Technology Hacks for Struggling Readers

By Tracey Dowdy

We’ve all heard the slogan, “Readers are leaders,” and it’s true – reading and reading comprehension are the keys to academic and personal success. The problem is, not everyone comes to the table with the same set of tools. Whether it’s because of learning or accessibility challenges, a lack of support at home, or a preference for numbers over letters, reading doesn’t come easily to everyone. Some students will compensate by working harder to make up the gap, but for those who struggle with comprehension, it’s not that simple. Some will become the class clown or act out in ways that get them removed from the classroom to distract from their struggle. This only adds to the learning gap, preventing them from reaching their potential and creating more problems that taken to the extreme, can lead to delinquency. In fact, According to the literacy fast facts from the National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), 2/3 of students who cannot read by the fourth grade will end up in jail or on welfare. Over 60% of all prison inmates are functionally illiterate.

Those are sobering statistics. The good news is that with all the advances in technology over the past several years, there are more resources available than ever before, and the future doesn’t have to be so grim.

Start by talking to your child’s teacher to see what tools and extra help is available during the school day. If reading is a source of frustration for your child, knowing there’s hours of homework waiting for him or her at home means you’re already in trouble. That negative attitude and sense of defeat before you’ve even started makes learning twice as challenging.

Jamie Martin, a consultant in assistive technologies who specializes in dyslexia, suggests getting your child a tablet. It may seem counterintuitive at first, but used the right way, it’s invaluable to a student trying to improve their reading comprehension and letter recognition. Using the microphone for dictation opens doors to creativity and expression. Think how difficult it would be to get your thoughts and words on paper if you struggle with dyslexia or are a beginning reader.  Both Android and Apple devices have predictive text, so as the child begins to type out a word, options will appear in the bar above the keyboard, allowing them to progress without having to stop and ask how to spell words over and over.

One of the biggest hurdles for struggling readers is learning their phonemes: the sound that a letter or collection of letters represents. English is notorious for its exceptions to the rule, making it an even greater challenge. There are no shortcuts, and no matter the skill level, the key is repetition. Apps like Endless Alphabet and Starfall ABCs are great for reinforcement and repetition.

As the student continues to develop reading and language arts skills, sites like Grammarly and Co:Writer are useful. Think of them as equipping your student with their own personal editor. Grammarly will proof your work, note errors in spelling, subject/verb agreement, punctuation, and other common grammar errors. You can even have it check for plagiarism, so as students learn to paraphrase or quote another source, they can check their work before turning it in to be graded. Co:Writer is a word prediction program that also includes a ton of topic specific dictionaries. So, if your student is writing about ancient Mesopotamia, it will recognize and assist with spelling words like “Hammurabi” and “Gilgamesh” and not flag them as misspellings.

Apps like Inspiration can help students who have difficulty structuring their thoughts to create an outline. Using visual thinking and visual learning, students can mind-map their thoughts the same way others use the paper outlines you may have used as a student. DragonDictate or Naturally Speaking and Rewordify are useful tools for older students.  DragonDictate will “learn” your child’s speaking voice, and while it it’s important to correct errors in transcription, over time it becomes very accurate. Rewordify does exactly what you expect – it rewords complicated sentences into less complex terms. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than having to use dictionary.com every time they encounter an unfamiliar word or phrase. SMMRY will summarize text to help students save time, particularly helpful for those who take forever to complete assigned readings for subjects like history or geography. You can even use it to summarize PDF or text documents by uploading the file, or summarize web content by pasting the URL.

Remember, all of these resources are to be used in conjunction with a larger, more comprehensive program. Talk to the principal, teachers, classroom aides, and other support staff to ensure your child has every tool available. Remember, readers really are leaders.

 

Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Washington DC. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances, edits and researches on subjects ranging from family and education to history and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.

 

Comments:

  1. Spot on with this write-up, I seriously believe that this amazing site needs a lot more attention. I’ll probably be returning to read
    more, thanks for the information!

