April+5+Article

The article that I read is called "Inexpensive Assistive Technology for Struggling Readers." This articles explains in depth why AT is useful for students who are not reading proficiently at their grade level and how it motivates them to become a better reader. In the article, they say that 30% of elementary and middle school children do not read at a level high enough to be successful in the classroom. They explain that even though assistive technology is useful with children that have various disabilities, they are also useful for students who just struggle with reading. Studies have found positive outcomes for students who use AT in the classroom. It helps increases student engagement, and improve attitude and comprehension. There are some barriers with the technology that need to be worked through. Some of these include: improper training and support, negative staff attitudes, insufficient funding, and difficulties maintaining and using the equipment within time constraints. All of the research articles for AT mention the barrier of funding. They also mention many free or inexpensive tools for students who struggle with reading. Some of these include: speech synthesizers, text to speech, web to speech readers, and electronic and talking books. The basic idea of this article is that AT can help students who are struggling aquire the content knowledge and information that is often only available through written material or on the internet. Cost, availability, and awareness are all factors that have limited the use of Assistive Technology everywhere.

Reisberg, Leon. "Inexpensive Assistive Technology for Struggling Readers." //Http://itschools.org//. Web. 10 Apr. 2012. .