Article Assessment-2

Megan Fitzpatrick  mfitzpatick@sisd.org  March 11, 2009

Assistive Technology for Reading by Hasselbring and Bausch

Overview of the Article

For students with learning disabilities, assistive technologies can act as a lifeline.  The two areas of assistive technology discussed are Reading Support and Reading Intervention.  Reading Support software helps students with learning disabilities get through reading material for their grade-level.  It supports the students as they read.  Reading Intervention is a form of assistive technology in that it helps students improve skills with background videos and after-reading support for word pronunciation and spelling. Text-Reader Software is a tool many schools use.  It uses a sythentic voice to read text to students with the words highlighted as it reads. Some schools choose their textbooks based on the compatibility of the text with these programs.  Of course, learning is best based on quality instruction not just the medium through which it is delivered.

Reference Points

• One brand of Reading Support Software is Read & Write Gold which features word prediction to speed students ahead in their writing.
• Reading Intervention Software mentioned in the article was READ 180 featuring anchor videos and instruction on difficult words.
• Read Write and Gold is an example of Text-Reader Software.  
• Word prediction is a feature of this software that suggests words when students pause in typing.  
• Textbooks with digital versions get preference when schools go to make purchases so they may be compatible with these programs.
• After use of Read 180, 18% of students in the study no longer needed special education services.  
• Video incorporated with the text aids in activating prior knowledge
• Remember the technology is just a medium for delivery, not the teacher.

Reflection

As soon as I read this article, I searched for the synthetic voice tools on my Mac that I have messed around with before.  The students also use these often, but I have never thought of trying to use it with their virtual textbooks.  Textbook reading is so loathsome to most of them, that having a synthetic voice read it to them may make it worse.