Effectiveness of computerised spelling training in children with language impairments: a comparison of modified and unmodified speech input

Abstract

This study evaluated a computerised program for training spelling in 8-to 13-yearolds with receptive language impairments. The training program involved children typing words corresponding to pictured items whose names were spoken. If the child made an error or requested help, the program gave phonological and orthographic cues to build up the word's spelling. Eleven children received this training with ordinary speech, and eleven had the same program but with speech modified to lengthen and amplify dynamic portions of the signal. Nine children were in an untrained control group. Trained children completed between 6 and 29 training sessions each of 15 minutes, at a rate of 3 to 5 sessions per week, with an average of over 1000 trials. Children were assessed before and after training. Trained children learned an average of 1.4 novel spellings per session. The trend was for children presented with modified speech to do less well than those trained with ordinary speech, regardless of whether they had auditory temporal processing impairments. Trained groups did not differ from the untrained control group in terms of gains made on standardised tests of spelling or word and nonword reading. This study confirms the difficulty of training literacy skills in children with severe language impairments. Individual words may be learned, but more general knowledge of rulebased phonological skills is harder to acquire.

An evaluation of the effectiveness of a computer‐assisted reading intervention

“…This was unexpected as decoding and spelling are closely associated (e.g., Christopher et al, 2012) and the failure could be due to several possibilities including the relatively high standardised scores for spelling at pre-test and the need for lengthy consolidation before decoding gains translate into spelling gains. In addition, improvements in decoding may not necessarily translate to spelling (Hughes et al, 2013) and even computer interventions that target spelling have not been successful (Bishop, Adams, Lehtonen & Rosen, 2005).…”

Resistance of grammatical impairment to computerized comprehension training in children with specific and non‐specific language impairments

“…This game also lasted 15 minutes, also used modified or unmodified speech to give feedback about grapheme-phoneme correspondences, and was typically completed in the same session as the grammar game. Results from the Spelling Game are presented elsewhere (Bishop et al 2005b).…”

Teaching, learning and new technology: a review for teachers

“…Van Daal and Reitsma (2000) reported that with these programmes, spelling progress was enhanced for kindergarten children and reading‐disabled students. Other researchers have found success with teaching reading to reading‐disabled students more difficult to achieve (eg, see Bishop, Adams, Lehtonen & Rosen, 2005; Wood, 2005).…”