Equitable Access to Content for Struggling Readers

Students who struggle to read often fall behind and frequently lose interest in learning. Providing content at their reading/decoding level can limit their opportunities to gain grade-level vocabulary, background knowledge, and comprehension, causing them to slip even further behind.

Learning Ally’s human-read audiobook solution provides access to grade-level content in a format they can easily absorb, bridging the gap between their decoding skills and cognitive ability, increasing engagement, self-esteem and academic results.

Read this case study to see how equitable access to content can immediately impact student success.
https://learningally.org/Solutions-for-School/Case-Study-Providing-Equitable-Access-for-Struggling-Readers?utm_source=SmartBrief&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=EA 

Dr. Cheesman’s App Chat: Best Sight-Word Apps

Sight words (also known as high-frequency, instant, or red words) are words the reader recognizes immediately without relying on decoding skills. The goal of a sight-word app is to teach and/or provide individually paced practice so these words can be read automatically, thus freeing up memory resources for the task of getting meaning from text.  This article provides the key criteria of effective apps and the six best apps that meet them.  Read More

Claro Scan Pen Reader

This iPhone/iPad app allows you to take a picture and read.  The process is streamlined, simplifying the ability to take photos of worksheets, employment forms, pill bottles, etc. & having them read back to you.  No need to buy a physical scanning pen – this inexpensive app can put the capability in your phone.  With the use of earbuds, students can also have their tests read to them.  https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/claro-scanpen-reader-capture/id994933713?mt=8

 

10 Ways to Use Technology to Build Vocabulary

Drawing on research-based principles of vocabulary instruction and multimedia learning, discover 10 strategies that use free digital tools and web resources to actively engage students in vocabulary learning.  http://www.readingrockets.org/article/10-ways-use-technology-build-vocabulary 

Ready for College

This four-part webcast examines the components of college readiness-both academic and non-academic skills-and explores ways that high schools, parents, and colleges themselves can work together to prepare students for post-secondary education. Panelists: Nevin Brown, Barbara Taveras, and Jennifer Glaser.  See all of our Ready for College resources.

AT for Reading: Ear Reading for Individuals with Print Disabilities

Do you remember your last visit when we started talking about ear reading, which Foss (2013) states is one of three ways individuals can approach reading? Today, I want to tell you about two ear reading options available to people with documented print disabilities, including those with dyslexia. https://eida.org/at-for-reading-ear-reading-for-individuals-with-print-disabilities/

One District’s Results using Don Johnston’s uPAR to Assist Students in Mastering Curriculum

http://donjohnston.com/upar-supporting-equity-and-excellence-in-wisconsin/

Picture This! Using Mental Imagery While Reading

One way to help a child comprehend what he is reading is to encourage him to visualize parts of the story in his mind. These "mind movies" help clarify information, increase understanding, and can include any of the five senses. Try the simple practices in this tip sheet when reading with your child. (Available in English and Spanish)  http://www.readingrockets.org/article/picture-using-mental-imagery-while-reading

The Walking Classroom: Walk. Listen. Learn.

Here’s how this innovative program works: Students take brisk 20-minute walks as a class, while listening to the same kid-friendly podcasts. Podcast topics focus on science, social studies, and English language arts. The program also provides teachers and out-of-school time staff with a new way meet the needs of their students with alternative learning styles such as ADHD, dyslexia, and/or autism. 
http://www.thewalkingclassroom.org/

What reading technology tools and supports are effective for students who struggle with reading?

Dr. Tracy Gray of the American Institutes for Research shares powerful ways to help you become an informed consumer of technology tools and resources, including TechMatrix and PowerUp WHAT WORKS. TechMatrix matches technology tools with supporting literature on promising practices for reading instruction for students with disabilities.  http://www.ldonline.org/techexpert/c661/#36470

10 Ways to Improve Literacy Skills with an Older Child in the Community

Many older children, adolescents and adults with developmental disabilities have varying literacy skills. Some individuals are literate, and others struggle with literacy, even into adulthood. From my perspective, you are never too old to learn how to read. I want to discuss ten easy ways to improve literacy when out in the community during regular daily tasks.  http://www.friendshipcircle.org/blog/2015/03/18/10-ways-to-improve-literacy-with-your-older-child-with-special-needs-in-the-community/?utm_source=Friendship+Circle+Blog&utm_campaign=4b8e925826-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3ec270b4ae-4b8e925826-199142745

Have your Text and Read it Too!

