Learning Ally is an audiobook service intended for students with learning disabilities. Here are some handy alternatives you might want to check out.

The 4 best alternatives to Learning Ally

Learning Ally is a helpful audiobook tool for struggling readers and students with learning disabilities like dyslexia. As an assistive technology, it’s become a part of many education programs, with middle and high schools using the app as a learning tool. For all its undoubted qualities, Learning Ally isn’t the only app of its kind on the market. There are always alternatives for students with different requirements. Let’s take a look at four of the best alternatives to Learning Ally. But first, we’ll look at what Learning Ally does and what makes it such a popular solution.

Understanding learning disabilities and their impact on education

Understanding learning disabilities is crucial when considering their impact on education. These neurological disorders, including dyslexia, ADHD, and autism spectrum disorder, affect the brain's ability to process information. There are various types of learning disabilities, each impacting students differently. Dyslexia hinders a child's reading and comprehension, ADHD affects attention and organization, and autism can impact social interaction and sensory processing. Students with these disabilities face academic challenges, often feeling frustrated and anxious. Despite misconceptions, these disabilities don't indicate a lack of intelligence. Many such students are highly intelligent but require additional support and accommodations. Tailored educational support can empower students with learning disabilities to achieve academic success. Numerous tools cater to their specific needs, offering the vital assistance they require. One such tool is Learning Ally, which supports students, especially those with dyslexia. The platform offers a vast library of audiobooks and learning resources in standard print, ensuring accessible content for students with reading deficits. By leveling the educational playing field, Learning Ally provides equal educational opportunities for all students.

What is Learning Ally?

If you’re looking for the best alternatives to Learning Ally, understanding the most significant advantages of the app is essential. Learning Ally functions as an audiobook depository. The app houses tens of thousands of human-read audiobooks intended for use by struggling learners, students with visual impairments and physical disabilities, and dyslexic readers. Learning Ally can be of great use for special education and may help students overcome the challenges that make traditional books a non-viable solution. For instance, those with a print disability don’t have to worry about catching up with their peers. Since decoding written language is the most common problem, the Learning Ally audiobook solution seems ideal. There’s no reading involved—only listening. Students who can gain access to Learning Ally include:

• Students on 504 and IEP plans
• MTSS and RTI students
• Students with additional needs for accommodation and support

Some Learning Ally audio recordings come with a special VoiceText function which allows users to listen to the audio material while following the text. If you want to learn more about the app, you’ll find plenty of information at learningally.org. In summary, Learning Ally offers a comprehensive solution for students with learning disabilities, including dyslexic students. By providing access to a vast library of audiobooks and digital texts, as well as a suite of tools to support essential skills, Learning Ally can help students with learning disabilities achieve academic success and reach their full potential. Whether they are in fourth grade or in middle school, students can benefit from Learning Ally's high-quality resources and personalized support. To learn more about Learning Ally and its membership options, visit www.learningally.org and empower students with learning disabilities to thrive in their educational journey.

Key features of Learning Ally

Learning Ally is a resource-rich platform tailored for students with learning disabilities. It boasts an extensive library of over 80,000 audiobooks in both print and human voice formats, covering a range of subjects suitable for middle school and beyond. The platform's accessibility ensures students, including those with dyslexia, can easily access materials on various devices like computers, iPads, and Chrome devices. Interactive features such as bookmarking and note-taking enhance active engagement with the content. The program's design, including human-narrated audiobooks and adjustable playback speeds, aids in improving comprehension and retention for those struggling with traditional reading. To access these resources and personalized tools, students can obtain a Learning Ally membership, ensuring targeted support tailored to their needs.

The benefits of Learning Ally for students with learning disabilities

So, what are the benefits of Learning Ally for students with learning disabilities? There are many, including:

Improved reading comprehension and retention

Learning Ally's audiobooks can help students with reading deficits improve their reading comprehension and retention. By listening to audiobooks, students can enhance their understanding of texts and materials, ensuring they can keep pace with their peers.

