BEST Literacy Apps for Kids

Last weekend, we had the great privilege of attending the “2014 Literacy for All Conference: The Community Reads” presented by the Harris-Stowe State University College of Education and the St. Louis Suburban Council of the International Reading Association. Brennan Innovators has participated and exhibited at this annual conference for the past five years, and each year, the speakers have been excellent.

We want to especially thank Dr. Betty Porter-Walls, faculty member at the university, for organizing and presenting this event all of those five years. Her enthusiasm has always been infectious, and as a result, attendees have always left the conferences re-inspired, re-energized and ready to promote literacy in their classrooms in new and exciting ways. With Dr. Betty's brand of organization, preparation and enthusiasm on tap once again, this year was no exception.

The session topics at the conference were timely yet practical. From “Tips to Make a Guided Reading Program More Effective” [K-6] by Dr. Sam Bommarito to "Using Favorite Read-Alouds to Develop Curriculum [PK-3] by Ms. Julia Auch, the conference offered much to the educators who attended last Saturday's event.

We spoke with many teachers that day who took time to visit us at our Reading Focus Cards' exhibit table. A number of them commented on the increasing number of challenged readers coming to their classrooms. A few educators mentioned that students are so easily distracted when attempting to read a selection. Others cited that their students need some type of sustained visual stimulation (i.e. pictures, color, graphics or technology) to stay on-task or to effectively learn concepts. These were only two of the reasons why conference attendees visited us at the event. We demonstrated and allowed the teachers to interact with the Reading Focus Cards (Patent 7,565,759), our low-tech tools for challenged readers. We appreciated their high level of interest in wanting to help students who struggle to read.

More than a few times, the attendees requested apps and tech tools to assist with building reading skills such as phonemic awareness, phonics and fluency---in addition to help with focusing and tracking. We provided them with handouts that included strategies and website links to aid them.

Because of the teachers' requests and a similar demand experienced recently with our other clients and customers, we decided to provide our blog readers this week with a list of literacy apps for educators and parents to help children build some of those all-important reading skills. We included both iPad and Android apps in the list and grouped them into different reading skill categories. We have found these to be some of the most frequently recommended reading skills apps currently available. We believe the apps in this list will definitely do much to entice reluctant readers to begin reading, keep unfocused readers engaged, and provide the colorful visuals to get students excited about reading everyday---all while improving reading skill levels. We hope you and a struggling reader you know will benefit from the use of at least one of them!

FREE Literacy Apps for Kids

Apps for Phonemic Awareness

ABC Magic Reading 1 - Short Vowel Words (FREE)
by Preschool University
This sampler app can help your child’s future reading success by giving your child key reading skills practice.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/abc-reading-magic-1-short/id416896853?mt=8

100+ Top Apps for Phonemic Awareness (for iPhone/iPad---FREE & various prices)
A long list of iPhone and iPad apps to help increase phonemic awareness for various grade levels.
http://appcrawlr.com/ios-apps/best-apps-phonemic-awareness

50+ Top Apps for Phonemic Awareness (for Android---FREE & various prices)
A collection of Android apps to help increase phonemic awareness for various grade levels.
http://appcrawlr.com/app/search?_src=sort_&max=12&q=phonemic+awareness&query=best-apps-phonemic-awareness&prefix=top-apps&price=&device=android&sort=&trigger=deviceChange

Other Literacy Apps (FREE & at Various Prices)

Apps for Phonics

ABC Magic Phonics (FREE)
by Preschool University
This app will help your child learn the sounds of the letters of the alphabet, which are necessary for reading. Learning the sounds of the letters gives your child the tools for reading and helps them become better readers. A matching phonetic photo image is matched with each letter to help your child learn the sound of each letter.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/abc-magic-phonics/id404048724?mt=8

ABC Pocket Phonics: Letter Sounds & Writing + First Words (Price: FREE & $6.99)
by Apps in My Pocket Ltd.(For iPhone and iPad)
This "universal" app teaches the basics of reading and writing to young children.
Lite version (FREE): https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/abc-pocketphonics-lite/id302689971?mt=8
Full version ($6.99): https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/abc-pocketphonics-letter-sounds/id299342927?mt=8

Sight Word Flip It (Price: $3.99)
by ReadingResource.net
Sight Word Flip It was carefully designed by two reading specialists who have taught 100s of children to read. Not many literacy apps can make this claim! Sight Word Flip It offers an effective and engaging way for kids to learn high frequency sight words.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sight-word-flip-it/id675328955?mt=8

Starfall ABCs (Price: $2.99)
by Starfall Education
The "ABCs" section of Starfall.com's well-loved website is now available as a universal application for your iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. Our activities motivate through positive reinforcement and play. (Note: App contains the ABC letter section only, NOT the whole website)
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/starfall-abcs/id395623983?mt=8

Apps for Fluency

Read With Me Fluency (Price: $4.99)
by sleek-geek inc.
Many educators have been looking for a system that would actually decrease the workload required for student reading assessment. This app appears to meet this need.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/read-with-me-fluency/id635704413?mt=8

