Abstract

The effectiveness of a reading intervention using the whole-word multimedia software ‘Oxford Reading Tree (ORT) for Clicker’ was compared to a reading intervention using traditional ORT Big Books. Developing literacy skills and attitudes towards learning to read were assessed in a group of 17 struggling beginner readers aged 5–6years. Each child was given each of the two interventions, and the order of intervention was counterbalanced across the group. Each intervention was integrated into the literacy hour over five consecutive days. Measures of written word recognition, written word naming, phonological awareness and attitudes towards computers were taken before and after each intervention. Significant gains in performance were found following both interventions for all of the literacy measures, but significantly greater gains in written word recognition and enjoyment of instruction were found following the Clicker than Big Book intervention. These results suggest that whole-word multimedia software could be a useful classroom aid for supporting early literacy skills in children who are struggling with learning to read.

Citation

Karemaker, A., Pitchford, N.J. & O’Malley, C. (2010). Enhanced recognition of written words and enjoyment of reading in struggling beginner readers through whole-word multimedia software. Computers & Education, 54(1), 199-208. Elsevier Ltd. Retrieved November 29, 2023 from https://www.learntechlib.org/p/66953/.

Keywords

• Beginning Reading
• Books
• Computer Assisted Instruction
• Computer Attitudes
• Computer Software
• educational technology
• electronic learning
• Emergent Literacy
• Evaluation of CAL systems
• improving classroom teaching
• Instructional Effectiveness
• Intervention
• Multimedia Instruction
• Multimedia Materials
• Phonological Awareness
• Reading Difficulties
• Reading Improvement
• Reading Instruction
• Reading Materials
• Reading Motivation
• student attitudes
• student motivation
• teaching methods
• Word Recognition