How the iPad can help learning disabled students
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May 12, 2011 By: Guest Blogger
May
12
Written by:
5/12/2011 11:40 AM
by Guest Blogger Vicki Windman
Students with learning disabilities may have problems with reading, math, reasoning and recall. But given the appropriate tools, learning disabled students too can achieve academic success.The iPad has numerous apps to help learning disabled students
compensate for their particular disability.
Dyscalculia Apps, for students who struggle
with math concepts:
Telling
Time goes one step beyond Jungle Time.
It has three levels allowing students to advance their skills. It compares the analog clock to the digital
clock.
Coin Math begins
with identification of coins, counting coins, making change, and shopping. Allows
users to advance levels.
Multiplication is a visual app that uses skip counting and is particularly good for those students
who have difficulty with memorizing facts.
Dyslexia and other reading
disability Apps:
Reading Machine helps students pronounce words they can not
read. It has two keyboards - a color-coded alphabetical and a qwerty for older
students.
American
Wordspeller is a phonetic dictionary. A student can type a word and the dictionary
will figure out the word: foto-
photo. Turn on the Voice Accessibility and
it reads the word aloud.
Reading
for Details Level-based reading comprehension exercises. Users determine how many questions
to answer.
Memory Apps
Noteshelf
Some students prefer writing over typing to help them remember. Inserting a
picture adds emphasis for visual learners.
Popplet, a new favorite, is a mindmapping app
that allows users to record thoughts, explore ideas and collaborate with
peers.
Vicki Windman is a special education teacher at Clarkstown High School South. She has used and reviewed the above apps extensively in her classroom.