Welcome to Learning Ally’s blog. You've come to the right place if you are an innovative teacher who wants to transform more struggling readers into grade-level achievers.
May 6, 2019 by Jenny Falke
The count-down to summer has already started! You have so many projects to wrap up, but don't stress about your school's Learning Ally subscription this summer. Use these seven tips to end the year right.
Don't update students or assign books for the 19-20 school year just yet! On August 1, 2019, Learning Ally systems, including the educator portal, will reset and your students will need to be updated AFTER that date. Here's a look at what to expect after the reset on August 1.
After the reset, students reading data such as pages read and days read will reset in the educator portal. Make sure you have the data insights you need by exporting the data before August 1.
Go ahead and archive students you know won't use Learning Ally during summer or next school year. If you have students pending certification and will not qualify, archive those students. Master Admins and Administrators also have the ability to delete archived students.
If it's time for your school to renew your Learning Ally subscription, speak with your account manager today to confirm your students will have access all summer long! (You would have received an email notification if it's time.)
Tell other teachers and add them to Learning Ally. It costs nothing to add more educators as Learning Ally users and more educators means more success for your students. You may also have a few educators you need to deactivate if they've left your school.
Sign up your students for Summer Reading Together, and share about our social challenge. You can help students get the most out of summer reading using our simple lesson plan, plus more downloads like our parent letter and printable tracking calendar.
Hand out our fun summer reading list, which includes books from the Collaborative Summer Library Program's space exploration theme. You can also ensure any required summer reading books are assigned and on student bookshelves.
Share these tips with fellow educators to be sure your school starts the year off right with Learning Ally next year.
Last but not least, don’t forget to go ahead and register for Learning Ally’s Spotlight on Dyslexia Virtual Conference featuring Dr. Maryanne Wolf.
Learning Ally is a cost-effective solution to help your students who read below grade level boost their vocabulary, comprehension and test scores. Our extensive library of human-read audiobooks includes core content, is easy to set up, and fits into your existing curriculum. Learn how you can transform the lives of your struggling readers.
Sign up for a demo, call 800-221-1098, or email programs@LearningAlly.org.
Categories: Education & Teaching, Educators, Learning Ally “How-To Use”, Teacher Best Practices
April 25, 2019 by Valerie Chernek
For Immediate Release:
Princeton, NJ, April 25, 2019 - Learning Ally, a leading education solutions organization, today announced that its reading app has been selected as a 2019 EdTech "Cool Tool" Awards finalist in the category of special needs/assistive technology solution.
The Learning Ally reading app gives students with dyslexia and other learning differences anywhere/anytime/any device access to an extensive library of human-read audiobooks, including age-appropriate fiction, literature and textbooks. It is currently used by more than 375,000 students nationwide.
Available to students in grades 3-12 in schools that use Learning Ally, this versatile app promotes independent reading inside and outside of the classroom and enables students to manage all aspects of their reading experience in one place. Student-centric features include notetaking, a built-in dictionary, sharing and customization.
Terrie Noland, VP of Educator Initiatives at Learning Ally, said, “For students with reading deficits it is critical to have an integrated learning experience rather than dealing with different apps and support tools to complete assignments. Our reading app does this effectively. This recognition reinforces our commitment to doing everything we can to level the playing field for more struggling learners.”
For nearly a decade, the EdTech Awards have been celebrating individuals, organizations and solutions that are transforming today’s educational landscape. Andrew Friedman, President and CEO of Learning Ally, was named a 2018 EdTech Leadership Award finalist for global leadership.
About Learning Ally
Learning Ally is a leading education solutions organization committed to transforming the lives of struggling learners. The Learning Ally Audiobook Solution is a proven reading accommodation comprised of human-read audiobooks, student-centric features and a suite of teacher resources. Used in more than 17,000 schools nationwide, this solution helps students with reading deficits become engaged learners and reach their academic potential.
Explore the Learning Ally Audiobook Solution
Schedule a demo to see how Learning Ally delivers an immediate impact for your struggling readers and how the reading data dashboard works. For more information about a school subscription, call 800-221-1098 or email programs@LearningAlly.org.
Categories: Assistive Technology, Curriculum & Access, Education & Teaching, Funding & Awards, In the news, Learning Disabilities, Student Centric Learning, The Digital Age
April 23, 2019 by Valerie Chernek
April 23, 2019 - Princeton, NJ– Learning Ally, with edWeb.net, will host the 4th virtual conference Spotlight on Dyslexia on Friday, June 7, 2019 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm ET. Designed for teachers, administrators, and parents, Spotlight on Dyslexia brings 16 world-class experts in the fields of dyslexia, assistive technology and neuroscience to share new research, strategies and insights for identifying and supporting students with dyslexia.
“There is a national conversation taking place in our schools, our homes and our nation about the increasing number of students who are struggling to read,” said Terrie Noland, VP of Educator Initiatives at Learning Ally. “This event offers tremendous expertise and learning engagement for anyone who works with or has a child with dyslexia or other reading struggles.”
