Software Recommendations

Assistive Technology for School Age Students

Software suggestions to assist with creating your own books or increasing literacy skills. Please note that this is a very small sampling of software programs.

The programs listed below are freeware or available at no cost

Scan and Read ( Macintosh Only) Scan 'n Read: Use this program to create your own accessible books with text, graphics and sounds. Students use a switch or Intellikeys to turn pages and have text read to them. This is a great program by Charles Silverman of Accessible Dreams. ScanRead1.06.sea.hqx (Macintosh,1042k)
KidBook - Kidbook is a multimedia publishing system which enables almost anyone- teachers, parents, specialists and other support personnel- to create electronic talking books. KidBook supplements the written word with flexible, educationally sound supports including moving highlighting and spoken voice. Because it uses a "page" structure and allows easy import of graphics, KidBook is the perfect program for younger students. Hearing and seeing words together is an excellent scaffold for all kids who are learning to read and is particularly effective for students who have learning disabilities, attention problems and for whom English is a second language. Further, KidBook provides single-switch scanning support for students with mobility challenges and offers large text settings for those with visual impairments. KidBook is by Charles Silverman of Accessible Dreams. Formerly sold as Ultimate KidBook (for $300!) This application can be downloaded from http://www.switchintime.com

The following is a list of software programs that uses art and drawing to help with the writing process

KidsWorks Deluxe (MAC/Windows) by the Davidison Company www.davd.com. Allows children to create stories and drawings, printable books and story characters will read you text.

Storybook Weaver (MAC/Windows)Allows children to create stories and drawings, printable books and story characters will read you text.
Kid Pix - (MAC/Windows) Broderbound Software is more of a drawing program, but it allows for more animation and limited text.

The following are programs that use rebus or pictures to help the students read and write.

Pix Writer and Picture It (MAC/Windows) by the Slater Corporation home.earthlink.net/~jimslater. These use a rebus or picture forms of writing to assist students with reading and writing tasks.
Pix Writer allows children to write stories using picture icons.
Writing with Symbols by Mayer Johnson

The following are auditory word processors or programs that speak what is written into them by the student.

Write:OutLoud by Don Johnston Company www.donjohnston.com
Intellitalk I and Intellitalk II by Intellitools www.intellitools.com

The following are software titles that are story or content orientated for a variety of ages.

Start to Finish Reading Series for older students, this series is high interest and low vocabulary. A series of books available in many titles such as Red Badge of Courage, Black Beauty, and many other. This series comes with a CD for the computer, a soft cover book, and an audio cassette of the book.by the Don Johnston Company www.donjohnston.com
On a Green Bus, A Day at Play for younger children wanting to learning story completion and making predictions by the Don Johnston Company www.donjohnston.com
Out and About for younger children wanting to learning story completion and making predictions from Don Johnston Company www.donjohnston.com
Living Books by Broderbund www.broderbund.com. Livingbooks are are stories that allow for interaction and come in many different age and ability levels.

The following are software titles that are designed to assist with teaching the reading process either from a whole language standpoint or a phonics base.

Reading Blaster (MAC/ Windows) by Knowledge Adventure are available in different age groups and are activity based software.Students build vocabulary skills using parts of speech and spelling games.
Jump Start Series by Knowledge Adventure. This is a series available in a variety of age groups.
Let’s Go Read Island Adventure I and II by Edmark www.edmark.com These software program require the use of a microphone and allow the user to hear sounds they produce.

The following are software titles that are designed to assist with construction of your own books.

PowerPoint by Microsoft is a program used most often in the business world for creating presentations. A users can create slides with words, pictures, sounds and some animation.
BoardMaker by Mayer Johnston is a program that allows the user to search for pictures by labels and construct communication boards with or without word labels.