This paper is part of a strategic research project that aimed to assess the effectiveness of the design and use of new software for Arabic language learning (ALL). However, the focus of this paper is to understand Arabic teachers' perceptions of the effectiveness of the software that was designed purposely by the project's team to facilitate ALL…

There is growing evidence that children with reading difficulties show impaired auditory rhythm perception and impairments in musical beat perception tasks. Rhythmic musical interventions with poorer readers may thus improve rhythmic entrainment and consequently improve reading and phonological skills. Here we compare the effects of a musical…

A fundamental problem for many struggling readers, their parents, and their teachers is that there are few benchmarks to guide decision making about assistive technological supports when the nature of a disability is cognitive (e.g., specific learning disability, SLD) rather than physical. However, resources such as the National Center on…

The improvement in the ability to process sounds in oral language (phonological awareness) through the contribution of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) is reported by many researchers. However, deficits in phonological awareness may persist despite intervention. There is increasing research interest on how educational technology…

This study involved an examination of the impact of a self-questioning strategy on the text-reader assisted comprehension skills of six students in grades five through eight with reading disabilities (RD). The purpose of this study was to determine the degree older children with RD comprehend text-reader assisted text that is at or above their…

The use and applications of new technologies in the education of the visually impaired have made substantial strides forward in recent years. New technology allows the visually impaired to enjoy better access to information, to read for themselves and, by extension, to improve their learning literacy. Nevertheless, despite the advances made in…

Three students with behavior disorders who exhibited difficulty with reading in content area courses learned to use a computer program to create cognitive maps of the reading material required for class. Using a modified multiple-probe design across behaviors or stimulus sets, replicated across students, allowed for the evaluation of student…

This article describes Technology Option for At-Risk Readers (TOARR), a program that uses technology to help students with reading difficulties. The program uses specialized reading software plus a host of motivating reading activities to encourage reading. Steps in developing the TOARR needs assessment and implementing the program are discussed.…

A study investigated how assistive reading software affected the reading performance of 20 postsecondary students who had attention deficit disorder. The software allowed the students to attend better to their reading, reduce distractibility, read with less stress, and read for longer periods of time. It did not affect comprehension. (Contains…

A study investigated the effects of a software-based early reading program on the early reading ability of 55 first-graders with disabilities or who had potential for reading failure. Results showed students showed dramatic improvements following the 16-week program, including the skills of phonemic awareness, spelling, and word identification.…

When matched for achievement level and educational objectives, computer technology can be particularly effective with at-risk students. Computer-assisted instructional software is the most widely available type of software. An exciting development pertinent to literacy education is the development of the "electronic book" (also called…