The following are helpful resources related to AIM(Accessible Instructional Materials):
- Texas Education Code, §31.028: Special Instructional Materials
Texas Education Code, §31.028, governs the ordering and distribution of special instructional materials.
- Accommodations, Policies, Procedures, Resources, Training & Presentations related to Students with Disabilities taking STAAR, STAAR-A, STAAR L, STAAR Alternate 2, and TELPAS
This link provides information related to accommodation resources for students with disabilities taking the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) and Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) statewide assessments.
Digital Books
Digital books websites can be useful. Individuals with dyslexia are eligible to obtain digital books, including digital textbooks. In some cases, a verification of disability is required. The following websites provide information about access to free digital books:
- Bookshare
Bookshare is an accessible online library which has approximately 310,000 titles available to individuals with print disabilities. Through an award from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), Bookshare offers free memberships to U.S. schools and qualifying U.S. students.
- Learning Ally
Learning Ally has 80,000 + digitally recorded textbooks and literature titles available to individuals with print disabilities. The materials can be delivered through internet downloads and accessed using various mainstream and assistive technology devices. Through a contract with the Texas Education Agency, Learning Ally offers free memberships to Texas K-12 public and charter schools with qualifying students.
- American Printing House for the Blind, Louis Database
The Louis Database contains information on approximately 407,055 titles in accessible formats, including braille, large print, sound recording, and electronic files.
- Accessible Books for Texas
Accessible Books for Texas is a Benetech project funded by the Texas Education Agency that provides on-the-ground training and support to Texas public K-12 educators, parents, and students on AIM.
- National Center on Accessible Instructional Materials
This site serves as a resource to state and district-level educators, parents, publishers, conversion houses, accessible media producers, and others interested in learning more about AIM and the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS).
Text-to-Speech (TTS)
Text-to-Speech (TTS) software provides students access to print by reading the contents on the screen aloud. The following websites may be beneficial for students with dyslexia:
Definitely continue to do web searches (Google) the latest technology.
It is quite likely the above software/apps may be obsolete "tomorrow."
Speech-to-Text (STT)
Speech-to-Text (STT) software translates spoken words into text. The following websites may be beneficial for students with dyslexia:
With ever updating software, I often complete a web search for the newest software and apps. This link https://www.capterra.com/speech-recognition-software/ provided me new information.
Concept Mapping
Concept Mapping can assist students in organizing and synthesizing information to make the broader connections necessary for reading comprehension and writing assistance that result in improved performance in content-area instruction. The following is a list of examples of free or low cost software:
- Bubbl.us - This is an online brainstorming website that exports images, such as mind maps.
- Gliffy - This is an online diagramming software tool with flowcharts, floor plans, Venn diagrams and more.
- Inspiration - This visual thinking software is suitable for grades 4 to adult. The software is designed to help students develop and gather ideas, organize thoughts, analyze and interpret information, clarify understanding, and communicate ideas clearly.
- Kidspiration - This visual thinking software is suitable for grades 1-3. Students combine pictures, text, numbers, and spoken words to develop vocabulary, word recognition, reading comprehension, writing, and critical thinking skills.
- Lucid Chart - This is a website that allows students to create collaborative flow charts and organizational charts.
- Mindmeister - This is a website – also available as an app – for collaborative concept mapping.
- Mindomo - This site allows students to create mind maps for a long-term project. Maps can be exported to Microsoft Word and Excel.
- MyStudyBar - This software comes with a literacy toolbar that includes mind mapping, screen masking, word prediction, talking dictionary, and text-to-speech to help students convey their thoughts in writing.
- Quicklyst - This website provides an organizational process for taking notes in an outline format.
- Slatebox - This website provides mind-mapping collaborative slates.
- Time Line Maker - This website allows for the development of time lines with a choice of templates.
- VocabularySpellingCity - This site is meant to improve a child’s spelling and vocabulary skills.
- Webspiration - This website is suitable for grades 5-12. Students will use visual frameworks to aid in writing skills.
Vocabulary
Vocabulary can be explored by using websites. For students with dyslexia, slower or difficult reading leads to reduced vocabulary knowledge. The following tools can be explored to support students in accessing difficult vocabulary:
- Lexipedia - This is an online visual semantic network supporting six different languages.
- MathWords - This is an online interactive math dictionary.
- Visual Thesaurus - This online dictionary analyzes and generates a list of useful vocabulary words from any text.
- Visuwords - This online graphic dictionary allows students to create a graphic organizer for individual words.
- VocabAhead - This website provides a visual dictionary using short vocabulary videos for SAT/ACT test preparation.
- WordSmyth - This website provides a traditional look and feel to an online dictionary.
