Reading Difficulties and the App for That linked to the Reading Task Analysis

Reading is a complex cognitive process of decoding symbols (alphabetic principle) in order to construct meaning or comprehension; it is an overlapping process. Because reading involves so many things innately happening at once, when there is a problem it is our job to help. Fortunately there is a wide variety of assistive technology available to help students complete the task.

Melanie's Top 5 Picks:
1. Hooked on Words for iPhone and iPad, free

·         Description:It is a word building game which includes a variety of levels to play.

·         Where in the reading process:This app fits into the making meaning process of reading.

·         Who you would match to (skill set, difficulty):The app would support students with Visual Sequencing, Visual Memory, and students with ADHD, ADD, Asperger’s Syndrome.

·         Students must have good fine motor skills, attention to task, prior knowledge, letter recognition, active working memory and vocabulary.  The students who would benefit from this app have trouble with letter order, spelling, sequential processing, vocabulary retrieval, recall and working memory.

·        Why I chose:This app has eye catching visuals; it has pictures to match potential spelling words and requires touch to spell the words. Very engaging.

·        How to use in the classroom: This would make a great literacy center; it could be a reward activity for an early finisher. This would be could be a calming activity for an ADHD student.

2. Reading Rainbow for iPAd with i0S5, free

·         Description:This app fits into the cognitive, and meaning content processes of reading. It provides students with several categories to choose from and a selection of books in each category.

·        Who you would match to (skill set, difficulty):The app would support students with Executive Function disabilities, students with ADD, ADHD, Asperger’s Syndrome, Visual Memory, Visual Motor Processing and Visual Sequencing. The students need fine motor and book handling skills.

·         The students who would benefit from this app have are working on organizing ideas, sequential processing, predicting, inferencing and recall/retrieval.

·         Why I chose:This app has eye catching visuals; it has pictures to match potential spelling words and requires touch to spell the words. Very engaging because it gives students choice of fiction or non-fiction and in some cases a mixture of the two. Also engaging because the library may be customized. 
    How to use in the classroom:This would be a great independent or work with a partner activity. This app would also be a good reward or calming activity.

3. Lola'sAlphabet Train for iPad, iPhone and iPod, $1.99

Description:This is a letter identification, matching and word building game with various levels.

Where in the reading process:This app fits into the early stages of the reading process.

Who you would match to (skill set, difficulty):The app would support students with Dyslexia, Visual Memory, Visual Sequencing, ADHD, ADD, Dysgraphia and Executive Functions.

In order to do this activity, students require fine motor skills, focus, letter recognition and knowledge of lower vs capital letters, short term memory to complete matching activity and metacognitive skills.

The students who would benefit from this app have trouble with letter order, spelling, sequential processing, vocabulary retrieval, recall, working memory and motivation.

Why I chose:This app has eye catching visuals and sound; it has pictures to match potential spelling words and requires touch to spell the words. Students are given unlimited opportunities to make errors without being penalized; there are a variety of levels; easy to hard. Very engaging.

How to use in the classroom:This would make a great literacy center, an independent activity, and something for early finishers.

4. Word Bingo for iPad, iPhone and iPod, $0.99

·         Description and Where in the Reading Process:This app fits into the cognitive area of the reading process; has several game choices.

·         Who you would match to (skill set, difficulty):The app would support students with Executive Function disabilities, ADD, ADHD, Asperger’s Syndrome, Visual Memory, Visual Motor Processing and Visual Sequencing disabilities.

·         In order to use the app, students would require fine motor skills, attention to task, active working memory, prior knowledge, and letter recognition.

·         The students who would benefit from this app have difficulty with letter order, spelling, sequential; processing, vocabulary retrieval, and recall. Overall goal of the app is increasing sight words.

·         Why I chose: I choose this app because it is provides students with spelling practice and word recognition. It provides students with spoken cue options for repeats and after each word completion the word is spoken, broken down orally by letter and the word spoken again which reinforces the students work. If a mistake is made the letter bounces back and is said out loud. When playing Bingo the word is spoken and can repeated if necessary.

·         How to use in the classroom:This would make a great center or partnered activity as it allows for multi-players. It can also be an independent activity or use for a reward.

5. Shapebuilder for iPad, iPhone and iPod, $0.99

·        Where in the reading process: This app fits into the early stages of the reading task.

·         Who you would match to (skill set, difficulty):The app would support students with Executive Function disabilities, Visual Spatial disabilities,

·         In order to use this app, students require fine motor skills, attention to task, concentration, some memory recall.

·         The students who would benefit from this app have Executive Function difficulties, difficulties with comprehension and cognition, the alphabetic principle and phonemic awareness.

