Writing Difficulties: Terms to Know

source: Erica Patino at Understood.org

[O-G tutoring in Columbus OH : see contact information below]

Understood.org offers these nine terms you should know if you are a parent of a child with “dysgraphia.”  Dysgraphia is a brain-based condition which causes difficulty with the physical act of writing. The word is often used interchangeably with the term “disorder of written expression.”

Below are nine terms your school or your doctors may use when speaking about writing skills.

“Orthographic coding”  means the ability to remember how to form a letter or word and then write it accurately.  If a child struggles with orthographic coding they may forget how to form letters; they may have difficulty spelling.

“Disorder of written expression” means a condition in which a student’s writing abilities fall below expectations, based on age and intelligence.  Often used interchangeably with “dysgraphia.”

“Sequencing problems”  means difficulty ordering letters and numbers. Your child may struggle with directionality when writing letters, or place them out of order.  Sloppy handwriting may result.

“Working memory”  means short-term memory, which occurs in the part of the brain that stores information temporarily until you can react to it. A student with writing difficulties might have trouble retrieving information from working memory; one possible reason is much of their energy goes into the physical act of writing.

“Graphic organizer” means a visual tool the illustrates or maps out ideas before writing. Other terms for this are “concept maps” or “mind maps.”  Students with writing challenges often find graphic organizers helpful to outline an assignment before writing.

“Fine motor skills” means small muscle control: those muscles needed to deftly move fingers and thumbs. A child with writing challenges typically has weak fine motor skills; they may manipulate pencils and scissors awkwardly.

“Visual-spatial difficulties” means trouble understanding what the eye is seeing.  A child with dysgraphia frequently has visual-spatial problems and so finds it hard to read maps, or to differentiate left from right.

“Language processing” means making sense of what is heard.  Students with language processing issues need time to understand what they hear. When this happens in tandem with writing issues, it is a huge challenge to translate what’s heard into writing.

“Sequential finger movement” means moving fingers in a particular order. An example would be touching the thumb to the pinkie, then to the ring finger, and so on. This is why many dysgraphic students do better using a keyboard than writing by hand.

Author Erica Patino publishes on Understood.org. She is an online writer and editor who specializes in health and wellness content.

Source: https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/dysgraphia/9-terms-to-know-if-your-child-struggles-with-writing-issues?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=understoodorg#slide-9

Orton-Gillingham tutoring in Columbus OH: Adrienne Edwards 614-579-6021 or email aedwardstutor@columbus.rr.com.

+ 45 Ways to Avoid the Word “Very”

How to avoid the word “very” when you write, according to the “Writers Write” site:

• Instead of very afraid … say terrified
• Instead of very angry… say furious
• Instead of very bad… say atrocious
• Instead of very beautiful… say exquisite
• Instead of very big… say immense
• Instead of very bright… say dazzling
• Instead of very capable… say accomplished
• Instead of very clean… say spotless
• Instead of very clever… say brilliant
• Instead of very cold… say freezing
• Instead of very conventional… say conservative
• Instead of very dirty… say squalid
• Instead of very dry… say parched
• Instead of very eager… say keen
• Instead of very fast… say quick
• Instead of very fierce… say ferocious
• Instead of very good… say superb
• Instead of very happy… say jubilant
• Instead of very hot… say scalding
• Instead of very hungry… say ravenous
• Instead of very large… say colossal
• Instead of very lively… say vivacious
• Instead of very loved… say adored
• Instead of very neat… say immaculate
• Instead of very old… say ancient
• Instead of very poor… say destitute
• Instead of very pretty… say beautiful
• Instead of very quiet… say silent
• Instead of very risky… say perilous
• Instead of very roomy… say spacious
• Instead of very rude… say vulgar
• Instead of very serious… say solemn
• Instead of very small… say tiny
• Instead of very strong… say unyielding
• Instead of very stupid… say idiotic
• Instead of very tasty… say delicious
• Instead of very thin… say gaunt
• Instead of very tired… say exhausted
• Instead of very ugly… say hideous
• Instead of very valuable… say precious
• Instead of very weak… say feeble
• Instead of very wet… say soaked
• Instead of very wicked… say villainous
• Instead of very wise… say sagacious
• Instead of very worried… say anxious

Source: Writers Write at http://writerswrite.co.za

Orton-Gillingham tutoring in Columbus OH: Adrienne Edwards 614-579-6021 or email aedwardstutor@columbus.rr.com

 

+ Central Ohio Free Parent Seminar on Writing Problems

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Marburn Academy in Columbus is inviting parents to a free seminar on “Getting It Down On Paper: The Solutions to Student Writing Problems.”

