2 Literacy Apps That Work TOGETHER to Help ADHD & Dyslexic Readers Succeed!
With these 2 desktop apps in your tech toolbox, you’ll be ready to support even more challenged readers!
Children and adults who struggle to read, especially individuals with ADHD and dyslexia, have many more options available to them today than they did only a few years ago. Now, there are many assistive technologies possible that were not even dreamed about a decade ago. Today, both higher-level tech resources and low-tech tools can offer much help for unfocused or otherwise challenged readers.
Some of these technologies can even be combined in order to better help the estimated 1 in 5 persons in the U.S. challenged with dyslexia or the 8 to 13% (depending on the state) of school-aged children in our country who have been diagnosed with attention deficit disorders (ADHD). These individuals can find it particularly difficult to focus, track, concentrate, comprehend and retain information when reading, especially for extended periods or when many pages of digital text must be read at a time.
One of the most popular and easily recognizable technologies to help these challenged readers is Amazon’s Kindle, the well-known e-reader launched in late 2007 that has been most disruptive to the publishing world. The Kindle technology enables readers to eliminate glare with a unique screen, diminish the starkness of white page backgrounds behind dark, virtual text, manipulate font or text sizes and more to assist persons with various reading issues.
Turn Your Computer into a Kindle with This App from Amazon!
If this upfront cost is prohibitive, readers should seriously consider downloading the FREE Kindle app to your desktop or laptop, whether it is a Mac or Windows PC (the app is also available for other tech devices as well via the same web page). It costs nothing to turn one’s computer into a virtual Kindle and then immediately allows the individual to purchase e-books from Amazon.com for download directly to your computer. Kindle app download link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/digital/fiona/kcp-landing-page/
Add The Reading Focus Cards Desktop App to the Kindle App & Watch What Happens on Your Desktop!
For challenged readers who often struggle with focus and attention, tracking, comprehension and retention, it would be hard to beat the combination of the Kindle app AND an innovative application called the Reading Focus Cards desktop app (Patent 8,360,779) for Macs and Windows PC’s. If you know a challenged student or other struggling reader with ADHD or dyslexia, this 2-app combination can enable that individual to experience more comfortably focused, sustained and successful reading of e-books or other digital media.
When in use, the virtual Reading Focus Card actually floats on top AND stays on top of e-book pages or any underlying application to more easily read a web page, Word or PDF document, Excel spreadsheet, e-book or other digital media.
If readers become overwhelmed with too much text on a digital page of an e-book, the Reading Focus Cards app directs the eye to what needs to be read WHILE covering as much or as little of the surrounding text as selected by the reader. Nearly an entire digital e-book page can be covered to improve focus on the text line needing attention.
Reading Focus Cards desktop app download links:
Mac version: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/read-and-focus/id920617853?mt=12
Windows XP, 7, 8 & 10 versions: https://gumroad.com/l/ReadingFocusCards
Windows 10 version only: https://www.microsoft.com/store/apps/9WZDNCRDF33D
The Reading Focus Cards desktop app will allow you to:
– Infinitely configure the virtual Reading Focus Card’s features to improve your focus & attention, decoding skills, reading rate, comprehension & retention!
– Easily move the virtual Reading Focus Card over an underlying e-book or other application on the screen with a touch pad, mouse, arrow keys or even with your fingers, where touch technology is applicable.
– With this app’s pop-up Toolbox, independently customize the color, level of transparency, height, width and orientation of both the virtual Reading Window and Reading Card, respectively, to provide more reading comfort to focus and block out distractions, keeping you focused on the text you need to read.
– Adjust the virtual Reading Focus Card to accommodate very large fonts or extensive paragraphs, if you choose!
– Never worry about the virtual Reading Focus Card disappearing from the screen unexpectedly, even when using it with the Kindle app or other underlying programs! It floats on top AND stays on top of your computer screen, so you can scroll through e-book pages as well as read documents without interruption. You decide when to close the application.
Special Note: Currently, mobile devices are unable to successfully support this unique, overlay-type Reading Focus Cards app that stays on top of and moves independently of the underlying media applications.
Now, readers of any age and ability can improve their focus to read e-books as well as other digital media in greater comfort and with much more reading success. It is now possible with the combination of these 2 great apps, the Kindle app for Macs and Windows PC’s AND the Reading Focus Cards desktop app.
Happy Reading—now for everyone!
Sources
By the Numbers: 120+ Amazing Amazon Statistics (2016)
by Craig Smith, of DMR
http://expandedramblings.com/index.php/amazon-statistics/
e-Book Statistics Update
from Writing for Life
http://www.livewritethrive.com/2012/06/18/ebook-statistics-update/
Research-Based Literacy Tool – Helpful App for Struggling Readers
by Jayne Clare, of Teachers With Apps
http://www.teacherswithapps.com/research-based-literacy-tool-evolves-helpful-app-struggling-readers/
Reading Focus Cards Desktop App—Patent 8,360,779 (for Macs & PC’s)
Macs: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/read-and-focus/id920617853?mt=12 OR visit the Mac App Store and search for the Reading Focus Cards.
Windows PC’s: https://gumroad.com/l/ReadingFocusCards OR visit the Microsoft Windows Store and search for the Reading Focus Cards. (No URLs provided for apps in the Windows Store.)
Kindle App for Macs, Windows PC’s & Other Tech Devices
from Amazon.com
https://www.amazon.com/gp/digital/fiona/kcp-landing-page/
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Dickens, Charles. Great Expectations. A Public Domain Book. N.p. N.d. e-Book.
This is the e-book available via Amazon.com used for the screenshots in this article.
https://www.amazon.com/Great-Expectations-Charles-Dickens-ebook/dp/B0776XC2HD/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1517164369&sr=8-4&keywords=FREE+Charles+Dickens+Great+Expectations+e-book
