System and method for improving reading accuracy and retention

Abstract

Computer-based systems and methods for improving reading accuracy and retention for persons with learning disabilities. Articles, documents, stories, novels or other written materials are converted into machine-readable text format by a software program such that customization of the text can be achieved to assist struggling readers in identifying letters and words. At least a portion of the text is displayed using colored lookalike letters and text backgrounds to assist the reader in recognition and identification of letters and words, which will allow the reader to make a color association and allow them to directionally understand which way the letter is facing. Customizable auditory and visual assistance is provided for decoding of high frequency sight words and words for which pronunciation is unknown.

Description

[0001] SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMPROVING READING ACCURACY AND RETENTION

[0002] Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates generally to reading programs for persons of all ages. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method designed to improve accuracy and retention in readers who suffer from learning disabilities, such as dyslexia.

[0004] Description of Related Art

[0005] The three most common learning disabilities found in American children are attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, and dysgraphia. Others commonly diagnosed are processing disorders and dyscalculia. Twenty-percent (20%) of special needs students are diagnosed with dyslexia, making it the single most common learning disability among this group.

[0006] Dyslexia most commonly presents as difficulty reading due to problems identifying speech sounds and learning how sounds relate to letters and wording, sometimes referred to as "decoding." Contrary to popular thought, dyslexia is not due to problems with intelligence, hearing or vision; rather, it is a cognitive issue related to the association of words and sounds. Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for dyslexia; however, many people can succeed while learning to cope, with early assessment and intervention typically resulting in the best outcome.

[0007] Many children, particularly those with learning disabilities, experience anxiety and frustration while learning to read, which can turn them into stressed and discouraged learners who dislike school. No child wants to keep struggling with something difficult, and as a result, they develop a negative attitude towards both learning and school. If reading were made easier for them at an early age — whether they are dyslexic or not — children would likely enjoy school more, leading to higher attendance and lower dropout rates.

[0008] CLOV120001099 Therefore, a need exists for a learning program to assist struggling readers with learning disabilities, which can be used by students or people of all ages.

[0009] Disclosure of the Invention

[0010] Bearing in mind the problems and deficiencies of the prior art, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved system and method to assist struggling readers with learning disabilities.

[0011] It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved reading program consisting of a software component and a printed materials component which includes color association of lookalike letters to assist struggling readers with letter identification and recognition.

[0012] A further object of the invention is to provide a reading program having a software component that includes customizable auditory and visual assistance for struggling readers with learning disabilities.

[0013] Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification.

[0014] The above and other objects, which will be apparent to those skilled in the art, are achieved in the present invention which is directed, in one aspect, to a method of improving reading accuracy and retention for readers with learning disabilities. The method comprises analyzing a text passage or image including a plurality of words comprising one or more letters using a computing device, and identifying one or more lookalike letters, such as letters that may be directionally reversed, within the text. The method further comprises converting each same identified lookalike letter into a designated color different from the color of other letters in the text passage, including other lookalike letters, and displaying the converted text passage on an electronic display, including the lookalike letters rendered in their designated colors, to enhance reader differentiation. The lookalike letters may be selected from the group consisting of b, d, g, p, q, and j.

[0015] CLOV120001099 In an embodiment, the method may further comprise identifying one or more high frequency sight words within the text passage, annotating the text passage by highlighting or underlining each identified high frequency sight word, and displaying the annotated text passage on the electronic display to enhance reader recognition and retention of the identified high frequency sight words. The high frequency sight words may be selected from the group consisting of: the, you, are, there, of, that, not, can, and, a, to, in, is, it, for, was, on, but, what, all, we, an, your, their, and do.

[0016] In one or more embodiments, the method may further comprise adjusting one or more display characteristics of the displayed text passage. The adjustable display characteristics may comprise one or more of font type, font size, magnification level, line spacing, word spacing, and background color of the displayed text passage, or brightness and contrast of the lookalike letters rendered in their designated colors.

