Think of them as equipping your student with their own personal editor. Apps like Endless Alphabet and Starfall ABCs are great for reinforcement and repetition.Īs the student continues to develop reading and language arts skills, sites like Grammarly and Co:Writer are useful. There are no shortcuts, and no matter the skill level, the key is repetition. English is notorious for its exceptions to the rule, making it an even greater challenge. One of the biggest hurdles for struggling readers is learning their phonemes: the sound that a letter or collection of letters represents.
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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. Think how difficult it would be to get your thoughts and words on paper if you struggle with dyslexia or are a beginning reader. Using the microphone for dictation opens doors to creativity and expression. 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. Jamie Martin, a consultant in assistive technologies who specializes in dyslexia, suggests getting your child a tablet. That negative attitude and sense of defeat before you’ve even started makes learning twice as challenging. 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. Start by talking to your child’s teacher to see what tools and extra help is available during the school day. 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. Over 60% of all prison inmates are functionally illiterate.
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. 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. Some will become the class clown or act out in ways that get them removed from the classroom to distract from their struggle. Some students will compensate by working harder to make up the gap, but for those who struggle with comprehension, it’s not that simple. 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. The problem is, not everyone comes to the table with the same set of tools. 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.