Method and apparatus for automated training of language learning skills

• US 6,726,486 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2001
• Issued: 04/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scientific Learning Corp. (Carnegie Learning, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Scientific Learning Corp. (Carnegie Learning, Inc.)
• Inventors: Miller, Steven L., Jenkins, William M., Mann, Virginia A., De Ley, Logan E., Cottle, Elizabeth C., Budra, Elizabeth H., Dewey, Jefferson A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H.
• Application Number:
  US09/965,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20020076675A1
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 434/118, 434/156, 434/169, 434/185, 434/307.R, 434/308, 434/322, 434/323, 434/350, 434/362, 434/365, 434/167, 434/236, 702/186, 703/22, 704/7, 704/251, 704/254, 704/241, 704/213, 704/270, 705/3, 705/26, 706/11, 707/5, 707/102, 707/104.1, 715/530, 725/37, 725/116, 600/545, 345/473, 345/952, 345/956
• US Class Current: 434/169
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 17/003 electrically operated apparatus or devices
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/04 Speaking with audible presentation of the material to be studied G09B5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/065 Combinations of audio and video presentations, e.g. videotapes, videodiscs, television systems
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/06 of the multiple-choice answer-type, i.e. where a given question is provided with a series of answers and a choice has to be made from the answers

Abstract

A computer program for execution on a computing device is provided to cross-train students in language development skills such as letter-word correspondence, word recognition, vocabulary, and sentence and paragraph comprehension. A set of programs provide an adaptive methodology for training a student in decoding (semantic, syntactic, phonological, and morphological relationships), knowledge of rhymes, synonyms, antonyms, and homophones, spelling, letter-word correspondences, sentence comprehension, grammatical comprehension, working memory, vocabulary, paragraph comprehension, and improved reading comprehension. In each program, students are presented with an animated scene that poses a question, and a set of answers. The set of answers contain a correct response, and a number of incorrect responses or foils. The student advances to more complex levels by satisfying predetermined correct thresholds. Through repetition and intensity, the student'"'"'s language skills are developed.

Claims

1. A method on a computing device for training a student to decode words into a plurality of categories, where the plurality of categories including a plurality of category types such as semantic, syntactic, phonological, and morphological, the method comprising:

a) providing on the computing device, a graphical setting onto which two or more of the plurality of categories are presented, each having a plurality of words associated with them;

b) graphically presenting one of the plurality of words, from one of the two or more of the presented categories to the student;

c) requiring the student to categorize the presented one of the plurality of words into one of the two or more of the presented categories, by indicating a selection of one of the two or more of the presented categories; and

d) recording whether the student correctly categorized the presented one of the plurality of words into its associated category.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

e) repeating steps b) through d).

3. The method as recited in claim 2 further comprising:

f) after a predetermined umber of trials determining if the student has correctly categorized the presented words for at least 90% of the trails.

4. The method as recited in claim 3 further comprising:

if the student has correctly categorized the presented words for at least 90% of the trails, providing alternate ones of the plurality of categories in step a) for further training.

6. The method as recited in claim 3 further comprising:

if the student has correctly categorized a predetermined percentage of words for all of the plurality of categories, providing additional categories of a different category type to training.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the plurality of categories within a syntactic category type comprises:

nouns, verbs, adjective, and prepositions.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the plurality of categories within a phonological category type comprises:

two syllables, the same vowel sound as ate, the “

s”

sound, and one consonant sound.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the plurality of categories within a morphological category type comprises:

a plurality noun, a compound word, and a suffix that means happened in the past.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the graphical setting of step a) comprises;

an animated story that illustrates the process of sorting.

11. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said step b) further comprises:

providing a first help box which, when selected by the student, provides a visual definition of the presented one of the plurality of words; and

providing a second help box which, when selected by the student, aurally presents the one of words to the student, via the computing device.

12. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said step c) of indicating a selection of one or more of the presented categories comprises:

using an input device of the computing device to select one of the two or more of the presented categories.

13. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said step c) further comprises:

if the student correctly categorized the presented one of the plurality of words, auditorily indicating to the student that the student was correct; and

if the student incorrectly categorized the presented one of the plurality of words, auditorily indicating to the student that the student was incorrect.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein said visually indicating step further comprises:

visually highlighting the correct one of the two or more of the presented categories for the presented one of the plurality of words.

5. The method as recited in 3 further comprising:

if the student has correctly categorized the presented words for at least 90% of the trails, increasing the number of categories presented in step a) to three or more.

15. A method on a computing device for training a student to categorize a plurality of words into a plurality of categories, each of the plurality of categories associated within one of a plurality of category types such as semantic, syntactic, phonological, and morphological, the method comprising:

a) selecting a first one of the plurality of category types for training;

b) presenting on the computer device two or more of the plurality of categories associated with the first one of the plurality of category types, as possible selections;

c) presenting on the computer device one of the plurality of words for categorization into one of the presented plurality of categories to the student;

d) recording which of the presented plurality of categories has been selected by the student as a category for the presented one of the plurality of words;

e) repeating steps b) through d); and

f) after the student has correctly categorized a predetermined percentage of the plurality of words, selecting a second one of the plurality of category types for continued training.

16. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein the first one of the plurality of category types is semantic.

17. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein said steps b) through c) are presented by providing an animation scene on a display of the computing device.

18. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein the student is cross-training by training the student to categorize a number of words in different category types.

19. A method on a computing device for training a student to categorize words into a plurality of categories, where the plurality of categories include a plurality of category types such as semantic, syntactic, phonological, and morphological, the method comprising:

a) presenting an animated scene representative of a categorization process to the student;

b) within the animated scene, presenting two or more of the plurality of categories as possible selections for categorization words therein;

c) visually presenting the words to the student, for categorization into the presented two or more of the presented categories; and

d) after the student has correctly categorized a predetermined percentage of the words for a first category types, changing the category type for training to a second category type and repeating step b) through c).

20. The method as recited in claim 19 wherein the computing device comprises:

a personal computer having an input device a display for presentation of the animated scene, and speakers.

21. The method as recited in claim 19 wherein the animated scene representative of a categorization process provides an entertaining backdrop illustrative of categorizing items into particular categories.

22. The method as recited in claim 19 wherein said step b) further comprises:

after the student has correctly categorized a second predetermined percentage of the words for the presented two or more of the plurality of categories, increasing the number of the plurality of categories that are presented to the student.

23. The method as recited in claim 19 where said step c) further comprises:

if the student requests clarification of the visually presented words, providing a definition box containing a written definition of the visually presented words.

24. The method as recited in claim 23 where said step c) further comprises:

if the student requests further clarification of the visually presented word, auditorily presenting the visually presented words.

25. The method as recited in claim 19 where said step b) further comprises:

if the student requests clarification of the resented two or more of the plurality of categories, auditorily presenting the two or more of the plurality of categories.

26. The method as recited in claim 19 wherein in said step c) the presented words are visually presented to the student, one at a time.