Dr. Maryanne Wolf, a noted expert in the field of education and cognitive neuroscience will keynote, Lessons from the Reading Brain for Dyslexia, Early Diagnosis and Intervention. Her presentation will bring new insights to the prediction, early diagnosis, and targeted intervention of children with dyslexia.
Attendees will have opportunities to directly interact and engage with the presenters, as well as other parents and educators as they discuss important professional learning topics. Educators can earn up to 16 CE Certifications from edWeb.net.
The Spotlight on Dyslexia Virtual Conference is $99. Content will be available on-demand through September 30, 2019. Register now.
Learning Ally is a leading education solutions organization committed to transforming the lives of struggling learners. The Learning Ally Audiobook Solution is a proven reading accommodation comprised of human-read audiobooks, student-centric features and a suite of teacher resources. Used in more than 17,000 schools, this solution successfully helps students with reading deficits become engaged learners and reach their academic potential.
About Dr. Maryanne Wolf
Dr. Wolf is currently working with members of the Dyslexia Center in the UCSF School of Medicine and the faculty at Chapman University on issues related to dyslexia. She completed her doctorate at Harvard University in the Department of Human Development and Psychology in the Graduate School of Education, where she began her work in cognitive neuroscience and psycholinguistics on the reading brain, language, and dyslexia. She is a frequent presenter and the author of more than 160 scientific articles. Dr. Wolf also designed the RAVE-O reading intervention for children with dyslexia and co-authored the RAN/RAS naming speed tests, a major predictor of dyslexia across all languages.
For more information about a school subscription, call 800-221-1098 or email programs@LearningAlly.org.
Categories: Assistive Technology, dyslexia, Education & Teaching, In the news
April 17, 2019 by Valerie Chernek
By Tammy McEntire, Dyslexia Coordinator, Westside Consolidated Schools, Jonesboro, Arkansas
In my 29 years of teaching, I have worked as a first grade teacher, a fourth grade teacher, a reading recovery teacher and, most recently, a certified dyslexia therapist.
During that time, I have seen many students become angry with themselves, their teachers and the world, because they struggle to read. More than ten million students nationwide struggle with reading, and only a small percentage of them get the support they need.
Struggling Readers Struggle with their Feelings
Struggling readers with learning differences experience feelings of shame, embarrassment, confusion, irritability, frustration and self-doubt. You name the negative emotion, and I’ll tell you a story about a child or teen who experienced it and suffered social and emotional consequences as a result.
When I taught fourth grade, children were reduced to tears when they couldn’t grasp simple words in their favorite books. Middle-schoolers cringed at the sight of a book and felt ashamed when asked to read aloud. High-schoolers tried to hide their inability to stay on task.
Motivating and Engaging Your Students
Getting and keeping students engaged and helping them make an emotional connection with the material they’re reading are critical for struggling readers. I’ve found that Learning Ally is a great way to motivate students to read.
This proven reading accommodation is specifically designed for struggling readers, especially those with dyslexia and other learning differences. It gives students access to a huge library of human-read audiobooks, including popular titles, literature and textbooks. It’s easy-to-use, and it has a bunch of student- and teacher-friendly features.
A Great Way to Promote Reading
One activity that gets my students really charged up is Learning Ally’s Great Reading Games. This seven-week national reading event is exactly what struggling students need to jumpstart their enthusiasm and passion for reading. It’s enough time to really generate some positive momentum, and students love the challenge of competing for individual and school prizes and recognition.
I want to challenge my fellow teachers to look for new and better ways to get all their students reading. Consider reading tools like the Learning Ally Audiobook Solution. Try motivational contests and events like the Great Reading Games. Find other ways to make reading inspiring, rewarding and fun. Trust me, there’s nothing quite like seeing the excitement on your students’ faces when they realize what they’re capable of doing.
Not only have more of my students improved their ability to read accurately and fluently through Learning Ally, they have developed more confidence. This year, our middle school came in ninth place in the nation in the Great Reading Games for the second year, and our high school came in fourth. I couldn’t be prouder.
Improving Access for All
In Arkansas, our statewide mandate is to provide students who demonstrate characteristics of reading deficits with interventions that support their learning needs. Our school staff is constantly trying to improve our school performance.To accomplish this, students receive reading instruction and practice via Accelerated Reader throughout the school year, and their progress is closely monitored and assessed by Star Reading standards-based assessments.
We rely on the Learning Ally Audiobook Solution to provide access for students who require a reading accommodation. Without Learning Ally’s digital library, many students would not be able to keep up with assignments, maintain grade-level status or read independently at home.
When We Know Better, We Can Do Better
Our middle school received the "Outstanding Educational Performance - Best Growth Scores ELA 2017-2018" in the state according to state mandates. Our third- and fourth- graders performed 12% higher in a single academic year. We attribute this success to great teachers and administrators and the right resources to support all learners.
I especially want to acknowledge the amazing work that our teachers in special education are doing to embrace audiobooks. They know that a reading accommodation is a vital resource for a student who clearly cannot keep academic pace with their peers. They know the importance of adding a reading accommodation and access to accessible education materials into students’ IEPs or 504 plans to ensure they have the necessary tools to achieve.
