Helpful Apps for Dyslexia and Related Reading Issues

Updated March 26, 2015

As always, we focus on addressing the current reading needs of our clients, parents, teachers and others who communicate with us on a daily basis. This week, our emails and phone calls have been about assistance with dyslexia. Parents of new, young readers and grad students have recently described to us their children’s or their own issues with various kinds of reading challenges such as convergence insufficiency, visual stress (sometimes caused by black text on white page backgrounds) and/or an actual diagnoses of dyslexia.

With the popularity of last week’s blog article and app list for autism (it received the most visitors of all our other blog articles combined!), we thought it would be very appropriate this week to provide a list of apps dedicated to those with dyslexia-related symptoms. Here is our current list of BEST apps for this need:

1. Textkraft English: Top Smart Text Processor for iPad---Textkraft English is the perfect iPad writing tool for you, your tweens or teens to write essays, letters or email.
http://www.funeducationalapps.com/2011/11/textkraft-english-top-smart-text-processor-for-ipad.html

2. American Wordespeller – A Phonetic Dictionary App to Help Dyslexic Kids with Spelling---American Wordspeller© & Phonetic Dictionary app is great phonetic dictionary that can help and support kids with spelling difficulties and dyslexia.
http://www.funeducationalapps.com/2011/02/american-wordespeller-a-phonetic-dictionary-app-to-help-dyslexic-kids-with-spelling-.html

3. Collections of Top Spelling Apps for Kids (Some include promo codes for free or lower prices---Issued 2/21/12 and may be time sensitive)
http://www.funeducationalapps.com/spelling-apps/

4. Top Apps for Dyslexia by Richele, parent of a child with dyslexia & author of Under the Golden Apple Tree (blog)---These are the author's top picks that have helped her daughter. The apps will not only benefit a child with dyslexia but any child learning or struggling to read.
http://www.underthegoldenappletree.com/2012/11/top-apps-for-dyslexia.html

5. Apps for Dyslexia and Learning Disabilities---This long list of tools can help level the playing field for you, a student or others to reading, spelling, writing, and organizational/study skills. Use of these tools can also lead to increased self-confidence in the classroom and workplace. This is an excellent list provided by DyslexiaHelp at the University of Michigan.
http://dyslexiahelp.umich.edu/tools/apps

6. Best 5 iPad Apps for Dyslexia---by Drs.Fernette and Brock Eide
http://dyslexicadvantage.com/profiles/blogs/ipad-apps-dyslexia

7. openWeb---Dyslexia-friendly web browser by Abbie Gonzalez
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/openweb/id519348697?ls=1&mt=8

8. Reading Focus Cards Desktop App (Patent 8,360,779)
(for Macs & Windows PCs---Price: $5.99)
from Brennan Innovators, LLC
This DESKTOP app is the digital version of the physical Reading Focus Cards (Patent 7,565,759), solutions for struggling readers. This app provides practical READING SUPPORT for children and adults with ADHD, dyslexia, autism and other conditions that can affect reading success. It promotes more focus, better tracking, improved fluency and greater visual comfort for reading digital media (webpages, PDF files, Word docs, Excel spreadsheets & more.) In addition, the Reading Focus Card app is compatible with and supports touch-screen technology. The application floats on top and stays on top of any underlying application, able to be moved over text on the screen by the fingers, mouse/touchpad or arrow keys, as needed. Downloadable files are available for purchase via the following direct links:

a. For Macs (desktops & notebooks):
Visit the Mac App Store and search for Reading Focus Cards or go directly to
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/read-and-focus/id920617853?mt=12

b. For Windows PCs (desktops & laptops):
Visit Gumroad at https://gumroad.com/l/ReadingFocusCards OR visit the Microsoft Windows Store and search for the app called Reading Focus Cards. (No URLs are provided for apps in the Windows Store.)

9. Ghotit This software program corrects the spelling of people with dyslexia and dysgraphia. http://www.ghotit.com

Special Note: The physical Reading Focus Cards work well to provide even more focus and concentration with iPads, Kindles, Nooks, and other related tech devices. Just remember to use a non-scratch film to protect the tech screens with this application.

Happy Reading, EVERYONE!

For more information:
www.FocusandRead.com For ADHD focusing tools that work!
www.BrennanInnovators.com For ADHD info and support
314-892-3897

Image courtesy of www.freedigitalphotos.net & Brennan Innovators, LLC