By Ruth Ziolkowski
We often hear these questions from educators:
Are textbooks really going digital?
Will we ever get textbooks in electronic format?
Is it realistic to envision that our special needs students will have access to the general curriculum?
Could IDEA laws really change this "access issue" frustration? Yes, we believe they can!
Change is Happening
Change is happening and our education world is finally going digital. Historically, getting accessible materials has been an afterthought when purchasing curriculum, materials and textbooks—turning access-to-print into a labor-intensive endeavor for teachers. Students who require textbooks in Braille or digital format to learn effectively face a six-month delay in receiving access to materials to keep up with school work!
For years, concerned educators have tried to break down the barriers to accessing the curriculum, with little success. As they watch their students struggle to keep up while falling further behind, it is difficult for them to imagine that the system will ever improve.
Leading the Charge—Systematic Leadership is Crucial!
We can expect to see a major shift in terms of accessibility of materials for our students. Between major legislation changes and the efforts of OSEP, the Office of Special Education’s grants of $32 million dollars to Bookshare.org, we will see progress in this cycle and efforts around the country to create accessible versions of print education materials. Now is the time to celebrate and thank these leaders!
In an interview, Jim Fruchterman, CEO of Bookshare.org stated, "We are expecting our collection to grow from about 34,000 books today (August 2008), to adding at least another 100,000 books over the next five years." His goal is to focus on getting more core instructional materials. Jim and leaders at OSEP are thinking more systematically about the changes we need in schools to create a quality learning experience for students with disabilities.
Jim Fruchterman, Bookshare.Org And Don Johnston Partnership
Not only were accessible materials addressed in the Bookshare.org $32 million dollar grant, but also assistive technologies, (text readers) were included. Bookshare.org chose our text reader, Read:OutLoud as the assistive technology tool that could do the job of helping students gain access to digital materials and have reading comprehension supports as part of the process.
We are pleased that Jim Fruchterman understood that the needs of students with visual impairments are different from the needs of students who read below grade level and that our Read:OutLoud text reader could do the job of supporting students with good reading comprehension strategies.
Assistive Technology Benefits Text Readers with Reading Comprehension Support
Many students struggle with decoding and cannot fluently read text, which in turn negatively impacts reading comprehension. Couple this with the fact that textbooks are loaded with new vocabulary words, often too difficult to decode and are typically written above grade level, and these students are bound to experience reading difficulties. Read:OutLoud provides a fundamental solution to this problem.
Text readers have long been recognized as a core assistive technology tool for students who struggle to read and learn. Text readers are often used as an accommodation for state assessments. The benefits of this technology have become increasingly compelling. Some supportive research includes:
Elkind and Elkind (2002) - "Some slow readers saw improvements in the number of pages read by factors of 2 or 3. More than 93% of the students with learning disabilities reported that reading was easier, less stressful, and less tiring. The average duration of sustained reading reported by students with attention disorders increased about 60%, from 30-40 minutes to 50-60."
Chall and Conrad (1991) -"A study of 18 elementary science & social studies textbooks revealed: 1 of 18 were at grade-level readability - most were 2 to 3 grades above grade-level."
Effective Reading Comprehension Strategies
It is critical that struggling readers acquire the skills and strategies they need to independently use comprehension strategies to comprehend text.
Looking beyond helping students who struggle with decoding and fluency, the Reading Next report published in 2004 by the Carnegie Foundation states that reading comprehension is actually a greater problem in adolescent literacy. "Why do readers struggle? The problem is not illiteracy, but comprehension. The bulk of older struggling readers and writers can read, but cannot understand what they read."
For struggling learners to improve their reading comprehension, explicit instruction in reading and effective use of reading comprehension strategies has to occur. Read:OutLoud, available from Don Johnston, was built to guide students through and beyond the acquisition and application of effective reading comprehension skills, strategies and habits. It uses the standard study tools of highlighters and note-taking and puts them into a context where students’ notes and thoughts are displayed simultaneously, illustrating that reading comprehension is an ongoing process.
Get Ready for the Digital Revolution!
Read:OutLoud addresses the needs of your struggling readers from decoding to comprehension. Teachers, Parents, AT specialists and Special Education Directors are signing up to be notified when the Read:OutLoud Bookshare.org Edition ships this fall. Don’t miss this important announcement. It will change the digital future for your students. Now is the time to provide this technology support for your students!
Customer Resources:
If you own Read:OutLoud or SOLO, get started using these reading comprehension strategies: KWL, KWRL, DRTA, SQ3R, SQP2RS, and CRISS.
Visit our Download section and see the growing number of reading comprehension strategies ready for you!
Look for template descriptions that indicate an assignment has been designed for use with Read:OutLoud.
Elkind, K., & Elkind, J. (2007) Text-to-Speech Software for Reading. Perspectives on Language and Literacy. The International Dyslexia Association, Summer 2007, 11-16
Ruth Ziolkowski is a Keller MBA graduate, former occupational therapist and the ATIA representative of the NIMAS Development Committee from 2005-2007. Ruth is well known in the field of special education and speaks across the country to inform educators and publishers about NIMAS and its future impact for educators, students and print publishers. She is also the President of Don Johnston Incorporated.
We can expect to see a major shift in terms of accessibility of materials for our students. Between major legislation changes and the efforts of OSEP, the Office of Special Education’s 
Not only were accessible materials addressed in the Bookshare.org $32 million dollar grant, but also assistive technologies, (text readers) were included. Bookshare.org chose our text reader, 