SOFTWARE AND TECHNOLOGICAL EQUIPMENT

• • • Spell-checkers - A 4th grade student of mine is dyslexic and struggles very much with spelling. He has the most wonderful ideas for stories, but when it comes time to put those ideas on paper, it looks atrocious. He spells everything phonetically, and at times he doesn’t even do that.

We do a lot of proof-reading when he writes, and he knows that they are wrong, he just doesn’t have a clue of what he needs to do to change it.

I decided that I would try using a spell-checker with him to see if anything improved. His mother was very apprehensive at first, and did not want him relying on a device to help him with his disability. She felt that he needed to learn how to spell on his own, and that by using a spell-checker it was not going to remedy that problem.

I assured her that it was just an experiment and that I wanted to see if it helped him with recognition of what he might need to change.

During the next tutoring session, I started to use the spell-checker with him, and the results were amazing. I had him write down three dictated sentences, and then circle the words that he felt were not spelled correctly.

He was able to circle every word that was wrong, and with the use of the spell checker, he was able to recognize the correct spelling of each word, and do all the self-correcting on his own.

He is now using his spell-checker at school during his writing lessons, and his teacher is very happy with the results. His mother is also pleased that we have found something that he can use, and has realized that some children with disabilities need to have ways that will help them to learn easier, and that it doesn’t mean “failure”. (Nanci Ross, Utah, USA) Franklin Spell checkers

• • •  Calculators - Louise has been struggling with math facts for many years. She never did master them back in the 4th grade, and hated when her class would play speed games with multiplication facts. She would always profess that she needed to go to the bathroom or find some way to get out of playing the game. She also shied away from any type of board game where you had to go up individually and do problems. These experiences were so overwhelming for her, that she hated school, especially math.

During the 6th grade Louise had an experience that changed her outlook on herself and on math in general. During that year the teacher had the class do timing tests once a week with their multiplication facts. As they mastered one fact, they would go on to the next, until they mastered them all in 5 minutes or less. Louise just could not get past her 4’s and the rest of the class was almost completed with all of them and on to division facts. This was done every Wednesday, and Louise would always decide she had a stomach ache that day, and refuse to go to school. It was so humiliating to her, and the class would ridicule her all the time.

Her mother sensed that something needed to be done, so she confronted the teacher and told her that they needed to have some other approach to helping Louise memorize her facts. The teacher didn’t realize that she felt this way, and decided that some kind of intervention needed to happen. After doing some testing on Louise, the school learned that Louise was dyslexic, and that numbers on a page were just a mess. With the help of a resource classroom, and I as her tutor, Louise has made amazing strides in her math facts.

We started to use a calculator to check her math, and this has been a big boost to her self-esteem. She is able to do the problems she has, check them for accuracy, and then realize that if she made a mistake she can go back and see where it happened. Louise has learned that the calculator is a help to her, not a crutch, and she knows that it is there when she needs that extra little boost. She no longer has the anxieties the she once had about math, and the use of the calculator has been the key. (Nanci Ross, Utah, USA)

• • • Dragon Naturally Speaking - program which turns your speech into writing on the screen! Highly recommended for dyslexic teenagers and students: 'An invaluable program, which I use every day. The more time you spend at the 'training stage' - reading chapters of a book out loud - the better it works. Also, let it take a look at your 'My Documents' folder, so that it can learn the kind of expressions you use a lot. You are offered the option to do this during the training stage.' (John Bradford) USA |UK

• Clicker 5 - Clicker Writer is Clicker's talking word processor. You can type into it just like any word processor. When you complete a sentence, the sentence is spoken using one of the clear voices included. If you like, you can have each word spoken as it is entered, or even each letter.
>>> "With Clicker 4 the computer is set to read automatically as soon as a period/full stop is used. This has been great in reinforcing the use of capital letters and full stops. My son is able to check his work as he goes and edits immediately instead of waiting until the end when he has forgotten what he has written. He prefers the voice in this program as the other was more or less on one tone. He is more able to independently find correct spellings and he is able to listen to each word then select the one he needs. This is helping him to work with greater independence and is building his confidence to try and complete a task." (S. B-W, Somerset, UK)

• • • Kurzweil 3000 The Kurzeil 3000 is the greatest tool to benefit the dyslexic student. My high school students can bring in a library book or an article, etc. and scan the material one class period and listen/follow along the next period. The students can use bookmarks and change the voice and speed that it reads to their individual tastes. The Kurzweil also comes with a CD with numerous works available to be read without scanning. With the CD you just find the author and click; locate the story you need and click; and start listening. The classroom teachers are really great about sending the reading assignments to me a few days ahead of time so I can have them scanned and ready to read. This helps the students because they stay on schedule. Sometimes students come in after and before school to scan articles so they will be able to keep pace with other students. Therefore extended time isn’t necessary. The bottom line is that it is a wonderful tool that gives the students a sense of independence. (Lisa Landers, Texas)

• WordQ - suggests words for you to use and provides spoken feedback to help you find mistakes. Users of all ages who have problems writing and editing, particularly those with learning disabilities, can benefit from using WordQ. It features a carefully thought-out design with only essential functions that have demonstrated benefits to help students write. Word prediction and speech feedback are important functions that bolster students' strengths to assist writing.
WordQ benefits a wide range of users; it helps develop confidence, improves productivity, increases self-esteem and fosters a spirit of inclusion – some of our users say that it has changed their lives! The main advantage of WordQ over other products is that it is extremely clean, simple and easy-to-use. Teachers in special education will appreciate its simplicity.

