ReaderPen | C-Pen | Reading support | Human reader alternative | Classroom aid

Product Information

Scanning pens can translate or define words featured in their built-in dictionaries. They can pronounce scanned writing out loud. In addition, the devices can digitize documents or take notes from printed media. In some cases, they can improve the accessibility of users with reading disabilities by helping them decode and process the information on examination forms. Do digital pens work for photocopying? The IRISPen loses points for difficulty installing but seems to be a great buy once you get the hang of it. It is compatible with Microsoft® Windows® 8, 7, Vista®, XP or 2000 (so, not for Mac users). It’s slightly more expensive than the other pen scanners on this list, but not by much. A keyboard with Braille keys instead of the standard QWERTY keys can be used, although some users may prefer to continue using a standard keyboard. A Braille display can be linked to a computer to enable a user to read by touch what is on the screen. There are several benefits to using a reading pen, especially for those with dyslexia or other impairments.

Connect Pen – The Connect Pen is one of the best pen scanners for users who want extra speed. It boasts a scanning speed of around 12 centimeters per second. Essentially, reading pens and other text to speech technologies are based on the idea that one of the main causes of reading disabilities comes from the difficulty in decoding written words, particularly in children with dyslexia. All of these products do better with a steady hand, a flat surface and lots of practice, but even the least perfect of them can be a huge advantage when trying to disseminate information, learn a new dialect, or simply to aid in filling the gaps where learning disabilities or literacy difficulties have challenged us. Recap Simply tun the pen on and slowly, smoothly and steadily run it across a line or paragraph of text. You can set it to read the text out loud to you so you can understand what is written without actually having to read it yourself. This ‘translation’ from written to spoken English can help people with reading difficulties understand texts and facilitate their learning. Final Thoughts Some digital pens or reading pens can work as photocopiers, but they’re sub-optimal gadgets for this task.Portable video magnifiers are larger than handheld magnifiers but are still transportable. The screen and camera may be combined or as separate units connected by a cable. Personally, I think the best thing about the C-Pen reader is that it helps people with dyslexia overcome a barrier that has disadvantaged them their whole lives. You’ll also notice that they are prompt to respond to questions or review comments online, which I respect. It shows they care and are a customer-facing company. So I wanted to give them a shout-out for their customer service. What I didn’t like… If you move the pen too fast or too slow, it seems to falter. There’s a slow, steady and smooth pace to the scan that you really need to get right to get the best accuracy.

If you don’t want to use text to speech pens, here are other assistive technology tools that you might prefer: Text to speech apps FAST SPEAK OPTION Expanded Features of the C-Pen Reader 2: Multiple AccentsUse the C-Pen Reader 2™ to read printed text aloud for you. It features high quality naturally speaking English, American, Australian, British, Irish, Scottish and Indian accents, as well as Spanish (regular or Latin accents) and French voices. Scanning pens or reading pens are gadgets with tiny sensors that can scan physical text and upload it to almost any device. No bigger than markers or highlighters, scanning pens offer assistive technology for people with reading or writing difficulties. It sounds like I’m complaining here – so I’ll qualify: it reads the text just fine. It’s understandable, and I actually quite like listening to the slow steady voice rather than reading. It seems to be less cognitively draining for me. Don’t expect to use the pen on handwritten text. In fact, don’t expect it to work on fancy printed text or even cursive printed text. It’ll work fine for simple text (like the text you’re reading now) and common fonts like Arial, Tahoma and Calibri.What’s more, it captures words and locates them for you, giving you instant results. It also remembers the words you have looked up and keeps the history available for you. This scanning pen supports English, French, and Spanish. It also has built-in dictionaries that help improve reading comprehension and literacy. It will read words aloud and function without extra apps and devices. Additionally, its many pronunciations and accents are among the most popular features. Unfortunately, it’s not the most accessible gadget when it comes to cost. The Scanmarker Air Pen Scanner As a reading tool, we have found it to be a significant improvement from previous models of pen reader in its ease of use and functionality.” Andrea, Head of Learning Support, London School, UK These may be helpful if you have low vision. Some models have keypad buttons with varying shapes to facilitate identification by touch and some have large LCD displays. These features are available on corded, cordless and mobile telephones. We know that assistive technology can help students, but is a reading pen for dyslexia the right choice for you?

In some areas of the country a prescription scheme for equipment is in operation. There is a 'national catalogue' of equipment that may be provided by prescription, although local areas can choose which of these items they will include in their schemes. This is part of the Department of Health’s Transforming Community Equipment Services (TCES) programme. There is a small range of sensory communication equipment on the national catalogue that can be provided via prescriptions. Using a reading pen is simple. All you need to do is drag the reading pen along a line of text at a slow pace, just like you would with a regular highlighter. The scanner pen will read aloud the text you scanned. Software is required to convert text to Braille before it is printed/embossed (known as Braille translation software). The pen is surprisingly quiet when it reads out loud. If you’re getting this pen for someone who’s hard of hearing, think twice. These clever devices copy text, for example from a book or newspaper, and transfer them to your computer or device.Become a fluent and independent reader and improve literacy with the help of ReaderPen. What is ReaderPen? People, particularly children and young adults, can have difficult emotions associated with reading difficulties and dyslexia. It’s not at all uncommon for students to be embarrassed or feel that people are judging them for their disability. That these pens tend to look like highlighters and can have headphone attachments means that if your child is sensitive about their reading difficulties, particularly in public, they can use these devices without drawing too much attention to themselves.

Pen scanners are particularly useful for students, language learners, or people who are visually impaired. First-time users will find that it’s easy to use. A perfect tool for young children and adults, you’ll be able to change the narrator’s voice to one that’s most comfortable for you. Speechify can get your child more interested in reading. A fun feature is the ability to change the narration to that of a celebrity, which can further enhance the experience.The Ectacto C-Pen does not have a battery, so it must be connected to your computer via USB for operation. It’s also pretty affordable, scans text accurately and has both left-to-right and right-to-left capabilities. The voice isn’t perfect, as I outline below. It sounds a little like Stephen Hawking. But for my college students, that wasn’t a concern for them at all. The iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows-compatible Scanmarker Air Pen Scanner is a reputable device. It’s easy to use, has Bluetooth and OCR technologies, and has a scanning speed of 600 centimeters per minute. It works on font sizes between 6 and 24 point and performs admirably as an assistive device. You can use Speechify as a mobile app. It’s available on iPhones, iPads, and Android devices. You can also use it as a Chrome extension.