| Abstract: | Mastery learning has been shown to be an effective method of raising the level of performance of pupils on a wide range of tasks. This method has been applied to the teaching of reading and spelling with primary school children with learning difficulties, in the form of a series of computer programmes using the high quality digital sound which is available in the current generation of low-cost portable computers.
Unlike many programmes designed to teach or encourage reading skills, the programmes developed for this project provide instantaneous feedback, and identify and reward correct responses, with high criterion levels set for progression from one task to the next. They also provide complete records of pupil performance, allowing teachers to select teaching sequences appropriate for each individual pupil. Case studies of pupils are presented, showing the performance gains obtained with short but regular use of the programmes, over a 12 week period. |
