Effects of the Computer-Based Training Program Lautarium on Phonological Awareness and Reading and Spelling Abilities in German Second-Graders

Abstract

Intact phonological processing abilities are of major importance for successful acquisition of literacy skills. Training studies confirmed that programs which combine phonological training with systematic instruction on letter-sound-relationships are effective in fostering reading and spelling skills. Based on this evidence, we developed the computer-based training program Lautarium for German-speaking primary school children experiencing reading and spelling difficulties. This chapter provides an overview of the structure and contents of Lautarium, and summarizes the empirical evidence concerning the effectiveness of Lautarium-training in children with poor literacy skills. Additionally, we describe a study on the effects of Lautarium-training in two groups of second-graders with relatively low class-level reading skills. Group 1 performed Lautarium-training for a period of 8 weeks at the beginning of second grade, while Group 2 received regular classroom instruction. A significant training effect was found for spelling, but not for phonological awareness or reading. Since only a few children finished the training within the 8-week period, Lautarium was modified in order to allow faster completion of the exercises. Group 2 trained with the modified version at the end of second grade. Subsequent tests revealed stronger improvements in reading, spelling, and phonological awareness in Group 2 when compared to Group 1.