  2. Hurrah, that’s what I was seeking for, what a data! existing here at this blog,
    thanks admin of this site.

  3. Hey great website! Does running a blog similar to this
    require a large amount of work? I’ve very little understanding
    of computer programming however I was hoping to start my own blog in the near future.
    Anyway, should you have any ideas or tips for new blog owners please share.
    I know this is off topic nevertheless I simply wanted to ask.

    Appreciate it!

  4. Greate pieces. Keep posting such kind of info on your blog.
    Im really impressed by your blog.
    Hey there, You’ve done a great job. I will certainly digg it and for my part recommend to my
    friends. I am confident they’ll be benefited from this web site.

  5. I loved as much as you’ll receive carried out right here.
    The sketch is attractive, your authored material stylish.
    nonetheless, you command get bought an edginess over that you wish be delivering the following.
    unwell unquestionably come further formerly again as exactly the same nearly very often inside case you shield this increase.

  6. Its like you learn my thoughts! You appear to know so much about this, like you wrote the e book in it
    or something. I believe that you simply could do with some p.c.
    to force the message house a bit, however
    other than that, this is excellent blog. A great read.
    I’ll certainly be back.

  7. Excellent web site you’ve got here.. It’s hard to find quality
    writing like yours nowadays. I honestly appreciate individuals like you!
    Take care!!

  8. Hiya very nice blog!! Man .. Beautiful .. Amazing ..
    I’ll bookmark your blog and take the feeds also?
    I’m glad to seek out so many useful information here
    in the put up, we’d like work out more techniques on this regard, thanks for sharing.
    . . . . .

  9. Fantastic goods from you, man. I have understand your stuff previous to
    and you are just extremely excellent. I actually like
    what you have acquired here, certainly like what
    you’re saying and the way in which you say it. You make it entertaining and you still care for to keep it wise.
    I can’t wait to read far more from you. This is really a terrific site.

  10. really interesting review. In addition visit my, personal
    site to see slot online pulsa. This website has received track record by slot
    pulsa casino contributors in Dalam negri. Generally there
    are actually a few spectacular promos should you join currently.

  11. I’ve been browsing on-line greater than three hours
    lately, yet I by no means discovered any interesting article like yours.
    It is lovely worth enough for me. Personally, if all webmasters and bloggers made good content as you probably did, the net might be a lot
    more helpful than ever before.

  12. I always used to study piece of writing in news papers but
    now as I am a user of net thus from now I am using net for articles or reviews, thanks to web.

  13. It’s really a nice and useful piece of information. I’m glad that
    you simply shared this useful info with us.

    Please keep us informed like this. Thank you for sharing.

  14. naturally like your web site but you need to
    test the spelling on several of your posts. Several of them are
    rife with spelling problems and I in finding it very troublesome to tell the truth however I’ll surely come back again.

  15. Thanks designed for sharing such a fastidious thought, article is pleasant, thats why i have read it
    entirely

  16. hello there and thank you for your info – I’ve definitely picked
    up anything new from right here. I did however expertise
    several technical points using this website, since I experienced to reload the site many times previous to I could get it to load properly.
    I had been wondering if your web host is OK? Not that I’m complaining,
    but sluggish loading instances times will often affect your placement in google
    and can damage your high quality score if advertising and marketing with Adwords.
    Well I’m adding this RSS to my email and could look out for a
    lot more of your respective fascinating content. Ensure that you
    update this again soon.

  17. My programmer is trying to convince me to move to .net from PHP.
    I have always disliked the idea because of the costs. But he’s tryiong none the
    less. I’ve been using WordPress on various websites for about a year
    and am worried about switching to another platform.

    I have heard fantastic things about blogengine.net.
    Is there a way I can import all my wordpress posts into it?
    Any kind of help would be really appreciated!

  18. Hi there everyone, it’s my first pay a quick visit at this web
    site, and piece of writing is in fact fruitful in support of me, keep up posting these articles or reviews.

