“ CATERing ” to Readers' Needs with AI : Innovation in Text Design and Instruction
Samuel DeJulio, Catherine Lammert, Elfrieda H. Hiebert, Andrea Avalos, Beverly Cagle, J. Dean, Shannon Good, Rashanna Tice · The Reading Teacher · 2024
Abstract In this article, the authors describe CATER (Computer‐Assisted Texts for Early Reading), an innovation that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to create texts for beginning reading instruction tailored to the interests, strengths, and learning needs of individual readers. The authors present an overview of CATER and share their findings from their work with elementary‐age children as part of a five‐week summer graduate course. The use of CATER allowed the authors to create texts that were engaging and that provided an appropriate balance of challenge and accessibility for the children with whom they worked. The authors share two examples that highlight different ways CATER can be implemented and provide recommendations for readers who are interested in trying it out in their classrooms.