MacGregor's approach to literacy remediation through educational technology

¶ … Remediation

In Literacy software saves struggling readers, by D. MacGregor, the author advocates an instructional technique urging teachers to use various educational technologies that allow them to analyze the individual needs of each particular student, which will allow them to develop remediation geared to their specific needs and abilities. Specifically, the author advocates using learning software to develop "programs that are individualized and self paced, ensuring that instruction is not moving too fast for some or too slow for others" (MacGregor, 2004, p. 52). The author notes there have been strides in the study of neuroscience, including learning more about understanding how students learn to read, and this is showing up in instructional software that is now available to instructors.

Specifically, the author advocates using direct instruction, mixed with technology, to teach certain reading skills repetitively, until they become automatic to the student. Positive reinforcement helps keep the student motivated and interested. Learning should also be offered in a progression that is geared from simple to complex, so students learn each step and move on to the next. The author reiterates the basic elements of reading must be understood, and so they must be consistently repeated until they become automatic for students. The author also notes, "Teachers also should not use the time spent on tasks as a measure of student progress; instead, educators should focus on the total number of exercises that students have mastered" (MacGregor, 2004, p. 52).