ABSTRACT
Project LISTEN's Reading Tutor is a computer program that uses speech recognition to listen to children read. The Reading Tutor helps them learn to read by providing individual assisted practice in oral reading, somewhat like a literate, infinitely patient grandparent who listens attentively, but is somewhat hard of hearing. Controlled evaluations of the Reading Tutor have shown pre to post-test gains in word identification, oral reading fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension comparable to or significantly better than independent reading practice, classroom instruction, and one-on-one tutoring by certified teachers. For an authentic experience in assisted reading, the Reading Tutor and the child take turns picking from hundreds of stories at reading levels from kindergarten to middle school, from Weekly Reader and other sources including user-authored stories. A child is reading a story written by Project LISTEN staff at a grade 3 reading level.
