2. Lorinda Tait Readin’& Writin’ Lorinda Tait Representing Michigan Assistive Technology Resource (MATR)

3. Lorinda Tait 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!

4. Lorinda Tait How do we know he/she needs Assistive Technology? Is the student able to read and to produce written work efficiently and at a pace similar to peers?

5. Lorinda Tait 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.

6. Lorinda Tait 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.

7. Lorinda Tait 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.

8. Lorinda Tait 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

9. Lorinda Tait Electronic Books UKanDu Little Books (Don Johnston Incorporated) Living Books (Random House/Broderbund) Wiggle Works (Scholastic) Talking books online: www.Starfall.com

10. Lorinda Tait 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)

11. Lorinda Tait 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

12. Lorinda Tait When it may not be helpful Technology does not help all poor readers. Problems integrating the auditory and visual information

13. Lorinda Tait 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

14. Lorinda Tait 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.

15. Lorinda Tait 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

16. Lorinda Tait 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.

17. Lorinda Tait 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)

18. Lorinda Tait 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!

19. Lorinda Tait 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.

20. Lorinda Tait 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

21. Lorinda Tait Companies Don Johnston 26799 W. Commerce Dr. Volo, IL 60073 800-999-4660 www.donjohnston.com Mayer-Johnson, Inc. P.O. Box 1579 Solana Beach, CA 92075-7579 800-588-4548 www.mayer-johnson.com Slater Software, Inc. 351 Badger Lane Guffey, CO 80820 877-306-6968 www.slatersoftware.com

22. Lorinda Tait 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 Trail Inver Grove Hts., MN 55076 800-370-0047 www.tfeinc.com Reading S.O.S. (Lexia) 800-435-3942 www.lexialearning.com

23. Lorinda Tait Companies Intellitools, Inc. 55 Leveroni Court, Suite 9 Novato, CA 94949 800-899-6687 www.intellitools.com Premier Programming Solutions P.O. Box 359 DeWitt, MI 48820 517-668-8188 www.readingmadeeasy.com

24. Lorinda Tait Last but not Least