word prediction software

KB

I have a 9 year old daughter, just finishing 3rd grade. She uses a computer with Co-writer and we have also purchased Kidspiration. I have a post on this discussion group re: WordQ to find out more about it. Co-writer has been a big help, but now is becoming too slow for her. I am looking for something along the sames lines, not necessarily with word prediction, but needing the phonetic speller.

TextHelp is very popular “software for dyslexia.” I’ve been really impressed iwth it at the community college level, so your kiddo won’t grow out of it ;)

Can you tell me what features TextHelp has? I need auditory feedback for the spellcheck - which is probably it’s most important feature. Preferably a phonetic spellcheck. Also, where can I find out more about it? Is there a www.texthelp website?

You should also check out WYNN 3, as it includes Word Prediciton with it’s suite of writing tools. Also it’s ease of use and clean, crisp interface is the main difference between these products. WYNN is ideal for students who have been identified as having learning disabilities as it was designed with significant input from special educators and LD students. WYNN’s approach to individual learning styles, study strategies, web access and writing tools is particularily important for all students with learning disabilities.

Visit www.freedomscientific.com/wynn for more information. You can
download a 30 day or 30 hour demo (your option at installation) or call
888-223-3344 to request a CD be sent to you.

Peggy

www.texthelp.com. read and Write sofware. Cheaper than Winn and Kuzweil

What grade level is Read and Write for? I looked at the website but couldn’t tell.

Hi
My daughter who is 17 yr old uses Texthelp ” Read & Write”. She has been using it from grade 10 ( 15yrs)and find it’s very helpful. If you go to Read and Write web site click on findamentals then click on Choosing a prouct. Here it compares Wordsmith ,read & write & Type & talk . Read & write age guidence is 11- adult.
My daughter loves it . The only thing that she finds annoying is when she writes her essay it will stop at everyword that is incorrect and therefore she forgets what she is thinking. You have choices to spell correct for each word or sentence or you can turn off and correct at end of essay, so she does this. It reads every thing voices are annoying but apparently you can down load from Micro soft new voices. If you go to Support and click on discussion they will tell you how. Prediction great and other programs in it wonderful, especially homophones which she mixes up all the time. They have a new version out Version 6. I am going to update her’s and she will continue to use in College. Oh yes it will also save her incorrect words you can put it into automatically correct if you want so anytimes she writes this word it will correct with out her even knowing.
I hope that helps.

You can also set it so it won’t read anything unless you select it by not picking anything under the “speech options” section, but then selecting and clicking on the button with the speaker and the piece of paper.

I am pretty sure you can download a trial version — it’s not on this computer so I can’t double check but I’m 90% certain it reads pretty much anything and everything, including the words on the spell check list (I remember thinking how that was an indicator that they really had designed it to be “software for dyslexia,” not “software for people who need a little help with spelling now and then.”)

Their tech support folks have also been helpful with answering my questions so far, though I might have a stumper :(

Write OutLoud, offers text to speech and phonetic spell checker. By Don Johnston.

Can someone explain to me how and what do their children use co writer and inspiration?

Liisa

What is text help?

http://www.texthelp.com

It’s “software for dyslexia” geared towards older students and adults in the work and academic worlds. This means you won’t get lesson plans and activities with it. I’ve had the full-featured version (which includes being able to hook it up to a scanner and scan text in and have the synthesized voice read it to you) installed in our college lab. It is fairly sophisticated in that you can adjust lots of settings for the voice pitch and speed, and for just what will be read to you (I have it set so it will only read when someone selects and says “read this”), and for whether or not the predicted words will show up, and which buttons (number keys or function keys) you press to have it finish typing the predicted word. It is pretty neat to have suggested words up on a little screen even before you’ve started typing (htough I suspect I’d end up beig distracted by watching its ‘narrowing down’ process as I typed in more letters and it kept trying to guess).
It has multiple user features so it will keep a database of the words each user uses; this means that it knows I’m more likely to be typing accommodations than accomplishments, but not my students.

I’ve learned a lot abotu assistive technology just keeping up with the archives of the discussions by AT pros on the www.qiat.org mailing list (the archives are on their site). These are folks who have to get the silly thigns to work :-)

Lisa,

Cowriter is a word prediction software that aids in the writing process. It can be used on both an AlphaSmart and a computer.

Inspiration is an organizational software that also aids in the writing process. It also can be used on both the AlphSmart and a computer..

Some children take to these softwares and some don’t. My daughter did; however, another girl in her class ending up spending all her time playing on the computer instead of using the software to enhance her academic performance. It all depends on the student and his willingness to use it.

Your computer should have an auto format option on the menu. There is also good info at www.microsceince.on.ca.

Try the WYNN program (what you need now). I think you would be pleased.