The PAR, Reading Accommodations, Screen Readers, CRTs and other things that go BUMP in the night.

Robert Woodbury

Cache County School District

Assistive Technology Coordinator

Acknowledgements:

• A good portion of this presentation is adapted from a webinar given by Denise C. DeCoste in conjunction with Don Johnston Inc.
• You can find the full webinar, slides, and video at www.donjohnston.com/par

My 2 cents:

• Research suggests that many students with reading disabilities do not outgrow them. (Shaywitz 2003)
• As students get older, the ability to successfully and strategically use Text Reader technology can make students more independent, confident, and successful.
• This suggests to me that becoming familiar with Text Reader technology is an important life skill for students with reading disabilities to learn.
• How soon do we begin to teach this important life skill?

Administering PAR

or iPad

My 2 cents on step 1.

• We already do this all the time
• You may skip this step
• Use this step if you want to compare similar passages/comprehension questions.

Let’s watch it in action

• http://atcollective.com/buddypress/groups/protocol-for-accommodations-in-reading-par/forum/topic/video-par-in-action/

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Hands on Practice-�Step 2

• Find a partner
• Choose 3^rd grade level passage
• Designate Adult and Student
• Practice step 2
• State title and ask for prediction
• Read aloud
• Ask comprehension questions
• Ask Likert scale question

Hands-on step 3 �(the computer step)

• Everyone does practice passage like you were a student
• Everyone does reading passage like you were a student
• More practice?

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Review step 3-�Computer reader

• Practice passage
• Let student play around with and become familiar with screen reader software.
• Let them change font, speed, voice, etc.
• Give actual grade level passage
• Comprehension questions
• Likert scale

Other notes about PAR administration

• Time to administer ranges from 10-30 minutes per student depending on grade level, individual student response behaviors, and if you include or omit step 1.
• You may want to give more than one passage per accommodation type.
• PAR does NOT lend itself well to group administration
• The results are as individual as the students themselves
• Watch for secondary testing behaviors:
• Sensory seeking
• Distractibility
• Do they refer back to the passage?
• Do they re-read anything?

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Let’s download it RIGHT NOW!!

• Go to www.donjohnston.com/par
• Click here on web page
• Fill out form, click Done, wait for file to download.
• Drag the PAR zip file into an email addressed to yourself
• Open email at school, right click on PAR zip folder, select Extract All, save where you’ll remember it (desktop, my documents, etc.)

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Text to Speech (TTS) options

• Also called Screen Reader, Text Reader.
• 3 Free computer options we’ll discuss today:
• Free Natural Reader
• Read & Write toolbar for Google Docs (Chrome browser)
• Speak command in Microsoft Word

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TTS for iPad

• Turn on “Speak Selection” in Settings<General<Accesibility<Speak Selection
• Highlight text and tap Speak command
• Speak Selection in iOS- Oct. 2012 on

www.cache-at.blogspot.com

Free Natural Reader

• Just do a Google search for “free natural reader”
• Click here
• Save file
• You will need a password to install the program
• I can help
• Put in a tech request

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Free natural Reader

• Copy and paste text into reader window-highlight words
• Floating bar-no highlighting
• Only get Microsoft Anna voice-decent, but not the best
• Can adjust voice speed, font, etc.
• Buy full version for $50, get better sounding voices
• Education version costs $69 and includes some writing supports (read words as you type, word prediction)

Read&Write for google Docs

• Extension for Chrome web browser (no passwords to install!)
• Great voices and other handy tools
• Streamlined free version of a $640 program!
• ONLY works with text in Google docs format
• Fairly easy to convert Word docs to Google docs
• Must be connected to internet

It’s all on the blog!

• www.cache-at.blogspot.com
• Archives-November 2012

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Speak command in microsoft Word

• Word 2003 and 2012 (NOT 2007)
• www.cache-at.blogspot.com--Text to Speech Roundup-- Dec 2012
• Microsoft Anna voice
• No highlighting

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Let’s Play!!

Final Thoughts:

• -There are definite pros and cons to both adult readers AND screen readers.
• -Even the VERY BEST screen reader programs do not match the prosody and expression of adult readers.
• -Screen reader programs cannot react to individual student behavior and make changes on the fly (e.g. pause and redirect when a student gets distracted.)
• -Students with disabilities who successfully learn to use a screen reader ultimately become more independent readers, especially as they get older.
• -Students are less likely to ask an adult to re-read text than they are to re-read text using a screen reader.
• -Older students are more likely to perceive adult read aloud accommodations as "too childish".

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Questions/Comments?