Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02327241 2000-12-01
1
A Method Of Teaching Reading
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of teaching
reading skills and in particular to a computer based method
involving a balanced approach to such instructions.
Background
Considerable effort has been devoted, in the past
number of years, into developing methods for teaching
students how to read. Unfortunately, most of the
conventional methods, including known computer based
methods, focus on a single technique for teaching all
readers, ignoring the fact that each student has different
strengths and weaknesses.
Research by experts in the field and, in particular
that of Dr. Christina Fiedorowicz and Dr. Ronald Trites,
has demonstrated the need for a balanced approach to
reading instruction. This balanced approach involves
providing all of the basic skills necessary to develop
effective reading skills, and is normally divided into
three different program components: phonemic awareness,
reading subskills, and reading comprehension.
Phonemic awareness is the understanding that speech is
composed of a series of individual speech sounds called
phonemes, and to read successfully words are broken down
into sounds, for example the word "cat" is broken down into
separate phonemes -/k/, /a/, and /t/.
CA 02327241 2000-12-01
2
Reading subskills incorporate several concepts
including automaticity and reading subtypes. A task
analytic approach is used to deliver both the assessment
and intervention requirements to remediate students with
reading disabilities or those wishing to accelerate skill
development. This overall approach creates a structural
and sequential methodology for effectively addressing poor
decoding and component reading skills that ultimately leads
to.improvements in reading comprehension.
The final phase of the training involves reading
comprehension, which challenges the students to use the
skills learned in the two previous phases in comprehension
exercises.
However, the implementation of such a balanced reading
program comes at a cost. For most teachers, assigning and
modifying training of a small group of students is
manageable. The proliferation of computers and an increased
awareness of students with reading difficulties make the
small group environment much less commonplace.
Typically, this new atmosphere requires educators to
sacrifice program efficacy in order to accommodate more
students. In order to maintain the efficacy of a balanced
approach to reading instruction in a computer lab with 20
or more workstations, the teacher's role as technical and
pedagogical administrator must be significantly re-aligned.
If it is not, teachers run the risk of providing
incomplete, unbalanced and inconsistent instruction.
The more basic principles of teaching reading skills
have been known for some time. However, the most effective
CA 02327241 2007-10-12
3
way of implementing these principles into a classroom or
computer laboratory setting, so that a large number of
students at a variety of different reading levels can reap
the full benefit of these principles, is still under study.
One of the earlier computer based programs which
relies on teacher input was developed by the present
Assignee and provides a reading program based primarily
upon the identification of three reading sub-types of
students who were experiencing reading difficulties. The
three sub-types are, Type O(oral reading), Type A
(intermodal-associative deficit), and Type S (sequential
deficit). The program improves the rapid automatic
responses of the student to the training stimuli which are
broken down in a particular way to train students who
belong to the different sub-types. For more information
relating'to this earlier program reference may be made to
the Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law delivered by
the United-States District Court For The District Of New
Mexico under court docket No. 91-960-M Civil.
Summary of the Invention
The present invention provides, in a first aepect, a
computer based method of teaching reading skills to a
student comprising the steps of determining which one of a
seri,es of predetermined training streams is appropriate for
the student, based on the student's grade level; providing
a series of phonemic awareness exercises; providing a
series of reading subskill exercises; providing a series of
reading comprehension exercises; running on a computer the
CA 02327241 2000-12-01
4
appropriate training stream, which includes: alternating
between at least one phonemic awareness exercise and at
least one reading subskill exercise until all of the
phonemic awareness exercises are mastered; alternating
between at least one reading subskill exercise and at least
one reading comprehension exercise until all of the reading
subskill exercises are mastered; and mastering remaining
reading comprehension exercises; wherein a pre-determined
level of mastery must be achieved on each exercise before
proceeding to the next exercise.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a
computer-based method of teaching reading skills to a
student comprising the steps of: determining which one of a
series of predetermined training streams is appropriate for
the student, based on the student's grade level compared to
the student's reading level as determined by a Cloze
paragraph test; providing a series of phonemic awareness
exercises; providing a series of reading subskill
exercises; providing a series of reading comprehension
exercises; running on a computer the appropriate training
stream, which includes: alternating between at least one
phonemic awareness exercise and at least one reading
subskill exercise until all of the phonemic awareness
exercises are mastered; alternating between at least one
reading subskill exercise and at least one reading
comprehension exercise until all of the reading subskill
exercises are mastered; and mastering remaining reading
comprehension exercises; wherein a pre-determined level of
mastery must be achieved on each exercise before proceeding
CA 02327241 2006-09-22
to the next exercise; when the student's reading level is
two or more levels below the student's grade level.
