Activity: Closed Captioning

A television that is capable of displaying closed captioning (CC) can be used as a literacy tool. A closed-captioned television program displays text on the screen, corresponding to the words being spoken. The learner / viewer is able to hear the correct pronunciation of words as she reads them, while the pictures reinforce comprehension.

Regularly televised closed-captioned programs may run too fast to benefit learners with intellectual / developmental disabilities. Instead, a captioned videocassette (or a taped program with subtitles) can be used. The screen can be paused at regular intervals so that the tutor and leaner can focus on text at a manageable pace.

Advice:

Adapted from:
George H. Maginnis. Captioned Video Cassettes: A Source of Reading Material. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the International Reading Association. Anaheim, CA, May 3-7, 1987.