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SOFTWARE TOOLS TO MEASURE READING READINESS

Richard L. Stein, M. Ed. & Alice W. Wong, B.S.
Cerebral Palsy Center for the Bay Area
4500 Lincoln Avenue
Oakland, CA 94602

E-mail: cpcoak@slip.net

Web Posted on: December 12, 1997


In this paper we will discuss how authoring software can be used as a tool to measure prereading and beginning reading skills for people with multiple disabilities and little or no intelligible speech. While our discussion is based on work we did with adults, it is applicable for those who work with children.

We work at the Cerbral Palsy Center for the Bay Area with adults who have severe-often multiple- developmental disabilities. Consumers of our services range in age from 18 to 70. Most of the older consumers were educationally segregated and in many cases institutionalized. Many of the them have had no or inadequate communication systems. They have often been poorly educated. They have not had the educational advantages of fully participating in their community, which has led to a lack of general knowledge. In spite of their difficult history, many of them want to learn to read and become integral members of society. How to assess their reading skills has been a challenge.

In our development of assessment tools, computer access (i.e., consumer response method) was a primary consideration. We have designed most assessment tools so that they can be utilized with a single switch in order to meet the access needs of our consumer population. Assessment tools accessed with a single switch rely on scanning to move from one answer to another. This requires that first-time users understand the concept of scanning and are comfortable with it to select answers. Other mitigating factors in consumers' success and accuracy of the assessment tools include: visual perceptual, visual motor and auditory perception skills, environmental and emotional factors, interest and attention span, and learning styles.

The assessment tools discussed below are presented sequentially for most consumers. We have found that there are often gaps in consumers' prereading and beginning reading skills based on factors such as educational history, age, community involvement, developmental abilities, and language. They may have some phonics decoding skills while lacking others. Their whole language training is often spotty at best.


MATCHING

Usually the assessor will have some idea of the reading level at which the consumer functions. Many of our consumers have used picture word symbols from Boardmaker (Mayer-Johnson) and thus have some prereading skills. Because many of our consumers are first-time computer users, we begin our assessment with matching colors, shapes, letters, picture word symbols and words. Mayer-Johnson designed Boardmaker and Speaking Dynamically to work smoothly with each other as well as with IntelliPics (IntelliTools, Inc.). Assessment items can be directly pasted into Speaking Dynamically. We placed the assessment item at the top of the board in Speaking Dynamically. This button with auto preview (voice output) prompts the user to find the matching item. Below it we placed the matching item and distracters. We often begin with two distracters to make the test easier. We want consumers to be and feel successful, however, increasing the number of distracters will make the assessment more accurate. Accuracy and reliability of the assessment tool is a direct correlate of the number of distracters. Using more distracters reduces the percentage of correct answers based on chance. Recorded or synthesized voice can be used to give feedback. Recorded voice requires more memory and disk space but is user familiar and friendly. When assessing with a single switch, the picture buttons are scanned (directly or automatically) and selected with the switch. With a correct answer, branching takes the user to the next board. With voice output, the user can be praised for a correct answer or asked to try again if he or she answers incorrectly.

The most accurate assessment is observation. The number of incorrect answers can then be recorded. The appropriateness of the scan rate and switch positioning can be observed. This assessment tool can also be accessed by using Overlay Maker (IntelliTools, Inc.) to create an overlay for direct selection with an IntelliKeys board (IntelliTools, Inc.).


IDENTIFICATION

If consumers are successful at matching, they are then assessed on identification of colors, shapes, letters, picture word symbols and words. This assessment tool is similar to the one discussed above, but with a picture button prompt at the top of the board that has a question mark and says, for example, "Find the symbol you would use if you were thirsty" or, "Find the word restroom."

Identification of beginning consonants is next in the sequence. This is an example of the assessment tool. The prompt box on the Speaking Dynamically board shows the letter "B" and says, "This is the letter "B". The "B" makes the (buh) sound, find the picture below that begins with the (buh) sound." Again, the assessor may use as many distracters as he or she chooses.

A variation of consonant identification assessment follows. The prompt displays a picture of a car and says, "This is a picture of a car, the word car begins with the sound (kuh), find the letter below that begins with the (kuh) sound."

Following is an example of one method to assess consumers' ability to read community site words. Place a picture of a beverage vending machine into a Speaking Dynamically picture button sized to fit the screen. You can create the picture yourself or use a color QuickCam (Connectix) to take a snapshot of one. Snapshots can be touched up in any draw or paint program. Place beverage names and brand trademarks from Boardmaker into picture buttons on the vending matching button. You can also add a coin slot, coin return and can receptacle to make the picture more realistic if you create it yourself. A default picture button asks the consumer to select a kind of pop. If they answer incorrectly, they are asked to try again. If they answer correctly, they are told "good work" and the button branches to the next board where they are asked to select another kind of beverage. This design can be varied to assess for reading ability in many areas including reading a movie or TV guide, public transportation schedule, recipe, advertisement, traffic signs, and other site words.