In yet another aspect, the present invention provides
5 a computer based method of teaching reading skills to a
student comprising the steps of: determining which one of a
series of predetermined training streams is appropriate for
the student, based on the student's grade level compared to
the student's reading level as determined by a Cloze
paragraph test; providing a series of reading subskill,
exercises; providing a series of reading comprehension
exercises; running on a computer the appropriate training
stream, which includes; alternating between at least one
subskill exercise and at least orie reading comprehension
exercise until all of the subskill exercises are mastered;
and mastering remaining reading comprehension exercises;
wherein a pre-determined level of mastery must be achieved
on each exercise before proceeding to the next exercise;
when the student's reading level is one level below, equal
to, or greater than the student's grade level.
In another aspect, the invention provides a method of
teaching reading skills to a student utilizing a computer
based training program, the computer having means to
implement the training program, a monitor screen to present
visual instructions, means to provide auditory
instructions, and interactive means to allow the student to
respond to visual and auditory instructions, the method
comprising:
matching from the training program one of a series of
predetermined training streams based on the student's grade
level;
CA 02327241 2006-09-22
5a
implementing the selected series of training streams on
the computer, the series of training streams including: a
series of phonemic awareness exercises; a series of reading
subskill exercises, said subskill exercises including at
least a visual matching of a combination of letters having
at least one vowel and at least one consonant; and a series
of reading comprehension exercises; and
presenti'ng the respective series of exercises to the
student in a developmental sequence such that at least one
of said series of phonemic awareness exercises is
alternated with at least one of said series of reading
subskill exercises;
matching student answers to the phonemic awareness
exercises with predetermined correct answers;
calculating a percentage of correct answers and a
consistency of response times in the phonemic awareness
exercises to determine whether all of said series of
phonemic awareness exercises is mastered;
after said series of phonemic awareness exercises is
mastered, presenting at least one of said series of reading
subskill exercises alternated with at least one of said
series of reading comprehension exercises;
matching student answers to the reading subskill
exercises with predetermined correct answers;
calculating a percentage of correct answers and a
consistency of response times in the reading subskill
exercises to determine whether all of said series of
reading subskill exercises is mastered;
after said series of reading subskill exercises is
mastered, presenting at least one of said series of reading
comprehension exercises;
matching student answers to the reading comprehension
exercises with predetermined correct answers;
CA 02327241 2006-09-22
5b
calculating a percentage of correct answers and a
consistency of response times in the reading comprehension
exercises to determine whether the reading comprehension
exercises have been mastered.