[0017] In still another embodiment, the method may further comprise recording an oral recitation of the text passage displayed on the electronic display by a reader, analyzing the recording for compliance with one or more of a plurality of reading rules by the computing device, and identifying errors in reading fluency within the recording based on noncompliance with the one or more reading rules. The reading rules may comprise one or more of vowel sounds, phoneme blending, phoneme segmentation, and diphthongs.

[0018] In still yet another embodiment, the method may further comprise identifying, within the text passage, one or more words for which a correct pronunciation is unknown to a reader, selecting an available assistance action to apply to a chosen unknown word by the reader, and applying the selected assistance action to the chosen unknown word to enhance reader recognition and retention. Available assistance actions may comprise one or more of: displaying or narrating a phonetic rule applicable to the unknown word, narrating at least a portion of the unknown word, narrating the unknown word as a syllabicate word, narrating or displaying the definition of the unknown word, and displaying an image of the object of the unknown word.

[0019] CLOV120001099 In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a method of improving reading accuracy and retention, comprising recording an oral recitation of a text passage by a reader using a computing device, wherein the text passage includes a plurality of words comprising one or more letters, analyzing the recording for compliance with one or more of a plurality of reading rules, and identifying errors in reading fluency within the recording based on noncompliance with the one or more reading rules. The method further comprises annotating the text passage by highlighting or underlining each identified error, and displaying the annotated text passage on an electronic display. The reading rules may comprise one or more of vowel sounds, phoneme blending, phoneme segmentation, and diphthongs.

[0020] In an embodiment, the method may further comprise identifying, within the annotated text passage, one or more lookalike letters that are visually confusable with each other, such as letters that may be directionally reversed, and converting, for each identified lookalike letter, an appearance of a same lookalike letter into a designated color different from a color of other letters in the text passage. The method may further comprise displaying the text passage on an electronic display, including the lookalike letters rendered in their designated colors, to enhance reader differentiation. The lookalike letters may be selected from the group consisting of: b, d, g, p, q, and j.

[0021] In one or more embodiments, the method may further comprise identifying one or more high frequency sight words within the text passage, annotating the text passage by highlighting or underlining each identified high frequency sight word, and displaying the annotated text passage on the electronic display to enhance reader recognition and retention of the identified one or more high frequency sight words. The high frequency sight words may be selected from the group consisting of: the, you, are, there, of, that, not, can, and, a, to, in, is, it, for, was, on, but, what, all, we, an, your, their, and do.

[0022] CLOV120001099 In still yet another aspect, the present invention is directed to a non -transitory computer- readable medium for improving reading accuracy and retention. The non-transitory computer- readable medium stores instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising analyzing a text passage including a plurality of words comprising one or more letters, identifying, within the text passage, one or more lookalike letters that are visually confusable with each other, converting, for each identified lookalike letter, an appearance of a same lookalike letter into a designated color different from a color of other letters in the text passage, and displaying the converted text passage on an electronic display, including the lookalike letters rendered in their designated colors, to enhance reader differentiation. The lookalike letters may be selected from the group consisting of: b, d, g, p, q, and j.

[0023] In at least one embodiment, the instructions may further cause the computing device to perform operations comprising identifying, within the text passage, one or more high frequency sight words, annotating the text passage by highlighting or underlining each identified high frequency sight word, and displaying the annotated text passage on the electronic display to enhance reader recognition and retention of the identified one or more high frequency sight words. The high frequency sight words may be selected from the group consisting of: the, you, are, there, of, that, not, can, and, a, to, in, is, it, for, was, on, but, what, all, we, an, your, their, and do.

[0024] In one or more embodiments, the instructions may further cause the computing device to perform operations comprising recording an oral recitation of the text passage displayed on the electronic display by a reader, analyzing the recording for compliance with one or more of a plurality of reading rules, and identifying, within the recording, errors in reading fluency based on noncompliance with the one or more reading rules. The reading rules may comprise one or more of vowel sounds, phoneme blending, phoneme segmentation, and diphthongs.

