Overall Analysis
of the Impact of the Intervention Upon Student Change
I observed that using an iPad to practice reading subskills was highly engaging and motivating for students, making learning fun. Providing an opportunity for the teacher to efficiently differentiate instruction by presenting a variety of apps to acquire reading subskills, the iPad promoted independence among struggling readers and encouraged positive attitudes toward learning. The sample of seven students representing the general kindergarten classroom population showed a substantial increase in acquiring early reading subskills as demonstrated by performance observations and pre and post intervention assessments (See Figure 8.). Analysis of the pre and posttest results from this investigation indicate that use of iPad applications benefit the development and promoted automaticity of early reading subskills, suggesting the iPad to be an effective means of conducting literacy instruction for kindergarten students.
As with researchers’ findings and conclusions previously discussed in the review of literature, Hutchison, Beschorner, & Crawford (2012) found that iPads and similar tablets have been relatively unexplored as tools for literacy learning. The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible success of using iPads as a teaching tool for the development of kindergarten students’ reading subskills. Siegle, as well as Paula Saine (2012) believe that due to the advancement of digital technologies in society, iPods, iPads, and SMART Boards have made their way into classrooms and are transforming literacy instruction and learning.
Reading is comprised of the development of many skills that are not all learned at once. It takes a considerable amount of time to learn and practice each component. At any stage in development, different children find particular ways of learning easier. With so many different interests, aptitudes, levels, and abilities, some ways of attaining reading skills, and the order in which the components are learned and mastered differ among individuals. Carroll (1985) explains that children can learn a number of skills simultaneously and reach mastery of them at different periods in their development. Children who are having difficulty learning to read need to have different skills emphasized in instruction at different times. Teachers must then provide instruction based upon the characteristics of those individual students.
It was observed that students using an iPad to practice reading subskills were highly engaged and motivated. With the ability to differentiate instruction, the iPad promoted independence among struggling readers and easily distracted students, encouraging positive attitudes towards learning.
Pre and posttest results from this investigation found a correlation of iPad applications as an effective means of literacy instruction that fostered the development and automaticity of early reading subskills. Significant discrepancies between below average AIMSweb Phoneme Segmentation Fluency and above average AIMSweb Nonsense Word Fluency suggest students developed the implicitly taught early reading subskills with automaticity to independently read words and sentences earlier in their development. From the literature reviewed in this investigation, it is reported that lack of early reading subskills can be used as a possible indicator for future struggling readers. As an early childhood educator, I have the opportunity to contribute to the future success of students.
It is hoped that students using iPads will not only meet content-area objectives but will develop new technological literacy skills for the 21st century. Digital technologies have multiple opportunities for students in classrooms today. Reading instruction can be supplemented with access digital texts. For students reading at advanced grade-levels, reading texts in a digital form serve to motivate students as well as improve their reading fluency. Reading success can be influenced by the students’ ability to manipulate the texts while reading. Students can employ the features of note-taking, changing font size, text-to-speech, and a dictionary to define unknown vocabulary.
Direct instruction and the practice of reading subskills in early childhood are vital to future reading success for students. Although the iPad as a learning tool for literacy instruction has not yet been extensively researched, there are indications from literature, and this investigation’s intervention results to support the iPad’s use to successfully develop young students’ reading subskills. The iPad is suggested to be an invaluable tool for teachers in differentiating instruction to meet the needs and interests of many students. For still developing or struggling students, what are intended to be independent classroom activities are typically at an instructional or frustration level for these students. iPad applications can be used as a new supplemental teaching tool that supports these students’ development to more accurately and successfully practice reading subskills at independent levels.
As with researchers’ findings and conclusions previously discussed in the review of literature, Hutchison, Beschorner, & Crawford (2012) found that iPads and similar tablets have been relatively unexplored as tools for literacy learning. The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible success of using iPads as a teaching tool for the development of kindergarten students’ reading subskills. Siegle, as well as Paula Saine (2012) believe that due to the advancement of digital technologies in society, iPods, iPads, and SMART Boards have made their way into classrooms and are transforming literacy instruction and learning.
Reading is comprised of the development of many skills that are not all learned at once. It takes a considerable amount of time to learn and practice each component. At any stage in development, different children find particular ways of learning easier. With so many different interests, aptitudes, levels, and abilities, some ways of attaining reading skills, and the order in which the components are learned and mastered differ among individuals. Carroll (1985) explains that children can learn a number of skills simultaneously and reach mastery of them at different periods in their development. Children who are having difficulty learning to read need to have different skills emphasized in instruction at different times. Teachers must then provide instruction based upon the characteristics of those individual students.
It was observed that students using an iPad to practice reading subskills were highly engaged and motivated. With the ability to differentiate instruction, the iPad promoted independence among struggling readers and easily distracted students, encouraging positive attitudes towards learning.
Pre and posttest results from this investigation found a correlation of iPad applications as an effective means of literacy instruction that fostered the development and automaticity of early reading subskills. Significant discrepancies between below average AIMSweb Phoneme Segmentation Fluency and above average AIMSweb Nonsense Word Fluency suggest students developed the implicitly taught early reading subskills with automaticity to independently read words and sentences earlier in their development. From the literature reviewed in this investigation, it is reported that lack of early reading subskills can be used as a possible indicator for future struggling readers. As an early childhood educator, I have the opportunity to contribute to the future success of students.
It is hoped that students using iPads will not only meet content-area objectives but will develop new technological literacy skills for the 21st century. Digital technologies have multiple opportunities for students in classrooms today. Reading instruction can be supplemented with access digital texts. For students reading at advanced grade-levels, reading texts in a digital form serve to motivate students as well as improve their reading fluency. Reading success can be influenced by the students’ ability to manipulate the texts while reading. Students can employ the features of note-taking, changing font size, text-to-speech, and a dictionary to define unknown vocabulary.
Direct instruction and the practice of reading subskills in early childhood are vital to future reading success for students. Although the iPad as a learning tool for literacy instruction has not yet been extensively researched, there are indications from literature, and this investigation’s intervention results to support the iPad’s use to successfully develop young students’ reading subskills. The iPad is suggested to be an invaluable tool for teachers in differentiating instruction to meet the needs and interests of many students. For still developing or struggling students, what are intended to be independent classroom activities are typically at an instructional or frustration level for these students. iPad applications can be used as a new supplemental teaching tool that supports these students’ development to more accurately and successfully practice reading subskills at independent levels.