·         Why I chose: I choose this app because it has high engagement; it includes lots of voice interaction, builds on prior knowledge and cognition skills such as recall and recognition. The app also builds on student’s experience because they are not only building letters but pictures and numbers with those words spelled and spoken, and the appropriate sounds provided.

·         How to use in the classroom:This app could be used for independent work, for early finishers, as a calming activity or for a reward. 

  Jean’s Top 5 Picks:

  1. Another Monster at this End of the Book. $4.99 for iPad, iPhone iOS 4.3 or higher.

·       Description:  Interactive story book, animated, read aloud, words highlighted, lots of drag and drop, touch for reaction, e.g. Elmo asks child to knock over blocks to get to next page or wipe away glue, or take off paper clips, entertaining story.

·        Where in the reading process: Understanding book handling (left to right directionality, top to bottom, fine motor, shows how dialogue works, draws attention to print with highlighting and interesting font.

·        Who you would match to (skill set, difficulty): Reading remediation, Early reading, child who needs motivation to read, needs to see how print works, how to manipulate books.

·        Why I chose: Funny, cool graphics, I know a couple kids in the learning centre who LOVE this book and read it over and over.

·         How to use in the classroom: During reading workshop, end of day for an engaging and calming activity, during literacy centres.

  2. Little Speller $0.99 for iPad, iPhone iOS 4.3 or higher.

·         Description: All simple 3 letter words, says words aloud and shows beautiful photos of word, gives the letters scrambled and student must drag and drop into order, repeats word for child. Some unusual words (yam, tug) could improve vocab., too.  ONE POSSIBLE DRAWBACK is that it says letter names -  not letter sounds – Might be better to clarify for phonics if letter sounds.

·       Where in the reading process:  Know letter names, sounds, beginning to work on putting simple words together phonetically

·        Who you would match to (skill set, difficulty): Reading remediation, phonological processor.

·        Why I chose: Beautiful photos, clear voice speech, simplicity and clarity of activity.

·        How to use in the classroom: During reading workshop or literacy centres.

3. Professor Garfield: Fact or Opinion

·        Description:Story part in Comic format about doing projects and using facts versus opinions, also about validity of internet sites. Game part has a practice section finding fact statements about one topic (as if they are writing paper by drag and drop choosing) and then a quicker Fact robot that needs to be fed facts rapidly.

·        Where in the reading process: For students who do well with decoding, but need to work on comprehension.

·       Who you would match to (skill set, difficulty):  For those who need to focus on comprehension, engaging for motivation.

·      Why I chose:   Fun comic format and funny story, important skill to separate fact from opinion (esp. when students are beginning to do school projects).

·        How to use in the classroom: Whole class could read comic on LCD together as intro to doing fact based projects or could be used in a centre or during individual reading time.

  4. Aesop’s Quest free for iPad, iPhone or iPod with Ios3.1.3 or higher

·       Description: Read aloud short stories like the Town and Country Mouse, Help the ant Aesop to remember parts of the story and answer questions, if answered correctly you get a game where as Aesop walks along you drag and drop only items that were in the story into his backpack.  Choosing items not mentioned in the story results in lost points.  Points equal puzzle pieces to make picture.

·        Where in the reading process: Working memory, comprehension, engaging active games between reading to refocus those with attention deficits.

·        Who you would match to (skill set, difficulty): Match to those who need to work on memory skills and need activity to stay focused, ADHD and poor working memory, also works on comprehension.

·       Why I chose:  Enjoyable stories and fun game breaks in between the tougher reading/ memory activities.

·         How to use in the classroom: Use at literacy centres, and during individual reading time.

  5. do this next 0.99 for iPad, iPhone iOS 3.0 or higher

·      Description:   You enter in a prioritized list of things to do and the app gives them to you one at a time in the priority order.  When you enter that it is done it gives satisfying done sound/gesture and puts up the next thing to do.  Very simple, but effective at focusing you on one thing at a time if tend to wander from job to job ineffectively.

·        Where in the reading process: To help with attention to task and executive function.

·      Who you would match to (skill set, difficulty):   Students who have trouble focusing on a task, poor working memory, need steps in an activity broken down for them.

·        Why I chose: I understand the need to be focused on one task at a time.   I have a plan for how this could be used in class.  See next box.

·        How to use in the classroom: At earlier levels teacher could enter in tasks in order.  At higher levels students could enter the tasks in order themselves.

     As I have mentioned in a previous post the reading task is extremely complex. Below are reading apps linked to the reading process that they support; the apps are suns.