C-Pen Reader 3 is a state-of-the-art reading pen created by the assistive technology specialists at C-Pen. They’ve been designing award-winning text-to-speech tools for over three decades, including the OG reading pen, and these tools are used worldwide by millions of learners to unlock a more equitable learning future. 

Reader 3 is a new model of reading pen that combines C-Pen’s super-simple, intuitive design with a whole new set of tools to support the next generation of reading needs. It’s not just up for the challenge, it’s designed for a reading rescue: every function packed onto this little pen has been tried and tested by education experts, and approved for its efficacy in supporting struggling readers. 

Here’s how the right reading pen can kickstart a reading revolution  

It’s not rocket science that when learners can’t understand the words in a textbook, on a worksheet, or in an assigned reading, then it becomes increasingly difficult to learn. Engagement takes a hit, too – who can sit there, faced with information that just doesn’t go in, and keep their mind on the task at hand? 

The situation is a dire one, but it’s more than familiar to the millions of students in the US who have a learning difference like dyslexia or have come to learn in English from another language background. The order of the day is a tech intervention to support their literacy skills – but when those interventions are too complex, awkward or even just drain their bandwidth, students don’t respond.  

But C-Pen Reader 3 is a reading pen that’s been designed by the experts to unlock access to reading in a very real way. There’s no complex set-up procedure, and users can navigate it via a sleek touchscreen menu, making it simpler and more intuitive than a smartphone – and once it’s out of the box, it’s as simple as moving the pen across the page and listening to the words through their headphones via lightning-fast text-to-speech feedback.  

When we keep it simple, learners respond to interventions and build them into their everyday learning regimen, building their skills for the future. That’s what makes C-Pen Reader 3 so special: it’s genuinely as simple as scan, listen, understand.  

So what can a reading pen like C-Pen Reader 3 do for you? 

As easy to use as it is, Reader 3 is more than a text-to-speech device. It’s also packed with a whole suite of reading and learning support tools to aid students in vocabulary acquisition, skill growth, and boosting their retention and confidence.  

Here’s what’s under the hood…  

➡️ Lightning-fast text-to-speech functionality 

…But you already knew that one. Learners who use text-to-speech whilst reading score higher marks on average than those who read silently without the assistance of text-to-speech. 

➡️ Word practice mode  

Reader 3 helps students improve their literacy and language skills with word exercises, spelling assistance, pronunciation practice, and more! It’s all on the pen, in a handy color touchscreen interface, meaning that they can practice in a gamified way… without increasing their screen time. 

➡️ Reading confidence, on demand  

Watch their reading confidence soar as they develop the belief that they can tackle texts independently with the support of Reader 3’s clear, customizable feedback. And reclaim your bandwidth too – when students feel able to self-support more often, you have more bandwidth available to dedicate to whole-class activities. 

➡️ Define what they scan 

Being able to read a word is one thing… but what about understanding what it means, and knowing how to use it? Reader 3 makes understanding every word on the page as simple as the press of a button with built-in dictionary definitions. 

➡️ Save what they scan  

Students can also save the text they’ve scanned to C-Pen Reader 3’s internal memory, and access it easily from either the pen itself or a linked computer or tablet, making creating word revision lists and keeping track of progress easier than ever. More of a talking kind of person? That’s fine – Reader 3 also allows students to record clear voice notes at the press of a button.

A reading pen that helps them stay connected to their work and the world 

The future’s digital and global – so their literacy and language support needs to be, too.  

When connected online, C-Pen Reader 3 opens a whole new world of reading possibilities. With translation in 40+ languages available at the press of a button, it’s easier than ever to access texts in other languages regardless of reading differences like dyslexia. Students can also navigate language barriers that might compromise their understanding, even if they’re still developing their confidence in reading and speaking English.  

And they can even translate direct from speech, too! 

