

Co:Writer (Don Johnston)

Co:Writer is a writing tool for students who are able to verbalize their thoughts but struggle to write them down. It works in conjunction with any word processing program or text entry application such as e-mail. A word prediction program, Co:Writer predicts, word by word, what the student attempts to write. Once the writer enters a letter, the program lists one to nine words, beginning with the first letter typed. Suggested words follow correct grammatical structure. For example, if a student types "I want to" and then an "r", an appropriate verb, such as "run" or "race", appears, rather than "right" or "really." When users move the cursor over any word in the list, the text-to-speech feature reads that word aloud. The student can then enter the desired word into the sentence.

Word choices come from one of five dictionaries, from basic to advanced, and even from user created topic dictionaries, offering students the best possible word choices to match their writing style and vocabulary. FlexSpell, a phonetic dictionary, expands word choices for students. For example, if the student writes the sentence "Pleze ansr the fone," the program will offer "please", "answer", and "phone" as possible replacements. There are also several options for text-to-speech customization, depending on the student's platform. For example, Mac users can hear text read in male or female voices and adjust speed, volume, pronunciation, and even emotional range of vocalization.

Overall, Co:Writer's options for customizing pace and sound interface make it ideal for struggling readers and writers. Word prediction keeps students motivated while building critical vocabulary skills. Using Co:Writer, they find new ways to focus on what they want to write and find just the right words faster and with fewer cues, providing them a valuable opportunity to write independently and successfully.

Earobics 1 for Adolescents & Adults (Cognitive Concepts)

Earobics stems from the theory that students who struggle with reading and spelling do so because they lack phonological awareness skills. Students who lack phonological awareness have difficulty recognizing the sounds and sequences of sounds that make up words. By contrast, a student who recognizes the word "cat" is made up of three sequential sounds-c-a-t-and who can verbalize the sounds in order has phonological awareness. As learning progresses, teachers assume that the phonologically aware student will also know that "rat" and "sat" rhyme with "cat" because they have the same sound-"at"-within them. For students who struggle with this part of the reading process, Earobics offers plenty of practice to hone auditory and phonological processing skills.

Earobics offers six different game templates with varying levels of play, from beginning to advanced. In Sound Check, a game that targets auditory attention and memory, a student hears a sound and sees two boxes on the screen: one with the target sound letters and one with the target letters with a strike through it. If the sound they hear corresponds to the letters on the screen, they click on the box with the letters; if it is not the sound they hear, then they click on the box with the strike through it. As the student proceeds, the program automatically increases the difficulty of the sounds and begins requiring the user to indicate if the sound is heard at the beginning, middle, or near the end of the word.

Other games include Memory Matrix, which is set in a concentration game format and asks zstudents to recall a series of sound effects, words, numbers, or speech sounds. Get Rhythm lets players practice counting the number of tones and speech sounds in a series, as well as the number of syllables in a word. Players must respond within 10 seconds to the auditory information they have heard. In all games, there is a pause button in the event that the student requires more processing time.

While primarily a practice tool, Earobics has a place in the reading classroom, especially for students needing practice in phonological awareness. Its high-quality sound, colorful graphics, and easily manipulated interface keep students interested in the task at hand. Earobics is also available in a version for younger students.

Lexia Learning System (Lexia Learning)

The three tiers of the Lexia Learning System-Quick Reading Test (QRT), Phonics Based Reading, and Reading S.O.S.-support all steps of the learning cycle: assessment, instruction, practice, and reporting.

Most impressive are the diagnostic capabilities of the Quick Reading Test and corresponding practice lessons. QRT works by displaying a letter, word, or if desired, a non-word, e.g., "shelpt," on the computer screen. The student and teacher work together to complete the test. The student reads the word out loud; the teacher strikes the space bar to indicate a correct answer before the next word is displayed. The test takes between five and eight minutes, and teachers decide which skills to test. As the student provides correct answers, the program moves to the next level.

If the student makes several mistakes early in the program, the software will end the test early to avoid potential discouragement for the student.

Once testing is complete, QRT refers teachers to the activity lessons in the Phonics Based Reading and Reading S.O.S. programs that students need to work on. Activities vary, depending on the age of the user, and range from recognizing three-syllable words to more advanced spelling games to putting whole words into sentences.

Struggling readers will appreciate Lexia's well-designed interface. Ample time and repeated chances to respond to questions reduce anxiety. Additionally, the depth of the program allows for lots of practice in skill development. Since the program automatically repeats or ends an activity depending on student response and performance, there is less chance that the student will become discouraged and begin guessing just to finish the task. Lexia does a great job of setting the student up for success rather than failure.

L&H Kurzweil 3000 (Lernout & Hauspie)

What makes this program especially helpful for struggling readers is its ability to offer multiple modes of content delivery. High-quality scanning with OCR and text-to-speech features lets students scan information from a textbook or magazine and then have text read aloud. The program simultaneously highlights and reads text, providing the student with visual and auditory presentation, as if someone were reading the textbook out loud and pointing to every word as each was read. Using Kurzweil 3000, students can look at an electronic version of a textbook and hear the computer read it at a pace they can control.

Changeable user interface makes this program especially helpful for struggling readers. For example, students can choose the color of text and background or adjust word spacing and reading speed. Text is completely customized to meet the specific needs of the reader.

Once students enter text, they can click on a word in the body of the text to get a definition or synonym, or to break the word into syllables and spell out the letters. Overall, Kurzweil 3000 is an exciting program that can help students build confidence and independence by having access to printed materials they otherwise might not be able to read.

Terry Lankutis is an assistive technology consultant, trainer, and teacher with over 23 years of experience teaching students with disabilities.

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