Web 2.0 Tools
Web 2.0 Tools have made the Internet a participatory, interactive place where readers create, collaborate, and share information, bringing new and powerful opportunities to the classroom. Students can interface via text-to-speech (TTS) and screen reader (SR) by accessing a variety of resources. The following are tools that can be used by all students; they are especially helpful for increasing content knowledge through collaboration.
- Blogs are a personal journal published on the World Wide Web consisting of entries, known as "posts," typically displayed in reverse chronological order so the most recent post appears first. Blogs are usually the work of a single individual (occasionally of a small group) and often are themed on a single subject. The following is a list of examples:
- Multimedia Tools include a combination of text, audio, still images, animation, video, and/or interactive content forms. Teachers and students can access such tools for educational and recreational purposes. The following is a list of examples:
- Glogster - This is an interactive multimedia poster tool.
- Prezi - With this tool, the user can create an interactive presentation that serves as an alternative to PowerPoint.
- Voicethread - This tool allows the user to create an interactive, multimedia slide show.
- Project Share is an online environment of educational resources that incorporates the use of today’s digital tools. Available for public school teachers and students, Project Share offers an opportunity to move beyond the walls of the traditional and expand the learning environment through multiple avenues, including online courses, wikis, digital portfolios, and more.
- Wikis offer users the ability to add, modify, or delete content via a web browser using a simplified markup language or a rich-text editor. Most Wikis are created collaboratively. They serve many different purposes, including knowledge management, collaborative learning, and content attainment. The following is a list of examples:
- Word Processing using Google Drive, formerly known as Google Docs, is a free, web-based office suite and data storage service offered by Google. It allows users to create and edit documents online while collaborating in real time with other users.
Technology Available for Mobile Devices
The following is not an exhaustive list nor is it a recommendation of any specific product. It is intended to provide examples of instructional resources.
The price, capacity, and flexibility of handheld devices make them attractive complements to laptop and desktop computing for students with dyslexia. In addition, tablets and other touch devices make text more accessible. The following apps are a sampling of what is available for free or at a low cost; however, students must have access to a mobile device in order to use them:
Organizational Apps
Search the web (using Google) with voice, access Google account.
Keep up with homework, chores, and other tasks. Setup includes adding rewards and points.
Reading Apps
This app allows for the download of your favorite titles in the same layout, fonts, and full-color images found in the print version.
This app is not a game. It is not programmed with an auto correct feature nor is it created to take the place of the teacher. Skills and concepts must be guided by the teacher.
This app offers free children’s books with read along support.
This app provides a list of the most common words used for teaching reading, writing, and spelling.
Download and read Kindle books.
This app allows students to take a picture of the text to be read and the application will read aloud.
This app allows for the creation of custom audio books.
Create a story with drawings, photos, and text entered through typing and voice recording.
This is an interactive app teaching the most common word roots in the English language.
This app allows students complete control over how text is translated to speech.
Access Wikipedia using a non-cluttered screen and have access to an online dictionary for any word in the article. Search Wikipedia using word prediction.
Teaching Apps
This interactive app provides students with practice to hear the sounds of letters as well as build words.
This interactive app provides students the opportunity to practice spelling words with consonant blends.
This interactive app provides students with the opportunity to practice spelling words with two or more syllables.
This interactive app provides students with the opportunity to practice spelling words with the silent final "e."
This app teaches young students early phonics.
This app promotes experimentation and the development of logical reasoning.
This app allows students to practice cursive writing after receiving explicit instruction.
This app allows students to watch short clips or full episodes.
This site offers students the option to choose and learn a foreign language in a game format.
This interactive app provides students with spelling practice while working on listening skills and building their vocabulary.
This is an interactive app that allows students to hear words, letters, and phonics sounds while matching to letters. This app also teaches upper and lower case letters.
This app provides a fun and highly interactive way to help students learn to recognize letters and their phonic sounds.
Trace the formation of letters and numbers.
This site offers a variety of games to teach vocabulary, grammar, concepts, and more.
This app allows the student to type math problems rather than write them.
This interactive app explores the periodic table and play games while learning about the elements.
This interactive game is for the secondary student learning about the elements and the periodic table.
This app is designed to improve spelling and reading skills beyond memorizing a word list for a weekly spelling test.
This interactive app provides students with practice to build strong phonic skills.
This app allows students to view rotating selections of full episodes with quizzes.
This interactive app allows the student to get a closer look at elephants, whales, rhinos and other fascinating species.
Writing Apps
Dictate using the built-in microphone.
Search the web with voice recognition capabilities.
Create mind maps (also called concept maps) and share on the web.
This app allows students to take notes during class while recording their lecture.
Additional Sources for Educational Apps
The following website provide collections of apps that may be helpful to individuals with dyslexia, parents of students with dyslexia, and education professionals.
Dyslexia Help Success Starts Here: http://dyslexiahelp.umich.edu/tools/apps