Buffalo Ridge fourth grader, Josh Harmon participates in reading assessments with the Reading Plus Program using the Visigraph goggles.

Article and photos by Carin R. Kirkegaard

Buffalo Ridge Elementary (BRE) started the school year with a new reading software program called Reading Plus. The program is designed to help students achieve a higher fluency rate and greater retained comprehension in silent reading.

According to Lynn Bisesi, building resource teacher at BRE, the program targets students struggling with independent silent reading, but it also works for students who are achieving over and above grade level.

Each student begins the program with a 20-minute assessment that determines the appropriate starting level of the student. The assessment consists of answering questions after reading a particular passage. The program adjusts to the student’s level with each passage.

For example if a student demonstrates that he or she is struggling with answering the questions, the program adjusts and provides an easier passage to read. On the other hand, if a student demonstrates understanding the program gets harder. After several reading passages, students are then presented with a variety of vocabulary words that the program also adjusts to a student’s personal level of understanding.

In addition to the initial assessment the program also provides a tool called Visigraph, an eye movement recording system that provides a measurement of a student’s reading process. The system uses infrared sensors and goggles that track eye movements as a student reads. The use of the goggles provide a data point for teachers to compare a student’s reading efficiency and determine if intervention is needed.

While the Visigraph goggles are new to the education arena, they have been used as a tool in the field of vision therapy for some time. Audrey Dockins, a developmental optometrist, has seen a Visigraph in action and notes that many things being done with the Reading Plus program are used in vision therapy.

According to Dockins, the goggles track both eyes independently as a child reads. The report that the program supplies is a great way to show parents what a child’s eyes are actually doing and provides a concrete example of where some troubles may be occurring. To learn more about vision therapy and free learning related vision screenings, see Castle Rock Eye Wear ad page 17.

As a student completes lessons in the Reading Plus Program, teachers are provided with data that shows a student’s comprehension in a wide range of areas, including paraphrasing, identifying main ideas, identifying speakers, recalling details, sequence of events, judging validity and others.

“What is so wonderful about Reading Plus is the results that the teachers are given on each student,” said Ally Berggren, BRE principal. “Not only are teachers given the area where a student is struggling, the program also provides intervention activities to help the struggling student,” Berggren continued.

BRE students in third through fifth grades are currently using the program at specified times throughout the school week. Students reading higher than grade level in first and second grade are also being introduced to Reading Plus.

The Reading Plus Program was made available to students at the schools that will eventually attend high school at Rock Canyon High School through a grant that was obtained by the building resource teachers at BRE, Timber Trail Elementary, Redstone Elementary and Wildcat Elementary.

In the spring of 2010 TTE piloted the program with huge success during the three short months before the school year came to a close. This year has the program being introduced in all the elementary schools as well as at Rocky Heights Middle School.

To learn more about the Reading Plus Program visit www.readingplus.com.