Start Your Engines!

Little Sky Writers is an excellent writing technology for use with early learners.  This interactive app is available for the low price of $1.99 in the App Store for Apple devices.  Using this app children learn to write their letters by navigating a plane of their choice through a series of letter-shaped flight plans.  Students who use this app will learn to form their letters correctly every time while gaining hands on writing experience.  This app is great for Kindergarten readiness preparation as well as a writing supplementation.

With three levels of experience, children can gradually work their way to mastery.  Once they have completed all the levels they receive a certificate.  In addition to learning how to properly form letters, there command tower "Roger" also teaches the sound of each letter and provides some examples of words that begin with the letter.  

  

In my own classroom I purchased a few stylus pens (similar to these:http://www.dano2.com/pages/appcrayon) for the students to use while interacting with Little Sky Writers so that they also gained practice holding a pencil and working on maturing pincer grips.

Learn to Read with Starfall!

Starfall.com is a free service available on the internet that can be used as a teaching supplement to help children learn to read through phonics.  Starfall's use of phonemic awareness and systematic approach to phonics suites early learners, Special Education, and English Language Learners.   Starfall's reading program is great for young children.  The website is extremely kid-friendly, as it is easy to navigate and its colorful, interactive design proves to be fun and engaging for students.  The use of praise and positive reward helps motivate learners and builds their self-confidence as they learn to read.  The website is also full of teacher companion tools for educators to use in addition to the website.  Starfall's first level of the systematic approach, "ABCs", is also available as an app for Android and Apple tablets and phones for $2.99.  In my own experiences, my students love to play with this app.  They have a great deal of fun hearing, seeing, and interacting with the letters and their sounds.

Welcome to My Blog!  

Here you will find some information on assistive technology, more specifically reading and writing technologies.  I will highlight some programs and apps that teachers can use with students in order to enhance their learning in the areas of reading and writing.  Hope you find this information helpful!