Highly Imaginable Words and Short Sentences Edition is the next instructional material to be used after the Basic Spelling and Phonics Edition.
This material strengthens and further generalizes the spelling and sound memory, as well as word form memory, learned in the “Basic Spelling and Phonics Edition” through haptic reading of words and sentences featuring uniquely developed depictions designed to activate semantic memory.
The material consists of 22 sentences describing highly imaginative pictures and 11 word lists. Learners alternate between haptic reading of the “pictures and sentences” and the “word lists.”
Our research has shown that haptic reading facilitates the connection between visual representations and phonological representations through the semantic system. This connection strengthens RAN (Rapid Automatized Naming), a foundational cognitive skill for literacy.
In the Highly Imaginable Words and Short Sentences Edition, haptic reading with highly imaginable words, sentences, and pictures aims to strongly activate the semantic system, further enhancing the brain’s reading and writing network.
Product Contents:
22 picture cards depicting various scenarios with accompanying sentences
11 word lists used to construct the sentences
Audio-Visual Materials for Haptic Reading Learning
Instruction manual (usage guide)
Evaluation sheets
User Manual and Evaluation Sheets:
Sawaru Glyph has been developed to enable functional training for dyslexia at home. The included instruction manual provides detailed guidance on how to use the materials. Additionally, evaluation sheets are provided to measure changes in reading skills and RAN functionality resulting from Sawaru Glyph. This allows families to conduct scientifically-based training at home.
Features of the Product
This teaching material builds on the foundation of the Basic Spelling and Phonics Edition, which focused on learning basic spelling, phonetic structures, and word forms. In this next stage, the goal is to further strengthen the memory of spelling and word forms by engaging in haptic reading of words within actual sentences, aiming for functional generalization that enables learners to apply their knowledge in various contexts.
The material consists of the following two components:
- Sentences describing illustrations
- A word list related to those sentences
Learners alternate between haptic reading of “vivid illustrations with sentences” and the “word list.” This method activates semantic memory, facilitating further enhancement of memory retention.
We have created 22 types of depictions and sentences designed to activate learners’ semantic memory.
Moreover, by reading aloud semantically rich words while receiving haptic feedback, the method strengthens the connection between the visual dictionary (visual word memory) and the phonological dictionary (phonological word memory). This approach suggests the potential to improve RAN (Rapid Automatized Naming) and supports the development of brain networks essential for proficient reading and writing skills.
Stages and Levels of the Material
This material is the next step after the “Basic Spelling and Phonics Edition.” It aims to build upon and generalize the knowledge acquired in the “Basic Spelling and Phonics Edition,” such as the structure of spelling and sound, as well as word form memory.
Target Learners
- Children and adults with dyslexia
This material is designed for individuals who struggle to read fluently, feel fatigued when reading, or have difficulty accurately remembering spellings. It is suitable for a wide range of users, from children to adults. - Typically developing children, non-native English-speaking children, and adultsThis material is effective not only for individuals with dyslexia but also for others. It enhances spelling and sound memory, word form memory, and the integration of visual and phonological representations. It is particularly suitable for children and adults from non-English-speaking backgrounds who aim to develop the brain function networks required for reading and writing in English.
Principles and Effects
By utilizing the effects of haptics, Sawaru Glyph promotes fluent reading and enhances four cognitive functions related to letter recall. It helps improve the cognitive vulnerabilities of dyslexia.
Haptics has the following three functions:
- Haptic feedback enhances attention to the target and strengthens memory traces.
- Haptics integrates with visual information in the brain to form concrete, multimodal images.
- Haptics possesses characteristics of both visual representation (parallel) and phonological representation (sequential), serving to connect the two.
By utilizing these functions of haptics, the neural networks involved in reading and writing abilities in the brain are strengthened.
1. Formation of a precise and robust mental image of letter shapes
It has been found that not only seeing letters and symbols, but also engaging with them through haptics while seeing promotes awareness of their shapes, enhancing memory images. By utilizing haptics to interact with the letters, attention is more strongly focused on their shapes, making it easier to leave memory traces. Furthermore, research shows that haptics and vision share a common neural basis in the brain and are cognitively integrated. Incorporating haptics allows for multi-sensory memory encoding.
2. Formation of word form memory (chunking)
By receiving haptic feedback on the spelling (sequence of letters) while reading, chunking of letter sequences in memory is promoted. This enables efficient formation of word form memory. Once the word form memory is established in the mind, it becomes easier to read texts.
3. Formation of associative memory between letters and sounds
Dyslexia often involves difficulty in associating letters with sounds. While memory formation between letters and sounds is promoted by reading aloud alone, the process is further enhanced by combining it with the video and audio resources used in the haptic reading program. By providing simultaneous haptic (touch-based) interaction with letters and auditory information, more effective formation of associative memory between letters and sounds is achieved.
4. The Effect of RAN (Rapid Automatized Naming) Enhancement
RAN（Rapid Automatized Naming） refers to the ability to efficiently retrieve and name visual information, such as pictures or numbers. It is known that children with dyslexia tend to have lower naming speed. Sawaru Glyph is the first program in the world to confirm the improvement of RAN through haptic reading practice. A hypothesis suggests that reading meaningful words while engaging in tactile interaction enables the creation of a bypass within the semantic network, linking the visual lexicon associated with letter and word forms and the phonological lexicon tied to spoken words. This bypass improves the recall of letter forms, which serves as a cognitive cue to facilitate the recall of words (phonological information).
How to Use
The method of haptic reading and the use of audio-visual materials are the same as in the “Basic Spelling and Phonics Edition.” However, in the “Highly Imaginable Words and Short Sentences Edition,” learners first engage in haptic reading of two depiction-based sentences, followed by a word list contained within those sentences. By reading the depiction-based sentences first and then the accompanying word list, learners can activate semantic memory while further strengthening spelling and sound memory, word form memory, and the integration of visual and phonological representations. Detailed instructions are provided in the manual.
Technology and Copyrights
Sawaru Glyph is not merely a teaching material for haptic reading of embossed letters.
This tool integrates the following four original technologies to enable effective multisensory learning through the use of haptics:
- Font Design Optimized for haptic reading
- Audio-Visual Features for Integrating Spelling and Sound
- Stepwise haptic reading Program
- Analysis and Selection of Image-Rich Words
These technologies support effective learning by utilizing fonts designed for haptic reading and developing audio-visual systems that enhance the connection between letters and sounds. Additionally, the words used in the materials are carefully selected to prioritize semantic processing and facilitate the formation of reading and writing networks.
These technological innovations are protected by international copyrights.
For more details, please refer to the “Technology and Copyrights” page.