Fluency (Price: $2.99)
by Michael Tillyer
Teachers can help students become better and more confident readers with this app. Children use the power of self correction to improve their own reading skills.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fluency/id474403640?mt=8

K-12 Timed Reading Practice Lite (FREE)
by k-12 Inc.
This app allows readers in grades K-4 to practice fluency, the ability to read smoothly and quickly (timed).
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/k12-timed-reading-practice/id384484818?mt=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 for Windows PCs and Macs provides practical READING SUPPORT for children and adults with ADHD, dyslexia, autism and other conditions that can affect reading success. It promotes more FOCUS, FLUENCY and VISUAL COMFORT for online reading of almost ALL 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 can be moved on the screen over text by the fingers, mouse or arrow keys as needed. The following are direct links to purchase and download your version of this app:
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 ever provided for apps in the Windows Store.)

For more information on customizable reading tools to improve focus and attention, please visit:
www.FocusandRead.com Tools for struggling readers of all ages!
www.BrennanInnovators.com Info & support for struggling readers
314-892-3897

Image courtesy of:
Clip Art Lord at http://www.clipartlord.com/free-tablet-computer-clip-art/
Brennan Innovators, LLC at www.focusandread.com

Just How Much Does Vision Impact Reading & Learning?

Subtitle: Is it REALLY ADHD?

This past weekend, we attended an outstanding educational conference in Springfield, MO. The organization, Learning Insights, sponsored and hosted the event called Vision’s Impact on Learning. Learning Insights is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit organization that was established to help students develop vision skills with its unique program called the Vision Intervention Program (VIP). Many children have vision issues such as tracking difficulty, inability to efficiently move from target to target, eyes not "working as a team", poor visual perspective skills etc. Learning Insights trains school personnel to identify these children and then tutor them at school to reduce or eliminate these problems.

Attending the conference were many educators, school administrators, developmental optometrists, occupational therapists, VIP trainers, testers, tutors and others interested and wanting to learn more about the unique relationship between a child’s vision and the ability to read and learn successfully.

During the conference, Learning Insights, associates of their VIP program and other eye-care professionals provided attendees with much important information. The following statistics about vision’s impact on learning are only a small sample of some of the important information imparted at the event :

“Forty-one percent (41%) of K-3 students CANNOT:
---Tell the difference between the letters “M” and “N.”
---Change their focus from desk to chalkboard.
---Track the sentences in their textbooks.”

“Undiagnosed and untreated vision-related problems significantly contribute to reading difficulties and special education classifications. Early vision interventions could help 70% of these students avoid a disability diagnosis.”

Comprehensive vision testing is critical to evaluating children (and adults) for vision-related reading and learning challenges. A developmental optometrist can provide this type of testing. A VIP vision screener can also assist with this. A “regular” vision test is not a complete evaluation if one wishes to fully test, diagnose and provide the most appropriate therapies or other services for vision-related reading/learning issues.

Many young, struggling students with 20/20 vision test results are mistakenly thought to have no reading/learning difficulties caused by vision issues. Unfortunately, many of these children are later inappropriately given prescription medications to help with focus, attention, tracking, or other issues and behaviors. Sadly, these children often may take the prescribed “focusing” medications for years, with none of us knowing yet what the residual effects will be for such regimens.

So in summary, it is all about a comprehensive eye exam for children struggling in school with reading and learning. It is the first good step in meeting the needs of challenged learners---before the consideration of medications or anything else. We would like to thank Mr. Michael N. Flynn, the Executive Director of Learning Insights and the VIP program for all the work he and his associates continue to do to help educators, parents and others receive this critical information about vision’s impact on learning. Our children are certainly depending on it.

We would also like to provide our readers here with some excellent resources to learn more about vision and its relationship to reading and learning. Please see our list to follow so that you might more appropriately help a struggling reader or learner you know:

1. The College of Optometrists in Vision Development---A professional organization which grants board certification in vision therapy to optometrists.
http://www.covd.org/

2. Is it really ADD/ADHD? Or does your child have an undetected vision problem?
http://www.add-adhd.org/

3. Easy-to-understand information on crossed-eyes, lazy eye, strabismus, developmental delays, vision therapy, eye muscle surgery, dyslexia, vision impairments, and much more.
http://www.children-special-needs.org/

4. This FREE directory provides immediate referrals to board certified providers of vision therapy. Find an eye doctor in your state or another.
http://www.optometrists.org/findeyedoctordirectory/

5. This article is written by an eye doctor and explains how and why convergence insufficiency causes problems with reading and learning (with illustrations).
http://www.children-special-needs.org/vision_therapy/esophoria_reading.html

6. Website for the not-for-profit Learning Insights organization and the VIP program. (SPECIAL NOTE: PowerPoint presentations from the recent late September 2012 conference, Vision’s Impact on Learning, are scheduled to be posted on the website sometime in October 2012).
http://www.goodvision4all.org/

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

Image Provided by Classroom Clipart