In another aspect, the invention provides a method of
teaching reading skills to a student utilizing a computer
based training program, the computer having means to
implement the training program, a monitor screen to present
visual instructions, means to provide auditory
instructions, and interactive means to allow the student to
respond to visual and auditory instructions, the method
comprising:
matching the student's reading level to a Cloze reading
level based on an assessment test;
selecting from the training program one of a series of
predetermined training steams, the training stream be
selected based on the student's grade level and the
student's reading level determined by the reading level
assessment test, and when the student's reading level is
two or more reading levels below the student's grade level;
implementing the selected series of training streams on
the computer, the series of training streams including: a
series of phonemic awareness exercises; a series of reading
subskill exercises, said subskill exercises including at
least a visual matching of a combination of letters having
at least one vowel and at least one consonant; and a series
of reading comprehension exercises; and
presenting the respective series of exercises to the
student in a developmental sequence such that at least one
of said series of phonemic awareness exercises is
alternated with at least one of said series of reading
subskill exercises;
CA 02327241 2006-09-22
SC
matching student answers to the phonemic awareness
exercises with predetermined correct answers;
calculating a percentage of correct answers and a
consistency of response times in the phonemic awareness
exercises to determine whether all of said series of
phonemic awareness exercises is mastered;
after said series of phonemic awareness exercises is
mastered, presenting at least one of said series of reading
subskill exercises alternated with at least one of said
series of reading comprehension exercises;
matching student answers to the reading subskill
exercises with predetermined correct answers;
calculating a percentage of correct answers and a
consistency of response times in the reading subskill
exercises to determine whether all of said series of
reading subskill exercises is mastered;
after said series of reading subskill exercises is
mastered, presenting at least one of said series of reading
comprehension exercises;
matching student answers to the reading comprehension
exercises with predetermined correct answers;
calculating a percentage of correct answers and a
consistency of response times in the reading comprehension
exercises to determine whether the reading comprehension
exercises have been mastered.
In another aspect, the invention provides a method of
teaching reading skills to a student utilizing a computer
based training program, the computer having means to
implement the training program, a monitor screen to present
visual instructions, means to provide auditory
instructions, and interactive means to allow the student to
respond to visual and auditory instructions, the method
comprising:
CA 02327241 2006-09-22
5d
matching the student's reading to a Cloze reading level
based on an assessment test;
selecting from the training program one of a series of
predetermined training streams, the training steam be
selected based on the student's grade level and the
student's reading level determined by the reading level
assessment test, and when the student's reading level is
not less than one reading level below the student's grade
level;
implementing the selected series of training streams on
the computer, the series of training streams including: a
series of reading subskill exercises, said subskill
exercises including at least a visual matching of a
combination of letters having at least one vowel and at
least one consonant; and a series of reading comprehension
exercises; and
presenting the respective series of exercises to the
student in a developmental sequence such that at least one
of said series of reading subskill exercises is alternated
with at least one of said series of reading comprehension
exercises;
matching student answers to the reading subskill
exercises with predetermined correct answers;
calculating a percentage of correct answers and a
consistency of response times in the reading subskill-
exercises to determine whether all of said series of
reading subskill exercises is mastered;
presenting at least one of said series of reading
comprehension exercises;
matching student answers to the reading comprehension
exercises with predetermined correct answers;
calculating a percentage of correct answers and a
consistency of response times in the reading comprehension
CA 02327241 2006-09-22
5e
exercises to determine whether all of said series of
reading subskill exercises is mastered.
Brief Descrip tion of the drawings
The invention will now be described in greater detail
having reference to the attached drawings wherein;
Figure l is a block diagram.of a local area network
of the type that.may be. used to deliver the program of the
present invention;
Figure 2 is an illustration of a monitor screen
showing various administrative and academic functions
performed by the present system;
CA 02327241 2000-12-01
6
Figure 3 is a flow diagram illustrating one embodiment
of the teaching program.
Detailed Description of the Invention
The present invention relates to a balanced approach
to reading that is intended to help students that have
failed to achieve the skills required to develop
comprehension abilities. The reading program of the
present invention is embodied in a computer readable format
for installation in a stand-alone computer such as a P.C.
or in a central server for access by a plurality of
computers in a local area network (LAN) environment.
Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating generally, a LAN
implementation in a school environment. The program is
installed in server 12 and individual sites or PCs 14 are
linked to the server for use by students in a computer lab
or classroom. The teacher or administrator may have a base
station 16. It will be apparent to one f'amiliar with
information technology that the program distribution can be
implemented in many different ways and the system shown in
Figure 1 is intended to show one possible example
The computer based reading program builds phonemic
awareness, develops students' decoding skills and improves
their comprehension abilities. The program's modular
design allows teachers to retrieve and review records
relating to students' progress and customize the students'
instructions in the appropriate areas based on their
individual requirements. The program also provides
flexibility whereby teachers administering the program can
CA 02327241 2000-12-01
7
use textbooks and other related software products to
stimulate students' appreciation for literature while
training their minds to understand written language. It is
understood that certain learning systems require a
particular level of reading ability in order for the
student to understand the curriculum. The present
invention relates to a program to ensure that students are
reading at the required level. The program is based on
individualized student testing and the development of a
customized training course based on the results of this
testing. These results are complemented by an extensive
management system to support teaching and administrative
functions.
