Samantha Bachofen Wisconsin

Marion Huber Learning Through Listening Winners

Samantha Bachofen

Eighteen year old Samantha Bachofen attends the University of Wisconsin. She is majoring in industrial design. She struggled with reading and writing from an early age. She said, “I was never able to focus and read well. I could not comprehend a book. I coasted through reading class by picking up what other students were saying about the reading. Since kindergarten, I was pulled out of class to see a reading specialist. No matter how much I studied, I always failed the spelling tests and kids made fun of me. I felt so stupid. It took me twice as long to read than my peers. This pattern went on for years. Then finally in fourth grade I was tested and found out I have a learning disability. In fifth grade I was provided with accommodations to use assistive technology. One of the tools was Learning Ally’s Audiobook Solution. We chose the resource because all the books are narrated by a human. This introduced me to a whole new world. I found the books I needed for school and wanted to read for pleasure, like Harry Potter and the Maze Runner. I was able to power through multiple series of books. I was always reading with my “ears”. My reading fluency was fast. The rate of speed I could listen to was helping me comprehend and absorb a lot of information quickly. I used Learning Ally for my textbooks as well. In high school and college, the volume of textbooks is vast, but I could read them at the same level as my peers. Eventually I surpassed them in my reading level. This lifted me up, not only my grades, but also my confidence and yearning to learn more. I’ve been able to find required books and read a 600 page textbook for English Class. Learning Ally gave me many advantages – being able to quickly read with fluency, being able to comprehend complex information, a joy of reading and of the written word, and a passion for learning. ”