Patent ID: 8083523
Filing Date: 2011-12-27
Classification: G09B

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method for improving spelling and sensitivity to letter-sound correspondences in a person, the method comprising: providing a stimulus word set comprising a chained plurality of minimal pairs of stimulus words, presenting a stimulus word from the chained plurality of minimal pairs of stimulus words to the person via a computing device, comprising: removing a letter from the textually presented stimulus word, after said audibly and textually presenting the stimulus word; audibly presenting the next stimulus word in the chain, which becomes the most recently presented stimulus word, and which differs from the preceding stimulus word by one letter corresponding to the removed letter; wherein the most recently presented stimulus word is audibly presented while still textually displaying all of the letters, except for the removed letter, of the word; presenting a plurality of letters to the person via the computing device, wherein one of the letters from the plurality of letters correctly replaces the removed letter to textually spell the most recently audibly presented stimulus word, wherein the other of the plurality of letters are foils that do not correctly replace the removed letter to textually spell the most recently audibly presented stimulus word, and wherein the visual and phonetic similarity of the foils with respect to the correct letter is regulated in order to control the discriminability of the correct letter from the foils; requiring the person to select a letter from the plurality of letters to replace the removed letter to spell the most recently audibly presented stimulus word; determining if the person selected the letter correctly; and if incorrect, informing the person that the selected letter was not the correct letter to form the most recently audibly presented stimulus word, and preventing the incorrect letter from replacing the removed letter, in order to prevent the person from being exposed to an incorrectly spelled word; and if correct, textually presenting the most recently audibly presented stimulus word with a missing letter and repeating said audibly presenting the next stimulus word in the chain, said presenting the plurality of letters, said requiring, and said determining for each stimulus word in the chain; wherein said repeating improves spelling and sensitivity to letter-sound correspondences in the person; wherein presenting the words in the chained plurality of minimal pairs of stimulus words further comprises: