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Purpose: The purpose of this study is to
evaluate the Audiblox Learning Program and determine its
effectiveness on ADD and dyslexic students.
Setting: The study was conducted in an
elementary school, K-5, in Cobb County School System. The resource teacher
worked with the student in her classroom — a portable unit — with which
the student is very familiar. Some of the sessions were done after school
while others were at the end of the school day during her planning time.
During a holiday break, the parent, who was trained, took over the daily
30 minute session. No sessions were held on the weekend.
Subject:
Allen is an 11 year old male in the fifth grade. He has been retained one
year. In February of his 4th grade year, he was diagnosed learning
disabled and has been served in a resource class for three hours daily.
One hour of his time in resource is in an inclusion class with both the
regular education and special education teachers collaborating. Allen is
functionally dyslexic. Not only does he write individual letters and
numbers in a mirror image but he also reverses 2 and 3 letter words and
numbers (saw becomes was; on, no; 135, 531).
Cognitive testing (WISC-III) indicates Allen is functioning below average
(FS-84). He showed significant discrepancies in the areas of Written
Expression (W-J 63), Basic Reading (W-J 60), and Reading Comprehension
(W-J 59). An Eckwall Informal Reading Inventory done prior to entering the
Audiblox Program, indicated frustration level at first grade in
reading sight words and in reading comprehension.
Allen
is the second of 4 children in middle class family. His mother is
paraprofessional in a kindergarten at another school; his father is in a
management position.
He
entered his current school at the beginning of his fifth grade year. Both
his classroom and his resource teachers expressed concerns at him being
able to function in a fifth grade classroom. Allen has a cooperative,
positive attitude toward school, a definite strength among academic
weaknesses. Both teachers and parents indicated a low self-esteem in that
he would cry when becoming frustrated in class and at home. In the
classroom he became easily distracted and indifferent at what the rest of
the class was doing. He demonstrated difficulties in independent work that
was even on his level.
Discussion: Allen was eager for our daily
sessions and anxious that they continue during the school holidays. He
tried very hard and demonstrated much concentration when working with the
program. He seemed to be the perfect student for the Audiblox
Program in that he was ready to learn and frustrated at his inability to
keep up with his peers.
After
working for 6 weeks with Allen who is functioning at a non-reader level
with a fragile self-esteem, I have witnessed academic progress as well as
a boost in self-confidence. Allen has shown improvement in working
independently. Periods of inactivity and off-task behavior have decreased.
In other subject areas such as math and social studies, Allen’s grades
have improved dramatically. He passed his first social studies test this
school year, scoring 85%. His classroom teacher has noted improvement in
his reading skills. Perhaps the most rewarding progress has been in the
area of self-esteem. Allen has shown confidence in oral reading with
resource peers out of third grade level material. Parents have noted a
decrease in tears and frustration at home when homework is involved. His
mother has even noticed Allen wanting to read other materials
independently.
Before
introducing the Audiblox Program to Allen, I questioned his ability
to attend to a task for an extended length of time. By the 4th week into
the program, he was up to sequencing 30 blocks in that exercise, a
remarkable achievement. Allen’s level of concentration, especially when he
is “reading” the blocks, is high. Most of his mistakes on the exercises
are reversals of 2 blocks.
Another
strength that has helped Allen is his visual memory. He remembers and
reads the sequences as well as the patterns. We started out with 2 block
patterns, and by the 6th week, he was working with 9 block patterns
successfully. While his visual memory skills are beneficial to reading, he
is also reading the vocabulary words. I can see and hear him sound out
words phonetically when he does not instantly recognize the word. Allen’s
difficulties with dyslexia has improved. In the first 3 weeks of the
program, Allen was reversing letters frequently (b for d; on for no). If
such reversals occur during the 6th week, he usually corrects himself.
An
Eckwall Reading Inventory done before introducing the Audiblox
Program indicated frustration level with sight words for Allen at the 1st
grade level. The same inventory was done after 6 weeks into the program.
When reading a 1st grade level passage, Allen’s percentage of errors
dropped from 32% to 13%. The same passage, that was read in 3 minutes and
50 seconds previously, was completed in 3 minutes the second time.
Reflections: The Audiblox Program has
given hope to a child who knew he was different, tried to fit in with his
peers, and experienced failures in any aspects of school. His newly found
confidence has allowed him to raise his hand in a classroom, dared him to
try written material presented to him, and opened a world of “I can”
instead of “I can’t” on new material.
Most of
the students I teach in a resource classroom have suffered failures in the
regular class like Allen — some more than others. I would definitely use
this program with other students and, if scheduling permits, in small
groups. Research has shown its effectiveness in large groups as well.
There
are many beneficial aspects in the Audiblox Program. One of the
most obvious is the time spent with the student. Spending 30 minutes daily
one-on-one with any child is going to produce positive results. Getting
the student to focus at the start of the session with a hands-on activity,
using spatial activities, and varying the exercises are all good teaching
strategies.
Allen
still has a long way to go academically to catch up with his peers. It is
to be hoped that he will continue at the pace he has started. Thanks to
the Audiblox Program, he now has some tools to help him on this
journey and make the trip more pleasant and rewarding. |
