Discovering Assistive Technology: Module 2, EnableMart

I am always looking for ways to assist students with their reading.  The supports that we often give students with a reading disability leave them disinterested in reading (my opinion only) and feeling dependent.  They are necessary measures, but as students get older they become more and more conscious of the different way in which they are approached.  At the middle level, this is not positive.  The following tools would helpful in keeping students engaged in reading but also allowing more independence.

The Readingpen scans text and will either translate it or define it, allow readers to quickly continue reading.   Students with a reading disability are often stopped, dead in their tracks, by words that they don't know.  And many are not sure how to move on when that happens.  Although this tool won't alleviate that problem, it will make it easier for them to continue while teachers model strategies for them to use when that situation occurs.  This will also be extremely helpful for increasing fluency.

The Classmate Reader is a portable audio book player that will also highlight text as it is read.  It also works apart from the computer allowing the student complete independence.  Students will be able to read texts that engage them, hear them being read, and follow along. If they read out loud, this will help increase oral fluency, which is a crucial part of reading.  Having the support of the audio behind them will be encouraging and enable them to read in ways that they could not without the tool.  However, the iPod Touch, which is only $190.00, compared to over $500.00, can perform the same tasks.  And although it may have limited selection in comparison, the iPod Touch can also be used to play podcasts, which could be just as valuable for struggling readers.