For students with dyslexia and other reading deficits that cause them to read below grade level, leveled readers may not be enough. While they help students learn to read, if used exclusively, they also limit students’ opportunities to acquire grade-level content. As a result, they often fall behind, become disengaged and lose interest in learning. When decoding is hard for kids, they might put all of their energy into sounding out the words. With audiobooks, kids don’t have to do this. That frees up their energy to focus on the meaning.

One of the greatest benefits of audiobooks is that they can motivate struggling readers. When kids aren’t reading at grade level, they might not yet be reading the same books as their classmates and friends. As a result, kids like your child might feel really frustrated.

When kids listen to those books, it can make them more engaged and motivated. And that can keep frustration from taking over. At this age, it’s important to develop a love of books. Kids need to be willing to become better readers for their skills to improve.

It’s important to find books that hold kids’ interest. Check out suggestions for kids this age. You can also look into where to find free audiobooks.

"Symbols are useful supports across environments to cross language barriers, provide additional context for conveying meaning, or to close gaps concerning experience or culture. Symbols help students develop as communicators and readers empowering them to understand information, voice opinions and make choices. When carefully selected to have meaning and relevance, symbols are assistive" by Anne Johnson-Oliss 

• Sherlock Center for Disabilities is a free online library of resources that are provided for teachers to help students with severe disabilities participate in the general curriculum. 

• Pixwriter is software and an iOS application that enables you to generate text with automatic symbol match to words. 

• Boardmaker Activities-to-Go: Symbol-supported thematic units to download and print for free! 

• News2You is a comprehensive curriculum that is accessible to unique learners. This curriculum program incorporates symbol supported text tools. Contact your Area Coordinator for more information.

• Tarheel Shared Reader Shared reading is an evidence-based intervention that can help improve language, communication, and interaction skills while building understanding of print concepts. During shared reading, adults focus on maximizing interact page-by-page while working toward helping students lead the interaction.

• Clicker   Within Clicker Writing Grids, create symbolized text to support emergent readers.