critique waterford early reading program

7/24/2019 Critique Waterford Early Reading Program

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Article 2 CritiqueSteven Hill

FRIT 7237 Evaluation of Educational Needs & Prora!s

Fall 2"#$



Citation

Paterson% ' A'% Henr(% )*+uin% ,' -'% Ce.rano% /'A'% & 0lue% E'1' 2""3' Investiatin t4e

effectiveness of an interated learnin s(ste! on earl( e!erent readers' Readin Researc4

+uarterl(% 352% #7262"7'

Summary

T4e .ur.ose of t4is stud( is to evaluate t4e aterford Earl( Readin Prora!% evel #' 4ic4

8as desined to 9e a su..le!ent to a classroo! literac( .rora!s' T4e .rora! is an interactive

earl( literac( s:ills .rora! desined to :inderarten students develo. e!erent literac( s:ills

needed to 9eco!e successful readers in first rade' T4e .artici.ants are :inderarten students

fro! a nort4east% ur9an sc4ool district' T4e sc4ool district 8as c4osen due to !ulti.le ris: factors

for earl( literac( failure' T4e stud( consisted of one e;.eri!ental and one non<intervention

classroo!s fro! ei4t sc4ools t4rou4out t4e sc4ool district% 8it4 one sc4ool onl( 4avin an

e;.eri!ental classroo!' In e;c4ane for allo8in .re and .ost testin of students involved 8it4

t4e .ro=ect% eac4 of t4e ei4t e;.eri!ental classroo!s received all soft8are% 4ard8are% and

.rinted !aterials necessar( co!.lete i!.le!entation of t4e .rora!' T4e .re and .ost test 8ere

co!.rised of t4e Test of Earl( Readin A9ilit(<2 TERA 2% inda!ood Auditor(

Conce.tuali>ation Test% and T4e aterford Readin Inventor(' T4e (ear lon evaluation s4o8ed

students in t4e e;.eri!ental classroo!s out.erfor!ed students in t4e non<intervention

classroo!s' T4e TERA<2 and aterford Readin Inventor( indicated sinificant results' T4e

inda!ood Auditor( Conce.tuali>ation Test .roduced non<sinificant results'

Critique

T4e aut4ors 4ave ta:en a ood ?first ste.@ to8ards researc4 into interated learnin s(ste!s' T4e

need for !ore researc4 into t4e use and effectiveness of co!.uter soft8are .rora!s is a 4ue



issue' T4ere is a vast a!ount of co!.uteri>ed soft8are on t4e !ar:et% !an( of 84ic4 4ave little

scientific data to su..ort t4eir clai!s' /an( sc4ool districts across t4e countr( are facin

financial constraints' Sc4ool s(ste!s need to et t4eir !one(s 8ort4 84en t4e( s.end t4eir

li!ited resources on suc4 ite!s' I 4ave seen !an( suc4 .rora!s co!e and o t4rou4 !( (ears

of teac4in' T4ose in c4are of .urc4asin t4e .rora!s al8a(s see! to 9e loo:in for

so!et4in 9etter' So!e .rora!s 8ere 9etter% so!e .roved to 9e =ust as useful as .revious

soft8are .rora!s% 84ile so!e 8ere =ust a 8aste of ti!e and !one('

Ada!s #BB" 0einnin to Read% 4el.ed desined t4e aterford earl( literac( soft8are

.rora!' His understandin of t4e Parallel istri9uted Processin /odel to 4el. ives t4is

researc4 a sound conitive .ers.ective' Alinin t4e soft8are to focusin on t4e ort4ora.4ic

.rocessor% .4onoloical .rocessor% !eanin .rocessor% and t4e conte;t .rocessor 4el.s t4eir

soft8are !eet t4e critical as.ects of students 9eco!in successful readers'

T4e researc4 questions 8ere ?id t4e aterford Earl( Readin Prora!% evel # 4ave a .ositive

effect on c4ildrens literac( learnin in t4e intervention classroo!s@ and ?Ho8 can t4e results of

t4is researc4 e;tend t4e current :no8lede 9ase reardin t4e role of tec4nolo( in (oun

c4ildrens literac( education'@ Dsin t4eir results% t4e ans8er to t4e first researc4 question is (es'

T4e ans8er to t4eir second researc4 question 4as (et to 9e deter!ined' )nl( ti!e and !ore

researc4 into tools suc4 as t4ese 8ill deter!ine t4e ans8er' 4ile is it relativel( eas( for t4e

researc4ers to evaluate 84et4er t4eir soft8are .rora! 4as a .ositive i!.act% t4is stud( leaves

so!e of !( questions unans8ered' I 8ould li:e to see t4e results of t4is e;.eri!ent in different

sc4ool s(ste!s 84ic4 are usin different .ri!ar( instructional .rora!s' I 8ould also li:e to see

t4e results of t4is soft8are .rora! co!.ared to co!.ara9le .rora!s' It !i4t 9e 4el.ful to 9e

a9le to see t4e students readin a9ilities at t4e 9einnin and end of first rade' T4e soft8are 8as



desined for at<ris: students literac( ro8t4% 9ut !i4t 9e 9eneficial for ot4er situations' I

9elieve t4e aterford Earl( Readin Prora! could 4el. !an( at<ris: students' Dnfortunatel(%

!an( :inderarten students 8ill never 9enefit fro! t4is .rora! or ot4ers li:e it% 84ile sc4ools

re!ain underfunded'

critique waterford early reading program

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