Clicker 5

Parette, H. P., Hourcade, J. J., Dinelli, J. M., & Boeckmann, N. M. (2009). Using Clicker 5 to enhance emergent literacy in young learners. Early Childhood Eduation Journal, 36, 355-363.

The article that I read for this week provided information about a technological resource that I was not familiar with. Clicker 5 is used by many elementary schools to strengthen the reading skills of young students. The authors of this article begin by describing the problems that many children face while trying to learn how to read. Those who have intense learning disabilities require a great deal of assistance and intervention if they are to see progression in emergent literacy programs. Their development is often greatly affected by the types of resources that are being used in the classroom. According to Parette, Hourcade, Dinelli & Boeckmann (2009), by incorporating technology into the teaching of literacy skills, students can be connected to engaging, effective, and interactive activities. Struggling students are less likely to become frustrated or bored while using programs like the Clicker 5.

The Clicker 5 is a computer resource that can be used for a variety of means. It is a software program that offers activities in writing, phonemic awareness, word recognition, comprehension, vocabulary, and fluency. It also includes assessments that can be accessed and managed by teachers. Inside the program, the top half of the computer screen looks very much like a Microsoft Word document, while the bottom half contains words, phrases, pictures, or other interactive displays (Parette et al., 2009). One of the options that Clicker 5 includes is a section that reads aloud and highlights text as students follow along. Phonemic awareness can be practiced by matching pictures and sounds together using a multiple choice function. Letters of the alphabet can also be taught by having students arrange letters in order using a pop-up grid and the computer mouse. After strengthening students’ understanding of letters and sounds, they can progress to more difficult words recognition activities using Clicker 5. They can also read electronic stories in the program, which includes highlights of key vocabulary terms as well as main ideas of the text. Many schools have incorporated Clicker 5 into the emergent literacy curriculum and have seen much success. More research should be done, however, to determine the true effects of this program in the early learning process.

After reading this article and looking at the graphics from Clicker 5, it appears that this program could work very well in an elementary classroom. Teachers can use the software for lessons in each of the major skills in literacy and can assess their reading capabilities easily with the tools it offers. I don’t know how much this program costs, however, so its presence in the classroom is very much dependent on school funding. If a school is able to incorporate the Clicker 5 into their curriculum, I think students would really enjoy it. I imagine that it would be one of their favorite class activities. According to Parette et al. (2009), the levels of engagement and interaction that it provides students hold great promise for its success.