Following is an example using Kid Pix Studio (Broderbund) to assess consumers' ability to read community site words. Many community site words such as McDonald's, phone, and restroom have pictures or icons that represent them. Many of these are in Board Maker. They can also be obtained by scanning a photograph or picture. Put the pictures on slides in the Kid Pix Studio slide show. Put the written word for each picture or icon on a slide. Randomly place the slides in the slide show. The consumer is asked to place the written word slide after the picture or icon slide by clicking and dragging. This assessment tool is best accessed with a mouse or Mouse Keys (Apple Computer, Inc.). It can be accessed using ClickIt (IntelliTools) with a Discover:Switch (Don Johnston, Inc.) scan array.


WORD FAMILIES

Assessing for the ability to place words in word families can be done with Speaking Dynamically using picture buttons and scanning as discussed above. An alternative is to use WriteOutloud (Don Johnston, Inc.). Here is an example. The word, "lake", is written on the page and highlighted. It is followed with words (each on a separate line) that are part of its word family as well as non-family words. When you are in Mouse Keys and the mouse arrow is on the talk icon in WriteOutloud, depressing the "5" on the number pad will read the line on which the cursor is positioned and then move to the beginning of the next line that contains a period. The consumer can read each word and place an "X" by the correct answer. There is an alternative for single switch users. We used Discover:Switch to make a scan array. It contains icons for the "5", the "X" and up and down arrows. This allows the consumer to read a line, mark an answer, and move up and down the page.


ENDING CONSONANTS

One alternative for assessing knowledge of ending consonants is to use IntelliPics. IntelliPics contains graphics or they can be imported from other sources. Begin by placing a picture in Intelli- Pics with a word (caption) above it that is missing the final consonant. Use 'Quizzes' to ask the consumer to supply the missing letter. Single finger users can type in the letter. Single switch users need an alphabet scan array created in Discover:Switch to select the missing letter. The assessor has the option to use voice output in both IntelliPics and the scan array. The voice can be recorded or synthesized.


VOWEL IDENTIFICATION

Assessment tools for vowel identification can be created similarly to the assessment tools discussed above using Speaking Dynamically or IntelliPics. An alternative example follows. Using Write Outloud, the consumer reads "I want to make a cake." The consumer is asked to mark with an "X," which vowel sound is used in the words "make" and "cake", 1) the short "A" sound or, 2) the long "A" sound. Single switch users will need the Discover:Switch scan array discussed above in "word families".


FINAL "E"

One tool for assessing consumers' knowledge of how the final "E" affects vowels in words such as "hat" (hate) can be achieved using Write Outloud. Following is an example. The consumer reads sentences that are correct or incorrect, e.g., "I hat apples." They place an "X" by correct sentences.


DIGRAPHS AND DIPHTHONGS

We would like to describe an assessment tool that can be used when assessing for knowledge of beginning or ending consonant digraphs, vowel digraphs or diphthongs. We used a color QuickCam to take a snapshot of a kitchen. We then took snapshots of objects in the kitchen, some of which were digraphs, e.g., plate, glass, spoon, meat. We pasted the kitchen snapshot into a screen-sized picture button in Speaking Dynamically. Next we pasted a digraph snapshot and distracter snapshots in picture buttons within the kitchen picture button. When the board opens, a default button asks the user to find the picture that has two letters that form one sound (digraph). If the user selects a distracter he or she is asked to try again. If the user answers correctly, he or she is praised (voice output) and the button branches to the next board. Variables that affect the degree of difficulty are: 1) the number of distracters used, 2) whether the user is prompted in the default button with the digraph sound, and 3) whether the picture buttons of objects also display the typed name of the object.


WORD PARTS

Here is an example of an assessment tool that can be used when assessing for knowledge of word parts. Place a picture of a person thinking in IntelliPics with a caption above it that says, "I am think." The user is asked to complete the word "think" (add a suffix). The degree of difficulty in the assessment will be easier if the user is shown possible endings (ing, ly, ed, full, s, y, er, ies) that appear as "modifiers" that can be displayed in IntelliPics. If modifiers are used, they can be sent to Overlay Maker for use in IntelliKeys. Single-switch users will need a Discover:Switch scan array with the alphabet or modifiers. Mouse users can directly access displayed modifiers.


READING COMPREHENSION

Assessment tools to measure reading comprehension can be created in most of the application programs discussed above. However, the simplest method is to use a word processing application. You can enter the text you wish to assess for or scan text into the application from newspapers, TV guides, books and magazines. Another alternative is to download articles from the Internet and place them in the word processing application. You can create quizzes that assess for varying degrees of comprehension.


REFERENCES

Broderbund Software
Kid Pix Studio, V.2.0, 1994-96
Novato, California

Connectix
QuickCam, 1995-96
San Mateo, California

IntelliTools, Inc.
IntelliPics, V. 1.2, 1994-95
ClickIt!, V 1.0, 1994-95
IntelliKeys, 1993-95
Overlay Maker, V. 2.2b, 1992-95
Novato, California

Mayer-Johnson Co.
Boardmaker, V. 3.3, 1990-95 by Dennis King
Speaking Dynamically, V. 1.2, 1990-95 by Dennis King
Solana Beach, California

Don Johnston,
Discover:Switch, 1996
Co:Writer, V 2.0, 1992-94
Wauconda, Illinois

Claris Corportation
ClarisWorks, V. 4.0, 1990, 1992-95
Salinas, California

Apple Computer, Inc.
Easy Access
Cupertino, California