Using Apps To Overcome Learning Challenges
It isn’t hard for us to imagine the struggle that dyslexic students have to go through. Students who suffer from dyslexia are just like their other peers. Their only challenge is the trouble of connecting the letters they see to the sounds those letters make. Dyslexia affects one’s ability to read, spell, write, and speak. It creates great anxiety in students who have to struggle to cope with the competitiveness in the normal classroom while trying to adjust themselves with the discomfort.
It is estimated that 1 in 10 people have dyslexia. 20% of school-aged children in the US are dyslexic and it ranges from mild to severe. Around 40% of people with dyslexia also have ADHD. Dyslexia is not a disease so there is no cure. It’s a learning disability that includes difficulty in the use/processing of linguistic and symbolic codes, alphabetic letters representing speech sounds or number and quantities. However, new technologies can be used to help students to overcome challenges in learning.
Research shows that many dyslexic students can benefit from using apps to help aid their learning. This is because apps can help dyslexic learners with specific cognitive difficulties making it easier to process particular kinds of information. Apps can also help dyslexic students overcome some of the challenges that come with learning in an environment that is not geared up to “dyslexic styles of learning” such as non-interactive lectures and timed, written examinations, which many dyslexic students find hard to do.
AppWriter
Described as a revolutionary tool for dyslexic students, AppWriter employs the dyslexic font which makes it much easier for those suffering from the disability to read individual letters and words. The app widely recommended by educators.
Lectio
This app was specifically developed for students suffering from dyslexia. It is widely used by educators focusing on learners with special needs. It can take picture of a page of text and to have one or more words read out aloud. Learners can even see a definition of specified words.
Eye Reader
Eye Reader focuses on magnification to make reading easier for those with dyslexia. Reading is made even easier by LED illumination. The levels of magnification and illumination can easily be adjusted by the reader.
Ghotit Real Writer
Ghotit Real Writer is an app specifically designed for those suffering from dyslexia. It corrects faulty spelling, grammar errors, homophones and punctuation. It also pronounces each word as it is typed. Users can also choose to have the entire text read to them. As it is read, the word being pronounced will be highlighted. This helps students with dyslexia to catch up.
iWrite Words
Described by the New York Times as the very best app for children with learning disabilities such as dyslexia, iWrite Words uses illustrations and animations to teach children how to shape their letters and form words.
StoryBuilder
StoryBuilder won the Huffington Post award as the very best writing app for those with dyslexia. It is the perfect app for children that have already learned how to form words and sentences. This app allows students with dyslexia to create stories, complete with illustrations.
The emergence of these applications have opened up opportunities for those who are suffering from dyslexia. They are no longer excluded from the world of learning, reading and writing, Dyslexia is a disability, but it need not be a debilitating one. These applications will helps students with dyslexia to learn better and faster.
Sources
https://homeschoolingwithdyslexia.com/best-apps-dyslexia/
https://mashable.com/2014/07/28/apps-for-dyslexia/#rZ2ZYL54aGqm
https://theconversation.com/five-ipad-apps-that-can-help-students-with-dyslexia-63684
Writer:
Leong Kim Weng is a writer who writes about parenthood's articles. He uses this platform to reach out to the young parents. Writing for www.parentsdojo.com has given him the opportunity to learn and share interesting perspectives with others.
