World Book Day with a difference – reaching children with literacy difficulties

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14 million excited children in the UK and Ireland will be receiving their £1 book vouchers to exchange for one of 8 books courtesy of World Book Day on the 7th March. Top titles include Horrid Henry’s Guide to Perfect Parents by Francesca Simon and Tony Ross, Weird World of Wonders’ Funny Inventions by Tony Robinson and Bittersweet The Chocolate Box Girls by Cathy Cassidy. UNESCO’s World Book Day is now in its 16th year. This year’s World Book Day is a celebration of reading with a difference: it is designed to reach all children including those with reading difficulties such as dyslexia.

According to the Department for Education, 17% of school children have some form of special educational need (SEN) such as dyslexia and may have difficulties with reading or tracking where they are on the page. For the first time, literacy software specialist Texthelp is offering struggling readers a 15% discount off its award winning text-to-speech software, Read&Write GOLD, designed to improve reading and writing and aid comprehension of on-screen text. Claim here (http://www.texthelp.com/UK/Our-products/Readwrite/buyupgrade/) by entering promo code WBDMar13.

The software can be used with books in HTML, PDF, or iPad format or with bookshare e-books from one of the world’s largest online libraries and will support individuals with dyslexia or visual impairments. World Book Day vouchers can also be claimed as a discount for e-books over £2.99 at participating shops, or alternatively books can be scanned and read back by the software.

Mark McCusker, CEO of Texthelp states, “World Book Day provides an excellent opportunity to improve literacy levels in children. With 14 million school children in the UK and Ireland receiving a £1 book token, it will encourage them to read and take enjoyment in reading.”

For information on the Read&Write GOLD reading support software, please contact Texthelp on T: +44 (0)28 9442 8105, E: info@texthelp.com, W: www.texthelp.com/uk

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For further press information please contact George White, Livewire Public Relations, T: 020 8339 7440, E: george.white@livewirepr.com

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About Texthelp Ltd

Texthelp Ltd is the worldwide leader of literacy software solutions provided through three core business divisions: Education, Speech Services and Publishing. Texthelp has been developing assistive technology software for the learning disabled community since 1996. The aim has always been to provide the most comprehensive, cutting-edge technology available to provide inclusive education.

Based in Antrim, N. Ireland and with offices in the US, Texthelp is currently experiencing a period of sustained year on year growth. The company has a reseller network covering over 20 countries. Texthelp is one of only 3 companies to have been in the Deloitte Fast 50 listing for the whole 13 years that it has been running.

About World Book Day

The 16th World Book Day on 7th March 2013 is a celebration of authors, illustrators, books and reading it is designated by UNESCO as a worldwide celebration of books and reading, and marked in over 100 countries all over the world.

The main aim of World Book Day in the UK and Ireland is to encourage children to explore the pleasures of books and reading by providing them with the opportunity to have a book of their own. They will be sending schools (including those nurseries and secondary schools that have registered to participate), packs of Book Tokens and age-ranged World Book Day Resource Packs (Nursery/Pre-School, Primary and Secondary) full of ideas and activities, display material and more information about how to get involved in World Book Day.

About Texthelp Systems Ltd

Texthelp Systems Ltd is the worldwide leader of literacy software solutions provided through three core business divisions: Education, Speech Services and Publishing. Texthelp has been developing assistive technology software for the learning disabled community since 1996. The aim has always been to provide the most comprehensive cutting-edge technology available to provide inclusive education.

Based in Antrim, N. Ireland and with offices in the US, Texthelp is currently experiencing a period of sustained year on year growth.  The company has a reseller network covering over 20 countries.

Texthelp has been a Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Award winning company for eleven years and won numerous product, innovation and marketing awards.

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