Supporting learners with special educational needs (SEN) often requires personalized and adaptive tools, and AI-based reading technologies are proving to be powerful allies.
From tailored content to innovative engagement strategies, here are five ways AI can make reading more accessible and enjoyable for SEN learners:
1. Creating Age-Appropriate Stories for Lower Reading Levels
One of the biggest challenges for SEN learners with lower reading ages is finding material that is both accessible and engaging. Many learners feel frustrated or embarrassed by stories that seem too babyish for their actual age. AI can solve this problem by generating age-appropriate stories that are simplified in language but sophisticated in themes and content. This ensures learners stay motivated without feeling patronized, helping them to build confidence and improve their skills.
2. Adapting Content to Individual Needs
AI can analyze a learner’s reading patterns and adjust content accordingly. If a learner struggles with specific words or concepts, the system can offer more practice opportunities, provide simplified explanations, or suggest alternative stories with similar vocabulary. Adaptive learning ensures that each SEN learner receives the right level of challenge and support.
3. Speech Recognition and Pronunciation Support
For SEN learners with difficulties in speaking or decoding words, AI can offer real-time speech recognition tools that provide feedback on pronunciation and fluency. This technology allows learners to practice reading aloud in a safe, non-judgmental environment, helping to improve their confidence and oral language skills over time.
4. Providing a Distraction-Free Environment
Many SEN learners struggle with maintaining focus during reading tasks due to sensory or cognitive challenges. AI-based tools can create a distraction-free experience by offering features like:
Adjustable font sizes and colors to improve readability (e.g., for learners with dyslexia).
Background noise filters to enhance audio narration.
Timed reading sessions with breaks to prevent cognitive overload.
AI app aren't all perfect, though, so read on to know what you should look for in AI readiong apps.
What you need to know
AI is opening up new possibilities for supporting SEN learners with reading, offering tools that can adapt to individual needs and promote both skill development and a love of reading.
However, you should assess AI apps carefully. Our reviewers have noticed some issues with some AI reading apps.
1. Wrappers
Some AI apps are little more than a wrapper around ChatGPT or another AI chatbot. They don't add much value to the standard chatbot and, riskier still, they may not have built-in appropriate safeguards to make the underlying AI child-safe.
2. Overpromising
Some AI reading apps create an impression of far more features than they have. Looking at their marketing materials suggests they have custom illustrations on every page while, in reality, they don't.
3. Limited customisation
One way to make AI safe is to limit what users can ask it to do. The downside to this is such apps don't have the promised customisation. If the star of every story is chosen from a drop-down list, personalization will suffer. The best apps keep the full customisation option but include effective safeguards to ensure kids can't ask the app to produce inappropriate content.
We can help you be an effective user and purchaser of AI apps for your kids. Our teacher reviewers assess every app we feature on our marketplace to ensure they are safe, responsible and effective.