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Read it and Reap
Can AI support progress in reading?
Neil Almond
March 26, 2024
👋 human,
There is very much reading theme in this week’s newsletter, with some great time saving tips for teachers who measure reading fluency.
Knowledge builders 📚
NVIDIA → Ever wondered what powers a LLM each time you use it? The simple answer is a massive amounts of computing power on a server. That processors that run on those computers are created by a company called NVIDIA, who pretty much have a monopoly on the types of processors needed to make sure GenAI runs efficiently.
Microsoft Reading Coach → If you are a Microsoft school, then you need to know about Reading Coach. It is a simple and effective way to measure and track pupils’ reading fluency (accuracy, automaticity and prosody). Pupils read a passage of text (which can be set by a teacher) and then using AI, it is able to track words correct per minute, prosody and provide pupils with some words that they pronounced incorrectly.
It goes without saying that this should never fully replace a teacher listening to a child read.
Industry updates 🤖
What do UK teachers think of AI? → A report by Trinity College London is out with the latest insights into teachers and the use of AI. Here are some headlines:
63% believe that generic AI tools are too unreliable and inaccurate for effective classroom use.
23% of teachers admitting to using AI tools in their teaching during the past term.
61% of teachers would feel more confidence in using AI more if adequately trained.
If you would like to see how your school compares to others in the use of AI, you can complete this survey from Educate Ventures Research.
Fresh prompts ✨
Lexile Readability → While the notion of ‘instructional level’ is a misdemeanour when it comes to text selection for pupils, having a guide for ‘readability’ is useful for teachers who want pupils to practice - enter lexile scores. Lexiles counts the number of uncommon words and the average sentence lengths in a text and then uses that information to guess the likelihood that average readers will be able to understand that text. The higher the score, the more unfamiliar vocabulary and the longer the average sentence length that text will have. This provides a useful and accurate guide to create texts for pupils to read that challenge them.
You are an expert at writing texts for particular Lexile scores. Create a 200 word text about habitats with a Lexile score of 700.Here is the output.
Habitats are places where plants and animals live. Each habitat has its own landscape and climate. Forests, deserts, oceans, and grasslands are examples of habitats. They provide the food, water, shelter, and space that living things need.
Forests are full of trees and are home to many animals. Birds build nests in the branches. Bears and deer roam the forest floor. Insects buzz around, and mushrooms grow on damp soil.
Deserts are dry and sandy. They have extreme temperatures: very hot during the day and cold at night. Cacti and other plants store water to survive. Animals like camels and lizards are adapted to this tough environment.
Oceans cover most of our planet. They have different zones, each with unique creatures. Fish swim in the shallow waters. Deep down, strange animals live in the dark. Coral reefs are colorful and full of life.
Grasslands are open spaces with tall grass. They can be found in places with moderate rainfall. Many animals, such as lions, elephants, and zebras, live in grasslands. They rely on the grass for food and hiding from predators.
Each habitat is important. We must protect them to keep our planet healthy and diverse.
The next output was the same prompt but a lexile score of 330 was used.
Habitats are where animals and plants live. They can be big or small. Some habitats are hot, and some are cold. There are many kinds of habitats, like forests, deserts, oceans, and grasslands.
In forests, there are lots of trees. Animals like squirrels, birds, and foxes live there. They find food and make homes in the trees and on the ground.
Deserts are very hot and dry. Not many plants grow there. But some animals, like snakes and lizards, like the desert. They can live with less water.
Oceans are very big and deep. Fish, whales, and crabs live in the ocean. They swim in the water. The ocean is also home to coral reefs, which are like underwater gardens.
Grasslands are places with lots of grass. Animals like rabbits, deer, and lions live there. They eat the grass and hide from other animals.
We need to take care of all habitats. They are important for the animals and plants that live there. We can help by keeping them clean and safe.