It’s all about having the flexibility to make learning happen, whatever the situation, and whatever their needs. As we move into a new era of reading needs after the pandemic, solutions have to be as adaptive and resilient as they are, and Reader 3 was built with this in mind. 

Just connect Reader 3 your school’s Wi-Fi to get started, and students can use their reading pen to unlock all kinds of texts, translate and define, and move seamlessly between languages as they hone and develop their skills. It’s as simple as – we’ve said that bit already.  

How to connect C-Pen Reader 3 to your school’s Wi-Fi  

To connect, simply navigate (or if you’re using the reading pen for the first time, using our handy Setup Wizard) to Settings and then choose Wi-Fi from the scrollable menu. Once you’ve done that, simply scroll down to your preferred Wi-Fi network, and connect for a seamless language experience that puts control back in your students’ hands.  

Language barriers don’t feel so insurmountable when students know they can get support right when they need it, that adapts to their needs and preferences, and is delivered in a way that doesn’t make them feel overly visible to their classmates.  

Why Reader 3 uses a 2.4GHz frequency instead of 5GHz frequency 

C-Pen Reader 3 is a reading pen designed to amplify learning everywhere. It’s built specifically to connect to 2.4GHz networks (using WPA2-Personal authentication), so it can bring reading support to each and every learner who needs it.  

2.4GHz as a frequency has a wider range than the 5GHz band, so it ensures that your devices work perfectly wherever students are on the school site, and however far away they are from a router. Nobody left without support, and no learner left behind… even if they’re in the Geography block. 

...But our school only uses a 5GHz frequency! 

Don’t panic. We promise we’re not about to get overly technical here – so you can put down the school copy of Wireless Networks for Dummies and get back to your coffee.  

It’s very rare that your school’s wireless router setup won’t be 2.4GHz-enabled. But in some cases, your network admin or the company that set up your IT systems may have decided to deactivate the 2.4GHz band and run on higher frequencies like 5GHz. The good news is that it usually only takes a simple conversation with these good folks to fix the issue – because most routers are equipped with dual-band functionality. So rather than a case of swapping your whole system over, you can just choose to have the 2.4GHz network enabled as well as the 5GHz.  

You can often set separate Service Set Identifiers (SSIDs) for each band too, allowing users to identify each network and choose which of them they want to connect to on their devices.  

What if we really can’t run a 2.4GHz frequency in my school? 

In our experience, it would be incredibly rare for your network admin not to be able to set up a 2.4GHz frequency in your school – but it has happened once or twice, when operating in non-standard Wi-Fi systems or your setting has complex connectivity needs.  

Again, don’t panic!  

C-Pen Reader 3’s functionality won’t be impacted at all by a lack of Wi-Fi connection unless you’re looking to use the pen to work in different languages. And because they know that language-learning is important whatever kind of frequency your school is working in, C-Pen have even packed 5 of the most common languages used in US schools onto the pen itself, meaning that you can scan to translate in English, French, Spanish, German and Italian without connecting online.  

And that’s not all. Although C-Pen Reader 3 is designed for WPA2-Personal authentication and it’s not designed for use with a Captive Portal, if your IT department are able to set up and use one for your school, it may be possible to connect to a 5GHz frequency by whitelisting Reader 3’s MAC address in the router. This will need to be handled by your network admin or whoever set up your school’s IT system, but again, it’s a quick and easy fix that will enable your students to use Reader 3 connected online wherever they are on your school campus.  

You can find Reader 3’s MAC address can be found by navigating to Settingson the reading pen and then navigating down to the System Information option.   

And if you’re looking for more information on how to get the most from your reading pen… 

We get it – in the age of information overload, when the stakes are high, sometimes you just want to talk to a human being right away. Reading futures aren’t something that you can trust to time, or gamble on when budgets are at stake. 

That’s why our team of reading pen experts is on hand five days a week, every week in term time, ready to help you decide which reading pen is right for your setting! 

Call us on: +1 727 316 8101

Email: usinfo@scanningpens.com