Unlocking Potential: Exploring the Benefits of Learning Ally Audiobooks

Introduction

Reading is a foundational skill that drives performance across all academic subjects. However, for students with dyslexia, visual impairments, or other reading disabilities, traditional print can present significant barriers to learning. Learning Ally is a non-profit organization committed to helping these students thrive by providing access to a vast library of human-narrated audiobooks. These audiobooks remove barriers, level the playing field, and unlock the potential of struggling readers, enabling them to access grade-level content with ease.

What is Learning Ally?

Learning Ally is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting students with dyslexia, blindness, visual impairments, and other reading disabilities. Formerly known as Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, Learning Ally transitioned to its current name in 2011. The organization's core mission is to remove barriers to learning by providing access to high-quality audiobooks.

Accessibility and Inclusivity

Learning Ally's online library boasts a wide selection of human-narrated textbooks and literature for readers of all ages. These audiobooks can be downloaded and listened to on most computers, smartphones, and tablets, making them accessible to students in various learning environments. According to Chris Buecksler, Director of Marketing with Learning Ally, providing access to human-read audiobooks can support reading skill development. They allow students to hear explicit sounds of letters and letter patterns that form words. Audiobooks help students engage in text and gain exposure to more words, ultimately improving vocabulary, comprehension and critical thinking skills.

Benefits for Struggling Readers

The Learning Ally Audiobook Solution offers numerous benefits for struggling readers:

Improved Access to Content: Audiobooks enable students to access grade-level materials regardless of their reading abilities.
Enhanced Comprehension: Hearing stories and information read by human narrators increases comprehension. Removing the focus on decoding allows students to retain, remember, and understand the content.
Vocabulary Growth: Exposure to academic vocabulary and the language of books through audiobooks builds background knowledge, an essential component of an evolving student.
Increased Fluency: Hearing real people read builds oral fluency and cuts down reading time.
Boosted Self-Esteem: Access to grade-level materials improves self-esteem and increases participation in class and peer discussions.
Development of Critical Thinking Skills: Audiobooks help students engage in text and gain exposure to more words, ultimately improving vocabulary, comprehension and critical thinking skills.
Improved Working Memory: Empowering students to begin reading with their ears, they start building their working memory.

The Learning Ally Audiobook Solution

The Learning Ally Audiobook Solution is a proven multi-modal reading resource for all instructional settings. It is easy to implement and can be a quick win for improving students' reading and literacy skills.

Read also: Understanding PLCs

Implementation Steps for Schools:

Enroll the School: School districts are required to submit one application for each individual school. Applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Determine Eligibility: The audiobook solution is designed for students with a reading deficit who struggle with decoding, fluency, and/or comprehension.
Create and Update Accounts: Determine the best way to create, update, and log in educators and students to the Audiobook Solution.
Add Books to Bookshelves: Add the books students need to read and allow them to add the books they want to read to their bookshelf. Learning Ally has over 80,000 human-read audiobooks including anchor texts aligned to your curriculum and popular books for independent reading.

Monitoring Progress:

The Learning Ally Audiobook Solution features a reading progress indicator that helps students build strong reading habits as you monitor student reading data. Using the educator portal dashboard, you can easily view students reading, pages and minutes read, books completed and more. This data can be exported and customized for school needs.

Overcoming Reading Challenges

For students who struggle with decoding and the mechanics of reading, focusing on sounding out words can hinder their ability to retain information. Audiobooks eliminate this barrier, allowing students to be immersed in the meaning of text and improving their working memory. As soon as the pressure to read the written word is gone, students are open to learning and happy to find out they can.

Empowering Students

Giving students access to grade-level content and allowing them to work independently gives them the confidence to become successful learners and control their educational outcomes. Students who are given the audiobook advantage as an accommodation also have more continuity of learning in the classroom.

Eligibility and Membership

The Learning Ally Audiobook Solution is reserved for learners who have a demonstrated learning disability, visual impairment, or physical disability that makes it difficult to read traditional print and requires documentation from a qualified professional. An annual membership that provides access to all the services that Learning Ally offers costs $135. However, fee waivers are available for those who qualify.

A Personal Perspective

One parent shared their experience with Learning Ally: "I am grateful to Learning Ally for giving my son access to text that he was unable to read fluently when he was a child. He enjoyed many great books and was able to grow in vocabulary and background knowledge because of the work that Learning Ally does."

Read also: Learning Resources Near You

The Importance of Comprehensive Reading Programs

While resources like Learning Ally are invaluable, they are not intended to replace comprehensive reading instruction. If a child is struggling with reading, it is essential that he receive explicit reading instruction.

Read also: Learning Civil Procedure

tags: #learning #ally #audiobooks #benefits