Reading Technology for Students

Many learners encounter obstacles with the reading process and for some, it is a pervasive problem. New estimates report that as many as 1 in 10 children have reading disabilities, such as dyslexia, that impact academics in the areas of word decoding, reading comprehension, reading fluency, word retrieval, reading speed and tracking. So what can we do to help these struggling readers? First, we can learn to recognize the common indicators so that students can be formally tested and diagnosed. Second, we can learn about the remedial tools and resources that can help these students learn how to deal and manage these hurdles.

There are many interventions but one simple thought worth considering: Do you read aloud to your students? Is there ever a time when students are too old to be read to? Many teachers are firm believers in reading aloud -- even at the upper grade levels.

Reading aloud continues to be important. Hearing books and stories read aloud provides grammar and language models, and introduces vocabulary and concepts within context. Reading aloud models fluent, inflected reading and introduces various forms of text: informational, stories, folktales, poetry, etc.

Author Jim Trelease in his book The Read Aloud Handbook states:

"Reading aloud is a commercial for reading. ...Think of it this way: McDonald's doesn't stop advertising just because the vast majority of Americans know about its restaurants. Each year it spends more money on ads to remind people how good its products taste. Don't cut your reading advertising budget as children grow older."

Reading aloud to your students will help them to develop and improve literacy skills -- reading, writing, speaking, and listening, Trelease adds. And since children listen on a higher level than they read, listening to other readers stimulates growth and understanding of vocabulary and language patterns. (To learn more, visit Mind Shift's site on Why Reading Aloud to Older Children is Valuable.)

Not only will reading aloud to your students help to build the love of reading but hearing the text read to them (as they follow along) will support the gaining of knowledge in subject matters that students with struggling reading skills are often left out of. Strategies such as the use of assistive technology (AT) can increase a student's self-reliance and sense of independence.

If a student is having trouble reading but can easily understand the text, it may be time to consider exposing them to a text-to-speech program that can read a book out loud, allowing for greater independence while providing content and/or a greater love of the written word. Students who struggle in school are often overly dependent on parents, siblings, friends and teachers for help with assignments. By using AT, students can experience success with working independently.

In general, AT compensates for a student's skills deficits or area(s) of disability. However, utilizing AT does not mean that a child can't also receive remedial instruction aimed at alleviating deficits (such as programs designed to improve poor comprehension skills). A student could use remedial reading programs as well as listen to audio books. In fact, research has shown that AT can often improve skill deficits such as reading.

Beyond instruction, consider:

1. Audio books and publications - Recorded books allow users to listen to text and are available in a variety of formats, such as audiocassettes, CDs, Podcasts and MP3 downloads. Special playback units allow users to and search and bookmark pages and chapters. Subscription services offer extensive electronic library collections.
2. Optical character recognition (OCR) -This technology allows a user to scan printed material into a computer or handheld unit. The scanned text is then read aloud via a speech synthesis/screen reading system. Optical Character Recognition is available as stand-alone units, computer software, and as portable, pocket-sized devices. OCR is not needed as much any more due to so many publications being available now due to all the previous scanning completed and texts being shared, such as what is available onBookshare.
3. Text-to-Speech - Software that can display and read aloud text on a computer screen, including text that has been typed by the user, scanned in from printed pages (e.g., books, letters), or text available on the Internet.
4. Variable-speed tape recorders - although some may consider these to be "Old Fashioned" tape recorders/players which allow a user to listen to pre-recorded text or to capture spoken information (e.g., a classroom lecture) and play it back later are still useful tools. Variable speed control (VSC) tape recorders speed up or slow down the playback rate without distorting the "speaker's" voice.
5. Consider PDF readers with annotation tools (all free):
6. FoxIt Reader: see Collaborate and Share on the website, then Commenting and Drawing Tools
   1. PDF-XChange Viewer: be sure to pursue PDF-XChange Viewer (free) even though the website attempts to "upsell" you to PDF-XChange Editor (not free)
   2. Adobe Reader v11: includes both Annotations and Drawing Markups under Comments in the toolbar; Annotations also has a Record Audio (voice notes!) and Add Stamp tool; great because virtually every computer has Adobe Reader

Sites to Explore with a focus on improving reading:

And, I cannot stress enough: Bookshare, Bookshare, Bookshare. This resource is available to all students with a print disability, without cost, until the age of 26.

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