A recent study looked at the possible benefits Team Alphie, a computer-assisted tutoring program, would have on student reading scores. Team Alphie is an innovative new program that combines computer-assisted instruction with peer-assisted learning in small groups of up to six students.
It is believed that certain computer programs like Team Alphie can provide a slew of benefits to struggling readers such as “diagnosing reading difficulties…engaging children’s attention with dynamic activities...and providing ongoing reports for tutors and teachers,” according to the study’s authors.
Because each student requires far less individual attention from teachers, Team Alphie could potentially take a lot of stress off teachers, especially in understaffed school districts, while even enhancing student learning — provided that the programming proves effective.
This study, in association with John Hopkins University, Concordia University, and the Success for All Foundation (SFA), compared the reading outcomes of students in schools using the Team Alphie method with students using more traditional personalized one-on-one tutoring provided by SFA. All 33 of the schools examined were in high poverty areas across nine states, all with majorities of minority students.
The results were very encouraging, with students in the Team Alphie experimental schools scoring significantly higher on the Woodcock Letter-Word Identification Test. Team Alphie schools were also able to tutor 31 percent more first-grade students and 46 percent more second-grade students than the control schools.
It is commonly accepted in academic circles that one-on-one tutoring is the most effective form of instruction. That this study seems to suggest otherwise is significant, and could help guide future attempts on how to best teach students how to read.
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