Posted by Jeannie Krull on 5 March, 2015

Do you have a reading disability and want to be able to easily read text on the go? Here are two apps that have built-in Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and allow you to take a picture of text and have it read back to you-Prizmo and ClaroSpeak Plus. Both of these apps run on the Apple iOS mobile platform and are very inexpensive. In regards to text recognition accuracy, they are both fairly accurate; however, the results are not consistent with either app.  I have captured some unique characteristics of each app below and have included a feature comparison chart here .

 

5 Ways to Make Book Reading a Sensory Experience for Your Child with Special Needs

Reading a picture book aloud can be an active and engaging activity for your child with the use of some simple strategies. Here are five ways how you can make reading a picture book aloud to your child more of a sensory experience 1. Add texture to the book Add texture to a picture book by using a hot glue gun to attach material that is appropriate.  from Friendship Circle Blog   http://www.friendshipcircle.org/blog/2015/01/05/5-ways-to-make-book-reading-a-sensory-experience-for-your-child-with-special-needs/?utm_source=Friendship+Circle+Blog&utm_campaign=a384b51e2d-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3ec270b4ae-a384b51e2d-199142745

Tales2Go: Streaming Audio Books Mobile App

This Parents' Choice Gold Award-winning mobile app gives teachers and parents instant and unlimited access to over 1,500 audio stories at home, in the car or on the go. Stories include favorites like Clifford and Curious George, popular series such as Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Ivy and Bean or How to Train Your Dragon, & even classics like Treasure Island & Swiss Family Robinson.   Get app from LearningStore >  $100   http://www.learningstore.org/tales2go--mobile-applicatio2.html

Summer Reading for Kids with Dyslexia

 

12 simple strategies to help your children keep the academic skills they learned during the school year. Support them as they read. Give them material that is motivating — and some of it should be easy. Help them enjoy books and feel pleasure — not pressure — from reading. The summer should be a relaxed time where their love of learning can flower.   http://www.ldonline.org/article/15569/

Study Finds Reading Possible Despite Low IQ

For students with intellectual disability, functional skills are often prioritized over academics, but a new study finds that children with low IQ are capable of learning to read.  With persistence and specialized instruction, researchers found that kids with mild to moderate intellectual disability can read at a first-grade level or better. That means they can go grocery shopping with a shopping list, read the labels on boxes & cans & read basic instructions.   http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2014/05/27/study-reading-low-iq/19391/

Parent Toolkit

Looking for a growth chart for academics? This parent toolkit helps parents understand course material covered in each grade. Organized by level, each grade offers information about Math and Language Arts along with Tips and Advice for fostering success. The site is produced by NBC News Education Nation and is sponsored by Pearson.  http://www.parenttoolkit.com/

Website provides news articles in multiple reading levels

Educators using news articles in the classroom now have access to a free online tool that can make such materials more accessible to struggling readers and English-language learners, according to high-school librarian Joyce Valenza. In this blog post, she highlights free news site Newsela. The website offers news articles in five text-complexity levels and quizzes that are adjusted for multiple Lexiles, she notes. School Library Journal/Neverending Search blog (10/16)  http://blogs.slj.com/neverendingsearch/2013/10/16/newsela-making-news-accessible-for-more-learners/

How Parents Can Support the Common Core Reading Standards

 

This article from our bilingual Growing Readers parent newsletter introduces parents to the four main areas of the Common Core reading standards, along with things parents can do at home to help their child build skills in these areas. The article is available in English and Spanish.  http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/58939/

IPAT Blog: iReadWrite- A nice app for reading and writing support

iReadWrite is the latest assistive technology app available from Texthelp. The company is best known for Read and Write Gold, a software package used for a variety learning disabilities to include aids to help with reading, writing, and research. iReadWrite is an application that aids in reading and writing skills for the iPad.  http://ndipat.org/blog/ireadwrite-a-nice-app-for-reading-and-writing-support/?goback=%2Egde_149741_member_251387113