[0025] CLOV120001099 In at least one embodiment, the instructions may further cause the computing device to perform operations comprising identifying, within the displayed text passage, one or more words for which a correct pronunciation is unknown to a reader, selecting, by the reader, an available assistance action to apply to a chosen unknown word, and applying the selected assistance action to the chosen unknown word to enhance reader recognition and retention. The available assistance action may comprise one or more of: displaying or narrating a phonetic rule applicable to the unknown word, narrating at least a portion of the unknown word, narrating the unknown word as a syllabicate word, narrating or displaying the definition of the unknown word, and displaying an image of the object of the unknown word.

[0026] Brief Description of the Drawings

[0027] The features of the invention believed to be novel and the elements characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The figures are for illustration purposes only and are not drawn to scale. The invention itself, however, both as to organization and method of operation, may best be understood by reference to the detailed description which follows taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

[0028] FIG. 1 is a table of color coded lookalike letters according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] FIG. 2 is a table of high frequency sight words encountered by young readers according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] FIG. 3 is an exemplary sign up page of a reading program for struggling readers according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] FIG. 4 is an exemplary user profile page of the reading program of FIG. 3.

[0032] FIG. 5 is an exemplary text input page of the reading program of FIG. 3, where a user can upload or drag-and-drop a text or image file into the text input box.

[0033] CLOV120001099 FIG. 6 is an exemplary text input page of the reading program of FIG. 3, where a user can type or copy-paste a text passage into the text input box.

[0034] FIG. 7 depicts a text passage within the text input box of FIG. 5, prior to customization of the text according to embodiments of the present invention.

[0035] FIG. 8 depicts the text passage of FIG. 6, after customization of the text in the form of color coding lookalike letters according to embodiments of the present invention.

[0036] FIG. 9 depicts the text passage of FIG. 6, after further customization of the text in the form of increased word spacing and line spacing according to embodiments of the present invention.

[0037] FIG. 10 is an exemplary dashboard for a reading program for struggling readers according to an embodiment of the present invention, depicting a storage library of previous files accessed by the user.

[0038] Mode(s) for Carrying Out the Invention

[0039] In describing the embodiments of the present invention, reference will be made herein to Figs. 1-10 of the drawings in which like numerals refer to like features of the invention.

[0040] For purposes of the subject description, the words "exemplary," "illustrative," or the like are used to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any aspect or design described herein as "exemplary" or "illustrative" is not necessarily intended to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or design. Rather, the use of the words "exemplary" or "illustrative" is merely intended to present concepts in a concrete fashion.

[0041] The systems and methods of the present invention may be implemented by computer-based software and may include one or more of the capabilities described herein. The system in some aspects may be embodied in a computing device located at a central location, which may be accessed via a web-based platform, and in some aspects may be in the form of a software application downloaded onto a desktop computer, mobile or smart phone, smart watch, smart

[0042] CLOV120001099 bracelet or other mobile computing device carried by the person, which may be operated as a stand-alone system or be linked to the central location. Entry and viewing of information on the central or remote computing device may be via a graphical user interface ("GUI") on a screen of the device. For the embodiments described herein, a dyslexic student is represented; however, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the systems and methods may also be used for persons with other learning or reading disabilities, as well as persons of all ages, including those who are no longer of conventional school age.

[0043] The present invention provides a system and method designed to help struggling readers, specifically readers who have a learning disability or processing disorder such as dyslexia. The invention may comprise a software component, in downloadable or non-downloadable form, and a printed materials component with pre-populated reading exercises.

[0044] Research has shown that emerging readers, especially those with dyslexia, often reverse or otherwise visually confuse the following specific "lookalike" letters or alphabetic characters: "b," "d," "g," "p," "q," and "j," Dyslexic readers often experience their letters, and in particular these lookalike letters, floating off of or around the page, and switching directions, leading to significant confusion and frustration when learning to read. For example, in an exemplary young adult chapter book containing 11,000 words for children to understand and pronounce, 5,000 words may have one or more of the lookalike letters in the word, which means that dyslexic readers would struggle with almost half of the words in that particular book.

