Helpful Focus & Tracking Resources for Challenged Readers

Is your child a reluctant reader? If so, do you know why? Are some of your students unable to stay focused when reading in class? Do you know a child whose eyes wander all over a page of text or only "see" the pictures on a page? These are only a few of the reading problems that teachers and parents often describe to us and for which they often request appropriate strategies, resources and apps to help.

If an individual of any age (even an adult) is struggling with focus or tracking, the first step should be to seriously consider visiting a developmental optometrist for a comprehensive eye exam (Please see resources to follow here.) This special medical professional can test, evaluate, diagnose and provide treatment for vision-related problems whose symptoms often manifest in the classroom. These challenges will negatively impact an individual's reading skills (reading fluency, rate, comprehension and retention of what is read) and, as a result, that individual's overall academic success.

Secondly, the right strategies and resources for students with these reading issues can go a long way in helping them manage specific symptoms or even improve the reading experience for them. Today, in our weekly blog article, we are addressing these same needs. Since we at Brennan Innovators are all about reading improvement and academic success, we wanted to provide our readers with some resources specific to focus and tracking. In this way, perhaps we can help to positively affect the level of reading success for many struggling readers.

Helpful Focus and Tracking Resources

5 Simple Concentration Building Techniques for Kids with ADHD
by Dr. Robert Myers, Child Psychologist
Children with ADHD typically have impairment of executive functions such as focusing and memory. Provide them with encouragement and track their progress
with these helpful strategies.
http://www.empoweringparents.com/five-simple-brain-exercise-activities-for-your-adhd-child.php

College of Optometrists in Vision Development
COVD is a non-profit, international membership association of eye care professionals including optometrists, optometry students, and vision therapists. Established in 1971, COVD provides board certification for optometrists and vision therapists who are prepared to offer state-of-the-art services in behavioral and developmental vision care, vision therapy and visual rehabilitation. This website will offer many resources for parents and educators as well as a Locator Tool (accessible via the upper-right-hand corner of each web page on the site) to help visitors find a developmental optometrist in their region/area.
http://www.covd.org/

Eye Focusing, Coordination, and Tracking Problems---from Children's Vision Coalition
A comprehensive list with explanations of vision-related problems whose symptoms often manifest in the classroom and can affect reading and academic success. A thorough (comprehensive) eye exam is necessary for detection and treatment.
http://www.cvcny.org/index.php?s=1&b=4&p=4

Vision and Reading---from Children's Vision Information Network (for Parents)
Important information about why your child might be struggling in the classroom.
http://www.childrensvision.com/reading.htm

Eye Can Learn's Eye Exercises
This is an excellent website with eye exercises to improve learning and visual attention (perception, tracking, focusing, and eye teaming).
http://www.eyecanlearn.com/

TeacherVision's Printables---from TeacherVision.com (for Educators)
Use these FREE printables and resources to help your students focus, keep track, analyze, and get the most from their reading selections.
https://www.teachervision.com/classroom-management/printable/6391.html

TeacherVision's Reading Resources(only)---from TeacherVision.com (for Educators)
Enhance reading skills with this extensive collection of printables, lesson plans, and activities on a variety of skill-building topics. Included you'll find popular resources for reading comprehension, phonics, literature, story analysis, alphabetizing, reading games and puzzles, and more. Plus, use reading in cross-curricular study with lessons that connect reading with science, social studies, history, math, and art. Learning to read well is a vital skill for students to master. Help them achieve that goal with these reading resources.
https://www.teachervision.com/reading/teacher-resources/33727.html

Reading Apps for Children---Common Sense Media (Various prices for Android & Apple)
An assortment of children's apps to help improve various reading skills.
http://www.graphite.org/search/read/subjects/language-reading-19646/subjects/reading-19791/type/csm_app?gclid=CN71uoTWkL4CFQwSMwod3XsAYA

Reading Focus Cards Desktop App (Patent 8,360,779)
This DESKTOP app is the digital version of the low-tech, physical Reading Focus Cards tools (Patent 7,565,759), solutions for struggling readers. This app provides very practical support for children and adults with ADHD, dyslexia, low vision, stroke or brain injury issues, autism and other conditions that can affect reading success. This desktop application promotes more FOCUSED online reading of almost ALL digital media (webpages, PDF files, Word documents, Excel spreadsheets & more.) In addition, the app supports touch-screen technology (where applicable).
1. 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
2. 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.)

15 Mac Apps to Help You Focus and Work Productively (some FREE)---by Stef Gonzaga
15 Mac apps that help you focus, whether it’s dimming the screen, blocking social networking sites, closing inactive applications, or working in time bursts. You can use one or mix a couple of these apps to fit the way you work.
http://mac.appstorm.net/roundups/productivity-roundups/15-mac-apps-to-help-you-focus-and-work-productively/

Focus Mask---from TenTrip, LLC (Requires: Mac OS X 10.6 or later) Price: $0.99
Focus Mask is another Mac application designed to get rid of distractions while you work. But more than just putting the active windows on stage with the rest behind the curtain, Focus Mask allows you to selectively choose which window to bring to the front and to isolate a part of a window through easy shortcuts. You can do this either through pattern detection or by manually highlighting the chosen portion by dragging and clicking the selection.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/focusmask/id435999818?mt=12

For more information on customizable reading tools for focus and tracking challenges, 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:
Brennan Innovators, LLC at www.focusandread.com

All Kinds of Kids’ Vocabulary Apps

A larger and more extensive vocabulary can benefit children in so many ways. It can help them to express themselves more clearly and effectively. A good vocabulary can significantly benefit their performance on all types of achievement or academic tests. In addition, a student’s writing skills can be greatly enhanced with an excellent vocabulary---throughout all of life. So you can see that there are only advantages to improving and enriching a child’s vocabulary.

