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The Struggle is Real: Transforming Struggling Readers Into Happier, More Confident Students

Categories: Education & Teaching, General, In the news, Reading Strategies for K-12

At a private school in Greenville, South Carolina, imagine having 157 students who feel the struggle of their reading deficit, every-single-day. Not only do they struggle with reading, but they face the reality that the public school setting did not work for them. As a result, there are 157 students who face the inevitable drop in confidence after leaving their classmates who could learn, “the normal way”. At Camperdown Academy, the need for specialized educational services for students with dyslexia is greater than what they can serve, harkening further to the increasing need for some sort of intervention across schools in Greenville in order to level the playing field in equitable access.

Meet Leslie Davis, a reading tutor at Camperdown, and true fan of the Learning Ally Audiobook Solution. Davis's daughter struggled with reading and used Learning Ally's audiobooks throughout high school and even in college. "Learning Ally became an invaluable tool for my daughter, and I knew it would help others as well," she said.

Davis used Learning Ally with her reading intervention class on an individualized basis for each student. The human-read audiobooks gave students access to grade-level content. More importantly, it "gave her struggling readers access to what their friends were reading." For many of these students, the missed opportunity to enjoy good stories and share those experiences with their friends made them feel defeated.

"Learning Ally gave students an opportunity to those who wouldn't read on their own." But Learning Ally changed this entirely as Davis also had students participate in the program's reading contests which empowered them to become independent readers and keep up with their peers.

Student Spotlight: Seth, like most of his classmates at Camperdown Academy, struggled with reading, and also had no motivation to try. With the integration of Learning Ally into his tutoring sessions with Davis, he was so motivated he participated in the reading contests and consumed far more books than he had before. As a result, Davis said, “it transformed him into a happier, more confident student.”

Learning Ally gives students “equitable access to be like their peers, so they do not have a sense of being all alone”. That is why Davis expressed that the parents of these students choose to continue their subscription beyond the school walls--because they see the academic and social-emotional impact that Learning Ally has on reading development. Furthermore, it is the confidence students gain when using Learning Ally, their ability to now enjoy the same positive experience as their peers, but also perform at an improved capacity in reading that allows them to reach their literacy potential.


Support Your Students with Reading Deficits with the Learning Ally Audiobook Solution

The Learning Ally Audiobook Solution is a multi-sensory reading accommodation that levels the playing field for students who struggle to read due to a reading deficit, providing them the opportunity achieve in school and in life. Gaining access to the books they want to read—and the books they need to read—in an easy-to-absorb format can be a game changer. Sign up for a demo or get more information today to experience the satisfaction of seeing students who have never before experienced reading success blossom, with improved grades, higher test scores and increased confidence and self-esteem.


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