LEARNING MADE EASY WITH LEXIA

The Norfolk Psychological Service (NPS) is one of Norfolk LEA’s specialist support services. One of its primary aims is to enhance the learning of all children and young people by providing a range of high quality, practical, psychological and specialist teaching and therapeutic services. The Norfolk Psychological Service is committed to the development of inclusive practice, and supports the provision made for children with special educational needs in a range of settings. The NPS is comprised of a number of professional groups who work very closely together to deliver an integrated and broadly based service.

As part of the continued research into computer learning resources at NPS, Anna James, NPS Computer Aided Learning Co-ordinator, discovered Lexia’s educational software in an advert. She comments, “I have a particular interest in Computer Aided Learning approaches especially as they are often very attractive to older pupils and can offer the independence that they prefer. Having looked at the demo CD and examined the research background and development, I thought this might just fit the bill for some pupils.”

Anna went on to organize successful trials of the Lexia software with low-achieving pupils in Middle, High and Special schools in Norfolk.

NPS is able to distribute the Lexia software to the schools, offer demonstrations, and provide training and support for teachers and Teaching Assistants who wish to use the Lexia program for pupils experiencing difficulties with the acquisition of literacy skills. As an Advisory Support Teacher for NPS, Jacqui Worsley has also been involved in setting up the Lexia reading program in a number of Primary and Middle schools in the Norwich area.

“It is important to view Lexia software as one component of a language and literacy programme for pupils,” says Jacqui. “We recommend integrating the use of this software with other learning activities that allow the children to apply the phonic decoding skills that the Lexia software helps them to acquire. It is essential to develop a balanced programme of support.”

She comments, “Pupils experience success using Lexia which is highly motivating. The aim is for the pupils to use and transfer the skills they acquire through Lexia into other areas, notably reading, so Lexia works well alongside other approaches such as the Catch Up Reading Programme (Oxford Brookes University). The combination of these two programmes can accelerate pupil progress and the development of effective reading strategies and skills.”

She continues, “In my experience the pupils really enjoy the Lexia program. It offers them a new opportunity to develop their reading and phonic skills. It is motivating and structured, and enables older pupils to revisit the very early skills which they have failed to master, skills which would usually have been acquired at the beginning of their education.”

Lexia Reading System is a multi-sensory program designed for pupils to work independently, listening to verbal computer instructions and responding by clicking on images with a mouse or using the keyboard. The interactive exercises branch automatically, depending on the pupil’s performance - providing practice on specific areas of difficulty when needed. Lexia allows the pupil to progress to more advanced areas only when he/she is ready. Teachers may override the automatic branching function at any time to specify program units or customise exercises for individuals. The activities are fun for the pupils, with formats and graphics that interest, motivate and make practice enjoyable.

An important feature of the Lexia Reading System is the Quick Reading Test (QRT), which is designed to determine pupils’ strengths and weaknesses in decoding skills. There are three levels of assessment and two kinds of tests – real words and non-words.

Jacqui says, “It is very quick to administer, taking only 5-8 minutes, but it does provide a lot of useful information which will determine the appropriate levels of the Lexia Reading System for each pupil.” She continues, “This test is particularly useful with older pupils who may experience discomfort or anxiety with some aspects of standardized testing. The information gained from the QRT can inform target setting and could make a useful contribution to a pupil’s Individual Education Plan (IEP).”

The QRT can be re-administered termly to check progress. The Norfolk Psychological Service also recommends monitoring progress with reading and spelling through use of standardized tests, and schools can be provided with a pro-forma for collecting this data. Administering standardized tests prior to the pupils beginning the Lexia program can provide a useful baseline from which to evaluate pupil progress.

Jacqui says, “There are many benefits of using Lexia for pupils who are experiencing reading difficulties. The program offers auditory and visual support, and is multi-sensory. It enables pupils to control the pace of their own learning. It gives them the opportunity to listen again, revisit and self correct as many times as required.  The activities increase pupils’ confidence and enable them to feel successful.”

She continues, “Children who suffer from attention and concentration problems in the classroom often find it easier to concentrate and focus their attention on the computer screen. Use of ICT can enhance their learning experience, thus enabling them to perform the tasks to the best of their ability. I have observed pupils who appear to be disaffected in the classroom, respond positively and with enthusiasm when given the opportunity to use Lexia.”

Jacqui explains that it is unusual to find software specifically designed for older pupils that focuses on very early literacy skills. “There are many excellent computer programs on the market which support the development of literacy skills, but the Lexia is a very well structured comprehensive phonics program, with inbuilt monitoring and assessment of pupil progress. The records and reports which can be accessed by both the teacher and the pupil are invaluable.”

The Norfolk Psychological Service has no hesitation in recommending this software where appropriate for Years 5 and above. There are also plans to start trials of Lexia Early Reading and Lexia Phonics Based Reading software, which has been written for younger pupils. The Early Reading software encourages the development of phonological awareness for pupils aged 4 to 6 years. The Lexia Phonics Based Reading is designed to help pupils aged 5 to 8 acquire and improve basic reading skills.

Jacqui has found Lexia user-friendly and straightforward to use. “I can assess approximately six pupils in an hour. Using the assessment information to specify the program for each student is also quite a speedy process.” She concludes, “Lexia Reading System is used by a considerable number of Norfolk schools, and has been very well received.”