Comparison of an iPad and Paper-Based Modality for a Flashcard Sight-Phrase Intervention

Drill-and-practice flashcard interventions are often used when students display delays in sight word recognition and word reading fluency. Sight-phrase interventions connect two to three words together to teach connected text instead of words in isolation. Although studies have shown that students can learn to read sight phrases through a tablet-based intervention, there have been no studies comparing a tablet-based drill-and-practice sight-phrase intervention with a similar paper-based intervention. The current study used a multiple-baseline design across three students and implemented a sight-phrase intervention both using traditional flashcards and using an iPad app. Students were prompted to see the phrase, attempt to read the phrase, hear the phrase read, and then say the phrase again before moving to the next phrase. Results showed that all students quickly acquired all unknown phrases within two to five sessions. There was no difference in acquisition rate between the paper and iPad modalities. Discussion focuses on the applicability of the iPad intervention to increase efficiency in flashcard intervention delivery given that the intervention can increase student sight-phrase acquisition at a similar rate as traditional flashcard interventions.