2. Why this teaching-reading approach?
Universal Design for Learning - UDL - CAST Referenced the Program
● is a set of principles for curriculum development that give all individuals equal opportunities to learn.
● UDL is a flexible approach that can be customized and adjusted. It provides a map for creating goals,
methods, materials, and assessments that work each and everyone.
“Building Engagement by Supporting Composition”
● composing their own on screen books
o composing creates a reading-writing connection and engages
editable versions: simply color, replaces a word or two, erase an entire page, fill blank space
with orth original composition, new text read by synthetic speech
alternative composing means: record text, play it back as they write, teachers may add
suggestions in text, selectable story starters, My Words help bank, computer helps to monitor
and revise work with synthetic speech, print new stories
4. History
Where does it come from? The long long ago.
OLD: Interesting.
http://web.dedham.k12.ma.us/technology/resources/tutorials/Wiggleworks_files/wiggleworks.pdf
● Scholastic says: in collaboration with teachers across the country. To determine what instruction,
scaffolded reading support, and engaging activities they would like to see in a classroom reading and
writing program. Teachers helped create access tools to make sure that every child could use the software.
NEW: But not much has changed.
● http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/wiggleworks/index.htm
5. Overview
● Provides enrichment in reading; writing; language (speaking and listening); and through
development of computer skills.
● The computer provides scaffolded, student-guided learning
● Students read the same books on the computer and with the educator.
● The guided reading process matches books to readers through book leveling, Fountas &
Pinnell.
● Books in a variety of topics and genres, fiction and non-fiction
● http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/wiggleworks/pdfs/WW_TitleList_PreK_1.pdf
● Students increase their computer knowledge, enjoyment of computers (?), and computer
confidence.
● Lessons are book-specific, self-contained, making them highly adaptable for after-school.
● Teaching plans provided for each book so that any educator may pick-up where the last left
off.
6.
7. Description of Method
Implicit phonics instruction: the whole to the smallest part, graphemes not pronounced in isolation, comparison, there is building of words,
but an understanding of reading seems to come from shape translation, beginning and ending letters and context. The whole language
approach. (Scholastic literature mentions explicit scaffolded?)
● Depth of learning, layered learning, perspectives
o Listen to the same story multiple times
o Hear new words repeated
o See pictures that make words more meaningful
o Record their reading of a story to give them speaking practice
ƒWiggleWorks was created with CAST. CAST specializes in interactive print and technology–based curricula that use the principles of UDL,
flexible and customizable reading environment for all. WiggleWorks challenges and supports beginning readers through text, graphics, speech,
sounds, and customizable access features.
“Based on strong research and a pioneering example of universal design, WiggleWorks is the ideal supplemental program for helping ALL
children reach reading proficiency, as well as learn to love reading.”
Dr. David Rose
Executive Director,
Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST)
Wiggleworks’ Four Stages
Stage A Emergent
Stage B Early
Stage C Fluent
Stage D Independent
8. Salient AKA Important Features
● Read Aloud
o Students hear narrators read aloud the story, individual words, and letters. This improves their decoding and
tracking. Other information, stimulating different senses, improves comprehension.
● Read
o While reading independently, children click on unfamiliar words to hear them pronounced. Children record their
reading of a book and then hear it played back to them. Focus on text structure.
● My Book
o Students rewrite and redraw one page or the whole book to create their own version of the story. They listen to the
computer “read” their version back to them.
● Write
o Children write about what they read and include vocabulary they saved on their My Words list.
o ability to access vocabulary words from the story, and listening to a narrator read what they’ve written.
o Students write and illustrate original versions of the story they have just read.
● Magnet Board
o Students explore word structures and phonetic patterns. Children increase their phonemic awareness as they
explore. Tools let students highlight word parts and focus on letter and sound combinations. Educators can record
direction for a specific phonics activity on the Magnet Board.
9. Salient AKA Important Features
MRSCINCALGARY
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCspWPLrOzEp2ZRAKsQQR9KA
Instructors set the instructional path by choosing which activity areas—Read Aloud, Read,
Magnet Board, Write, and My Book—are available to students.
I like the...
