Good News for Struggling Readers: Technology

Technology has advanced enough to start making a dramatic difference in how struggling readers can keep up with grade level curriculum.

Reading pens, text readers, and other text-to-speech devices and apps are now sophisticated enough for almost all struggling readers to use.

By being able to read and understand grade level text, struggling readers can keep up with their typical peers in grade level curriculum and learn the same material.  

While reading remediation remains essential, technology can bridge the gap in learning while students are learning to become proficient readers.

Links to Resources:

British teacher talking about reading pens

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYmAFyF2iRk

C-pen reader $300-$400

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWUfkYzNZLo&list=PL9cNy51gRnvPiArblfD-pzZX_1bSaxrXH&index=2

OrCam Reader - +/- $2K

https://www.orcam.com/en-us/orcam-read?srsltid=AfmBOopb6u2orQsl-W9tbwaIr_VVs2jE3ZJebyt4yo5ZSAeU6E2s__6E

CAST - the primary organization that continues to develop UDL.  Founded by the creator of UDL, Dr. David Rose

https://www.cast.org/what-we-do/accessibility-inclusive-technology/ 

The link below to a Dear Colleague letter and accompanying materials from the U.S, Department of Education  on school district's obligation to provide assistive technology to students. https://sites.ed.gov/idea/idea-files/dcl-assistive-technology-jan-22-2024/ and https://va-leads-ecse.org/Resource/JWHaEa5BS75R8aD-DlrwUA/Resource-assistive-technology-devices-and-services-for-children-with-disabilities-under-the-idea-dear

Summary

The host discusses how technology—especially text-to-speech and reading pens—enables students with reading disabilities to access grade-level curriculum without fluent reading, while emphasizing the importance of comprehensive screening under IDEA. He covers the Matthew effect’s impact on early learners, the role of Universal Design for Learning, and the school district’s responsibility for funding and training, including how to request assistive technology assessments.

Key takeaway

Matthew Effect and Reading Comprehension

Students who fall behind early face a cumulative disadvantage (the “rich get richer, poor get poorer” pattern), often starting in kindergarten or first grade.

When a child struggles to decode, comprehension drops — similar to a non-doctor reading a medical journal, where pronunciation and meaning quickly become stumbling blocks.

Lack of background knowledge and vocabulary, such as understanding idioms for figurative language, further hinders access to grade-level content.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

UDL is a research-proven approach that proactively provides accommodations and uses technology to effectively include all students in general education settings.

A separate podcast on this series explains UDL in detail.

Text-to-Speech Devices and Apps

Text-to-speech tools (reading pens, apps on Microsoft/Apple platforms) allow students to participate meaningfully in daily classroom lessons.

Basic readers may be inadequate for first or second graders due to attention issues, training gaps, or device limitations.

Comprehensive Screening Under IDEA

IDEA requires a thorough screening to determine which type of reader is most suitable for each child — the classroom reader might suffice after proper staff training, or a more sophisticated device may be needed.

Screening helps identify whether the issue is device suitability or merely lack of training.

Specific Reading Pens and Practical Considerations

Two example reading pens are linked: a $300–$400 pen for young students learning to decode (requires school and home training, and two devices are often needed to avoid loss), and a $2,000 pen for high school, college, or work use.

Younger students are likely to lose a device, so providing one for school and one for home is recommended.

School District Responsibility and IEP Integration

The school district is responsible for paying for devices, apps, and training; the assistive technology becomes an IEP item and should include a related technology-use goal.

Parents can request a screening for assistive technology (AT) or augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) from their district or county assistive technology office.

Thanks to Soundimage.org for the free access to the AI generated music used in this podcast (https://soundimage.org/) 

Transcript

Technology has advanced to the point where students of any age can access grade level curriculum without being a fluent reader.

Remedial teaching of reading skills is still a vital activity, but the weaknesses that are being addressed in a special education setting don’t have to carry over to the  general education classroom.

Students who start out behind, or get behind early, are at a distinct disadvantage in their academic careers, and they may never catch up with their typical peers.

The Matthew Effect, which posits that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, takes place starting at a very early age (K-1).

Another issue is comprehension.  If a child is struggling to decode, comprehension goes down.  This is true of any reader.

Think of reading a medical journal article, and you are not a doctor.  How long does it take to start stumbling over the pronunciation of words, much less their meaning?  The lack of background knowledge is even more problematic; you have to know what words mean, and the importance to their present use.  

Students need to know the vocabulary of the subject they are studying.  For instance, knowing the meaning of an idiom is an important part of learning what figurative and non-literal language is.

Universal Design for Learning, (a podcast is available in this series that explains it) is a research proven way to effectively include all students in a general education setting by proactively providing accommodations and through the use of technology.

One of the most effective ways for students to be able to access grade level academic material is through the use of text to speech devices and apps.

Reading pens have come a long way from being a child’s toy to a sophisticated piece of technology.

Text readers, in general, allow much more meaningful participation in the day-to-day lessons that take place in a classroom.

There are text to speech devices and apps readily available on platforms like Microsoft and Apple.  

However, some of the time, a student needs a more specific type of reader.  A first or second grader may find readily available readers inadequate, of they may not be taught how to use the reader, or they have attention issues and have trouble using it.

Due to this, and because IDEA requires it, there needs to be a comprehensive screening of what type of reader is most suitable for the child.

It may turn out that the reader available in the classroom is fine to use, it may have been a matter of training staff to help the child master it.

But there are times when a more a sophisticated reader is needed.  I am putting links to two reading pens.  One, which currently costs between $300-400, is suitable for a young student who is learning to decode.  You will see that it is easy to use but takes some training and support at home and in the classroom.

An issue that comes up is that young students are likely to lose a device like this.  That is true.  There may need to be two devices provided, one for school and one for home along with training for the parent and staff.  

The other link is to a reading pen that costs about $2K.  This device is much more sophisticated and has applications that can be used for just about any high school, college or work use. 

I mentioned that IDEA requires screening and the provision of devices and services as needed for the student to become proficient in their use.  I’ve included a citation in the program description.

One more thing about the use of any device or app; while sophisticated tech may be needed, if possible, it’s better to use more readily available readers.  This makes it much easier to find and access something that is widely used.

It comes down to what works for an individual child, as always in special education.

As far as paying for devices and/or apps, plus training is the responsibility of the school district.

You can request a screening from your school district for what is usually called assistive technology (AT) or augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).  You may see variations depending on where you are.

In the geographic area where I work, there are assistive technology offices in each of our counties. 

Technology has come to the point where there should not be a child who has the cognitive capacity to learn grade level work in school today, who can’t keep up due to a reading disability.