[0045] Color association has been found by the inventor herein to help all readers, especially dyslexic readers, differentiate between lookalike letters or alphabetic characters. As such, a main component of the program of the present invention is the population of colored lookalike letters - "b," "d," "g," "p," "q," and "j," which will allow the reader to make a color association and allow them to directionally understand which way the letter is facing. By introducing color to each letter, readers can develop an association with the color, for example, all "b's" may be consistently blue (or any other chosen color). This color-coding system helps make reading

[0046] CLOV120001099 less frustrating, enabling readers to sound out words more accurately and enhancing their overall learning experience.

[0047] An exemplary color coding scheme according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1, where "b" is designated as the color blue, "d" is designated as red, "g" is designated as green, "p" is designated as purple, "q" is designated as orange, and "j" is designated as pink. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the colors designated in FIG. 1 are for exemplary purposes only, and may be customized by the program user according to their own preferences. The implementation of a color coding scheme for lookalike letters in the present invention has been shown to improve recognition and identification of letters, helping the reader pronounce words more accurately and understand sentences, which leads to reading more fluently. This approach benefits all children, as it allows them to upload documents, passages, and even novels to the software interface, where they are presented with the six colored letters.

[0048] Although the invention is described herein in relation to the modem English alphabet, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the same principles will apply to non-English alphabets that share most letters of the English alphabet, such as other Latin-script alphabets (French, Spanish, German, Italian, Dutch, etc.) and the Cyrillic alphabet (Russian, Serbian, Bulgarian).

[0049] It is intended that the reading program of the present invention can be utilized by parents, teachers, and students alike, both in the classroom and at home. An exemplary "Sign Up" page 1 for the software component of the present invention is depicted in FIG. 3. To distinguish between various users and user profdes, the software requires certain identifying information, which may include the user's first name 10, last name 20, email address (if any) 30, phone number 40, date of birth 50, and a unique password 60, in order to create each user account. As can be seen, for example, in FIG. 4, each user account is associated with a profile page 2, which may include a photo 70 of the user, contact information 80, a customizable text background color 90, and access to a library 400 of files previously accessed by the user, as

[0050] CLOV120001099 will be described below. In one or more embodiments, the student's teacher may have a master login which allows the teacher to access the student's saved file history or library 400 via a computing device located at a central location via a web-based platform. This allows the teacher to track the student's progress and alter their curriculum, if necessary.

[0051] Embodiments of the software component of the present invention allow parents, teachers, and / or students the ability to upload articles, documents, stories, novels, images, or other written materials or text passages comprising one or more words into a software interface and the software will analyze the text and identify within the text the presence of one or more lookalike letters that are typically visually confusable with each other by persons with reading or learning disabilities such as dyslexia. Visually confusable letters may be, for example, letters that may be interpreted as directionally reversed, such as the letters "b" and "d." The program then converts each identified lookalike letter into a designated color that is different from the remaining letters in the text, including any other identified lookalike letters. Each identified lookalike letter has its own designated color, which may be chosen by the user and is consistent among each lookalike letter (for example, all "b's" are designated as blue) such that the reader can develop an association between the letter and the color. The text passage, as newly rendered at least partially in color, is then displayed on an electronic display for the reader to visualize and practice reading.

[0052] As shown, for example, in FIG. 5, documents or images including text may be uploaded in any now-known or later developed human-readable file format, such as PDF, DOC / DOCX, SVG, PNG, JPG or GIF, or files may be submitted via drag-and-drop into text box 200 for analysis by the software. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 6, a user may type or copy -paste a text passage into text box 300. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, an image of the text 302 would be converted into machine-readable text format, such as by optical character recognition (OCR) or other now-known or later developed methodology, such that customization of the text can be achieved to assist struggling readers in identifying letters and words. In at least one embodiment, the real-time display will populate the text of the written materials in color coded

[0053] CLOV120001099 form 304, as selected by the user. As described above, each identified lookalike letter is rendered and displayed in a color that may be pre-selected by the user in accordance with their own preferences. As shown in FIG. 8, the letter "b" has been rendered in blue, "d" in red, "g" in green, "p" in purple, "q" in orange, and "j" in pink.

