INFORMATIZED TEACHING OF READING IN AN INFORMAL EDUCATION CONTEXT

Abstract

The present study investigated the effectiveness of a computerized procedure in teaching reading and written skills to three children with learning difficulties in the context of informal education. The procedure was applied by caregivers of the educational institution, which made possible a close analysis of the behavior of the monitors. Participants were three children (6 to 8 years old) and three adults (monitors). Among the dependent variables of the monitors’ behavior were selected for analysis: (1) participation in the sessions, (2) vocal interactions between the monitor and learner. The children’s behavior was assessed based on the proportion of correct answers in tasks implemented by monitors. The task consisted in naming words and figures, and the selection of words and figures in matching-to-sample trials. As a training effect, there was an increase in accuracy of naming single words. Monitors carried out sessions as scheduled, at least three times a week. There was a decrease in the number of cues provided by monitors to students as learning criteria were met, suggesting that the children’s behavior became progressively under control of the stimuli provided by the software and less under control of the cues provided by the monitor. Key-words: conditional discrimination, matching-to-sample, informal education, computerized teaching, reading, monitors, children.