Highlighting word by word provides a direct correlation between spoken and written word. Modifications of font, text size, and color contrasts make reading materials visually motivating and accessible to students of all ability levels. Built in talking dictionaries enhance vocabulary development. Spell checkers encourage letter-sound learning. Importing graphics support student writing.
Auditory feedback helps increase writing independence and proof reading efficiency.
Interfacing the word processing program with word prediction techniques further promotes phonemic awareness and sentence composition as students compose their thoughts into written forms. Students begin to write more and for longer periods of time. Districts and agencies that attend the training will receive a free copy of the software programs to use with students in their districts. The statewide training effort began in August of 1999 using training materials developed by the partners. In addition, a procedure for additional purchases of software at reduced rates will be implemented.