Using Computer Guided Practice to Increase Decoding Fluency in Learning Disabled Children: A Study Using the Hint and Hunt I Program

Abstract

A new computer program designed to increase decoding fluency in reading was evaluated with a sample of 20 school-identified learning disabled children. After 10 weeks of practicing for 15 minutes a day five days a week, children in the experimental group showed substantial improvements not only on words directly practiced by the program, but also on generalization words that were never practiced during the training. Improvements in speed and accuracy occurred for both context free word reading and oral reading of connected text. The potential of computer-aided practice as a means to improve the general reading skills of learning disabled children is discussed.