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Skill-Building Apps for Challenged Readers

With summer nearly upon us, there are some students and their parents who may be searching for good apps designed for improvement in the following reading skill areas:

                                                     • Focusing
                                                     • Word-attack skills
                                                     • Fluency
                                                     • Tracking
                                                     • Comprehension
                                                     • Retention


We thought this would be an ideal time to provide our readers with apps for these specific skill areas. That way, over the summer break, students (and others) might be able to “brush up on” areas of weakness so that they will be improved by the time the new fall term begins. Here, then, is our list of APPS for the above reading skills:

Reading Skills Apps


Reading Remedies This app is like having shelves of assessment books and binders of "go to activities" in your pocket or at your fingertips. This is a great site for reading teachers or parents of struggling readers.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/reading-remedies/id423213168?mt=8

FREE Word Attack App for Android
Improve your vocabulary while having fun with this improved variation of the word-search game genre. No rules. Words appear in any location in any order. Find the words based on the given hints. Installs on external SD card for Froyo.
http://www.freeware4android.net/google-android-2-2-1-device-1909/wo...

Word-Attack Apps for iPhone, iPad
Good apps for improving a reader’s word-attack skills (some FREE)
http://appfinder.lisisoft.com/ipad-iphone-apps/word-attack.html

Top 12 Reading Comprehension Apps
(from Reading Rockets) Apps that provide practice with specific comprehension skills, including sequencing, differentiating between fact and opinion, developing word awareness (through ant¬onyms, synonyms, and homophones), as well as several mind mapping apps (some FREE).
http://www.readingrockets.org/pdfs/Top-12-Comprehension-Apps.pdf

There’s a Special App for That – Part 7: Apps That Support Literacy Instruction Part 7 of “There’s A Special App For That” series on iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad apps for students with special needs. (Scroll past chart with 7 building blocks of literacy to access Part 7’s apps.)
http://www.inov8-ed.com/2011/03/theres-a-special-app-for-that-part-...

For more information:
www.FocusandRead.com Tools for struggling readers of all ages!
www.BrennanInnovators.com Info & support for struggling readers
314-892-3897

Views: 228

Tags: Android, apps, brain, building, drain, iPad, readers, reading, skill, skills, More…struggling, summer

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Comment by Joan M. Brennan on May 29, 2012 at 6:44pm

Helen, as I am mostly with middle school students, it is particularly helpful to receive this info about Preschool University!  Will definitely look at these as well.  Thank you, Helen!

Comment by Helen Wagner on May 29, 2012 at 5:30pm
I have also found that Preschool University has a wealth of free apps for beginning reading...do a search in iTunes for them and you can load up! Great article..I am going to look all of these up! Thanks! Always need help with reading!
Comment by Helen Wagner on May 29, 2012 at 1:24pm
Yes, actually , she asked some of us regulars what we would like and she has already responded. I hope it was ok to mention on this site! I am so happy to found this network!
Comment by Joan M. Brennan on May 29, 2012 at 12:12pm

Helen,

I'm very glad you provided these comments here.  Will certainly take a look at Abitalk and its apps.  Low prices or free are what teachers and their schools need right now.  Also, the fact that this company's philosophy involves a genuine interest "in meeting needs" makes working with it much more worthwhile and beneficial to all, especially then it might build requested apps.  Wonderful!  Many thanks, Helen!

Comment by Helen Wagner on May 29, 2012 at 11:25am
Hi! I really like to use apps from a compampny called Abitalk. I use a lot of them in Tier 3 intervention. There are apps for rhyming, long and short vowels, sound segmentation and blending , irregular verbs and plurals...a lot of basic, foundational apps. They are very low priced to free. The developer is interested in meeting needs. If you contact her and tell her what you need, she might make it!!
Comment by Joan M. Brennan on May 21, 2012 at 11:23pm

Kelli,

You are most welcome!  While you are "waiting and hoping for an iPad" (as many parents and families are these days!), you might like to know about a website @ http://www.smartappsforkids.com/.  This site very frequently will have giveaways that sometimes include FREE iPads for special needs families and others.  Also, you might wish to visit http://www.a4cwsn.com and its companion Facebook page @ https://www.facebook.com/a4cwsn for similar offerings.  I DO hope you are fortunate to have an iPad or similar device very soon.  It can make all the difference for a child with special needs!  All the best of luck to you, Kelli!  Please let us know if---no, WHEN you win!

Comment by Kelli McCoy on May 21, 2012 at 10:43pm

Thanks for these. I'm still waiting and hoping for an IPAD for my special ed. classroom, and my special needs child at home. I will keep saving these suggestions until that day!

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