Using E-resources to Support learners with Reading and Writing Difficulties
Updated: Apr 21, 2021
<The images/ videos/ partial content are from the internet. These materials are for educational reference only. >
Agenda
●What is the effect of reading and writing difficulties on learning an additional language?
●What we can do to help?
●What is the role of IT in enhancing reading instruction and supporting students’ reading development?
●Recommended e-resources for supporting readers with reading and writing difficulties
A metaphor
"Learning to read for dyslexics is like running a race where only the dyslexic students have invisible hurdles on the track. The others complete the race easily and quickly while the dyslexic students fall when they first hit the hurdles. As the hurdles cannot be seen, nobody understands why they fall. And all those standing by can say is try harder. The dyslexic runners can only succeed if someone notices the hurdles and teaches them how to jump over them."
What are the hurdles?
●In addition to difficulties associated with recognition of words and spelling, these students also experience difficulties in other aspects of producing and using language (e.g. oral skills and reading comprehension).
●These disabilities are neurobiological in origin and cause these learners to process language input differently from others. They typically have shorter working memory and reduced phonemic awareness.
●Such difficulties do not just affect a learner’s academic study, they also hinder a learner in his/ her daily life and are frequently associated with other learning disabilities (e.g. problems with fine motor skills).
Instruction matters
●Education policy nowadays have emphasized a multi-tiered interventions in schools, leading to a growing interest in improving teacher knowledge and skill in reading instruction.
●Moats (2009): skilled instruction is crucial in preventing and ameliorates reading failure among students. Teachers should be equipped with solid knowledge foundations for teaching reading and spelling in order to differentiate instruction for diverse learners.
“Teachers should no longer be taught that students’ reading outcomes depend more on gender, IQ, socioeconomic status, handedness, or learning style, than instruction. Teachers should no longer be taught that teaching is an exercise in personal philosophy and that learning to read is a natural, organic process (Walsh et al., 2006). Classroom experience, use of structured reading programs, use of screening tests, and accountability pressures are valuable but not sufficient to build expertise in reading and writing instruction. State and federal policies that support multi-tiered instruction and preventive intervention depend first and foremost on capable, educated teachers”. (Moats, 2009, p.393)
5 Essential component of effective reading instruction
Phoneme awareness
Phonics, word study and spelling
Reading fluency
Vocabulary development
Reading comprehension
(The Reading Partnership, 2003)
A presentation by Dr. Margaret Crombie
●View the video here.
●You are encouraged to take notes while watching the video presentation.
The role of IT in supporting learners with reading and writing difficulties
Post-viewing discussion:
1.In what ways is IT useful to help dyslexic learners? Do you agree with what Dr. Crombie said?
2.Are there any specific tools, applications, software, websites that you would recommend? Type your recommendations here. (Join code: JEKA7PAFU)
3.What difficulties/barriers have you experienced in using modern technological tools when working with dyslexic students? Have you got any suggestions for how to overcome these?
How can we help? Kormos and Smith (2012):
●Provide extra activities and materials to allow for additional practice--it often takes them longer to acquire new information and transfer it to long-term memory.
●Incorporate a range of multi-sensory activities and explicit instruction on the phonological / orthographic relationships of the language.
●Provide alternative ways of demonstrating understanding. Students might be asked to produce mindmaps, diagrams, bullet points, pictures, models or even short dramatic performances which demonstrate how much of the target language they have understood and produced.
●Teachers need to be sensitive to the issue of self-esteem whilst not allowing students to ‘exempt’ themselves from important learning opportunities. They need to anticipate activities that may present challenges and find ways of supporting them so as to instil confidence.
●Teach learning strategies explicitly to help learners develop effective study skills and metacognitive techniques in the context of their studies. These will help them not only succeed at language learning, but also in other areas of their lives.
How has technology transformed reading?
Development of e-books so far
●Scanning entire print picture books
●Transforming books into film-like creations
●Transforming books with features unique to the digital world and adding interactive features, including games, that extend beyond story
(Yokota, 2014)
Added advantages of e-texts over printed texts
Many forms of ebooks nowadays allow readers to physically interact and manipulate texts to meet individual needs and interests. And here are some of the numerous unique features offered by these electronic texts:
●Read texts with audio support
●Word-by-word tracking
●Comprehension supported by visuals (e.g. picture animation)
●Opportunity to record and replay read-aloud
●Ability to check definition and pronunciation of any unfamiliar word
●Highlight any section of the text and add notes
Unique benefits offered by digital tools in facilitating response to a text
Some examples:
●Write virtual notes to annotate a text (e.g. summarising main events)
●Use digital drawing tools to visualise what they have read
●Record audio for a response
●Graphically organise responses in limitless way with online mindmap tools
●Simultaneously share screens and project images and written responses
What makes a good e-book?
Why may IT be incorporated into literacy activities?
An example from Hutchison et al. (2012, p.19)
Online resources for learning phonics
Technology for supporting readers with reading and writing difficulties
References
Crombie, M. (n.d.). Using IT to teach students with dyslexia [video]. Retrieved from https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/dyslexia/0/steps/6756
Kormos, J., & Smith, A. M. (2012). Teaching foreign languages to learners with specific learning differences. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.
Hutchison, A., Beschorner, B., & Schmidt-Crawford, D. (2012). Exploring the Use of the iPad for Literacy Learning. Reading Teacher, 66(1), 15-23.
Moats, L. (2009). Knowledge foundations for teaching reading and spelling. Reading And Writing, 22(4), 379-399.
The Partnership for Reading. (2003). Put reading first: The research building blocks for teaching children to read. Kindergarten through grade 3 (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
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