NCJ Number
182015
Journal
CTM - Corrections Technology & Management Volume: 4 Issue: 2 Dated: March/April 2000 Pages: 18-21
Date Published
March 2000
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article describes a learning system used for correctional education in Texas and Massachusetts.
Abstract
The Texas Youth Commission is responsible for 4,000 adjudicated juvenile offenders housed in 13 facilities. This population is, on average, 4 to 5 years behind grade level in reading skills. A reading initiative committee determined that computer-based learning could be one component which would deal effectively and directly with reading program needs. The Reading S.O.S. (Strategies for Older Students) computer software helps students create associations between symbols, letters or clusters of letters and their corresponding sounds, an essential precursor to comprehension and fluency. It provides the examples, practice and motivation to help children create a strong foundation for reading well. The Massachusetts ABE I (adult basic education) deals with beginning readers who range from no reading ability up to a third grade level, including many with learning disabilities, and readers who require English as a second language training. These are not juveniles, but an inmate population from 17 to 70 years of age. The program works primarily with print material, supplemented with computer software to develop the sound/symbol relationship.