  19. Thanks for the auspicious writeup. It actually was once a entertainment account it.

    Look complicated to more delivered agreeable from you! However, how can we communicate?

  20. I’m curious to find out what blog system you happen to be working with?
    I’m having some small security issues with my latest
    website and I would like to find something more secure. Do you have any solutions?

  21. Hello! Someone in my Myspace group shared this site with us
    so I came to take a look. I’m definitely loving the information. I’m book-marking and will be tweeting this to
    my followers! Superb blog and superb design.

  22. Great website you have here but I was wanting to know if you knew of any user
    discussion forums that cover the same topics talked about in this article?
    I’d really love to be a part of group where I can get feedback from other
    knowledgeable people that share the same interest. If you have
    any recommendations, please let me know. Appreciate it!

  23. You really make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this matter to be actually something which I think I would never understand.
    It seems too complicated and extremely broad for me. I’m looking
    forward for your next post, I’ll try to get the hang of it!

  24. If some one wishes expert view concerning blogging afterward i recommend him/her
    to visit this web site, Keep up the nice job.

  25. My developer is trying to convince me to move to .net from
    PHP. I have always disliked the idea because of the costs.
    But he’s tryiong none the less. I’ve been using WordPress on various websites for about a year and am
    worried about switching to another platform.
    I have heard very good things about blogengine.net. Is there a
    way I can import all my wordpress content into it?

    Any kind of help would be really appreciated!

  26. Hi, this weekend is good for me, as this point in time i am reading this great
    educational post here at my house.

  27. Heya just wanted to give you a brief heads up and let you know a few of the images aren’t
    loading correctly. I’m not sure why but I think its a linking issue.

    I’ve tried it in two different internet browsers and both show
    the same outcome.

  28. Hi there! I understand this is kind of off-topic however I needed to ask.
    Does running a well-established blog such as yours take a lot of work?
    I am completely new to running a blog however I do write in my journal every
    day. I’d like to start a blog so I can share my personal experience and feelings online.

    Please let me know if you have any kind of ideas or
    tips for brand new aspiring bloggers. Thankyou!

  29. With havin so much content and articles do
    you ever run into any issues of plagorism or copyright violation? My
    website has a lot of completely unique content I’ve
    either authored myself or outsourced but it appears a lot of it is popping it up all over
    the internet without my agreement. Do you know any methods
    to help protect against content from being stolen? I’d
    genuinely appreciate it.

  30. Hey there! I simply wish to give you a huge thumbs up for your
    excellent information you’ve got right here on this post.
    I am returning to your site for more soon.

  31. Hello there! This is kind of off topic but I need some help from an established blog.
    Is it difficult to set up your own blog? I’m not very techincal but I can figure things out pretty quick.
    I’m thinking about setting up my own but I’m not sure where to start.
    Do you have any ideas or suggestions? Appreciate it

  32. Neat blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it from somewhere?

    A theme like yours with a few simple adjustements would really make my blog jump out.
    Please let me know where you got your design. Cheers

  33. Howdy! This is my 1st comment here so I just wanted to give
    a quick shout out and say I really enjoy reading your blog posts.
    Can you suggest any other blogs/websites/forums that cover
    the same topics? Many thanks!

  34. My brother recommended I might like this blog. He was totally right.
    This publish truly made my day. You can not believe simply how
    much time I had spent for this information! Thanks!

  35. Hi there i am kavin, its my first time to commenting anywhere, when i read this article i thought i could also make comment due
    to this good article.

  36. After I initially commented I seem to have clicked on the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now every time a
    comment is added I get four emails with the exact
    same comment. There has to be a way you are able to remove me from that service?
    Thanks a lot!

  37. I’m not sure why but this blog is loading very slow for me.
    Is anyone else having this issue or is it a problem on my end?
    I’ll check back later on and see if the problem still
    exists.

