I explored the world wide web to find out what kinds of software programs are available for skill development and reading remediation. There are so many! I took a closer look at three programs - Rocketreader, Lexia and Fast ForWord. Following are my observations:
A) Rocketreader
b. Likes
i. Secondary content (though now I see the content is dated) and level
ii. Suggests 20 minutes per day
c. Dislikes
i. Awkward to use (space bar, arrows)
ii. Content was not interesting/engaging
iii. Page was not interesting/engaging
iv. Frustrating flashcards (sometimes I could not see the word due to screen colours and I was marked as incorrect)
v. Boring! I am bored using it so I can’t imagine students!
B) Lexia
b. Likes
i. Comprehensive – all aspects of reading (phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension)
ii. Timed – automaticity
iii. Expanding complexity
iv. Nice colour schemes
v. Nice graphics and animation; uncluttered
vi. Nice voice
vii. Assessment without testing (student performance data from daily activities)
viii. Easy for students to use (it seems from the demo); independence for students
ix. Easy for educators to use for evaluation
C) Fast ForWord
b. Likes:
i. Range – levels from Reading Readiness to secondary grades
ii. Easy to use (in the demos)
iii. Content appears to be age appropriate and interesting
iv. Cross-training – multiple skills are practiced for lasting improvement (memory, attention, processing, sequencing)
c. Dislikes
i. Scenes are bit cluttered; could be distracting
Overall, I like Lexia best. It seems to be the most engaging, and it is aesthetically pleasing (to me). Lexia also seems to be the most up-to-date technology and has a wide range of materials to meet every need.