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• • • Co:Writer - adds word prediction to any word processing or e-mail program. Co:Writer provides the explicit vocabulary, spelling, composition and revision supports that build skill and considerately scaffold a broad population of struggling writers. FlexSpell, equipped with thousands of phonetic spelling patterns, accommodates students who spell words like they sound. Hundreds of Topic Dictionaries are included so students can participate in writing across the curriculum — in every genre.
USA | UK

• • • Read & Write Gold (highly recommended by John Bradford - an excellent word-processing support program which links in to your word-processor, suggesting spellings for each word as you start to type it, and reading out your writing so that you can see if it makes sense or if you've missed out any words.')

• • • www.dyslexic.com This company specializes in a very wide range of computer software support programs for dyslexic learners. We would appreciate hearing from anyone who uses any of their products.

• • • IBM ViaVoice is similar to Dragon Naturally Speaking, though less well reviewed: 'Using ViaVoice's Corrections Window is an exercise in frustration' (Guardian, Nov 18 03). ViaVoice Pro USB Edition, Release 10, includes a quality headset microphone with USB adapter.
With Personal Edition, IBM ViaVoice has never been easier to setup. Through the IBM ViaVoice special enabled-word processor, SpeakPad, or through Microsoft Word 2002, 2000, or 97, you can speak your text instead of typing it, and the words appear on the screen. Dictate numbers and dates and they appear in proper format. With the popup window, "What Can I Say?" you can easily see what formatting, correction, and editing commands are available to you. And the more you use IBM ViaVoice Personal Edition, the more accurate your dictation can become. Personal Edition can save you time while making the use of your computer more fun by using your voice. REVIEW.
IBM ViaVoice

• 'Web Talkster' - talking browser - Inexpensive - 'One of my students is more computer literate than I am. He just loves his computers. I told him about the download for Web Talkster. He went home and downloaded the program and started trying it out. He thinks it is the best aid ever. He now can get a lot more out of the internet than he did before. He uses it for everything from reading his email to even reading his assignments. He worked out a way of importing his assignments into netscape so he can have it read to him. He said that it took a little time to get used to the voice sound but once he did he had no problems. This aid has made him more open to try other aids such as using a tape recorder to get his ideas out as it takes a long time to write them down he tends to forget what he wanted to write.' (J. H., NSW, Australia).

• 'AlphaSmart - When JM found out what was required of him in Freshman English, he just about shut down. That was when I introduced JM to as AlphaSmart. I explained how it would work. Just turn is on and start typing, turn it off when you are finished—everything is automatically saved as you type. With its built-in word processor, you can write stories, make outlines, input data for spreadsheets, take notes and more, then easily transfer to my computer or print directly to most printers in the lab with a single keystroke. The AlphaSmart has eight files that make it easy to organize your work. It is lightweight, portable and runs about 500 hours on 3 AA batteries. When you need to edit, or can transfer your work from the AlphaSmart to the computer and change the font, spacing, etc. JM uses his AlphaSmart every day and has a great attitude. He is looking forward to going to college now that he found a tool that takes the pen/pencil away and has given him success. (Lisa Landers, Texas).

• InstantText - integrates with your word-processor to produce suggestions of phrases that could be used next as you write. (Compare to TextHelp above, which produces suggestions for single-word spellings as you type.)

• • Quicktionary Reading Pen - reads single words of text through an earphone, as well as providing a definition on its small screen. Recommended for difficult single words.

• Language Tune-up Kit - Phonics-based software based on the multi-sensory Orton-Gillingham method for children and adults.

• Lexia Learning Systems - software to help children and adults learn to read, especially those who have had trouble learning in the past. 'Phonics Based Reading , designed for students in Grade K - 3, provides hundreds of exercises to create a comprehensive early reading program at a level accessible to younger children. Clear natural voices, engaging activities and a quiet, focused environment provide a good environment for learning crucial reading skills.' (Comments/reviews welcome)

• Rocky Mountain Learning Systems - Originally designed for use by reading specialists as a therapeutic system for children and adults with severe reading deficits. Is claimed to be extremely successful with students with dyslexia, learning disabilities, Title I, and other learning challenges. It uses a phonemic (sound/symbol) approach addressing all learning styles: visual, auditory and kinesthetic, and is based on the Orton-Gillingham method. Words and sounds are seen, heard, written, and even spoken and recorded by the student, thereby using the sensory modalities to their maximum benefit for brain processing and memory retention. (Comments/reviews welcome)

• Crick Software - 'Clicker 4' allows beginner writers to create sentences by clicking on the colorful pictures on the screen. 'Wordbar' provides a selection of words connected to a topic for older children, and 'All My Words' provides jumbled sentences in boxes which a child can click on to get them in the right order. Colorful and attractive pages. (UK) (Comments/reviews welcome)

Nessy Learning Program - (Click on the "Shop'' rabbit icon along the top.)
Nessy is a massive resource! When printed out Nessy fills five huge folders of just under 1000 pages with rules, resources and games. Nessy uses interactive animations to learn phonic rules. Unique learning strategies make this a highly effective teaching tool. Interactive games reinforce learning through a stimulating multi-media format.
BrainBooster is a complete study skills programme that is easy to use. Boost your memory and discover your learning strengths. This essential interactive guide will help improve grades by revealing the secrets of study skills. BrainBooster has six interactive sections. Learn strategies for memory, reading, revision, writing, organisation and try the questionnaire to identify your individual learning strengths. Play quick interactive activities or print out additional resources to help develop many of the study skills.