[0054] The display characteristics of the converted text are customizable by the user in accordance with their preferences. Display settings adjustable by the user may include but are not limited to, color of the text and / or lookalike letters, brightness, contrast, and text background color. Brightness may be selected from at least three options: High (intense, bright color); Medium (medium color); and Low (dim coloring, minimal distinction from adjacent letters). Additional settings which may be adjusted include font type, font size, magnification level, and line / word spacing, as shown in FIG. 9. Optionally, the user may select an alternative spacing by toggling "Add Space" input 306, resulting in the text passage being re-rendered in a line and / or word spacing format 308 that assists the reader in identifying and recognizing problematic letters and / or words.

[0055] In at least one embodiment, a digital camera may be used to project a real-time image of the written materials onto a display, such as a desktop computer or tablet screen, or smartphone screen. If the page of the written materials is flipped, the display would change to match the current page and the display would re-populate the text in color coded form.

[0056] Struggling readers most often struggle with words that have no definitions or pictures, in other words, "sight words." Sight words are considered words that appear often in written and spoken language and are typically recognized instantly by readers without the need for phonetic decoding. Phonetic decoding is the foundational reading skill of translating written words into spoken language by using knowledge of letter-sound relationships (phonics) to sound out and blend individual letters or letter groups (graphemes) into pronounceable words. An example would be the process of breaking down a word like "cat" into its sounds ( / k / / a / / t / ) and blending them together, enabling readers to decipher unfamiliar words and build word recognition. Because sight words occur frequently, especially in early reading materials,

[0057] CLGV120001099 automatic recognition of these words supports reading fluency, comprehension, and overall reading efficiency. Examples of high-frequency sight words that commonly cause difficulty in readers can be seen in FIG. 2, and include but are not limited to the words: "the," "you," "are," "there," "of," "that," "not," "can," "and," "a," "to," "in," "is," "it," "for," "was," "on," "but," "what," "all," "we," "an," "your," "their," and "do." In one or more embodiments of the invention, high frequency sight words found in the converted text may be highlighted or underlined in an annotated text passage on the display screen to assist readers.

[0058] In addition, words and / or full sentences can be magnified on the display at increasing levels of magnification for ease of reading. In an embodiment, if the magnification setting is on, the reader would press the down arrow to advance to the next sentence, which would be magnified at the same level.

[0059] In one or more embodiments, the program may include a variety of available assistance actions when an unknown word (or a word for which the correct pronunciation is unknown) is encountered by the reader. Such actions may include, but are not limited to, a. Phonetic Rule - the phonetic rule is given to the reader so that they can figure out the word on their own; b. Pictures - a picture of the object of the word appears so the reader can make a visual association; c. Sound - the syllables of the word are sounded out; d. Say the Word ~ the word is narrated out loud; e. Rhyming Word - available rhyming words are narrated; f. Definitions - the definition of the word is given as narration; g. Syllabicate Word - the word is broken apart into syllables and narrated; h. Vowel sound - the loud or short vowel sound is narrated; i. Read Out Loud - the complete word or sentence is narrated;

[0060] These actions may be selectable via a drop down menu in the software program, whereby the reader chooses what they need or a teacher / parent is able to designate which actions to make

[0061] CLOV120001099 available, customized for each reader based on reading level. For example, teachers / parents may want more or less guidance available for the reader, which can be configured as the reader's ability progresses (or possibly regresses) over time.

[0062] In at least one embodiment, the program may include a glossary of reading rules to assist the reader, including but not limited to, vowel sounds, phoneme blending (the ability to hear the individual sounds in a word, put the sounds together, and say the word that is made), phoneme segmentation (the ability to break words down into individual sounds), and diphthongs (a sound formed by the combination of two vowels in a single syllable, in which the sound begins as one vowel and moves toward another). Encoding breaks a spoken word down into parts that are written or spelled out, while decoding breaks a written word into parts that are verbally spoken.

