ReaderPen | C-Pen | Reading support | Human reader alternative | Classroom aid

Product Information

Braille alphabet was a popular reading language for near-blind or legally blind readers. However, it has fallen out of favor as technology progressed due to its challenging learning curve and low availability. It may be a surprise that most visually impaired and legally blind people don’t read Braille. One piece of good news came out of the JCQ’s supplementary documentaimed at SENCos and assessors, in which they state:

With our new DocsPlus Universal licencing system, you can ‘mix and match’ licenses across Windows/Mac computers and iPad/Chromebook devices, so your students can use the equipment that has become their standard way of working. What’s more, our updated iPad version of DocsPlus now features the DocReader and Exam Mode for the first time, giving you more choice when deciding your students’ technology provision. Can reliably hold it at an angle (usually 60-90 degrees) while scanning across text for an extended period of time Multi-Language DictionariesNot sure about a word? Then the C-Pen Reader 2™ contains a range of high-quality electronic dictionaries, including:Students with dyslexia frequently have reading difficulties, a slower speed of reading, or find that when focusing upon the process of reading, their comprehension and memory of what they are reading is compromised. This is especially true in high pressure situations such as examinations, or when reading unusual, subject specific technical vocabulary such as textbooks. Essentially, reading pens and other text to speech technologies are based on the idea that one of the main causes of reading disabilities comes from the difficulty in decoding written words, particularly in children with dyslexia. Reading pens have been marketed to parents as a cool bit of assistive technology for dyslexia. Essentially a pen that reads text out loud to you, over the last few years these scanning pens have become fairly popular with parents of students with reading difficulties. About the size of a highlighter, they’re portable, relatively accurate and, to be honest, can be quite handy for both students and adults with dyslexia. This cookie, set by YouTube, registers a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen. Hear the menu talk aloud in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Swedish, Danish, Dutch, Portuguese and Russian

Some learning audiobook tools, such as Learning Ally Audiobooks, benefit dyslexic and visually impaired users. Scanning apps By reading the text out loud, the traditional written presentation of text is combined with hearing it spoken aloud, which reduces the need for a student to decode the words in front of them. In other words, being able to listen to text while they read it can help students with their reading. Our supportive word processor DocsPlus is a great option for students who require additional access arrangements in exams. Not only can DocsPlus save schools time and money that would otherwise be spent on human scribes and readers, it also enables students to participate in exams more independently. Price is always an important factor, after all there’s no point in considering any technology if it doesn’t fit your budget.A video demonstrating the C-Pens in action can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXVk0bG1i1c Notable reading pens on the market include the C-Pen Reader Pen, C-Pen Exam Reader, OrCam, and the Wizcom ReadingPen. Scan printed text in British English, American English, Australian English, Indian English, French, Canadian French, German, Italian, Spanish, Latin American Spanish, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Dutch, Flemish Dutch, Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Mandarin, Cantonese Can reliably place the pen on the little space before a word begins and then scan a text from side to side without jittering too much

The major downside to all that is that you’re tethered to some kind of device (even if it’s just your phone) and the apps developed by the companies can sometimes be hit or miss when it comes to ease of use. You can also find lots of really useful information in this short video hosted by Gemma, ‘ Using DocsPlus in exams’, in which she explores DocsPlus’ exam-friendly features and answers some common questions about access arrangements.

After reviewing a number of pen options, we found some pros and cons common to most reading pens that you should keep in mind before buying. Pros Text-to-Speech devices do seem to have a positive effect with dyslexia and reading difficulties People, particularly children and young adults, can have difficult emotions associated with reading difficulties and dyslexia. It’s not at all uncommon for students to be embarrassed or feel that people are judging them for their disability. That these pens tend to look like highlighters and can have headphone attachments means that if your child is sensitive about their reading difficulties, particularly in public, they can use these devices without drawing too much attention to themselves. A reading pen for dyslexia is a device that can read text aloud to help people with dyslexia improve their reading comprehension and fluency. They can also be practical for other people who need assistive technology. Is a reading pen assistive technology? Additionally, audiobooks and podcasts are popular alternatives to reading for individuals with visual impairments and blindness. These resources provide access to a wide range of literature, including textbooks, novels, and non-fiction books. Text to speech tools The benefits of using a reading pen include increased reading speed and fluency, improved comprehension, and greater independence in reading.