Remediation

Two weeks ago, I made a decision to begin remediation with a student that is struggling to master literacy skills such as letter recognition, rhyming, phonological awareness, and concept of word.  This child is completely enthralled with using the iPod Touch and it seemed logical to spend time during remediation using the iPod to learn the skills mentioned above.  What better way to create motivation and an opportunity for learning?  However, it seemed necessary to not only give this chid an iPod and send him on his way, but to spend time with him one-on-one talking about the skills that he is trying to master and engaging in conversation (a pre-literacy skill) about some of the pictures on the apps that he is using.  Everyday, we spend about 15 minutes after school (between the time the first bell rings and the time his bus arrives) playing, talking, and learning. Some of the apps that we have used during this remedial time include ABCMatch, ABC Train, AlphaChomp, and iWriteLetters.   In just two weeks, I have noticed a difference in this child's ability to recognize letters and even connect a few of them to sounds.  His participation in class during whole group opportunities has increased and he begs to meet with me after school for time to play and learn.

As always, it takes time to gather data to gauge effectiveness.  I will continue to monitor this child's progress during remedial times to determine the long term benefits of using the iPod in this setting.  Short-term data, however, demonstrates the engaging and educational potential of using this type of technology in a tutoring/remedial situation.