Using a Reading App to Teach Reading to Young Children With Autism

• In Event: Young Children Learning With Mobile Devices: Research on Design and Implementation

Abstract

Perspective: This study aims to inform research in using ICTs to support learning of children with SEN and to develop teachers’ skills in using more effective and innovative pedagogies through the use of technology. Teachers and teaching assistants identify and develop examples of effective pedagogic practice in using apps, which facilitate reading, spelling and other basic learning blocks and aid the teaching of pupils with SEN. Additionally, it aims to develop the skills of practitioners through mentoring a colleague.

Methods: The research method followed a participatory case study mixed methods design were teachers and researchers exchanged knowledge and experience. In this study, evidence collected by the teacher was: video recordings of sessions, her own reflective diaries and the app’s data analytics on each child’s progress. The research team separately observed specific classroom sessions when the app was used, making event-based observational notes focusing both on student behaviour and progress and on the teacher's use of the technology in relation to the specified learning target.

Data sources: The reading app used in this case study was Reading Eggs, a well-researched app which, as well as the alphabet, includes a comprehensive phonics programme based on instructional lessons such as core phonics and variety of vowel sounds (Beck, 2006). The participating teacher selected 5 children out of her class of eight 6-7 year olds with reading ages from 0-3 who were at different levels of development. Three of these children completed the task over 10-12 weeks with surprising literacy and autism related outcomes and the remaining two encountered barriers with sensory aspects (music and animals’ special characters’ clash). In all 5 cases, the teacher was able to draw conclusions both for improving the use of the app (eg., as assessment or as transition tool) and to feedback what design elements were inappropriate for her pupils.

Results: The data showed an increase of between one and two reading years’ progress for 3 of the children in focus. Researcher’s observations and the teacher’s development data showed that the teacher was surprised with children’s performance in front of the screen as opposed to both the paper based method and a previously tried app (Simple Reading) neither of which yielded successful outcomes for the children. She learned a lot more about the child’s learning capabilities, preferences and behaviours with respect to their SEN and autism.

Significance: The results have implications on how to implement this type of professional development in schools at a time where resources are scarce. Recommendations to extend learning tasks and develop new ways of using the app to better assess the progress of children with SEN are also offered.

Author

• Maria A Kambouri, University College London