Computers Fast Becoming Literacy Tool

The scenes flickering across the classroom computer screen could easily pass for Saturday morning cartoons, and little Elizabeth Ceja is glued to the show.

The ABCs float out of a magician’s hat as Elizabeth sings along. Then an alligator chomps a giant capital A across the screen.

“Oh, I love this one,” the 5-year-old says as she traces the letter with her index finger.

Elizabeth doesn’t know it, but she is part of an emerging wave in elementary school instruction. The animated world of computers is playing a growing role in reading lessons as teachers seek innovative ways to launch children on the voyage of literacy.

Advocates say that fanciful software programs engage even the antsiest students in learning by weaving the alphabet and other lessons into playful images of haunted houses, circus big tops and magical kingdoms.

Although experts say that little evidence exists about the effectiveness of the sometimes pricey technology, teachers and their schools are beginning to invest in hundreds of programs designed for early readers. Some districts are spending millions of dollars to equip classrooms with new electronic teaching tools.

Elizabeth’s school district, Hacienda La Puente Unified, is among the most enthusiastic in the region. The San Gabriel Valley system is spending $3 million on a new computer-based curriculum to supplement reading instruction in all kindergarten, first- and second-grade classrooms.

“This is the way to go to teach kids to read,” said Supt. John Kramar. “It’s too bad all of education can’t be fun for kids.”

The appeal is evident in classrooms like Elizabeth’s at Bixby Elementary in Hacienda Heights, where kindergartners regularly hop on computers before class begins and spend recess in front of fluttering screens that look more like Nintendo than schoolwork.

“Every one of my students has learned something, whether it’s the difference between a word and a letter or how books are read left to right,” said teacher Marguerite Mostofi.

That kind of eagerness from teachers--and parents--is fueling the rapid growth of a software industry niche. More programs were produced for reading instruction last year than for any other academic subject in preschool through ninth grade, according to the Children’s Software Revue, a leading trade magazine.

Nearly 700 reading programs were available to schools and homes, accounting for about one-fifth of all children’s educational software, the magazine reported.

Most of the programs are designed for the primary grades, the critical period when children are exposed to the building blocks of language. The software teaches letter-sound combinations, spelling, grammar and other skills, and allows children to tape their voices and print out stories.

Electronic storybooks build vocabulary and comprehension by highlighting words on the screen as a narrator reads a story and pronounces words that children select.

“There’s a lot of software out there, [and] it varies in quality,” said Warren Buckleitner, editor of the Children’s Software Revue. “The trick is knowing the kid and getting the right software.”

Sales Doubled in Last 5 Years

Industry experts say that the sale of computer programs has taken off in schools and homes--with combined sales virtually doubling over the last five years to $1.2 billion in 1998, according to the Software & Information Industry Assn. in Washington. Reading software programs are among the products driving the increase.

“Reading is a huge interest to parents as well as the educational community,” said Sue Kamp, director of the association’s education market division. “It’s such an essential skill.”

California, with nearly 2 million primary grade students, is an especially desirable market.

Although the state does not keep track of how much schools spend on computers or how many teachers use them, it does rate software for content and design.

The California Instructional Technology Clearinghouse has recommended nearly 275 reading and writing computer programs for use in schools.

The number of recommended programs could soon grow even further. California this month will adopt supplemental language arts materials to reflect new statewide standards in reading and writing. Several publishers and commercial software firms are seeking approval, which would allow them to vie for a portion of $250 million in new textbook funding.

As the number of programs grows, software analysts say, consumers should look for key signs to sort out the good from the bad. Buyers should check if the software states its objectives, whether it allows children to control the pace of lessons, and provides feedback that tells students when they answer questions correctly.

State officials say that they are receptive to the growing use of software, which costs an average of $20 for a CD-ROM but can run into tens of thousands of dollars for classroom-based programs.

“I think computers hold promise,” said Kathryn Dronenburg, a member of the state Board of Education and a first-grade teacher in San Diego. “It’s as though you have an extra assistant to help children on a very focused task.”

Dronenburg uses computer programs in her classroom to give her students practice in spelling and reading comprehension. She said the strength of the programs lies in their ability to deliver one-on-one instruction and to tailor lessons to individual needs. Yet like others, Dronenburg voiced caution.

Tools ‘Must Enhance Teaching’

“What we use must enhance teaching,” she said. “If it’s only a game, then it’s only like recess. School time is too precious for that.”

Researchers register similar concerns.