  38. Hey there would you mind letting me know which hosting company you’re working with?
    I’ve loaded your blog in 3 completely different browsers and I must
    say this blog loads a lot faster then most. Can you recommend a good hosting provider at a reasonable price?
    Thanks, I appreciate it!

  39. I know this if off topic but I’m looking into starting my own weblog and was curious what all is needed to get setup?

    I’m assuming having a blog like yours would cost a pretty penny?
    I’m not very web savvy so I’m not 100% sure. Any tips or advice would
    be greatly appreciated. Appreciate it

  40. Hello, Neat post. There is an issue together with your site in web explorer, may
    test this? IE nonetheless is the marketplace leader and a
    big component of people will miss your great
    writing due to this problem.

  41. Wow! This blog looks just like my old one!
    It’s on a totally different topic but it has pretty much the same
    page layout and design. Outstanding choice of colors!

  42. The other day, while I was at work, my sister stole my iPad
    and tested to see if it can survive a twenty five foot drop, just
    so she can be a youtube sensation. My iPad is now broken and she has 83 views.

    I know this is entirely off topic but I
    had to share it with someone!

  43. Asking questions are actually pleasant thing if you are not understanding something completely, however this piece of writing provides fastidious understanding even.

  44. We’re a group of volunteers and opening a new
    scheme in our community. Your site offered us with valuable info to work
    on. You’ve done an impressive job and our whole community will
    be grateful to you.

  45. Simply desire to say your article is as astonishing.
    The clarity in your post is simply cool and i can assume you’re an expert on this subject.
    Well with your permission allow me to grab your RSS feed to keep
    updated with forthcoming post. Thanks a million and please keep up the gratifying work.

  46. Hi, I do believe this is an excellent web site.
    I stumbledupon it 😉 I am going to return once again since i
    have bookmarked it. Money and freedom is the best way to change, may you be rich and continue
    to guide other people.

  47. Excellent goods from you, man. I’ve understand your stuff previous
    to and you’re just too excellent. I actually like what you have acquired here,
    really like what you’re stating and the way in which
    you say it. You make it entertaining and you still care for to keep it
    wise. I can’t wait to read much more from you. This is actually a wonderful site.

  48. I loved as much as you’ll receive carried out right here.

    The sketch is attractive, your authored material stylish. nonetheless, you command get got an impatience over that
    you wish be delivering the following. unwell unquestionably come more formerly again since exactly
    the same nearly very often inside case you shield this
    hike.

  49. It’s enormous that you are getting thoughts from this piece
    of writing as well as from our discussion made at
    this place.

  50. When I initially left a comment I seem to have clicked the -Notify me when new comments are
    added- checkbox and from now on every time a comment is added I receive four emails with the same comment.
    There has to be a means you are able to remove me from that service?
    Thanks!

  51. Pretty portion of content. I just stumbled upon your website and in accession capital to assert that I acquire in fact loved account your weblog posts.
    Anyway I will be subscribing to your augment and even I
    achievement you get entry to persistently rapidly.

  52. I got this website from my buddy who told me on the topic of this web site and now this time I
    am browsing this web site and reading very informative content at
    this time.

  53. Hmm it seems like your website ate my first comment (it was extremely long) so I guess I’ll just sum it up what I submitted
    and say, I’m thoroughly enjoying your blog.
    I too am an aspiring blog blogger but I’m still new to everything.
    Do you have any suggestions for newbie blog writers?
    I’d really appreciate it.

  54. Ahaa, its pleasant conversation concerning this post at this place at this webpage, I have read all that, so at this time me
    also commenting at this place.

  55. Howdy this is somewhat of off topic but I was wanting
    to know if blogs use WYSIWYG editors or if you have to manually code with
    HTML. I’m starting a blog soon but have no coding
    know-how so I wanted to get advice from someone with experience.
    Any help would be enormously appreciated!

  56. It’s a shame you don’t have a donate button! I’d certainly donate to this outstanding blog!
    I suppose for now i’ll settle for bookmarking and adding your RSS feed to my Google account.
    I look forward to brand new updates and will share this site with my Facebook group.