● Story Starter
o Click the lightbulb for an idea
● Magnet Board
o Anagrams
● Teacher Menu Bar = Customization
10. ELL and ESL
● Playback recording for listening practice and to monitor ELL students’ fluency
● Each teaching plan includes an instructional connection for ESL students.
o using visuals aids
o draws the instructor’s attention to potential errors.
o program’s direct instruction of phonics and inclusion of oral language
development.
● Promote parental involvement and family literacy
o Students can copy or print out their own readings, stories, and word lists and
share them with their families. Children may repeat readings at home.
● Selection of texts offered in Spanish
11. Educator Customization
Connects to my classroom!
Montessori is about frontloading preparation. Augmenting the environment in order to
facilitate an ideal learning experience for the child, each child.
● Example: Instructors select how the text is highlighted (word-by-word or line-by-
line) while the narrator reads it.
http://youtu.be/OF5UnsCblAc
at 2:00 min
12. How to Supplement
● Each teaching plan provides a website for further research and resources related to the content area of the
book.
Supplemental Educators: to customize the instructional path of participating students.
● can share information through student work records and notes on student progress that instructors made
using the Comment feature. http://youtu.be/OF5UnsCblAc
Professional Development: research-based guided reading strategies and support. How to assess and group
students, and how to match them to appropriate books.
● ƒMaster teachers modeling guided reading strategies online
● Interactive simulations in which instructors can practice strategies
● On-Site Workshop: how guided reading can improve student reading and raise achievement, how to group
students according to instructional level, and how to match readers to books. They learn about flexible
grouping strategies, the process for small-group instruction, and classroom management techniques.
13. Assessment
The Work Record tracks the stages, levels, and books of each individual child.
The Student Log records individual student’s work in each activity area, and it
displays progress and time spent in each area. In Student Work, children’s saved work
may be viewed. The work may be copied to a child’s Portfolio within Wiggleworks.
Assessment Tools
● Benchmark Books, Assessment Guide, and the software’s Manager feature, for
placement and monitoring progress.
14. Assessment Tools
Benchmark Books with Reading Records
.To evaluate student placement, ensure instruction is at the correct Level, track growth.
Informal Assessment
.Teaching Card for each book includes questions to help teachers evaluate students.
ƒ
Observation
.During small-group, independent reading time, and at the computer. Systematic rather than
random. The Teacher’s Guide provides a list of “Behaviors to Notice and Support.”
ƒ
Oral Reading Fluency
.Timed sampling of a student’s oral reading (WCPM). The instructor compares with national
norms.
15. Changes
● Weaknesses
o No iPad App?!
o Only Scholastic titles
o Touch Screen Please
o Only on a Computer, different buttons, learning curve
o student error
o The Clear Broom!
o Reading Voice
● Strengths
o Simple-User Friendly
o Teacher Controls (customizable)
Example: may choose books visible to each student
o Save your work
o Spanish texts available
o Teacher Support
o Documentation and Data Sharing, Graphing
o Absent students allowed to improve their academic achievement
16. Research
Lynn Hickey Schultz, Ed.D., of Harvard University, independent in 1995.
A scientific evaluation concluded that the program is highly effective in raising
reading scores of first grade students. They made significantly greater gains on
standardized reading tests and writing samples. More advanced students showed more
gains in writing than the poorer students. A combination of effective trade book lit.
combined with late 20th century, accommodating and modifiable, interactive
technology that hooks and educates beginning readers at all skill levels.
17. Research: Theoretical Foundation
Researchers:
Young readers, ability aside, are engaged in and successful at learning to read if
the curriculum includes flexible, UDL multimedia and inclusion strategies.
WiggleWorks offers this curriculum by challenging and supporting beginning readers
through text, graphics, speech, sounds, and customizable access features.
● constructivism, differentiated instruction, scaffolded instruction
19. Research: Current Discussion
Disagreement
o While this program is partially advertised as a beginning
reading program, I think it is lacking, that the beginning
reader may lack the skills to access the computer program
and it seems most of the studies support using the
program with first and second graders.
o However, with technology touching younger and younger
students, this decades old program may now be affective.
