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inmypjs
10-23-2012, 11:02 PM
I wanted to share this resource that my 2nd grade son has started using. It's called Bookshare (www.bookshare.org), and it's available for free to anyone who has a print or vision related disability. It's also free for schools. My son has dyslexia so he qualifies. You have to send in forms certifying your child is eligible - the neuropsych who did our evaluation signed ours. The same day I faxed our forms in, I received an email confirmation of membership with a password.

We now have access to TONS of free ebooks that can be read on a PC, Ipad or Android device. I downloaded the Bookshare reading app (on Android it's called Go Read). The best part is that the books have a "Read to Me" text to speech feature, so they can all be read out loud while the words are simultaneously highlighted. Really cool! You can change the reading speed, download other voices (the one that comes with it is horrid), change the font size, spacing, etc. My son also has something called Irlen Syndrome, which is a visual/light sensitivity that is helped by using colored overlays when reading. I was able to change the background color of the screen to the same color as his overlay.

They have so many books too. The current NY Times bestsellers are on there, and tonight we found the 39 Clues and Animal Ark series that he loves. I'm super excited! Hoping maybe some others could use this too.