7_Tools+and+Strategies+for+Reading


 * Tools and Strategies for Reading**

At this time this page is not a course for professional development credit. It is provided as a resource and point of discussion for educators and parents. Source: AT Tools and Strategies for Writing Workshop hosted by the AZ Dept of Ed as part of the Technology for Learning Communities Workshop Series presented by Scott Marfilius on October 19-20, 2009.


 * Assistive Technology** assists individuals to complete tasks - it is required when the student can't accomplish the task the way the other students are doing it.
 * Instructional Technology** can assist students in acquiring information and is used to acquire or reinforce certain skill(s).

Before deciding on specific reading tools or strategies for students, we need to think about their needs and functioning levels as well as the tasks that they will be completing.

This form from the Georgia Project for Assistive Technology provides a range of student skill sets related to reading and provides some ideas for possible assistive technology tools to try: [| Academic and Learning Aids Reading Evaluation Protocol]

A balanced approach to literacy instruction includes opportunities for working with letters and words (phonics/phonemic awareness), guided reading instruction, and independent reading for building fluency. See [|Children with Disabilities: Reading and Writing the Four-Blocks® Way]  __Supports at the word/sound level:__ Effective reading programs build on alphabetic knowledge, phonemic awareness, systematic phonic instruction, vocabulary development, and the reading of text. Students who struggle with phonemes or phonics may benefit from instructional approaches that include tools such as:
 * Highlighters - traditional highlighting markers and electronic highlighting (e.g., format tool in Microsoft Word)
 * Magnetic letters - traditional and electronic [|word magnets]
 * Reading Windows - cut out of cardstock, colored transparencies, small magnifiers (check out ideas from [|Onion Mountain Tech])
 * Type to talk - talking dictionary or spellchecker (e.g., Franklin [|Spellcheckers and Dictionaries] ), talking word processor (e.g., adding [|WordTalk] to Microsoft Word; Fusion Portable Word Processor from [|The Writer] )
 * Software - [|Ultimate Phonics], [|Simon SIO] , [|WordMaker] , [|Earobics] , [|IntelliTools Classroom Suite v4]

Developmental Stages/Levels of Reading (Ellery, 2005) Teachers need to decide which strategies, techniques, and resources will best support their students and move them to the next stage: -Emergent -Early -Transitional -Fluent

Teachers may need to actively select and/or create texts for their students. Explore the [|Beginning Literacy Framework] (Don Johnston Inc., 2002) for suggestions about students who are at emergent, transitional, and conventional levels of literacy.

__Before reading__, teachers may need to help students build background knowledge, develop connection to self, or establish a purpose for reading. Here are some possible tools:
 * Spinners (e.g.,Ablenet [|All-Turn-It Spinner], SmartBoard [|Spinner])
 * Videos and Images (e.g., PBS videos, TeacherTube, SqoolTube, [|Video Sites for Kids], [|www.howstuffworks.com] )
 * Electronic Highlighting (e.g., color-coding headings or important words)
 * Graphic Organizers (e.g., [|Inspiration] or Kidspiration software)

__During reading__ teachers may need to provide vocabulary support, practice developing fluency, and comprehension strategies.
 * Color filters available from [|Onion Mountain Tech] may make text clearer for students. Try this [|color comparison.]
 * Change the font size and background color as necessary for student, consider screen [|magnification] if needed
 * Timers (e.g., [|Cool Timer] on computer screen with custom sound options, portable visual [|Time Timers] )
 * Highlighters, highlighter tape, post-it notes/flags, colored transparencies, magnifiers ([|www.onionmountaintech.com] )
 * Hand Held Spell Checkers - Homonyms, Dictionary, Thesaurus (e.g., Franklin [|Spellcheckers and Dictionaries] )
 * [|Reading Pen] with text-to-speech function
 * Auto-summary tool in Microsoft Word
 * Electronic Reference Materials - Dictionary, Encyclopedia, dictionary function in [|ghotit] spell-checker
 * Electronic Reading Systems (e.g., [|ReadPlease,] [|SOLO], [|Read and Write GOLD], [|WYNN] , [|Kurzweil 3000] )
 * Practice good listening skills- [|learningthroughlistening.org]
 * Practice reading with improved fluency using song lyrics - [|Karaoke]
 * Symbol supports can help with language and concepts - Use rebus writing with caution, as it decreases speed and fluency of reading text (e.g., [|Communicate in Print], [|Boardmaker] Symbolate function, [|News-2-You] )
 * Another support for visualizing text with picture support can be found at the [|wordsift] site.

Web Resources for Electronic Text (used when students cannot read independently):
 * [|Accessible Book Collection]
 * [|Aesop's Fables Online Collection]
 * [|Audiobooks Direct]
 * [|Authors 4 Teens]
 * [|Bookshare]
 * [|Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Site]
 * [|Digital Book Index]
 * [|Government Printing Office Access]
 * [|Internet Archive]
 * [|Internet Public Library]
 * [|Karaoke]
 * [|List of Dictionaries]
 * [|Project Gutenberg]
 * [|Reading A-Z]
 * [|Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic]
 * [|SET-BC Accessible Books]
 * [|Step by Step Reading Corner]
 * [|Tarheel Reader]
 * [|The Reading Corner]

__After Reading__, teachers may need to help students use/review/reflect on information learned, respond to questions, summarize and paraphrase. Tools/Strategies may include:
 * Tape players/ digital recorders
 * Graphic organizers
 * Electronic Reading Systems
 * Multimedia systems - e.g., PowerPoint games ([|Jefferson County Schools], [|Fayette County Public Schools] [|,] [|Hardin County Schools])
 * Symbol-Supported Writing (e.g., [|PixWriter], [|Read and Tell] , [|SymWriter] , [|Boardmaker Plus] )

__Technology Supports for Struggling Readers__ with brief summaries can be found at [|Assistive Technology in Texas Schools Series]

__Quick Overview Summary of AT Ideas for Reading__ The following chart was d eveloped by Easter Seals Southwest Human Development AT Program, Phoenix, Arizona, 2009. Adapted from a project in collaboration with the Arizona Department of Education. If you want to view without downloading, right-click below and choose "open link in new window."