[0063] In one or more embodiments, the software component of the present invention may include visual or auditory cues that are associated with the text being displayed and read. For example, the program may include a mindfulness option with associated calming music when certain rules are encountered. A variety of breathing techniques may be associated with different rules, such that the reader can make the association between the breathing technique and the rule, helping the reader remember the rule while they read. Similarly, music playing in the background when describing a rule, or alternatively, pop up music appearing when a rule is encountered, helps the reader make an association between the music and the rule. It has been shown that association between the breathing technique / music helps the reader remember the rule.

[0064] In one or more embodiments, the program of the present invention may include a "read aloud" feature, whereby the computing device records the reader reciting a text passage orally and analyzes the recording to provide feedback. For example, the program may utilize a number of algorithms for analyzing the recorded audio and identifying errors, such as categorizing where the reader struggled. Categories may include words, rules, and sounds, and may be used to assist parents / teachers in returning to weak areas for additional practice. In one or more

[0065] CLOV120001099 embodiments, the one or more algorithms may detect errors in reading fluency based on noncompliance with a stored library of reading rules, such as vowel sounds, phoneme blending, phoneme segmentation, and diphthongs, as described above. To further assist the reader, in at least one embodiment, the text passage displayed may be re-rendered and annotated to highlight or underline each identified error within the recording, so that the reader can visualize where improvement may be needed. The annotated text passage may further include color coding of lookalike letters and highlighting and / or underlining of high frequency sight words within the text passage, as described above, for a more comprehensive approach. Additionally, the program may include a tempo trainer, whereby a background beat would be used to demonstrate to the reader the correct pace as the reader reads out loud.

[0066] Visually, the program may include a character or avatar which can give feedback to the reader as the reader progress through the program. In one or more embodiments, the character may be referred to as MARTIN (an acronym for Making Access to Reading Teachable & Inspiring Now™). The character may give visual encouragement while the reader reads out loud, such as giving a thumbs up, smiling, or nodding the head, when the reader is successful. Conversely, the character may also give feedback in situations where a word is misspoken by the reader, such as tilting of the head to the side or making a confused face, to indicate an error.

[0067] In one or more embodiments, virtual tokens may be earned within the program for completing tasks and MARTIN'S appearance may be accessorized by purchasing accessories via microtransactions using the virtual tokens. Examples of accessories for purchase may include but are not limited to, backpacks, hats, glasses, toys, books, pets, school supplies, pets, outfits, holiday items, and costumes.

[0068] As shown in FIG. 10, each user has access to a stored library 400 of folders 402, 404, 406, 408, each containing one or more previous files and / or recordings of the user, so that the user can return to weak areas for additional practice. Additionally, the most recently used files 410 are isolated, such as for easy access to ongoing coursework. In one or more embodiments, the

[0069] CLOV120001099 user's teacher may also have access to the user's library 400 so that the teacher can listen to how students are reading at home or at school.

[0070] Associated with the software program may be a series of written materials or novels which may also include pre-populated colored letters and backgrounds. These written materials may be used in conjunction with the software, or as a standalone learning mechanism. If used in conjunction with the software, the same text customization and auditory / visual assistance would be available, as described above, once the written materials have been uploaded into the program via digital camera.

[0071] It is contemplated that the software of the present invention may partner with other available reading programs, giving the software access to a library of books and other written materials which the reader may utilize. In one or more embodiments, the software may further include typing and handwriting components. In an exemplary handwriting component, the text or passage of text may be transferred to a document comprising a series of dotted lines where the reader can practice writing the text, such as on a tablet. In an exemplary typing component, the software may be used to teach the reader where keys are located and include a number of typing exercises.

[0072] An embodiment of the system and method of the present invention may take the form of a hardware embodiment that uses software (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.). Furthermore, an embodiment may take the form of a computer program product on a tangible computer-usable storage medium having computer-usable program code embodied in the medium. A memory device or memory portion of a computer-based device can form the medium. Computer program code or firmware to carry out an embodiment of the present disclosure could also reside on optical or magnetic storage media, especially while being transported or stored prior to or incident to the loading of the computer program code or firmware into the device. This computer program code or firmware can be loaded, as an example, by connecting a computer system to the programming interface.