Figure 2 shows an example of a screen presentation
delivered by the program. This display, called the foyer,
reveals some of the options and functions provided by the
program. From this screen a teacher or program
administrator can register the student, assign a password,
coordinate testing and training, and access on-line help.
Once registered, students can log into and out of the
program, enter rooms for which they have been assigned
access, or call up one of the full-motion animated video
guides. With the aid of recorded natural speech, these
guides provide encouragement and motivation, and help the
student move through the program.
The method of the present invention is designed to
teach or enhance the reading skills of students at any
level. To accomplish this the system has a number of
different training streams designed for students at
CA 02327241 2000-12-01
8
different age and reading levels. Accordingly, the first
step in the method of the present invention is to assess
the reading level of the student and thereby determine the
appropriate training stream. In the system's simplest
form, developed for general use, the training stream is
determined solely by the grade level of the student. Figure
3 is a flow diagram depicting the training sequences
according to this training stream. The sequences set out in
the flow diagram are almost entirely automated rather than
requiring specific input from the teachers administering
the program as was necessary in the prior programs.
In other embodiments of the system each student
undergoes a Cloze reading level assessment test, and an
appropriate training stream is determined based on the
student's grade level and Cloze reading level. The Cloze
reading level assessment test, in brief, judges a student's
reading level based on the ability to correctly add missing
words to a paragraph.
The following is an example of the possible training
streams:
First :Student Grade Level = Kindergarten or Grade 1.
Cloze Level = not a factor in this stream
Second :Student Grade Level = Grade 2 or 3.
Cloze Level = not a factor in this stream
Third :Student Grade Level = Grade 4 or 5.
Cloze Level = two or more levels behind grade level
Fourth :Student Grade Level = Grade 4 or 5.
Cloze Level = one level behind or better than grade
level
CA 02327241 2000-12-01
9
Fifth :Student Grade Level = Grade 6 to 12.
Cloze Level = two or more levels behind grade level
Sixth :Student Grade Level = Grade 6 to 12.
Cloze Level = one level behind or better than grade
level
Seventh: For students in grade 13 or higher, the grade 6 to
12 training logic is used, but the content is updated for
an adult.
After the appropriate training stream is determined,
the method according to this embodiment of the present
invention involves running an integrated program of
phonemic awareness, reading subskills, and reading
comprehension exercises. The difficulty of these exercises
is based on the determined training stream. The exercises
are in developmental sequences, with each exercise
representing an incremental step forward on a continuum of
reading skill development.
Initially the training stream alternates between one
or more phonemic awareness exercises and one or more
reading subskill exercises. Once all the phonemic
awareness exercises are mastered the training stream
alternates between one or more reading subskill exercises
and one or more reading comprehension exercises.
Preferably, a single phonemic awareness exercise is
followed by a single reading subskill exercise, thereby
ensuring that the student experiences a variety of
different exercises and that the student learns the basic
skills in a natural progression. However, in some training
streams the number of phonemic awareness exercises does not
CA 02327241 2000-12-01
equal the number of reading subskill exercises. Moreover,
in most training streams the number of reading subskill
exercises is far greater than the number of reading
comprehension exercises.
5 To complete any exercise it must be mastered with a
substantial level of accuracy. The mastery criteria for
the reading subskill exercises also include a latency or
automaticity aspect, whereby not only must the student
obtain a high level of accuracy, but they also must have a
10 consistent response time. For example, in a preferred
embodiment, each exercise is divided into a series of
trials with 50 items. After each trial the average
response time for the items in the trial is calculated. To
master the exercise the student must record three
consecutive average response times that are within a preset
range, e.g. 100 milliseconds. The actual speed of response
is not the important factor since different students will
naturally have different response times. The theory of
automaticity suggests that the basic components of reading
(i.e. letters, syllables and words) must not only be
learned, but learned to a very rapid skill level, whereby
processing then becomes automatic. This automaticity is
reflected inconsistently fast average response times.