Increased confidence and independence

Learning Ally's tailored support and accessible resources can help students with learning disabilities become more confident and independent learners. By overcoming the challenges presented by their learning disabilities, they can develop vital skills, such as self-advocacy and problem-solving.

Enhanced classroom participation and engagement

Learning Ally's platform encourages students to participate more actively in their classroom experience. By having access to texts and materials in a way that suits their learning style, students with learning disabilities can engage more effectively with their peers and contribute more effectively to classroom discussions and activities.

Personalized learning experience

Learning Ally provides students with a personalized learning experience. Through its extensive library, bookmarking features, note-taking capabilities, and tailored tools, students can access texts and materials that are best suited to their individual styles, ensuring they get the most out of their educational experience.

The top Learning Ally alternatives

Since the crux of Learning Ally revolves around audiobooks, you may view any audiobook service that offers educational material as an alternative to the app. The following are some of the best apps focused on audiobooks and learning assistance.

Bookshare

Bookshare is a similar service to Learning Ally. The app is designed to provide access to numerous audiobooks and is intended for people with learning disabilities. The app boasts the most extensive library of audiobooks for learners, with a catalog that includes everything from schoolbooks to literary works. The main difference between Learning Ally and Bookshare is that while the former uses human-read material, the latter uses text to speech technology. Bookshare is available on Android, iOS, and all major computer operating systems. Bookshare is free for U.S. students with a certification proving their learning disability. Note that international students will need to pay a fee to use the app.

AudiobooksNow

With AudiobooksNow, students can access thousands of titles from different genres. While AudiobooksNow isn’t a dedicated educational service, it still houses plenty of audiobooks that make it a worthwhile resource. The audiobooks on this app are read by professionals, much like the selection you’d find on other audiobook vendors like Audible. AudiobooksNow functions on the club principle, with club members being eligible for significant discounts. However, the service doesn’t offer special deals for students with learning disabilities.

LibriVox

Much like AudiobooksNow, LibriVox is also an audiobook depository. It’s not intended for a particular purpose, and the service is mainly aimed at general audiences. Still, LibriVox has some advantages over similar apps. The most prominent advantage is that the app is entirely free to use, as the audiobooks housed on the site are public domain. Even better, the only people who recorded the material were volunteers, which takes away the otherwise high costs of voice acting. However, these advantages may turn into disadvantages due to the free nature of the app. The reading quality might not always be up to the highest standards, and many modern titles won’t be available from the app’s library.

Speechify Audiobooks

The best alternative to Learning Ally is Speechify Audiobooks. This audiobook provider offers thousands of licensed audibooks in a wide range of genres. What makes it the best alternative to Learning Ally is its affordability and large audiobook library. For less than the cost of Audible, Speechify Audiobook subscribers can enjoy and unlimited number of high-quality audiobooks every month. This makes books more accessible to both children and adults with reading disabilities.

Speechify Audiobooks: The best alternative to Learning Ally

If you don’t have the proper eligibility to sign up for Learning Ally or you simply want an additional or different audiobook service, we recommend Speechify Audiobooks. High school students in particular will love the huge selection of teen and young adult audiobooks, but they can also benefit from academic genres like history, biographies, and politics and social sciences. What’s more, Speechify Audiobooks is something anyone can enjoy, regardless of your reading ability. Check out Speechify Audiobooks today and get your first audiobook for free.

FAQ

Is Learning Ally good?

Learning Ally is among the most popular apps for people with learning deficits. This tool represents a quality solution that teachers and learners trust. Of course, that doesn’t mean there are no viable alternatives to Learning Ally.

Is the Learning Ally app free?

While Learning Ally is a non-profit organization, the app doesn’t come for free. In fact, the price for the annual plan is $135, charged monthly.

Can you download books from Learning Ally?

Once you become a member and open an account with Learning Ally, you’ll be able to download audiobooks or read them online. Not all books from the app are downloadable, but those that are will be marked clearly.

What is it like to use Learning Ally?

Using Learning Ally is easy as the app is designed to be accessible to all students and schools that need it. According to many reviews, the user experience is seamless and may lead to significant improvements in the student’s academic performance.