How to Use Computers to Teach Children to Learn to Read
By C Michael Levy
During the past 20-30 years, computers became omnipresent within most traditional school classrooms. Yet, even as school districts dedicated an increasing amount of their technology resources to installing classroom computers, educators were often at a loss about how to use this new technology to teach. Teachers already had books, visual aids, and tactile materials specially designed to teach students all they needed to know about just about everything. Of what use was this new computer-based technology that promised to help teach an enlarging curriculum to kids who already had everything they needed to learn?
The reality is that computers have opened a whole new world to students, both at home and in the classroom. When the personal computer was merely a word-processing gadget, there were scattered opportunities to teach students limited reading and writing skills, but no real offering of any exciting new ways to teach subjects including social studies, science, and, above all, reading.
With the explosion of the personal computer into an advanced world of enhanced graphics and increasingly complex programs, the computer became more than a black screen with white words and a blinking cursor. Computers became true interactive tools for educators to use to stimulate the imaginations of their students. And, as computer software developers forayed into more than word processing and financial programs, games turned into age-specific programs, and age-specific programs morphed into educational opportunities.
One complaint voiced by many parents as computer software matured from adaptations of video game into real educational offerings, was that their children were spending excessive time in front of the computer. After all, there is little to smile about when a child trades his Nintendo for computer pinball or her Atari for a Barbie creativity program. But, most experts agree that computer software developers really stepped up to the plate when designing programs that not only presented children with real learning opportunities, but that appealed to a wide variety of interests at the same time. Now, many parents are actually pleased when their children want to use the computer.
Computer Software that Can Teach Children to Learn to Read
Relatively early on in the learning software game, developers worked to present learners with basic computer programs that focused heavily on A,B,C's and 1,2,3's. Early programs presented even preschool learners with simple reading programs based on traditional reading materials such as Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Cinderella, and the Dr. Seuss books. Later programs learned to focus on specific reading skills.
Today's computer software programs incorporate reading into a variety of learning media and subject area content. Just as educators have traditionally used different subject areas to help teach reading and vice versa, computer software has grown to the point where programs present children of all ages with multi-pronged combinations of reading activities across subject areas in order to facilitate and enhance learning. Just as computer games began to adapt play to the users' skill level some years ago, so too do sophisticated modern reading programs adjust to the needs and capabilities of the individual student. These new "learning" programs are so engrossing that students often tend to view them as "games." Now, even well-thought out computer games can be excellent supplemental learning opportunities for moderate and established readers.
Careful software purchasing decisions by parents, along with flexibly allocating computer time devoted to instruction vs entertainment can help sustain their children's interest and enthusiasm for both kinds of program at a high level.
Michael Levy is a well-known teacher and university researcher who has published more than 250 articles about learning. His latest project is Reading Buddy 2.0, software for teaching children to learn to read basic English using the innovative syllabics methodology. Michael invites traditional and home school teachers to explore this new method. Claim your free copy of Reading Buddy 2.0
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