Technology and Dyslexia
How is technology used to help students with dyslexia?
Why this topic?
I decided to do my genius hour project on assisting dyslexic children through technology. My question is, “How is technology used to help students with dyslexia in the K12 classroom?”. I am interested in this topic because my little brother has dyslexia and my mom is a teacher for a dyslexic school. You would not be able to tell now that my brother is dyslexic, but that is because he had early assistance. I explored the best ways to assist dyslexic students in the classroom.
Technology Resources for Dyslexic Students
This is a wonderful resource for dyslexic children, especially those who are audible learners. This is a company who creates audio clips of all types of books. When students struggle to read the written word, which is what happens with dyslexic students, technology is so beneficial! Dyslexic students are able to have access to these audiobooks, which are helpful when learning to read. These audiobooks produced by Learning Ally can be accessed online. The books are not audio clips made by robots, but actual people. This is very helpful for younger children as the sound of a real human voice is best for them. While listening to a Learning Ally recording, a child can follow along with actual text in front of them. This can help their brain process the information in a more efficient way and improve reading comprehension.
Dyslexia Action posted an article about Text to Speech technology. When teachers allow computers to speak to students, dyslexic students can be helped! Listening to text can help a dyslexic student focus on the actual reading comprehension aspect of an assignment. It can also help a dyslexic student proofread their own work. By listening to their own assignments, they can hear the mistakes made and be more likely to acknowledge and correct them.
Find Help Now!
If you or someone you know struggles with reading, please do not hesitate to seek help. Dyslexia is not something to be ashamed of, but it does need to be addressed. Students with dyslexia have the ability to succeed! They only need to figure out the best ways to learn in order to be the best they can possibly be! See the link below for more information about help with dyslexia.