    Chat soon!

  57. really interesting review. In addition to that visit usually the
    site to understand slot deposit pulsa. This great site has received
    title caused by situs slot online betting players in Negara sendiri.
    Certainly, there will be a number of a lot more pleasing promos since
    you join at this time.

  58. Excellent beat ! I would like to apprentice
    even as you amend your website, how can i subscribe for a weblog web site?
    The account helped me a acceptable deal. I have been a little bit acquainted of this your
    broadcast offered vivid transparent idea

  59. I do consider all the ideas you’ve offered on your
    post. They are very convincing and can certainly work. Still, the
    posts are very quick for newbies. Could you please
    extend them a bit from subsequent time? Thanks for the post.

  60. really interesting review. Moreover visit the site to master bandar slot online.

    Wonderful internet site has received popularity originating from judi slot gambling challengers in Negara sendiri.
    Now there are a lot of lovely promos scenario join today.

  61. hello there and thank you for your info – I have certainly picked up anything new from right here.
    I did however expertise a few technical points using this site, as I
    experienced to reload the website a lot of times previous to I could get it to load properly.
    I had been wondering if your web host is OK? Not that I am complaining, but slow loading instances times will very frequently affect your placement in google and could damage your quality score if ads and
    marketing with Adwords. Well I am adding this RSS to my e-mail and could look out for a lot more of your respective
    fascinating content. Make sure you update this again very soon.

  62. Thank you for the good writeup. It in fact was a amusement account it.
    Look advanced to far added agreeable from you! However, how could we communicate?

  63. Fantastic post however I was wanting to know if
    you could write a litte more on this topic? I’d be
    very grateful if you could elaborate a little bit more.

    Kudos!

  64. Simply desire to say your article is as astonishing. The clearness in your post is just great and i
    could assume you’re an expert on this subject. Fine with your permission let me to grab
    your feed to keep up to date with forthcoming post. Thanks a million and please keep up the enjoyable work.

  65. My spouse and I stumbled over here coming from a different page and thought I
    should check things out. I like what I see so now i am following you.
    Look forward to looking into your web page repeatedly.

  66. obviously like your website but you need to test the spelling on quite a few of your posts.
    Many of them are rife with spelling problems and I to find it very
    troublesome to tell the reality on the other hand I’ll surely come again again.

  67. Excellent beat ! I wish to apprentice even as you amend your website, how could i subscribe for
    a blog site? The account helped me a acceptable deal.

    I have been a little bit acquainted of this your broadcast offered shiny
    transparent concept

    Take a look at my web-site :: http://www.livebanteng.net

  68. I am really inspired together with your writing skills and also with the structure on your weblog.
    Is that this a paid topic or did you modify it yourself?
    Anyway keep up the excellent quality writing, it is rare to look a nice weblog
    like this one these days..

    My website – sabung ayam s128

  69. Hi would you mind stating which blog platform you’re working with?
    I’m looking to start my own blog in the near future but I’m having a tough time making a decision between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal.
    The reason I ask is because your layout seems different then most blogs and I’m looking for something completely unique.
    P.S Apologies for getting off-topic but I had to ask!

    My homepage; poker pulsa

  70. What you posted was very logical. But, what about this?
    what if you were to create a killer headline? I ain’t suggesting your content
    isn’t solid., however suppose you added something to possibly
    get folk’s attention? I mean Technology Hacks for Struggling Readers – The Online Mom is kinda boring.
    You might look at Yahoo’s front page and see how they create article titles to get people to click.
    You might try adding a video or a related pic or two to
    get readers excited about what you’ve written. In my opinion, it might bring your posts
    a little livelier.

  71. Its like you learn my thoughts! You appear to grasp so much about this, like you wrote
    the e-book in it or something. I think that you just can do with some percent to force the message home a bit, but other than that, that is
    fantastic blog. A fantastic read. I will certainly be back.

