iPad apps to support reluctant readers

1. Reluctant Reader
Apps
Anne: levohaa@staff.ednet.ns.ca
Amy: amyaees@staff.ednet.ns.ca
Jean: robertsj@staff.ednet.ns.ca
Martha: marthale@staff.ednet.ns.ca

2. Audio Books and Interactive Books
App Overview/ Pros Cons Appropriate For … Tasks
Audio Books in iTunes Full text, excellent voice Audio only; no text on Students with decoding For novel study and
quality; read by an actor screen difficulty at upper independent listening.
elementary grades
onward or visually
impaired student.
Audio books with study Provides point form Fully text which still
notes chapter summaries, plot discourages reluctant
overview, character readers (No text to
analysis, study questions. speech)
Voice over available.
iTunes University podcasts University lectures High school students
available for free looking for
supplementary, and/or
enriched material
The Unwanted Guest – Animated texts – text, Needs text highlighter to
animated text to speech moving images, good allow students to follow
$4.99 quality digitized voice the written text.

3. Audio Books and Interactive Books
cont.
App Overview/ Pros Cons Appropriate For … Tasks
Interactive eBooks iBook App is free in Apple Wide range in price Students with decoding
Store difficulties who also need
activity to sustain
engagement.
Itsy Bitsy Spider Another interactive
Interactive Book eBook, read aloud to
students, touch response
to various characters,
environmental info, useful
for assessments – cause
and effect, attention, etc
Food Fight Interactive Interactive – touch screen
Book to flip pages, cause
$3.99 characters to react, etc.
Interactive eBooks such as Interactive books which No text to speech ability,
the Nancy Drew series include multiple endings need to use voice over.
based on choices made,
collect clues, etc. Students
get to make independent
choices about what they
are reading.

4. Martha’s top Apps
Audio
Books
•Available from iTunes
•Free iBook App

5. Interactive eBooks
• Available from
iTunes
• Contains activities
that promote
engagement
• Various prices

6. Story Builder
• Create your own audio
book by answering
question prompts
• Publish to iBooks to have
book read to you.
• Demo

7. Text to Speech
App Overview/ Pros Cons Appropriate For … Tasks
vBookz Text to speech, highlighter follows as Computerized voice, Compensatory strategy Any reading task,
text is read, change speed of voice. so little to no for students cannot independent
Allows students to be independent of inflection. decode words/text. reading.
a person to read for them. Since
students don’t have to wait for
reader, can keep up as befits their
ability.
Stanza: can scan Can get voice option for electronic No longer being Compensatory strategy Any reading task,
electronic documents texts. Useful for converting updated. for students cannot independent
into ePub using Stanza electronic ‘textbooks’/texts to audio Computerized voice, decode words/text. reading.
which can then be version for reluctant readers. so little to no
pulled into vBookz inflection.
Image to Text Take a picture of text and have it Good voice for the small amount of text Instructions of
read back to you. Inexpensive. price. various tasks
Excellent for short pieces of text. Only available for iPod
Touch 4G or iPads
with cameras.
Voice Reader Text to Inexpensive. Ability to type in or American flag ESL students and Instructions of
Speech copy/paste text into window and displayed students who cannot various tasks
have it read aloud. Multiple prominently. decode words/ text
languages. Ability to change rate of
speech feedback, pitch.

8. Anne’s Top apps
Vbookz Stanza
• Text to speech, highlighter • Can get voice option for
follows as text is read, change electronic texts. Useful for
speed of voice. Allows students converting ‘textbooks’/texts
to be independent of a person to to audio version for reluctant
read for them. Since students readers.
don’t have to wait for reader, can
keep up as befits their ability. • Computerized voice, so little
• Computerized voice, so little to to no inflection.
no inflection. • No longer being updated.
• Compensatory strategy for • Compensatory strategy for
students cannot decode students cannot decode
words/text. words/text.
• Any reading task, independent
reading.
• Any reading task,
independent reading.
• Demo

9. Book Creation
App Overview/ Pros Cons Appropriate For … Tasks
Pictello Make your own books Best used for the 4G iPod All subject areas, science and social studies
(similar to Book Creator). Touch or iPad – needs projects, journal,
Import pictures; add text onboard camera for using social stories, visual
and then Text to speech personal work, pictures. schedules, and adapted
will speak the story/text. non-fiction books.
Story Builder Students can create their Need iPad2 or iPod4 with Any subject area. science and social studies
own audio books based camera projects, journal,
on picture and verbal cues social stories, visual
answer questions and play schedules, and adapted
your story back. There are non-fiction books.
three levels of verbal
instructions. Answer
questions and play your
story back. Answers must
be in complete sentences

10. • Make your own books (similar
Jean’s top app: to Book Creator). Import
Pictello pictures; add text and then Text
to speech will speak the
story/text.
• Best used for the 4G iPod Touch
or iPad – needs onboard
camera for using personal work,
pictures.
• All subject areas,
• science and social studies
projects, journal,
social stories, visual schedules,
and adapted non-fiction books.
• Demo

11. Emergent Reader Skills
App Overview/ Pros Cons Appropriate Tasks
For …
Question Builder Build questions based on pictures. Appears to be only Students LA- reading
$3.99 Practice answering questions based on multiple choice, doesn’t struggling with comprehension
visual cues. Reinforcement for correct read answer options comprehension assessment- it tracks stats
answers. of student results
ABC Pocket Phonics Game teaching letter sounds and writing Very specific tracing of Early readers LA- Writing workshop:
$2.99 the letter using finger on screen. Game letters. from gades P- 5, Practice printing,
using letter combination sounds. resource students handwriting, Dolch words
Reasonable price
Montessori Crossword Hear the word, choose the letters to Doesn’t record scores Ages 3-8 LA- word study activity or
$2.99 spell the word (from a limited list). 3 levels centre
Increasing difficulty from short three
letter single words to multiple letters in
a crossword format.

12. • Teaches sounds letters make and how to
blend sounds to read words
Amy’s favourite app:
• You can take a photo of the player
ABC pocket phonics • Letters are grouped by frequency of use
• Game begins with starting sounds of
words
• You can replay to reinforce
• Uses either American or British voices
• Teaches upper and lower case letters as
well as cursive
• 2 writing styles (D’Nealeon)
• Settings allow you to vary accuracy of
tracing and what prompts are given
• Isn’t always compatible with IWB
Doesn’t teach letter names
• Demo

13. Other
App Overview/ Pros Cons Appropriate For … Tasks
Cliff Notes All the things that the Still text heavy with no University and high English projects and
paper CliffNotes provided text to speech reader, school students with reports
such as: Variety of titles, only Voice over available assigned texts
summaries, character
lists, Q&A, etc. CramCasts
– audio quick summary.
Students are now more independent during class activities that would
normally require one on one assistance from an EA, teacher or another
student. These apps allow for students to work at their desk at their own pace.
Case studies show that improved self esteem are a result of using these
engaging and interactive apps.