Software - The SENCO's Staple Diet
There are certain pieces of software that I consider as 'must haves' for the SENCo cupboard. These packages can be used across the curriculum for different ability levels to help promote independent learning.
My 5 ‘must have’ include;
- A ‘text to speech’ program such as Texthelp Read & Write or ClaroRead to support students with reading and writing difficulties. These programs are fantastic for enabling students to access the curriculum as they read back anything on the screen whether it is their own work or the internet!
View software.
- A ‘mindmapping’ program such as Mind Genius or Inspiration to help students structure their thoughts for the purpose of constructing text.
View software.
- A talking ‘wordbank’ such as WordBar. In my opinion, this is an underrated piece of software, mainly because its versatility and potential can be easily overlooked.
View software.
- Voice recognition software such as Dragon Naturally Speaking. This software has to be carefully matched to the individual and may only be suitable for a small number of dyslexic students. It is useful for you or your school to have a copy to enable the individual to ‘trial’ it as demo discs are not available for this program.
View software.
- Phonics based teaching scheme such as Nessy. A good dyslexic literacy scheme should be highly structured, cumulative and multisensory - NESSY ticks all the boxes. One useful feature includes the ability to add your own word lists making it ideal for subject specific vocabulary.
View software.
