Technology tools for early literacy instruction in grades kindergarten through three

¶ … Technology to Support Beginning Readers in K-3

More and more technology is being adopted in the classroom to facilitate student learning. Recent initiatives established by the no child left behind act have strengthened educators desire to ensure that all students achieve an acceptable level of literacy by grade three. As such educators have adopted various techniques including use of technology to support literacy in the classroom. Studies suggest that technology use in the classroom is beneficial for promoting literacy. This report examines the various technologies that are effective and what techniques can be adopted to facilitate student literacy at the K-3 level with regard to literacy.

What Techniques Have Been Tried

Computers are considered "versatile tools" that can support a wide range of scholastic activities including facilitating reading in the classroom (Kerawalla & Crook, 2002). As such more and more classrooms are inundated with technology tools to facilitate learning. Computers are used more often than other forms of technology to facilitate student learning. Multiple techniques have been tried and tested to help educators determine what tools are best suited to facilitate student learning in the classroom. Content contained in classroom computer software programs typically supports core curriculum subjects (Kerawalla & Crook, 2002).

Within the classroom a variety of resources and software materials are made available; techniques include reference or searchable databases, drill and practice exercises where students participate in question and answer sessions, educational game sessions where students are challenged to solve problems within the context of a narrative, electronic book reading where page-turning frames are used so students can enjoy fully illustrated texts, and creative tool use that includes text and image processors to stimulate student reading and reciting (Kerawalla & Crook, 2002: 8).

The no child left behind act has recently committed schools to ensuring that children can read by the end of third grade (Lafferty, 2002) hence more and more schools are incorporation reading research programs using technology to facilitate greater literacy. Other techniques that are being applied resulting from the no child left behind pressure include fully featured online curricula that target specific reading skills (Lafferty, 2002).

Most of these programs focus on skills central to reading including phonemic awareness, vocabulary, text comprehension, phonics and fluency (Lafferty, 2002). Standards-based curriculum and variations of talking books have been used, blending various teaching modalities that incorporate the use of sight, sound and touch in learning (Lafferty, 2002).

Talking books that blend each of the modalities also prove effective for encouraging reading fluency particularly as they enable kids to practice phonemics and reading fluency via electronic books (Lafferty, 2002). There are multiple versions of this including LeapFrog's LeadPad and Compass Learning's PlayBox Theme Time (Lafferty, 2002).

Under What Conditions Were Technologies Ineffective

When technology is used in the classroom it has to be maintained and well designed to function properly and enable student learning (Casey, 1997; Elmore, 1996). All too often however maintenance detailing is overlooked; in some cases for example the room has not been adapted for technological use (Barish & Daley, 2005). Lighting for example is not often sufficient to support computer use or various forms of projection to make technology work correctly (Barish & Daley, 2005). Noise abatement is another issue; many labs are too loud and students have difficulty focusing under these conditions hence do not learn as much as they could in an environment more conducive to silent learning (Barish & Daley, 2005). Additionally much of the equipment afforded students is outdated and replacement devises are sometimes hard to come by (Barish & Daley, 2005).

Technology is sometimes detrimental when it is also oversimplified or when the learning environment is one that holds a fear of computers or when staff members or parents believe that computers may be detrimental rather than helpful to student learning (Khine, 2001; Hutinger & Johansen, 2000; Casey, 1997). Acceptance and attitudes toward computer use are often critical at best particularly by those that are more traditionally-based or unfamiliar with the benefits that technology has to offer students and the capabilities computers and technology have to enable better access to information and enable better processing of information and knowledge (Khine, 2001). However studies suggest that with adult interaction computer use can actually facilitate greater interaction, discussion and even verbal expansion by users (Hutinger & Johansen, 2000).

Promising Strategies to Adopt in the Classroom

Much of the research conducted thus far on technology use in the classroom suggests that positive gains are made when children adopt technology use to facilitate literacy (Hutinger & Johansen, 2000). Interactive computer stories and other mediums that allow preschool students to compare stories on screen with text books seem beneficial for facilitating student learning; it can for example encourage young children to create their own books and select their favorite stories (Hutinger & Johansen, 2000). Children's responses to interactive software seem most encouraging; hence a variety of techniques and tools should be adopted including online texts and CD-ROMs that encourage active participation in the classroom (Hutinger, 1999; Hutinger & Johansen, 2000).

Technology in the classroom however can only be effective when it combines teacher training, assessment of student's skills and curriculum integration for students, otherwise the benefits of technology are "diluted" (Hutinger & Johansen, 2000). Younger students are often more open minded and welcome new and interactive modes of learning (Khine, 2001). Teachers can take advantage of this attitude to facilitate learning objectives and encourage greater participation.

There are multiple strategies the teacher can adopt to promote successful literacy in the classroom. The research reveals that teachers need to integrate curricula with technology use. Students should be guided and directed in multiple tasks and combine various teaching tools that include use of online games, drill and practice techniques, use of online texts, creation of their own texts and use of searchable databases.

Students respond positively when encouraged to experiment with new tools and engage in a variety of tasks, hence it is important that teachers provide multiple tools for learning. As the evidence points out assessment is also vital to student achievement, hence before technology is adopted and used successfully teachers should assess student competence in various levels of literacy including phonemics, vocabulary and comprehension to determine what programs are best suited to particular students.

References:

Barish, S. & Daley, E. (2005 -- Oct). "Low-tech and non-tech obstacles to information technology." EduExec, 24(10): 1-7.

Casey, J. (1997). Early literacy: The empowerment of technology. Englewood, CO:

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Elmore, R. E (1996). "Getting to scale with good educational practice." Harvard

Educational Review, 66(1), 1-26.

Hutinger, P.L. & Johanson, J. (2000 -- Fall). "Implementing and maintaining an effective early childhood comprehensive technology system." Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 20(3): 27.

Hutinger, P. (1999). How interactive technology affects emergent literacy. Children and Families, 18(3), 82-83.

Kerawalla, L. & Crook, C. (2002). "Children's computer use at home and at school:

context and continuity." British Educational Research Journal, 28(6): 1-22.

Khine, M.S. (2001). "Attitudes toward computers among teacher education students in Brunei Darussalam." International Journal of Instructional Media, 28(2): 147.

Lafferty, I.O. "Ready, set read!" Technology & Learning, 23(2): 18.