Reading Fluency Training with Amazon Alexa.

This paper presents the conception, development and evaluation of an Amazon Alexa application (Skill) for the training of reading fluency. This Skill takes on different roles in a multilingual Reader's Theatre, a reading out loud method to train reading fluency. In this approach, children may choose and practice one or more roles in a script by reading out loud their dialogues with the reading partner Amazon Alexa. The student and Alexa take turns in reading. Alexa gives feedback to the student, acts as a reading model, and has the role of a cooperative reading partner. In an iterative process, the development of the prototype was continuously evaluated and adapted. The Skill was evaluated with three students who tried out the Skill and were interviewed about the acceptance, the fun factor and their future use. The evaluation focused on the functionality and usability of a possible technical implementation. Despite various technical limitations, a final evaluation showed that the Skill can be suitable as a co-partner for a Reader's Theatre.