Lorinda Tait

Readin’& Writin’

Lorinda Tait

Representing Michigan Assistive Technology Resource

(MATR)

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Objectives

• Increase knowledge of assistive technology tools for reading.

• Increase knowledge of assistive technology tools for writing.

• Try some of the tools.

• Go to some web sites.

• Have fun!

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How do we know he/she needs Assistive Technology?

Is the student able to read and to Is the student able to read and to produce written work efficiently produce written work efficiently and at a pace similar to peers?and at a pace similar to peers?

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No tech/lo tech tools

• Wikki Stix - made of a unique wax and yarn combination.

• Mistake tolerant• Fun and easy to use -

for kindergartners working on letters to eighth graders working on projects.

• Tactile, hands-on, involved learning.

• No prep teaching tool.• Create in two and

three dimensions.• Use on dry erase

boards, walls, windows, desks, tables, etc.

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Software - an effective tool

• Instructional design -1. Analyze task to be

taught.2. Break teaching down

into steps.3. Require the learner to

be active.4. Feedback to the

learner at each step.

• Allow learner to progress at individual pace.

• Review and check for understanding.

• Clear and detailed teacher instructions and explanations.

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Picture It

• Three steps needed to have a finished document ready to be used by your students.

1. Type the words in the story text window

2. Select Parse the Text from edit menu.

3. Print out document.

• Easiest and fastest software teachers can use to add pictures to text.

• Students struggling to understand print can have successful literacy experiences.

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Who Benefits?

• Moderate to severe needs students

• Speech/language disorders

• Cognitive delay• Hearing impairment• Learning disability

• Autism• Physical impairments• Developmental delay• English as a second

language• Beginning literacy

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Electronic Books

• UKanDu Little Books (Don Johnston Incorporated)

• Living Books (Random House/Broderbund)• Wiggle Works (Scholastic)• Talking books online: www.Starfall.com

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Modeled Reading

• Hear stories read aloud by a professional narrator with electronic books. Students gain background knowledge before reading the story independently.

• Start-to-Finish Books (Don Johnston)

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Target population for Electronic Text Readers

• Developing spelling skills need support • Can spell phonetically, but who cannot spell

accurately • Need rate enhancement

• Need to find reading pleasurable and less stressful and less tiring

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When it may not be helpful

• Technology does not help all poor readers. • Problems integrating the auditory and visual

information

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Text Readers

• Scan and Read, Wynn Reader, Kurzweil 3000, Cast eReader, Read & Write, Text Assist www.textassist.com

• Screen Reader www.texthelp.com

• Portable reader

Roadrunner

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Beginning Writers

• Some students need to have pictures to write with. Pix Writer helps them make the association between the item and the written word. It’s a talking word processor. The student selects pictures to write words, sentences and stories.

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Who Benefits?• Poor fine motor control• Those who need speech feedback• Need visual vocabulary supports• Need alternative access to the computer• Have limited word recognition skills• Need to expand content and quality of written

work• Struggle with spelling and print

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The Writing Process

• Learning how to write is difficult.• Practice makes perfect.• The challenge: Motivating the student to practice

writing enough so that they will learn from their own writing experience.

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Appropriate tools

• Simple is better. A spelling checker and speech capabilities is useful.

• Knowing how to keyboard with your eyes on the screen is helpful to those who want to write faster and with more flow. (It’s especially useful for people with language problems, because the spelling decisions are relegated to kinesthetic patterns)

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Practice

• Writing with pen and paper is very difficult and is done awkwardly, if at all, for some students with learning disabilities. So, it is avoided and the student’s writing does not improve due to lack of practice.

• The use of a computer to compose and print helps students organize and express ideas. They write more!

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What does the computer do?

• It is a tool that separates the recording of ideas, working with them to get them right and printing to save and share them.

• Without the computer, composing and printing are wed. There is no temporal or mechanical separation between recording ideas, working with them right and printing them.

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What tools?

• Prewriting - Kidspiration, Inspiration, Alpha Smart/Dana

• Drafting - Inspiration, Alpha Smart/Dana• Revising - Co:Writer, Write:Outloud,

TextHelp:Read & Write • Editing - Spell Checkers • Publishing - Make books, Diaries

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Companies

• Don Johnston26799 W. Commerce Dr. Volo, IL 60073800-999-4660 www.donjohnston.com

• Mayer-Johnson, Inc.P.O. Box 1579Solana Beach, CA92075-7579800-588-4548www.mayer-johnson.com

• Slater Software, Inc.

351 Badger Lane

Guffey, CO 80820

877-306-6968 www.slatersoftware.com

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Vendors

• Inspiration Software, Inc.

7412 SW Beaverton Hillsdale Highway

Portland, OR 97225-2167

503-297-3004

www. Inspiration.com

• Technology for Education, Inc.

7328 Braden TrailInver Grove Hts., MN 55076800-370-0047 www.tfeinc.com

• Reading S.O.S. (Lexia) 800-435-3942 www.lexialearning.com

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Companies• Intellitools, Inc.

55 Leveroni Court, Suite 9Novato, CA 94949800-899-6687www.intellitools.com

• Premier Programming SolutionsP.O. Box 359DeWitt, MI 48820517-668-8188www.readingmadeeasy.com

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Last but not Least