Reading comprehension is a vital skill for learners everywhere, and as the English language plays a larger and larger role in the world economy, it’s critical that tools be provided for English Language Learners to help them overcome obstacles standing in the way of their true reading potential. In a published study (link below), we showed that adult English Language Learners, as well as first language English readers, showed improved reading comprehension when reading in the Cascade Format after as few as two 30-minute sessions. Since then, we have greatly expanded our algorithm to now produce Cascaded Text in four additional languages: Spanish, French, German, and Italian.
To read our published research on ELLs: Click Here
The power of Cascade Reading to improve literacy outcomes for ELLs could also extend to helping learners of all languages – not just with their reading but also with their learning of the grammatical structures and vocabulary of the language itself. We wanted to obtain a preliminary understanding of how students view its implementation in the language learning environment. To accomplish this, we partnered with researchers and educators at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to provide Cascade to students in an intermediate professional Spanish course. Throughout the semester, students had the opportunity to complete their reading assignments in the Cascade Format and complete a survey asking about their experiences for course credit. Check out the overwhelmingly positive results below!
On top of these promising numbers, students talked at length about their experiences with the Cascade Format, with powerful emergent themes arising:
Improved Comprehension: “[The text], if it was given in the traditional format, would seem exhausting to read and heavy. However, in [the] Cascade Format, it is easy to read and comprehend.”
Relationships Between Words: “I understand why the Cascade Format is shaped that way because it makes the reading easier to understand for the reader by grouping similar words.”
Ease/Lower Anxiety: “The way it looked is very pleasing to the eye and makes it more appealing when reading it.
Learning New Words: “This [text] has a lot of prepositional phrases and words that I am not fully familiar with in terms of vocabulary. The Cascade Format [is] shaped the way it is…because it puts the adjectives and verbs together in little parts so it was easier to understand.”
Fluency: “I could tell exactly where to pause, and there was a rhythm that made the flow smooth.”
“What stands out about … [the] Cascade Format is the dramatic visual structure and how it mirrors the flow of information being revealed bit by bit. The shape is intentional – it builds suspense and adds emotional weight.”
These results paint an optimistic picture of Cascade Reading’s ability to help students learn new languages in addition to improving their reading comprehension in English and beyond!