Although they say computer programs can help children learn discreet skills--such as how to name letters and recognize words--many suggest the programs may be more entertainment than education.

And they say there is little evidence that reading technology produces long-term results or is any better at delivering the basics than effective classroom teachers.

“It’s one thing to say that reading software grabs children and engages them in the task at hand. It’s another thing to say that having done that makes them better readers in second and third grade,” said Grover Whitehurst, an early reading specialist and chairman of the psychology department at the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

“Before we go into mass adoptions of these software programs, we need that research,” Whitehurst said.

It is research that has driven Hacienda La Puente Unified to invest heavily in computers for its primary grade classrooms.

Last year, the district and neighboring Whittier City School District received a $260,000 grant from a local group--the Rose Hills Foundation--to introduce the Waterford Early Reading Program.

Waterford arrived with a pedigree: It had been adopted by the state for use as a complete language arts program.

The software and accompanying computers were installed at four schools in Hacienda La Puente and at three in Whittier. An outside firm conducted a study to determine whether Waterford helped kindergartners master such literacy skills as the ability to identify letters.

The study showed that kindergartners who used Waterford made significantly greater gains than those who did not, and that the program considerably narrowed the skills gap between English learners and their English-speaking counterparts.

But the study’s authors cautioned that several factors could influence the reliability of the results.

The researchers concluded that they “had no control over the selection of comparison groups, the timing of testing or the testing procedures. Consequently, we cannot confirm . . . the reliability of testing procedures.”

Officials from the two school districts said they are satisfied with the results.

Whittier school officials said they are impressed with Waterford but lack funds to expand the initiative. Hacienda La Puente officials, meanwhile, are providing Waterford to all kindergarten, first- and second-grade classrooms at the district’s 24 elementary schools.

The program is being introduced over a districtwide computer network that will allow virtually any classroom to tap in.

The $3-million price tag, although high, is substantially lower than the estimated $10.6 million it would have cost to buy Waterford on individual computers as the program is marketed, officials said.

Kindergarten classes received the program last month; the other two grades are scheduled to get it this fall.

At Bixby Elementary, one of the pilot schools, Waterford has become a part of the daily routine.

There, in Marguerite Mostofi’s room, children rotate among three computers each morning--adjusting headsets, placing their hands on plastic mice and clicking on arrows that launch 15-minute sessions.

Several of the children sing along with the ABCs or nursery rhymes, oblivious to the rest of the room. As each session draws to a close, the name of the next student appears on the computer screen.

While children work at the computers, Mostofi conducts her class--quizzing students with alphabet flash cards, reading aloud to one group from an oversized book, assigning another group to complete letter work sheets at low-slung tables.

Mostofi said the computers are like high-powered teacher’s aides that allow students to work at their own pace.

Parents Too Are Excited

“The Waterford makes everything we are teaching come to life for the children,” Mostofi said. “It helps them practice what we are teaching in a very creative way.”

Parents, such as Elizabeth Ceja’s mother, Victoria, are equally excited.

“Elizabeth has learned all her ABCs by memory, and her numbers up to 20 without looking at them,” she said. “I’m really happy with the computers that have the alphabet.”

Each kindergartner takes home a collection of simple storybooks and videos with nursery rhymes, the alphabet and other skills, both produced by Waterford. The children are supposed to spend about 30 minutes with the materials each night. The videos, books and computer lessons seem to be having an effect on Elizabeth.

The little girl with the braided ponytail is easily distracted when she sits among fellow students in the middle of the room. But she is transfixed by the computer. She uses the mouse to guide a small purple fairy to spell the letters of her name. She traces a capital B in the form of big purple bubbles. And then she practices rhymes, giggling as she goes.

“Bug and mug--the same thing,” she says, referring to the rhyming sounds. Elizabeth grins widely, reflects for a moment and then offers her own impression of the technology. “Learning,” she says, “is fun.”

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For More Information

Consumer groups, public agencies and other organizations regularly review educational software for children, which is available at locations ranging from malls to the Internet. The evaluators examine a variety of features, including content, design and price. Here are three resources offering free information on thousands of software programs:

The California Instructional Technology Clearinghouse

Modesto

(209) 525-4979

https://www.clearinghouse.k12.ca.us

Children’s Software Revue

Flemington, N.J.

(908) 284-0404

https://www.childrenssoftware.com

Educational Software Institute

Omaha

(800) 955-5570

https://www.edsoft.com