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Help for Struggling Readers

Help for Struggling Readers. Byron Smith Technology Specialist FDLRS Heartland. Overview. Reading is the skill most often used in school. Researchers estimate that about 85% of schoolwork involves reading.

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Help for Struggling Readers

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  1. Help for Struggling Readers Byron Smith Technology Specialist FDLRS Heartland

  2. Overview • Reading is the skill most often used in school. • Researchers estimate that about 85% of schoolwork involves reading. • FCAT reading scores drop steadily from 74% proficient in 4th grade to only 37% proficient in 10th grade (2009) • Poor readers can often comprehend the content if they can receive it in some other form.

  3. Potential Problem Areas • Decoding • Tracking • Comprehending • Processing • Generalizing

  4. Indicators of Reading Difficulties • Fluency problems • Decoding problems • Tracking problems • Comprehension problems

  5. Classroom Strategies

  6. Attacking the problem Ask the right questions • What specifically does the student need to do? • How well can she do it? • What is she currently using to help her? • How well is it working? • What specific IEP goals must the child meet?

  7. Definition of Assistive Technology “ Any item, piece of equipment or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of children with disabilities.” (Authority 20 U.S.C. 1401(1))

  8. What this means • ANY tool or device that a student with a disability uses to do a task that s/he could not otherwise do without it. It can make the task easier, faster, or done in a better way. • The device can be as “low” tech as a pencil grip or as sophisticated as a computer program or communication device.

  9. Assistive technology is a tool. It will never replace good teaching. It serves to give struggling students and those with a disability a way to be successful with the curriculum.

  10. Who benefits from Assistive Technology ? • Any student with a disability, from mild to severe • Any student with reading, writing, math, communications, vision, hearing, or motor problems • ESOL students • Students with 504 plans • Struggling students who do not qualify for ESE services

  11. Assistive technology, when matched correctly to a student’s need, will make your job easier.

  12. The FCAT Benefit • AT integrated with good strategies will have the greatest impact on students who score low on the FCAT • These students will have the greatest effect on you school scores

  13. Florida allows a variety of assistive technology tools to be used on the FCAT by students with disabilities. • These tools must be listed on the student’s IEP and used daily as part of instructional strategies.

  14. Range of AT Tools • “Low tech” • Easily accessible • Low cost • Used by peers • “High tech” • Very task-specific • Higher cost • Not typically used by peers

  15. AT Tools for Reading • Highlighter tape • Color filters • Reading guides • Adapted Ruler • Reading Stand • Page Tabs • Magnifiers • Changes in text size, fonts, spacing, color, and background • Digital Recorder • Scan & read software

  16. Highlighter Tape • Specialized adhesive tape that is clear but tinted. Can be used in textbooks and removed without damaging the text. • Allowed accommodation

  17. Color Filters • Colored filters may help a student with perceptually-based reading problems overcome a print or background distortion • Allowed accommodation

  18. Reading Guides • Track words across a page • Allowed accommodation

  19. Reading Stand • Reading Stands or Page Ups help position text for easier viewing • Allowed accommodation

  20. Page Tabs Magnetic tabs on page corners allow students with fine motor challenges to turn single pages accurately.

  21. Magnifiers • Magnifiers can enlarge both text and images for students with visual challenges • Allowed accommodation • NOTE: Free software can magnify images on a computer screen.

  22. Adjustments to visual image of digital material • Text size • Fonts • Spacing • Color • Background • Allowed accommodations

  23. Digital Recorder • Allows material from class presentations and discussions to be accessible after class • Allowed accommodation for both presentation and response

  24. Scan and Read Software • SOLO • Kurzweil • WYNN • Read & Write Gold • Text-to-speech is an allowed accommodation

  25. For More Information • Adapting computer preferences for reading support (Windows XP) • Adapting common software to support reading (MS Word) • Strategies for reading support • In-depth discussion on developing reading skills • Comparing similar products • FDLRS Heartland Technology Wiki • For more information on products shown as examples in illustrations, click on images

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