7 great apps to help dyslexic learners

Having dyslexia can make learning more challenging. But there are a range of great online resources you can use to make spending time in the classroom or doing homework a little easier.

As well as making reading, writing and spelling a little easier, these digital tools will boost your confidence and self-esteem in class.

Here are 7 awesome apps you can use if you’re dyslexic.

1. WhisperSync

Reading can be really tiring if you struggle with dyslexia. So this neat app allows readers to swap between reading and listening to a book. So when you need a break from reading text, you can listen to your fave book in audio form.

2. OCR Instantly

This clever app means you can use your phone as a portable scanner. If you’re struggling with a bit of text in a classroom handout or textbook, you can take a photo. The app will then transform the photo of text into text that can be read aloud.

3. Popplet Lite

Sometimes when you’re dyslexic it can be hard to organise your ideas for an essay, revision or if you have to give a presentation. Try Popplet Lite. This is a free app that helps you build mind maps so you can capture and organise your thoughts. It helps you see the bigger picture, in a visual way.

4. ClaroSpeak

If you’ve written an essay and you want to check everything’s up to scratch, check out ClaroSpeak. This is an app that will highlight words in different colours and fonts, then ready them back to you. It also has a word prediction tool to help you out with the writing.

5. Pocket

Researching information for class can be tricky. There’s lots of different places to find info, from Twitter and email, to newspaper and magazine websites. See if you like Pocket. It’s an app that saves info directly from your browser or other apps, so you can find it all in one place. It’s particularly useful if you have dyslexia because it has a text-to-speech feature that lets you hear the articles read aloud. You can also highlight important parts.

6. Dyslexia Quest

This app is more like a game – you follow a ‘yeti master’ up a mountain to play a series of games. These help to test and build your memory skills. Created by the Bristol Dyslexia Centre, the game assesses your visual and auditory memory, processing skills and sequencing skills. There are versions for 11-16 years and 17 and over.

7. ModMath

This handy app allows you to type out math exercises and problems instead of writing them out by hand, which can be a challenge if you have dyslexia. The app has features including virtual graph paper and a calculator.