Work in Progress: Web-Delivered Reading Improvement Battery of Tasks

Abstract

Learning to read requires the development of highly organized brain systems that are capable of incorporating spelling, phonological and lexical-semantic features of written words. The main aim of the present research protocol is to strengthen the speed and accuracy of phonological awareness for children with reading impairments by designing and implementing a web delivered set of tasks. “Poke the Reading Ability” is a web-delivered application, that helps readers increase their reading speed, accuracy and comprehension by training them to avoid subvocalization (saying words in their head while reading), backtracking (going back to re-read words or sentences), and fixations, factors that have negative effects on reading speed and accuracy. “Poke the Reading Ability” includes a graphical environment that encourages learners to complete activities, while “playing an internet game”. HTML5, CSS, JavaScript were used in order to design all tasks included in “Poke the Reading Ability” web application. There are software applications that are used as intervention programs. However, “Poke the Reading Ability” is an online program designed in order to improve the reading capacity of children and adolescents. Its tasks are not only targeting at building phonological awareness but also, include tasks that improve visual and auditory memory, visual discrimination ability and text comprehension. The web application that is presented is carefully designed both in its pedagogical and computer programming aspects in order to offer a solution to tutors at everyday school practice. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.