[0073] CLOV120001099 It should be appreciated and understood that the present invention may be embodied as systems, methods, apparatus, computer readable media, non-transitory computer readable media and / or computer program products. The present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a "circuit," "module," "system," or "processor" configured to practice the method(s) or system(s) of the invention. The present invention may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer readable medium(s) having computer readable program code embodied thereon.

[0074] One or more computer readable medium(s) may be utilized, alone or in combination. The computer readable medium may be a computer readable storage medium or a computer readable signal medium. A suitable computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. Other examples of suitable computer readable storage medium would include, without limitation, the following: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. A suitable computer readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that can contain or store a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0075] A computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signal with computer readable program code embodied therein, for example, in baseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may take any of a variety of forms, including, but not limited to, electro-magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. A computer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium that is not a computer readable storage

[0076] CLOV120001099 medium and that can communicate, propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0077] Program code embodied on a computer readable medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wireline, optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0078] Computer program code for carrying out operations for aspects of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language such as React Native, Java, Scala, Ruby, Python, Smalltalk, C++ or the like and conventional procedural programming languages such as the "C" programming language or similar programming languages. The method steps may be performed and the program code may execute entirely on the central location’s computing device (such as a general purpose computer), partly on the central location’s computing device, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the central location’s computer device and partly on a remote computing device used by the student or other person (such as a mobile or smart phone, smart watch, smart bracelet or other mobile device) or entirely on the student’s or other person’s remote computing device. In the latter scenario, the person’s remote computing device may be connected to another remote computing device and / or the system’s central computing device through any type of network, including Bluetooth, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), or a wireless local area network (WLAN), or the connection may be made to an external computing device (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).

[0079] The methods of operation of the present invention may be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computing device (such as, a computer), special purpose computing device, or other programmable data processor or processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computing device or other programmable

[0080] CLOV120001099 data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks.

[0081] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a n on-transitory computer readable medium that can direct a computing device, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instructions which implement the function / act specified in the flowchart of FIG. 1.

[0082] The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computing device, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computing device, other programmable apparatus or other devices to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computing device or other programmable apparatus provide processes for implementing the functions / acts specified.

[0083] Thus, the present invention provides one or more of the following advantages: The present invention provides an improved reading program for struggling readers with learning disabilities, whereby the text of reading materials is pre-populated with colored lookalike letters and backgrounds to assist the reader in recognition and identification of letters and words. The present invention further provides a reading program including customizable auditory and visual assistance for high frequency sight words and unknown words (or words for which the correct pronunciation is unknown).

[0084] While the present invention has been particularly described, in conjunction with one or more specific embodiments, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. It is therefore contemplated that the appended claims will embrace any such alternatives, modifications and variations as falling within the true scope and spirit of the present invention.

[0085] Thus, having described the invention, what is claimed is:

[0086] CLOV120001099

Claims

Claims1. A method of improving reading accuracy and retention, comprising: analyzing, by a computing device, a text passage including a plurality of words comprising one or more letters; identifying, within the text passage, one or more lookalike letters that are visually confusable with each other; converting, for each identified lookalike letter, an appearance of a same lookalike letter into a designated color different from a color of other letters in the text passage; and displaying the text passage on an electronic display including the lookalike letters rendered in their designated colors to enhance reader differentiation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more lookalike letters are selected from the group consisting of: b, d, g, p, q, andj.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: identifying, within the text passage, one or more high frequency sight words; annotating the text passage by highlighting or underlining each identified high frequency sight word within the text passage; and displaying the annotated text passage on the electronic display to enhance reader recognition and retention of the identified one or more high frequency sight words.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the one or more high frequency sight words are selected from the group consisting of: the, you, are, there, of, that, not, can, and, a, to, in, is, it, for, was, on, but, what, all, we, an, your, their, and do.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: adjusting one or more display characteristics of the displayed text passage, the one or more display characteristics comprising font type, font size, magnification level, lineCLOV120001099spacing, word spacing, and background color of the displayed text passage, or brightness and contrast of the lookalike letters rendered in their designated colors.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: recording, by the computing device, an oral recitation of the text passage displayed on the electronic display by a reader; and analyzing, by the computing device, the recording for compliance with one or more of a plurality of reading rules; and identifying, within the recording, errors in reading fluency based on noncompliance with the one or more reading rules.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the plurality of reading rules comprise one or more of vowel sounds, phoneme blending, phoneme segmentation, and diphthongs.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising: identifying, within the displayed text passage, one or more words for which a correct pronunciation is unknown to a reader; selecting, by the reader, an available assistance action to apply to a chosen unknown word; and applying the selected assistance action to the chosen unknown word to enhance reader recognition and retention.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the available assistance action comprises one or more of: display or narration of a phonetic rule, narration of at least a portion of the unknown word, narration of the unknown word as a syllabicate word, narration or display of a definition of the unknown word, and display of an image of the object of the unknown word for forming a visual association.CLOV12000109910. A method of improving reading accuracy and retention, comprising: recording, by a computing device, an oral recitation of a text passage by a reader, the text passage including a plurality of words comprising one or more letters; analyzing, by the computing device, the recording for compliance with one or more of a plurality of reading rules; identifying, within the recording, errors in reading fluency based on noncompliance with the one or more reading rules; annotating the text passage by highlighting or underlining each identified error within the text passage; and displaying the annotated text passage on an electronic display.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the reading rules comprise one or more of vowel sounds, phoneme blending, phoneme segmentation, and diphthongs.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising: identifying, within the text passage, one or more lookalike letters that are visually confusable with each other; converting, for each identified lookalike letter, an appearance of a same lookalike letter into a designated color different from a color of other letters in the text passage; and displaying the text passage on an electronic display including the lookalike letters rendered in their designated colors to enhance reader differentiation.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more lookalike letters are selected from the group consisting of: b, d, g, p, q, and j.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising: identifying, within the text passage, one or more high frequency sight words; annotating the text passage by highlighting or underlining each identified high frequency sight word within the text passage; andCLOV120001099displaying the annotated text passage on the electronic display to enhance reader recognition and retention of the identified one or more high frequency sight words.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more high frequency sight words are selected from the group consisting of: the, you, are, there, of, that, not, can, and, a, to, in, is, it, for, was, on, but, what, all, we, an, your, their, and do.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for improving reading accuracy and retention, the non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising: analyzing a text passage including a plurality of words comprising one or more letters; identifying, within the text passage, one or more lookalike letters that are visually confusable with each other; converting, for each identified lookalike letter, an appearance of a same lookalike letter into a designated color different from a color of other letters in the text passage; and displaying the text passage on an electronic display including the lookalike letters rendered in their designated colors to enhance reader differentiation.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the one or more lookalike letters are selected from the group consisting of: b, d, g, p, q, and j.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the computing device to perform operations comprising: identifying, within the text passage, one or more high frequency sight words; annotating the text passage by highlighting or underlining each identified high frequency sight word within the text passage; andCLOV120001099displaying the annotated text passage on the electronic display to enhance reader recognition and retention of the identified one or more high frequency sight words.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the one or more high frequency sight words are selected from the group consisting of: the, you, are, there, of, that, not, can, and, a, to, in, is, it, for, was, on, but, what, all, we, an, your, their, and do.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the computing device to perform operations comprising: recording an oral recitation of the text passage displayed on the electronic display by a reader; and analyzing the recording for compliance with one or more of a plurality of reading rules; and identifying, within the recording, errors in reading fluency based on noncompliance with the one or more reading rules.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the plurality of reading rules comprise one or more of vowel sounds, phoneme blending, phoneme segmentation, and diphthongs.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the computing device to perform operations comprising: identifying, within the displayed text passage, one or more words for which a correct pronunciation is unknown to a reader; selecting, by the reader, an available assistance action to apply to a chosen unknown word; and applying the selected assistance action to the chosen unknown word to enhance reader recognition and retention.CLOV12000109923. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the available assistance action comprises one or more of: display or narration of a phonetic rule, narration of at least a portion of the unknown word, narration of the unknown word as a syllabicate word, narration or display of a definition of the unknown word, and display of an image of the object of the unknown word for forming a visual association.CLOV120001099

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