Wednesday, May 14


                               In this class we looked at reading remediation programs that are available online or from software companies/education product suppliers. My partner for that class was Courtney. Here is what Courtney and I have discovered.

Five Websites for Reading Remediation

1.      Fast ForWord

• Reading Series increases processing efficiency and builds critical reading skills in a sequential fashion.

2.      Reading A - Z

• Site includes assessment materials, lessons, activities, downloadable levelled readers with accompanying resources.

3.      Reading Plus

• Site focuses on a reading intervention program for Gr. 3+. The program and materials target the areas of efficiency, motivation, and capacity in struggling readers.

4.      Into the Book

• Reading comprehension resource that focuses on eight research based strategies: Using Prior Knowledge, Making Connections, Questioning, Visualizing, Inferring, Summarizing, Evaluating, and Synthesizing.

5.      BBC Schools (Bitesize KS1)

• Offers a number of games and activities that target specific skills in reading (e.g. phonics, rhyming, alphabet, spelling, joining words, similar meanings, making sentences etc.)

Five Software Sites for Reading Remediation

1.      Click N’ Read – 
http://www.homeschoolreviews.com/reviews/curriculum/reviews.aspx?id=527

Phonics awareness program – 100 online phonics exercises
Children can work at own pace.
Online software – no software to install
Program is accessible anywhere

2.      Fast Forword
http://u.gemmlearning.com/fast-forword-software-program/?pi_ad_id=15017655040&gclid=CIrEp7WIub4CFYtAMgod2iAAiQ

Uses a games and reward system
Online availability
Designed for 30-50 minutes daily, 5 days per week
Daily monitoring and weekly progress reports.

3.      Intellitools
http://www.intellitools.com/default.html

Classroom Suite Reading Tutor
Phemonic Awareness 
Phonics and vocabulary development
Covers concepts such as letter name identification

4.      Earobics
http://www.earobics.com/

Claims to build skills such as recognizing and blending sounds and discriminating phonemes although doesn’t say much about how it is achieved.

5.      Lexia Learning
http://www.lexialearning.com/

Claims to offer;

Performance data without interrupting the flow to administer a test
Independent learning
Personalized learning
Predicts year end performance.

                                It was a great exercise to do. As always we can only skim the surface of such an activity. It makes me really wish that I could have more time to properly research these ideas and products/services. It's not only in the course that there is limited time. In my job it seems that I am always running activity to the next. I have come to realize that the longer you are in this profession, the better you become at what you do, the more efficient you are, the more you do, the more that is asked of you because you are good at what you do. Hence - no relief in sight as long as I keep trying to do a good job. Basically - I would really like to do more than just skim the surface, but I guess that's what the summer is for.

                              Barb's presentation was about remedial reading applications or reading apps that could be used as such and more. Here are the ones that stood out for me;

 For me I am always amazed at the power and potential of " Life on Earth"

Here is a demo from youtube

This would appear to be the way that textbooks are going. And a free download - awesome!

                              The other that fascinates me is IBook Author. Basically IBook Author allows documents created documents created with IBooks Author may be exported as PDF files or be published to the Apple IBooks bookstore. It is available free of charge. I love this idea!

Here is a review/tour

Scribd - what can I say. Absolutely amazing - Netflix for books. This is where all libraries should be in the next few years - everything digitized and available for loan online. 

Check it out here

http://www.scribd.com/