To offer a comprehensive skill set for student
training, a combination of task-analytic and process-
oriented approaches has also been incorporated into the
present invention. In task analysis, complex tasks are
broken down into component parts. If the simpler component
skills are learned well, the reader is better prepared to
CA 02327241 2000-12-01
11
focus on the more difficult or complex tasks. During the
reading subskill exercises, letters, letter combinations,
syllables progressing to words of different phonetic and
orthographic patterns, phases, and finally sentences are
learned, to ensure that the student has mastered key
component skills required to be an effective reader. This
allows the student to comprehend the greater meaning of the
text they are reading without having to concentrate on the
decoding of individual words. An example of a set of
reading subskill exercises is detailed in the following
table.
CA 02327241 2000-12-01
12
Component Skill Visual Auditory- Oral Reading
Matching Visual
Matching
Letter Names X X X
Letter Sounds X X
CV/VC Syllables X X X
CVC Syllables X X X
CVC Words X X X
CVCV Syllables X X X
CVCV Words X X X
CCVC Syllables X X X
CCVC Words X X X
CVCC Syllables X X X
CVCC Words X X X
CVVC Group 1 X X X
Syllables
CVVC Group 1 X X X
Words
CVVC Group 2 X X X
Syllables
CVVC Group 2 X X x
Words
Level 1 to Level X x x
Words
Phrases X
Level 1 to 10 X
Sentences
CA 02327241 2000-12-01
13
Students not only receive instruction in component
skills, but are given the opportunity to practice the use
of these skills in comprehension exercises. The present
embodiment of the invention includes a set of paragraphs to
help students enhance their comprehension abilities. The
comprehension exercises help students develop strategies
for better comprehension, including the development of a
reading vocabulary, and the ability to identify the main
idea, understand relationships, make inferences, and retain
specific facts.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present
invention, the learning process is enhanced by the
immediate positive reinforcement of correct answers. One
of several animated character guides shown in Figure 2,
which is selected by the student, helps, directs and
encourages the student throughout the exercises. An
electronic award is given to students after mastery of each
skill or activity. Printable certificates correspond to
each award.
To avoid excessive frustration and to notify the
teacher of a problem, when a student fails a certain
exercise more than a predetermined number of times, the
program is put on hold and the student is prompted to seek
help from their supervisor. In a fully integrated system,
the supervisor also receives notification at their base
station that one of the student terminals is on hold.
Furthermore, in a fully integrated system, complete results
of the exercises for each student are sent to the base
CA 02327241 2000-12-01
14
station, where they are stored in memory for subsequent
review. In a preferred embodiment the number of results to
be stored are capped at a preset value, such as the 25 most
recent, and the previous results may be cached.
The following example, which sets out chronological
sequence of exercises for various grade levels as
contemplated by the present invention provide practical
implementat'ron protocols of the reading program according
to the invention.
