Reader Pen: Opening Doors for Individuals with Literacy

The Reader Pen by Scanning Pens has a simple premise. Scan a line of printed text, and it will read the text aloud for you.

to record simple reminders about a reading in .mp3 or .wav format. The audio files are saved in the device so they can be retrieved and listened to any time. Students often use this feature to make notes of their readings and then transcribe the audio file using Dragon NaturallySpeaking on their personal computer. 4. Scanning to File – The device has 8Gb of storage which allows students to scan text to file. This feature enables students to instantly capture and save the text onto the device so they can transfer it to their personal computer (Mac, PC, Linux & Chromebook) in a .txt file. 5. Character Scanning – This feature allows students to scan text directly to the cursor on their computer. As they scan a word or line of text, it will instantly appear on the screen. “I really don’t like when I have to get a Learning Facilitator or someone to read to me. I want to be able to do it on my own. A lot of the time I’ll just say that I don’t need help and can do it by my- self when really, I can’t. That just makes me get frustrated. With my Reader Pen, I can scan whatever it is and read by myself. If I don’t know what a word means, I just look it up by myself. Like, I can actu- ally do my work alone!” ~ M.S. CICE Student As much as the Reader Pen has many positive characteristics, I have become aware through utilization of the device that there are both benefits and drawbacks. BENEFITS: • Empowers students with dyslexia or other literacy difficul- ties • Students are more engaged in their learning as they are no external distractions • Eliminates the need for a human reader or digital copies • Builds comprehension and enriches writing • A professional “tool” as it eliminates the preconceived no- tion that someone who is using their computer or smart phone is not doing anything constructive • Voice recorder allows students to record specific parts of a professor’s lesson or create voice memos of key points which can later be transcribed • Portable device that works anywhere, anytime, in any lighting condition • Scans text in English, French and Spanish • built-in dictionaries allow students to look up any word they do not understand • Customizable for left or right-handed users • Compatible with Mac, PC, Linux & Chromebook devices DRAWBACKS: • Students need to have good dexterity in order to use the device effectively

There are five main features of the device:

1. Text Reading – Using optical character recognition (OCR) technology, the device will read most fonts size 6.5-22 point. As the individual scans a word, paragraph or full pages of text, words will appear on the OLED display. The Reader Pens features high quality naturally speaking En- glish (American, Australian, British, Irish, Scottish or Indi- an accents), Spanish (regular or Latin accents) and French voices. 2. Dictionary – Unsure of a word? The Reader Pen contains high quality electronic dictionaries. Individuals simply capture the word(s) with the device and use the dictio- nary to look up the meaning of that word. The device will remember the words that users have looked up and keep a history available for them to refer to. It comes preload- ed with the Collins English Dictionary or Oxford French & Spanish Dictionaries. 3. Voice memos – The Reader Pen has a built-in microphone

Fernanda Bianconi at the ATIA 2019 Conference in Orlando, FL.

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