Computer Presentational Features for Poor Readers' Recall of Information

Abstract

Children's recall of words presented on a computer was assessed as a function of action and verbal labels. Eighty children, equally distributed by grades kindergarten and second and by high and low reading ability levels, interacted with different versions of a computer presentation. Within versions, words were presented with varying levels of visual action and verbal labels. Older children recalled more words than did younger children. For the second graders, action presentation increased the poor readers' verbal recall to the level of their better reading peers. The findings suggest that older children who have difficulty reading may well benefit from visual emphasis of computer content.