Step 5: Listening and Reading Comprehension |
eReader using Kurzweil 3000 provides an electronic tool for use with each level of text in the LANGUAGE! curriculum—Decodable/Independent, Instructional, and Challenge. Each level of text affords a specific instructional use as outlined in the following table.
| Type of Text |
How text is used in
LANGUAGE! instruction |
Kurzweil 3000 enhancement |
| Decodable/Independent |
Promotes fluency. |
Models fluent reading. Student can opt for silent highlighting as they read to themselves or aloud. |
| Instructional |
Promotes text comprehension and vocabulary development. |
Embedded instructional notes provide meta-cognitive questions. |
| Challenge |
Written above skill level with a more complex text structure. Selections are read with and directed by the teacher.
As part of the instruction, teachers ask ongoing comprehension questions as the selection is read.
|
Allows students to hear rich, complex text read to them and follow along for prosody and background knowledge building. |
Specific LANGUAGE! to eReader using Kurzweil 3000 connections for Step 5: Listening and Reading Comprehension are outlined in the following chart
|
| LANGUAGE! instructional focus | Kurzweil 3000 | What to use...with Windows computers | What to use...with Macintosh computers |
|---|
| Fluency—connected text practice | Models fluent reading and makes it possible to read text selections in a read aloud or silent mode in a whole group or individually. | Main toolbar:
Audible/Silent button
 
view video | Reader toolbar:
Audible/Silent option
view video |
| Fluency—setting fluency rates | Allows user—teacher or student—to adjust reading rate to match the student’s reading rate. | Reading:
Reading Speed buttons
view video | Reader toolbar:
Reading Speed button
view video |
| Fluency—develop reading in meaningful units | Allows user to adjust the length of the highlighted unit at the word, phrase, or sentence level. | Reading:
Reading Unit button
view video | Reading:
Reading Unit button
view video |
| Fluency | Allows user to adjust mode of reading as self-paced or continuous. | Reading:
Reading Mode button
view video | Reading:
Reading Mode button
view video |
| Context-based vocabulary development—selected words from Instructional Text selections | Supports word study (e.g., Book B Teacher Edition, Unit 8, Lesson 3 Step 5) through the use of pictures and thesaurus. | Main toolbar: Dictionary and Synonym buttons, which are part of the Word Attack tools
view video | Reader toolbar:
Dictionary and Synonym,
which are two of the Word Lookup tools
view video |
| Preview text to prepare for reading | Allows user to pre-highlight text features (e.g., titles, subheadings), read text using “Read by highlight” function and add “sticky notes” to turn text features into focus and study questions for reading. | Study skills toolbar:
Highlighter and Sticky buttons
view video | Study skills toolbar:
Highlighter and Sticky buttons
view video |
| Build background knowledge or extend information source to prepare for writing | Provides access to additional content to build background or to extend information for writing. | Main Menu Bar:
Read the web buttons
view video | Starting Point:
Read the web button
view video |
| Build comprehension | Provides embedded questions to provide practice answering questions. Answers can be written, saved, and extracted for teacher or student use. | Study skills toolbar:
Bubble note
view video | Study skills toolbar:
Bubble note
view video |
| Build independent application of comprehension strategies | Provides tools to scaffold comprehension through the use of teacher-added text notes, as well as the capability for students to write, save, and extract answers. | Study skills toolbar:
Sticky button
view video | Study skills toolbar:
Sticky button
view video |
| Blueprint for Reading, a reading comprehension strategy emphasizing text structure | Highlight text to show text structure (i.e., hierarchy of information). | Study skills toolbar:
Highlighter and Extract Annotations buttons
view video | Study skills toolbar:
Highlighter button
view video |