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| About Us |
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| Welcome to Reading Companion! |
| Reading Companion is IBM's web-based literacy grant initiative that uses voice recognition technology to help children and adults learn how to read. |
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| This multi-million-dollar grant program is available for free to public elementary schools (for children ages 5-7) and nonprofit organizations such as public libraries, community colleges, and agencies that offer adult literacy services. Individuals, who wish to access this software, must be affiliated with an existing Reading Companion grant site. |
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| Developed by IBM researchers working in partnership with schools and not-for-profit organizations, Reading Companion is an effective and easy-to-use technology that assists individuals as they learn to read. This innovative software 'listens' and provides feedback, enabling emerging readers to practice reading and their English pronunciation as they acquire fundamental reading skills. |
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| How it works |
| Users log on to the Reading Companion web site and are presented with books to read from a virtual library. An on-screen mentor, or companion, "reads" a phrase to the user and then provides an opportunity for the user to read the material, using a headset microphone. (Depending on the accuracy of what was read, the companion provides positive reinforcement (e.g., "You sound great!"), gives the user an opportunity to try again, or offers the correct reading of the words on the screen. As the user's skill improves, the technology reads less material so that the learner reads more. |
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| Since the Reading Companion software is available through the Web, students can access it anytime and anywhere. Once students sign in with their own ID and password, the software resumes where the student left off reading and continues to update the student's reading results. |
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| The Reading Companion software is designed to supplement, not replace, existing literacy curriculum in the school setting or within an adult literacy program. Teachers choose books for their students to read by "checking out" books from Reading Companion's virtual library. To help them in their selection, teachers can read book reviews. The software also has a student evaluation feature that allows teachers to view the individual progress of a student and helps teachers make assessments and recommendations for the learner. |
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| Evaluation |
| Independent evaluations of the technology demonstrate that children who use the software tested significantly higher on word recognition and comprehension tasks. For adults, the software not only improved reading skills but also helped improve their English pronunciation; it also provided adults with an opportunity to learn in a new way by combining visual and auditory methods. |
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| Technical Information |
Reading Companion simply requires:
- Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Linux Ubuntu 8.04, 9.04, or 10.04
- A high-speed Internet connection (DSL or higher)
- Audio capabilities
- Access to the Internet via Internet Explorer (version 6 or higher)
- Headset microphones
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| Contact |
| For contact information or to see a list of the participating organizations, please visit the "Contact Us" page on the web site. Schools and nonprofit organizations wishing to participate in this grant program can submit requests through the Contact Us page for consideration. |
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