  72. Admiring the commitment you put into your site and in depth information you offer.
    It’s nice to come across a blog every once in a while that
    isn’t the same unwanted rehashed information. Fantastic read!
    I’ve saved your site and I’m adding your RSS feeds to my Google
    account.

  73. My spouse and I absolutely love your blog and find nearly all of your
    post’s to be exactly I’m looking for. Does one offer guest writers to write content
    for you personally? I wouldn’t mind producing a post or elaborating on a few of the
    subjects you write regarding here. Again, awesome site!

  74. I was curious if you ever thought of changing the layout of
    your website? Its very well written; I love what youve got to say.
    But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so people could connect with
    it better. Youve got an awful lot of text for only having 1 or 2 images.
    Maybe you could space it out better?

  75. Admiring the persistence you put into your website and detailed information you present.
    It’s good to come across a blog every once in a while that isn’t the same out of
    date rehashed information. Fantastic read! I’ve saved your
    site and I’m including your RSS feeds to my Google account.

  76. Hello There. I found your weblog the use of msn.
    This is a really well written article. I’ll be sure
    to bookmark it and come back to read more of your useful information. Thanks for the post.
    I will definitely return.

  77. Good post. I learn something new and challenging on blogs
    I stumbleupon every day. It will always be useful to read through content from other
    writers and practice a little something from their websites.

  78. Great beat ! I would like to apprentice while you amend
    your website, how can i subscribe for a blog website?
    The account aided me a acceptable deal. I had been tiny bit acquainted
    of this your broadcast offered bright clear idea

  79. Hi there! I understand this is kind of off-topic but I had to ask.
    Does building a well-established blog like yours
    require a lot of work? I’m brand new to operating a blog but I
    do write in my journal everyday. I’d like to start a blog so I will be able to share my experience and feelings online.

    Please let me know if you have any recommendations or tips for brand new aspiring bloggers.
    Appreciate it!

  80. Woah! I’m really loving the template/theme of this blog.

    It’s simple, yet effective. A lot of times it’s hard to get that “perfect balance” between superb
    usability and visual appearance. I must say that you’ve done a excellent job with this.
    In addition, the blog loads super fast for
    me on Chrome. Exceptional Blog!

  81. Ahaa, its fastidious discussion regarding this article at this place at this website, I have read all that, so now me also commenting
    at this place.

  82. This website was… how do I say it? Relevant!!
    Finally I have found something which helped me. Appreciate it!

  83. Ahaa, its good dialogue on the topic of this piece
    of writing here at this web site, I have read all that, so
    now me also commenting at this place.

  84. I like the helpful info you supply on your articles. I’ll bookmark your
    weblog and check again right here regularly. I am rather sure I’ll be informed many new stuff right right here!
    Best of luck for the following!

  85. I just could not depart your web site prior to suggesting that I really loved the
    usual information an individual provide for your guests? Is gonna be
    back frequently in order to inspect new posts

  86. It’s going to be end of mine day, but before finish I am reading this wonderful article to increase my know-how.

  87. Hello there! This article couldn’t be written any better!
    Going through this post reminds me of my previous roommate!
    He continually kept preaching about this. I will send this article to him.
    Pretty sure he’ll have a very good read. I appreciate you for sharing!

  88. I read this paragraph fully concerning the comparison of most recent and earlier technologies,
    it’s awesome article.

  89. After looking into a handful of the blog posts on your website,
    I truly appreciate your technique of writing a blog.
    I saved as a favorite it to my bookmark website list and will be checking back in the
    near future. Please visit my web site as well and tell me what you
    think.

  90. Today, I went to the beach front with my children. I found
    a sea shell and gave it to my 4 year old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.” She placed the shell to her ear and screamed.
    There was a hermit crab inside and it pinched her ear.
    She never wants to go back! LoL I know this is entirely off topic but
    I had to tell someone!

  91. I’ve read a few just right stuff here. Definitely price bookmarking for
    revisiting. I wonder how so much effort you set to create this kind of excellent informative site.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *