Word Prediction Software

For the next 12 posts, I will be talking about some useful types of assistive technology that can be used in the classroom. 

Word Prediction software is a tool used for students who have difficulty in getting their words out onto the computer or paper. This software works by the user inputting a string of characters, and the software guesses the possible words the student is attempting to spell.

Some Word Prediction Software used in schools:

Aurora Suite
Co:Writer SOLO
EZ Keys for Windows, Words+, Inc
SpeakQ (integrates multiple AT techniques)
TextHelp, Read and Write Gold (integrates multiple AT techniques)
WordQ, Quillsoft

Below is a video of Speak Q/ Word Q in action with adults who have suffered from a brain trauma and aphasia.

Tutorial

It might be easier for you to understand this software if I brake it down for you. I have chosen a software from the list above. 

I have selected Speak Q software to watch the tutorials on. There are 13 videos that I watched, each at about one minute long.

• It seems that the best way to use this software is with a microphone. It is better if the microphone is a headset to block out all of the outside noise. 
• This product looks like it is easy to set up. The sentences the student has to repeat to learn his/her voice only has about five words. When using the software, the student types what words are known and when an unknown word arises that student can type the first letter/s. A box will pop up and three word choices are given. When you put your cursor over the word, it says it.
• If the word is not there, the student can hit the voice button and speak the word. Three more choices are given and the student chooses from the three. The student can also say a whole sentence and the program will type it out. After a period is typed the sentence is read back to the user. 
• When you get more acquainted with the program and it is recognizing your voice more, you can begin to use the speak continuously option. This option is faster because you do not have to select the words in the box. 
• The prediction software chooses words after it has read the rest of your sentence. It uses context clues to help with smaller words.
• There are also hotkeys that can be used with this program.
• Here are the tutorials: http://www.goqsoftware.com/resources/videos/

References:

Goqsoftware.com (2013). videos » goQ : Home of wordQ + speakQ : Word Prediction, Spoken Feedback & Speech Recognition Software. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.goqsoftware.com/resources/videos/ [Accessed: 19 Oct 2013].

GreatSchools (2013). Word prediction software programs. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.greatschools.org/special-education/assistive-technology/966-word-prediction-software-programs.gs [Accessed: 19 Oct 2013].