Combining teacher‐Led and technology‐assisted instruction to improve phoneme blending to read words for elementary students with disabilities

• Published in: Journal of computer assisted learning Vol. 37; no. 3; pp. 759 - 772
• Main Authors: Coleman, Mari Beth, Fowler, Kristen, Parater, Alexandra Lee, Riley, Marie Jackson, Park, Yujeong, Moore, Tara C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.06.2021; Wiley; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Blending; CAI; Classrooms; Computer assisted instruction; Computer Software; Conventional Instruction; Disabilities; Educational Technology; Elementary School Students; Grade 1; Grade 2; Grade 3; Grade 4; Intervention; Modelling; Phonemes; PowerPoint; Program Effectiveness; Reading comprehension; reading disabilities; Reading Instruction; Reading Skills; Skills; Software; Student Needs; Students with Disabilities; Teachers; teacher‐made materials; Teaching Methods; Technology Uses in Education; technology‐assisted instruction
• ISSN: 0266-4909; 1365-2729
• DOI: 10.1111/jcal.12521

Technology‐assisted instruction has potential for helping students improve their reading skills. In the current studies, PowerPoint software was used to supplement teacher‐led reading instruction for elementary‐aged students with disabilities who struggled with phoneme blending to read words. The effectiveness of the intervention was assessed using two multiple probe design studies across sets of words based on an onset‐rime (word family) strategy. In Study 1, teacher‐led instruction was paired with technology‐assisted instruction for all intervention sessions for three students in first and second grade. In Study 2, teacher‐led instruction occurred between baseline and technology‐assisted intervention sessions for three students in third and fourth grade. During the initial instruction sessions, participants recorded their own voices onto PowerPoint slides so that their technology‐assisted instruction included self‐modelling. Results of both studies indicated that technology‐assisted instruction can be effective for helping students learn how to blend phonemes to read words; however, performance varied and there were limitations in each study that should be addressed in future research. Relevant implications for classroom instruction are emphasized. Lay Description What is currently known about the subject matter Research has demonstrated technology can lead to positive learning outcomes for students with disabilities. When technology‐assisted instruction has been compared to teacher‐led instruction, some studies have demonstrated teacher‐led instruction to be superior. What this paper adds The two studies in this paper contribute by showing that technology‐assisted instruction combined with teacher‐led instruction can be effective in teaching phoneme blending to read words using an onset‐rime strategy for elementary students with high‐incidence disabilities. In these studies, PowerPoint software was used to develop teacher‐made activities to target specific skills. In one study, students’ voices were used in the technology activities to allow for self‐modelling. The two studies in this paper were conducted in classrooms by interning teachers using technology that is available in most classrooms; the methods could be replicated easily by practitioners. Implications of study findings for practitioners High‐quality teacher‐led instruction is important and should not be supplanted by technology‐assisted instruction. Combining teacher‐led and technology‐assisted instruction allows students to get the multiple opportunities for skill practice they need while freeing the teacher to work with other students. Using PowerPoint software allows practitioners to create free materials specific for student needs or materials that can be reused year after year; however, it does take time that teachers may not have.