When we as educators clearly understand that students who struggle to read process information differently, we can implement the right tools and resources to make a difference. Learning Ally is one organization that supports our school’s goals, as well as my efforts to instill a passion for reading in students of all ages.
Categories: Assistive Technology, dyslexia, Education & Teaching, Learning Disabilities, Student Centric Learning, The Digital Age
April 11, 2019 by Valerie Chernek
By Ed Bray, National Director, Government Relations & State Initiatives for Learning Ally
In state capitals across the United States, governors are proposing, and legislature are reviewing and revising, the spending plans that will determine what will, and will not, be in the new fiscal year education budget.
Competing priorities clash in the hearing rooms and hallways of state houses and town halls. This is the time when every advocate of students who struggle to learn and to read effectively -- a parent, a teacher, an administrator -- are busy raising awareness, raising support, and raising a ruckus if necessary to make sure all students can read well and have access to critical education materials. During this tumultuous season, it is vital that elected leaders and state budget planners who will make important choices on behalf of students who struggle to learn and to read effectively hear our voices.
Crucial decisions such as whether, and how much, state funding support will be available is at a crossroads to provide accessible audiobooks programs, such as Learning Ally’s Audiobook Solution. Most states have not made this a priority, instead relegating this to local education agencies, school districts, regional co-ops, or special education agencies. Yes, a handful of leading districts have made this a priority, and their students are benefiting, but there is still a large unmet need for support, and we are asking you to advocate for more funds to support and expand access to Learning Ally in U.S. schools.
Four States, Four Stories
Florida
Florida has made access to accessible educational materials (AEM), such as human-read audiobooks, a priority. The state funds a significant program that reaches tens of thousands of students across the state from the Florida Keys to the Panhandle. This program has seen remarkable growth since the department reassessed the requirements for students to be eligible, coming into closer alignment with the standards used across the U.S.
Florida students have benefited from this expansion, but the rapid growth is straining our organization’s ability to sustain the program. To continue to support the large set of enrolled schools and the teachers who report overwhelmingly positive results on students’ performance and achievement, we are asking the state legislature to provide sustainability funding for students today who struggle to read now and in the future.
Illinois
The Illinois State Board of Education has repeatedly recognized the value of Learning Ally’s program funded through its “Blind / Dyslexic Person Reading Program.” This year the Board recommended funding to grow the program to support 825 schools. We are asking the Illinois Legislature to agree to this recommendation and fully fund the program for the 2019-2020 school year. Our request will mean that Illinois schools that have asked for this program and are currently on our waiting list can gain the access they need. With your support, thousands more students who struggle today will have the tools to succeed in the coming school semester.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts went from one of the more successful programs to one that stalled because of the 2007-2009 recession. The state’s budget was hit hard and the program received dramatic cuts from which it has not recovered.
Today Massachusetts supports 2,660 individual seat accounts for students to access Learning Ally. In a state with more than 41,000 students served in special education for print disabilities and an estimated 150,000 more who struggle to read, this is barely a drop in the bucket. We are asking the Massachusetts Legislature to restore the funds to serve 400 schools.This will open up the opportunity to provide equitable access to thousands of students across the Commonwealth by dramatically increasing the reach of the program.
New Jersey
New Jersey had been a steady supporter of students who struggle with reading. The state is an innovator recognizing a multi-faceted approach that supports needy schools, assists schools in starting the program, and encourages local districts to value, integrate, and support an audiobook solution as an ongoing district program to meet the needs of the broadest set of schools.
As the home of the Decoding Dyslexia movement, New Jersey is among the first states to adopt education reforms designed to increase teacher preparedness and accurately identify struggling students early in their education. Despite this impressive record, the funding for AEM has been reduced. This has driven us to engage education leaders across the state to not only restore the lost funding, but recommit the state to its record of expanding funding support.
A Call to Action – Let Your Voices Be Heard
While the specific details of each state’s program and predicament vary, there is one thing every supporter of students who struggle to read can do – talk to your state representatives. Write (e-mail or snail-mail), call, or even schedule a meeting with a local state representative and senator.
State legislators want to know what their constituents care about and now is the time to let your voices be heard for students who struggle to read. This is a valid concern that can open dialogue between you and your representatives.
Every state has a simple way for you to find out who your legislators are by your home address. Use these easy, free tools to find office phone numbers and e-mails and send along your thoughts in support of students who struggle to read and to specifically request funding for Learning Ally’s Audiobook Solution.
One of the truest statements about being an advocate, attributed to Margaret Mead, is: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”
Tens of thousands of students who struggle to read depend on your support. These students need as many thoughtful and committed supporters, like you, to take action. Raise your voices now and call on your state legislatures and governors to provide the funds that will transform the lives of struggling readers to successful and confident learners and achievers.
Learning Ally is a leading education solutions organization committed to transforming the lives of struggling learners. The Learning Ally Audiobook Solution is a proven reading accommodation used in more than 17,000 schools nationwide to help students with reading deficits reach their academic potential.
Contact Ed Bray by email: ebray(at)learningally.org
Categories: Assistive Technology, dyslexia, Education & Teaching, Funding & Awards, The Digital Age