Teaching and Learning 

Increase Reading Fluency Over the Holidays

Jason Carroll , , , , ,

Reposted with permission from blog.texthelp.com

It’s that time of the year when most students are dismissed for a couple of weeks to enjoy the holidays. While the winter break isn’t nearly as long as its summer counterpart, taking any extended break from school means students begin losing some of the knowledge they’ve worked so hard to obtain. This is especially true for emerging readers, who need as much practice as possible during the early stages of the reading process. One tool that will not only stop this learning loss from occurring (in reading anyway), but possibly reverse it altogether is Reading Champion.

[youtube id=”MJ0tAv3nAWI” ]

 

[ituneslink label=”Reading Champion” url=”https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/reading-champion/id645814938?mt=8″] is an online iPad app stacked with reading passages appropriate for readers of all abilities. It allows students to hear passages read aloud, then practise on their own. One of the most engaging features of the app is its ability to record students reading, then play the recording back so that they can hear how they are doing.

Not only does the app include effective practices such as providing text-to-speech with dual colour highlighting when reading text aloud, but it also includes a system to record and track progress. Once a reading passage is complete students earn a medal for their progress. Then parents, teachers, or children can view their progress in the form of a graph anytime (see image below).

Reading Champion graph screenshot

 

Reading Champion is available in the app store for a one time fee of $6.49. Learn more about Reading Champion by clicking here or head straight to the [ituneslink label=”app store” url=”https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/reading-champion/id645814938?mt=8″] to pick up a copy.

 

Jason Carroll

Jason first learned of Assistive Technology while working on his undergraduate degree where much of his spare time was spent assisting a regional education centre with basic technology needs. Amazed at how this technology could benefit so many students (particularly those he grew up with) he was hooked and immediately became an expert at the centre. After receiving his Masters, Jason returned to the coop to serve as a full time Assistive Technology Consultant serving over 200 schools in the central Kentucky Region. Since this time, Jason has trained thousands on Assistive Technology and Universal Design for Learning concepts throughout the United States and beyond. His focus is on integrating research based practices into the work he does and helping others ensure that what they are doing works. He specialises in assisting people to bridge the gap between operation of technology and actual implementation. Jason is a published author, has taught Instructional Technology and Universal Design for Learning at the University level, and spends a significant amount of time on e-Learning and blended learning initiatives. He is a graduate of the Assistive Technology Applications Certificate Program (ATACP) from California State University at Northridge and holds a Masters in Business Administration. Currently Jason serves as Product Marketing Manager for North America at Texthelp Inc. where he oversees new product launches and speaks nationally on a variety of Assistive Technology topics.

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