The Efficacy of a Computer Program for Increasing Phonemic Awareness and Decoding Skills in a Primary School Setting for Children with Reading Difficulties

Edith Cowan University, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia 2020-01-01T08:00:00Z

This paper addresses a gap in research regarding the efficacy of software programs to help children with reading difficulties. Forty-two children aged 5-13 years identified as poor readers participated in a study over twelve weeks using ReadingDoctor, a software program targeting phonemic awareness, orthographic-phonemic mappings, decoding ability and sight word recognition. Measures were taken using the Sutherland Phonological Awareness Test - Revised (SPAT-R), the Test of Word Reading Efficiency (TOWRE), and the graphemes and decoding subtests of the Phonological Awareness Test 2 (PAT-2). A quasi-experimental one group study with three multiple baseline measures was used. The dependent variables/measures were assessed seven times over a period of 32 weeks, allowing the research to be completed in the school-allocated timeframe. Significant improvements were found on all three measures of phonological/phonemic awareness and word-reading efficiency. These improvements were maintained when assessed three months later, during which time the software program was not used.

phonics; phonemic awareness; phonological awareness; struggling learners; decoding; Disability and Equity in Education; Language and Literacy Education; journal_article

Open access content. Open access content

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Australian Journal of Teacher Education

ER0 oai:ro.ecu.edu.au:ajte-4079
https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol45/iss12/1
https://ro.ecu.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4079&context=ajte
1248815645

EDITH COWAN UNIV LIBR
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