Education and demonstration – Language – Spelling – phonics – word recognition – or sentence formation
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-10
2002-11-05
Banks, Derris H. (Department: 3712)
Education and demonstration
Language
Spelling, phonics, word recognition, or sentence formation
C434S178000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06474992
ABSTRACT:
REFERENCE TRAINING TOOLS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF READING FLUENCY
“A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains materials which is subject to copyright protection The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the patent and trademark office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.”
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable
REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX
Not Applicable
BACKGROUND
For decades, the media has reported on the enormous reading problem among all age groups in the USA. A variety of methods, materials and equipment have been used to address the reading problem. This invention is directed primarily at non disabled youth and adult readers who learned the phonetic code taught in the prior related invention. After that instruction, readers were encouraged to reference the dictionary when attempting to pronounce sight words, defined here as words whose pronunciation is not supported by their spelling and by the method of the prior related instruction, to identify silent letters and other anomalies of word construction, and for verification of word pronunciation when there was a question regarding vowels being long or short, and on which syllable the stress should be placed. By combining information of the prior instructional method with that available in the dictionary, readers were advised to practice as a means of developing fluency. That method of gaining fluency that was separate from the original instructional method, was seen as one with life long benefit because it will be used repeatedly as the vocabulary expands.
Problems surfaced because some developing readers have few books in their homes that can be used as practice materials and no dictionaries that can provide necessary reference information. Moreover, most had never developed habits of visiting the library to avail themselves of the same. Hence, practice opportunities were limited from the outset because of the dearth of readily available literature, both for reading and for reference. More often than not, helpers who might substitute for reference materials, were unavailable. When helpers and reference materials are non existent, practice efforts and development of fluency suffer.
Even when dictionaries were present in the school and home, some readers experienced frustration with practice efforts because they were inept at applying research techniques needed to find and compare dictionary spellings and pronunciations with the words they wanted to read. Because of this, the rate of progress in developing reading fluency was slower than had been expected. The process of practicing reading and using reference tools was poorly tolerated. The result was an erosion of reading skill over time.
The need arose for quicker methods and easy-to-use materials that would help readers transition to using standard reference tools as a means of achieving reading fluency. These needed to be self help materials and tools that would remind readers of information regarding proper letter and word pronunciations while addressing the issue of word “exceptions”, those being sight words and special letter combinations, the pronunciation of which is not supported by their spelling, and do it in ways compatible with the method of instruction and goals of the prior related invention. Additionally, these youth and adult readers would want the process to involve as little fan-fare as possible, meaning the materials should be capable of being used in private or done without the reader's efforts being noticed by others, as a means of preventing embarrassment that could damage self esteem.
Problems in using inventions of the prior art to meet the present needs were numerous, the extent of which is seen by comparing the limitations of each with the objects for which this invention was designed as noted later. Of note is the fact that few inventions of the prior art are designed to be used by the specific population of normal youths and adults targeted by this invention. None were suitable in reinforcing the method of reading instruction of the prior related invention. Also, none assisted the reader in learning to use reference tools specifically, or to readily transfer those skills into use with standard resource materials. Those methods and materials that alluded to development of fluency, accomplished the task by using the same materials and methods to repeat the original instruction until the reading pace, etc. improved. This invention seeks to present the method for achieving fluency in a different presentation from that of the original instruction but one that compliments the original instruction, so that the reader will remain motivated in progressing toward the goal and not think that achievement of fluency is the same as learning the rudiments of reading over again. Other problems in considering methods such as those of Hoffman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,426,451, who uses altered fonts to guide readers in pronunciation of letters, and Wood, U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,373, who uses sound letters as guides for phonetic decoding of letters, would involve the reader in learning a new basic instructional method before being able to use such inventions, and/or the reader would need to rely on major equipment, that would modify original text as a means of making it readable such as may be used with Anderson's translator and dictionary, U.S. Pat. No. 4,579,533, or Miller's invention, U.S. Pat. No. 5,366,377, that deletes “sight words”, defined as common words, from the text thereby forcing deciphering of the remaining words that can be decoded phonetically, but which equipment to effect these changes may be unavailable to the reader.
This invention of reference training materials and tools consists of a booklet, bookmark and audio storage device, hereafter referred to as the “tape.” The booklet and bookmark have been marked in ways that bring some of the information, normally learned by researching, directly to the booklet text, and supply other reference information on the bookmark. The markings used in this embodiment, are inconspicuous as is the general appearance of all of the materials and tools so as to protect the self esteem of the reader. After the reader has used the marked booklet and bookmark to determine correct pronunciation of words, the tape is used to evaluate achievement of fluency.
Along with teaching the phonetic code, the prior related instruction also taught phonetic spelling as contrasted with correct spelling. Walker, U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,731, and others teach correct spelling along with reading, but do not appear to acknowledge or appreciate the role of phonetic spelling as an aid to reading. Hoffman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,426,451, decried the teaching of non traditional spelling, as have others, saying that it makes reading more difficult when the person attempts to read correctly written words. Nevertheless, readers and speakers need to know phonetic spelling when attempting to pronounce proper names of businesses, products and especially names of people whose original language is not English, which names have been phonetically spelled when translated into English. Often these names “do not follow the rules” associated with the spelling of traditional English words. The dictionary, a standard reference tool, also uses phonetic spelling to illustrate pronunciation of some words, particularly sight words, and for pronunciation of word syllables that do not decode phonetically when written correctly.
Unless the reader understands the connection between phonetic spelling and the use of reference tools such as dictionaries, there will remain a sense of helplessness in approaching the task of reading where sight words, and other variations of letter combinations exist that defy phonetic decoding. Readers need to know that phonetic decoding skills and skill in applying and interpreting phonetic spelling are vital despite the presence of sight w
Banks Derris H.
Femstrom Kurt
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