In the past, vocabulary lists of new words were studied, memorized, incorporated into daily lessons at school and other such tedium. However, today, we have apps---wonderful, enjoyable apps that encourage vocabulary building with immediate feedback for the learner. Bye-bye tedium!

This week’s blog article provides you with a group of vocabulary apps that might be just the thing to get your child(ren) or students “reacquainted” with vocabulary learning just as we approach the beginning of a new school year. Hope you like our newest apps list!

What’s the Word on Vocabulary Apps for Kids? by Melanie Ruda (for iPhone, iPod touch, & iPad for Gr. K-6)
This article contains a good list of inexpensive apps that can help kids in grades K-6 develop their oral and reading vocabularies. (Criteria included apps that are age appropriate, that focus on vocabulary development and help kids learn the meanings of new words.)
http://blog.sewardinc.com/2012/02/13/whats-the-word-on-vocabulary-apps-for-kids/

Vocab-a-splat by Seward, Inc.(for iPad for Ages 4-6)
A vocabulary-building game that teaches children the meanings of high-frequency words they encounter while reading.
App explanation link: http://www.vocabasplat.com/
App download link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/vocab-a-splat/id517271626?ls=1&mt=8

List of Vocabulary Apps (For Various Age Levels) (mostly iPad & iPod apps with 1 Android app)
http://www.commonsensemedia.org/mobile-app-lists/vocab-apps

Kids Vocabulary (FREE Android app for Ages 3-7)
Give your child a head start with this interactive vocabulary learning app. Look, listen, say, read, spell---Your child will learn new vocabulary using a 4-step method based on modern teaching methodology.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=equizonline.com.kidspicturevocab&hl=en

Montessori Approach to Vocabulary (a brief review, demo video with link to app for younger children---for iPad with a price of $1.99)
In the Montessori Classroom, several activities exist to assist children to increase their vocabulary. This application will help children to identify and learn the names of the animals. (Price at time of review--$2.99)
App review link: http://a4cwsn.com/?p=1927
App download link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/montessori-approach-to vocabulary/id400726281?mt=8

SuperKids Vocabulary Builders (Online and app options both available here---Apps for iPad/iPhone from upper elementary grades through grade 12 vocabulary levels + even PSAT & SAT prep)
Looking for an easy way to improve your students' (or your own) vocabulary? SuperKids has compiled a set of word-of-the-day lists that should help. Make this your browser's home page and get a new word every day!
http://www.superkids.com/aweb/tools/words/wod.shtml/

Enchanted Dictionary (for iPad---2 versions: for Gr. 4-6 & Gr. 7-12) Designed by Marg Griffin, a speech and language pathologist who works with older students, these apps help students focus on the language of definitions for core content vocabulary. Website for Golden Communications, LLC is http://goldencommunicationsllc.com/ from where one can access the apps.

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

Clip art courtesy of: Lakeshore Learning Materials @ http://tiny.cc/gvd6hw

GREAT Apps for Better Reading Comprehension

During the summer, it can be a good idea for readers of any age to brush up on reading skills. Comprehension is one of the most important of all reading skills.

This past week, we searched the internet to locate some of the best apps for improving a child’s reading comprehension, and we discovered some great ones to help make this summer VERY productive by building better reading comprehension skills.

All of the apps listed in this article have been developed in association with the Virginia Department of Education. In addition, these apps address the specific skills below here within the area of reading comprehension:

• Fact and Opinion
• Sequencing
• Antonyms & Synonyms
• Homophones

Finally, all are FREE---and like you, we love FREE! We hope you will find these apps will assist you in helping your children or students significantly improve their reading comprehension skills. Happy reading, everyone!

Aesop’s Quest: Based on Aesop's Fables, this is a learning game where the student must remember elements of a story to complete a level. At the end of each story segment or level, the student is rewarded with puzzle pieces. After solving the puzzle, the story is complete and the child can continue to the next story.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/aesops-quest/id442928041?mt=8

Opposite Oceans (Antonyms): Luna and Leo must master the magic of words by correctly identify the antonym that is the opposite of the given keyword. Children earn pearls when they drag the correct bubble word to the enchanted clam.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/opposite-ocean-antonyms/id443213664?mt=8

Professor Garfield Fact or Opinion: This app is part story, part game, and part online safety lesson. When Garfield's friend receives an "F" on his report about goats for using opinions instead of facts, Professor Garfield steps in to explain the differences between a fact and an opinion (particularly with regard to the Internet), how to read with a questioning mind, and how a fact can be verified.
http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/professor-garfield-fact-or/id401257010?mt=8

Same Meaning Magic (Synonyms): Students help Luna and Leo, young magicians at magic school, toss word stones into the wishing well to earn gold coins and jewels by choosing the best synonym.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/same-meaning-magic-synonyms/id443212030?mt=8

Same Sound Spellbound (Homophones): An adventure designed to help the player understand homophones (words that are pronounced the same but have different meanings, such as "bee" and "be"). Luna and Leo, young magicians at Magic School, must use their spell book to bring animal statues to life. In the game, students must correctly identify the homophone which best completes the puzzle sentence, in a given time. If the word is correct, the animal statue comes to life. If it's incorrect, the statue crumbles.
http://itunes.apple.com/app/id442983953

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

Clip art courtesy of: http://classroomclipart.com/clipart-view/Clipart/Reading/26-10-07_29_jpg.htm