Reading Supports
Learning to read is one of first things a child learns in school. It allows them to learn other content areas and without mastering reading skills children will struggle through the rest of their school career. According to Amy Dell, must first learn to read so that they can then read to learn.
In order for a child to master reading they must master the following skills as identified by the National Reading Panel (NRP).
In order for a child to master reading they must master the following skills as identified by the National Reading Panel (NRP).
In order to choose the assistive technology that best fits your childs needs, you must first identify what area of reading he/she is having difficulty with.
Low Tech Tools:
There are many Low tech tools that can help improve your child's reading skills.
There are many Low tech tools that can help improve your child's reading skills.
- Pictured to the right are color transparency overlays.Studies have shown that for some students, reading is easier when the text is not on a plain white background.
- Another useful low tech tool is a highlighter. Students can be taught different techniques for highlighting. They can highlight specific vocabulary words, dates, important facts and people.
Mid Tech Tools:
- Pictured to the left is a talking dictionary. A child can type in a word that they are having trouble with and the device will say the word and define it for them. The device has other features which can be seen and purchased at Amazon.com
- There is also the reading pen. There are pens with different capabilities. Most can scan words and read them aloud. Some have dictionaries and thesauruses as well. One place where you can find a reading pen is also at Amazon.com.
High Tech Tools:
- A more advanced assistive technology tool is Picture it!. Picture it! is a software the assigns pictures to words to help your child read. The child associates the picture with the word and eventually they fade out the pictures and only use the text. This software is available here.
- The Kindle Fire is a useful assistive techonology tool. The Kindle Fire can change the color of the background making it easier to read. Also the Kindle Fire can define words, enlarge font, and highlight. The kindle fire is an exclusive product available through Amazon.com.
References:
Amazon.com: Franklin KID-1240 Children's Talking Dictionary and Spell Corrector: Electronics. (n.d.). Retrieved June 25, 2013, from http://www.amazon.com/Franklin-KID-1240-Childrens-Dictionary-Corrector/dp/B0002OP83I/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1372202743&sr=1-3&keywords=english+talking+dictionary
Amazon.com: Wizcom ReadingPen TS Portable Reading Tutor (WRPTS): Electronics. (n.d.). Retrieved June 25, 2013, from http://www.amazon.com/Wizcom-ReadingPen-Portable-Reading-WRPTS/dp/B002HJ28EI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1372203330&sr=8-2&keywords=reading+pen
Kindle Fire - the Tablet from Amazon . (n.d.). Retrieved June 25, 2013, from http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0083Q04IQ/ref=sa_menu_kdpo2
Picture It -SunCastle Technology, LLC. (n.d.). Retrieved June 25, 2013, from http://www.suncastletech.com/pit.html
Retrieved June 25, 2013, from http://www.wati.org/content/supports/free/pdf/Ch7-Reading.pdf
Dell, A. G., Newton, D. A., & Petroff, J. G. (2008). Assistive technology in the classroom: Enhancing the school experiences of students with disabilities. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.
Amazon.com: Franklin KID-1240 Children's Talking Dictionary and Spell Corrector: Electronics. (n.d.). Retrieved June 25, 2013, from http://www.amazon.com/Franklin-KID-1240-Childrens-Dictionary-Corrector/dp/B0002OP83I/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1372202743&sr=1-3&keywords=english+talking+dictionary
Amazon.com: Wizcom ReadingPen TS Portable Reading Tutor (WRPTS): Electronics. (n.d.). Retrieved June 25, 2013, from http://www.amazon.com/Wizcom-ReadingPen-Portable-Reading-WRPTS/dp/B002HJ28EI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1372203330&sr=8-2&keywords=reading+pen
Kindle Fire - the Tablet from Amazon . (n.d.). Retrieved June 25, 2013, from http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0083Q04IQ/ref=sa_menu_kdpo2
Picture It -SunCastle Technology, LLC. (n.d.). Retrieved June 25, 2013, from http://www.suncastletech.com/pit.html
Retrieved June 25, 2013, from http://www.wati.org/content/supports/free/pdf/Ch7-Reading.pdf
Dell, A. G., Newton, D. A., & Petroff, J. G. (2008). Assistive technology in the classroom: Enhancing the school experiences of students with disabilities. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.