"I Can't Write!" YES YOU CAN!!
WRITING CAN BE FUN!!
Who Has This Problem?
Students often dislike writing, even when they have a lot to say, because they struggle with:
The bigger the struggle, the more students dislike writing. When a student spends their energy on the mechanics and process of writing they get frustrated, lose interest and lack motivation.
This is not just a roadblock for special needs students. Many children don't have the writing skills to keep up with their thoughts and vocabulary. Most young children could benefit from this assistive technology as they develop their writing skills.
- word choice
- spelling
- grammar
The bigger the struggle, the more students dislike writing. When a student spends their energy on the mechanics and process of writing they get frustrated, lose interest and lack motivation.
This is not just a roadblock for special needs students. Many children don't have the writing skills to keep up with their thoughts and vocabulary. Most young children could benefit from this assistive technology as they develop their writing skills.
Is There Technology That Can Help?
Today there are many software programs to assist special needs students who struggle with writing. These programs can go a long way towards making all writers less reluctant by allowing the writing to flow easier and the focus to be on the ideas.
Word prediction software:
Windows 8 and Apple products include word completion, which aids in spelling, but are limited and don't have the sophistication to give word choices based on what you have already typed or your topic.
This video explains how word prediction works as well as why it is a valuable tool.
Word prediction software:
- provides spelling suggestions
- suggests possible words based on what you have already typed
- allows you to hear the words that are being suggested
- allows you to choose topics that help the program narrow down word choices
- reads back to you what you have written to help you can make sure what you typed is what you wanted to say
- includes many other assistive technology options such as: text to speech, speech to text,magnifiers, closed caption, on screen keyboards and more.
Windows 8 and Apple products include word completion, which aids in spelling, but are limited and don't have the sophistication to give word choices based on what you have already typed or your topic.
This video explains how word prediction works as well as why it is a valuable tool.
K-12 AT Tools for Writing
Putting This to Use In the Classroom
Any classroom that incorporates writing can help students by having word prediction software available, whether they serve special needs students or not. Students will feel much less intimidated and become much less frustrated if they can focus on what they want to say and get assistance in how they can say it.