Are you a good typist? Do you tire of having to type everything all the time? Or maybe you are like me and have an older keyboard that is missing several keys. Perhaps you are even dyslexic and typing is very frustrating and difficult.
Trying to school a dyslexic child can be so frustrating. From day one, writing was a problem for our son Ted. As parents, we know children need to learn to write, and we struggled for years trying to get him to be able to copy one sentence accurately. I am not talking about copying paragraphs, merely one sentence. It was like trying to build a nuclear bomb.
Then I came up with the idea of teaching him to type. I had read that typing was easier to learn than writing for some children. We struggled for years learning this too. It's was a no go. He still can't type with more than two fingers after years of practice.
Then I found out that dyslexics can't EVER learn to write complete sentences, copy or even type effectively. So, what's a mom/teacher to do?
A neuro-psychologist recommended this program for our son. I know other home schoolers that have used it as well and it has completely changed the way they school their special needs children. Our dyslexic son uses Dragon Naturally Speaking for writing all his research papers, essays and homework assignments. I no longer attempt to have him do anything on paper. We are so much happier using this software.
Here's how it works:
You can buy Dragon from Amazon. The most recent version is #12 and runs about $55.00. You will also need a headset with a microphone. Ours is a Logitech set which we purchased for about $30.00 at Best Buy. Some Dragon Software packages come with a headset, but I must say that's a rather poor quality microphone. I would recommend buying a separate one of greater quality. The Logitech set is noise cancelling which makes it easier to concentrate for a child who gets distracted a lot. For more suggestions on how to get your child to concentrate, click here.
Our version of Dragon is a bit older (version 10) so I am guessing if you purchase a newer one, you will have more updates than we do. Load it on your system. Dragon will ask you to practice with the microphone. It is designed to work with a single voice. Using this product with more than one person is not recommended. The program learns from the inflections of your voice. The more you use it, the more accurate it is. You will notice your accuracy improves when you practice with it. It will take some time, so don't get frustrated.
After it's set up, you can activate Dragon and use it with any other application, such as Blogger or Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint and Google documents for instance.
hello my name ted and I am talking and typing at the same time :)
We have had some glitches with this program. Our son has some slight speech impediments that make it difficult to get the program to be completely accurate. He has the tendency to want to speak slowly, which makes the program slower and less accurate. It works best using longer sentences with steady voice prompts. This can be difficult for a dyslexic to do. Thinking and speaking at the same time is not his thing. For longer assignments I have him dictate his work to me and I write it down. Then he can sit and read it while using Microsoft Word and Dragon Naturally Speaking. Occasionally he will have to edit the typing, but over all it is a huge help to him. It saves hours of time and frustration. And it's a huge relief to me that he can do his work independently.
Seeing his words come up on screen has been excellent for Ted. Not only is he building a visual picture of what complete sentences look like, he is learning accuracy. With the colored lines showing up underneath words that are incorrect grammar, he can make his own corrections.
Speaking into the microphone rather than writing his words virtually eliminates his spelling problem. Since most dyslexics are visual learners, they have lots of problems with spelling. If he sees a word spelled correctly enough times, he can remember it. But, for him to sound out a word and spell it correctly, is very difficult. The majority of time he would miss-spell a simple word, see it written incorrectly, and then remember it incorrectly. I have seen a big improvement in his spelling by using Dragon. Who knew?
We have also seen an improvement in his speech. Working with this software has forced him to correct some minor speech imperfections. In order for the program to work he must speak clearly and pronounce his words clearly. He has shown an improvement in speaking clearly. I am hoping this speech correction will also help him with his spelling. Pronouncing words accurately, hearing them and spelling them, and seeing them are all inter-related.
We took an essay writing class this spring, taught by another Mom in our home school group. Ted started out getting F's and D's, but ended up with a B in the class. I can safely say that with this tool, he will survive in college. I love online classes for home schoolers, but they are expensive. I wasn't willing to invest in a class that would be impossible for him to be successful in. Now, I see his future differently.
Just because he can't write, doesn't mean he can't be academically successful.
Just because he can't type, doesn't mean he can't use a computer.
Just because he learns differently (visually) doesn't mean he can't learn.
I am learning from him all the time.
After it's set up, you can activate Dragon and use it with any other application, such as Blogger or Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint and Google documents for instance.
hello my name ted and I am talking and typing at the same time :)
We have had some glitches with this program. Our son has some slight speech impediments that make it difficult to get the program to be completely accurate. He has the tendency to want to speak slowly, which makes the program slower and less accurate. It works best using longer sentences with steady voice prompts. This can be difficult for a dyslexic to do. Thinking and speaking at the same time is not his thing. For longer assignments I have him dictate his work to me and I write it down. Then he can sit and read it while using Microsoft Word and Dragon Naturally Speaking. Occasionally he will have to edit the typing, but over all it is a huge help to him. It saves hours of time and frustration. And it's a huge relief to me that he can do his work independently.
Seeing his words come up on screen has been excellent for Ted. Not only is he building a visual picture of what complete sentences look like, he is learning accuracy. With the colored lines showing up underneath words that are incorrect grammar, he can make his own corrections.
Speaking into the microphone rather than writing his words virtually eliminates his spelling problem. Since most dyslexics are visual learners, they have lots of problems with spelling. If he sees a word spelled correctly enough times, he can remember it. But, for him to sound out a word and spell it correctly, is very difficult. The majority of time he would miss-spell a simple word, see it written incorrectly, and then remember it incorrectly. I have seen a big improvement in his spelling by using Dragon. Who knew?
We have also seen an improvement in his speech. Working with this software has forced him to correct some minor speech imperfections. In order for the program to work he must speak clearly and pronounce his words clearly. He has shown an improvement in speaking clearly. I am hoping this speech correction will also help him with his spelling. Pronouncing words accurately, hearing them and spelling them, and seeing them are all inter-related.
We took an essay writing class this spring, taught by another Mom in our home school group. Ted started out getting F's and D's, but ended up with a B in the class. I can safely say that with this tool, he will survive in college. I love online classes for home schoolers, but they are expensive. I wasn't willing to invest in a class that would be impossible for him to be successful in. Now, I see his future differently.
Just because he can't write, doesn't mean he can't be academically successful.
Just because he can't type, doesn't mean he can't use a computer.
Just because he learns differently (visually) doesn't mean he can't learn.
I am learning from him all the time.
In doing research for this post, I discovered that every Windows computer has built in voice activated software. Just click on your Windows icon in the lower left corner. Search for "speech recognition". A window will come up for you to set up your voice software. You just need a headset with a microphone. This software is not reviewed as highly as Dragon Naturally Speaking, but since it is free you may want to give it a try. Then you can decide if this type of program will work for you and your student without a big investment.
Linking up today over at Living and Learning at Home.
Don't forget to register for the Usborne Book Giveaway this week on Anything Goes on Monday.
Designer Mom
Don't forget to register for the Usborne Book Giveaway this week on Anything Goes on Monday.
Designer Mom
That is very interesting. I had no idea that dyslexic people can't write or copy sentences. Is there a range of severity with dyslexia?
ReplyDeleteYes there is a range of disabilities with dyslexia. It can vary from functional to autistic. If your child is struggling with copy work, there may be a reason. Sometimes it takes us a while to figure these things out! Thanks for reading!
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