AutoTest Button Training: Chronological Sequence of
Exercises: Grades 6-12 Option
All Grade 6 through 12 students will complete a Cloze
Paragraph Assessment then they
are placed as follows: If a student scores a basal reading
level of more than one grade level (two or more) behind
their actual grade level, then training exercises will
follow this sequence:
1) Phonemic Awareness Training - Word Matching (Rhyming)
2) Visual Match Training - Letters
3) Phonemic Awareness Training - Word Matching
(Beginning)
4) Visual Match Training - CV/VC non-Words
5) Phonemic Awareness Timing - Word Matching (Ending)
6) Visual Match Training - CVC non-Words
7) Phonemic Awareness Training - Sound Matching
(Beginning)
8) Visual Match Training - CVC Words
CA 02327241 2000-12-01
9) Phonemic Awareness Training - Sound Matching (Ending)
10) Visual Match Training - CVCV non-Words
11) Phonemic Awareness Training - Sound Matching (Middle)
5
12) Visual Match Training - CVCV Words
13) Phonemic Awareness Training - Blending (3 Phonemes)
10 14) Visual Match Training - CCVC non-Words
15) Phonemic Awareness Training - Blending (4 Phonemes)
16) Visual Match Training - CCVC Words
17) Phonemic Awareness Training - Segmentation (3
Phonemes)
18) Visual Match Training - CVCC non-Words
19) Phonemic Awareness Training - Segmentation (4
Phonemes)
20) Visual Match Training - CVCC Words
21) Visual Match Training - CVVC non-Words - I
22) Visual Match Training - CVVC Words - I
23) Visual Match Training - CVVC non-Words - 2
24) Visual Match Training - CVVC Words - 2
25) Visual Match Training - Words at Level One
26) Visual Match Training - Words at Level Two
27) Visual Match Training - Words at Level Three
28) Visual Match Training - Words at Level Four
29) Visual Match Training - Words at Level Five
30) Visual Match Training - Words at Level Six
31) Visual Match Training - Words at Level Seven
32) Visual Match Training - Words at Level Eight
CA 02327241 2000-12-01
16
33) Visual Match Training - Words at Level Nine
34) Visual Match Training - Words at Level Ten
35) Auditory-Visual Match Training - Letter Names
36) Auditory-Visual Match Training - Letter Sounds
37) Auditory-Visual Match Training - CV/VC non-Words
38) Auditory-Visual Match Training - CVC non-Words
39) Auditory-Visual Match Training - CVC Words
40) Auditory-Visual Match Training - CVCV non-Words
41) Auditory-Visual Match Training - CVCV Words
42) Auditory-Visual Match Training - CCVC non-Words
43) Auditory-Visual Match Training - CCVC Words
44) Auditory-Visual Match Training - CVCC non-Words
45) Auditory-Visual Match Training - CVCC Words
46) Auditory-Visual Match Training - CVVC non-Words - 1
47) Auditory-Visual Match Training - CVVC Words - I
48) Auditory-Visual Match Training - CVVC non-Words - 2
49) Auditory-Visual Match Training - CVVC Words - 2
50) Auditory-Visual Match Training - Words at Level One
51) Silent Reading Comprehension - Paragraphs at Level One
52) Auditory-Visual Match Training - Words at Level Two
53) Silent Reading Comprehension - Paragraphs at Level Two
54) Auditory-Visual Match Training - Words at Level Three
55) Silent Reading Comprehension - Paragraphs at Level
Three
56) Auditory-Visual Match Training - Words at Level Four
CA 02327241 2000-12-01
17
57) Silent Reading Comprehension - Paragraphs at Level
Four
58) Auditory-Visual Match Training - Words at Level Five
59) Silent Reading Comprehension - Paragraphs at Level
Five
60) Auditory-Visual Match Training - Words at Level Six
61) Silent Reading Comprehension - Paragraphs at Level Six
62) Auditory-Visual Match Training - Words at Level Seven
63) Silent Reading Comprehension - Paragraphs at Level
Seven
64) Auditory-Visual Match Training - Words at Level Eight
65) Silent Reading Comprehension - Paragraphs at Level
Eight
66) Auditory-Visual Match Training - Words at Level
Nine
67) Silent Reading Comprehension - Paragraphs at Level
Nine
68) Auditory-Visual Match Training - Words at Level Ten
69) Silent Reading Comprehension - Paragraphs at Level Ten
In a further embodiment of the invention, the
training streams are modified if the student's reading
level is one level below, equal to, or greater than the
student's grade level as determined by the Cloze paragraph
test. In this embodiment the series of phonemic awareness
exercises are omitted from the training stream.
Although particular embodiments of the invention
have been discussed and illustrated it will be apparent to
one skilled in the art that numerous changes can be made to
CA 02327241 2000-12-01
18
these embodiments without departing from the basic concept
of the invention. It is to be understood, however, that
such changes will fall within the true scope of the
invention as defined by the appended claims.