• Date: Tuesday March 6
• Time: 7:00-9:00 pm
• Marburn Academy: 1860 Walden Dr, Columbus OH 43229
• Reservations required: bdavidson@marburnacademy.org
• Or phone 614-433-0822

Often students with learning differences have no trouble coming up with creative ideas, but they may struggle with expressing those ideas in writing.

Parents of children who wrestle with writing will find that this seminar offers  insight into the reasons why some children learn to write easily and others don’t.  They will be hearing about practical answers for remediation.

Earl Oremus, Headmaster of Marburn Academy, is a nationally recognized speaker on education, learning and learning differences. 

Oremus will explain why some children learn differently, why it is so important for teaching methods to match each child’s learning needs, and what works best when writing is being taught.

Orton-Gillingham tutoring in Columbus OH:  Adrienne Edwards 614-579-6021 or email aedwardstutor@columbus.rr.com

+ Middle School Students Write a Book About Bullying

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In Rafael Olmeda’s article in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, we learn that a book, a work in progress, will address personal stories about bullying — by victims and young perpetrators.

Titled “I Was a Bully… But I Stopped,”  the book is on a fast track to be published within the month. 

It will be distributed in Broward County and then it will be offered to the Palm Beach County and Miami-Dade school districts.

Broward County was the first school district in Florida to develop an anti-bullying program.  The rest of the state’s districts followed suit by the end of 2008.

The fifty middle schoolers collaborating on the book have created characters like “Michael,”  who learns how to be abusive from watching his dad treat his mom terribly.  “Lucina” never learned to be a bully, but she’s privileged… so why shouldn’t she “lord it over” those who are not?

Bob Knotts, a local author who conceived  the book and is a founder of the Dania Beach-based Humanity Project, developed the project and is helping produce it.  

He says, “Bullying really hurts everybody in school, and it takes everybody to stop it.” 

Two high-profile events led to the Humanity Project.  In October, a seventh-grader skipped school out of fear of another student who had tried to steal his dad’s bike; that student and his pals assaulted the boy and set him on fire.  (He survived.)

Then, in March, and eighth-grade girl was violently attacked at a campus bus stop by a high school student who thought she had insulted his dead brother in a text message.  The high-school student has been charged with attempted murder.

The March incident prompted the district to promote more vigorously its “Silence Hurts” program, an anonymous way to report bullying and threats of violence.

Knotts has two goals with the Humanity Project workshop — he wants to provide an academic exercise for children “at risk” of low achievement or failure, and also to engage them in bullying prevention.

He did not compel students to talk in front of the class, but knows “some elements of all their experiences will end up in their finished stories.”

The character “Michael,” is a dyslexic boy, whose dad is black and whose mom is Asian) says he bullies because it’s all he knows how to do.  “Lucina” is a white girl from a wealthy family whose parents recently divorced.

Once the characters were developed, students went into groups to work on their stories.  Each group was free to create a victim and to figure out a realistic way for the bully to change before the story’s end.

One student says “I can relate to Michael a little bit.  But only a little bit.  I don’t think he wants to be a bully.  I actually think it’s because of what he’s going through.”

Allowing students to create the victims is a way to grant them insight into how it feels to be bullied.

Michael is imagined terrorizing a small freckled squeaky-voiced boy.  He demands the boy’s lunch money.  Says a student, “It happens more to people that look weak.”

Her group is planning to stop Michael’s bullying by introducing a female peer to teach him the right way to behave.  But other groups may choose to have the victim fight back.

A twelve-year-old girl says “I used to be bullied a lot…because I carried a book with me wherever I go.  I love to read.” 

She says this is “a really good class.  It’s not just teaching me about bullies.  It’s helping me be a writer, and that’s what I want to do.”

souce: Rafael Olmeda’s 7/19/10 article at http://www.sun-sentinel.com

tutoring in Columbus OH:   Adrienne Edwards  614-579-6021  or email  aedwardstutor@columbus.rr.com

+ Dysgraphia: Strategies

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From James O’Keefe’s Student Year blog, here are tips for dealing with dysgraphia.

Dysgraphia is a learning disability affecting writing skills.  It may manifest in difficulties with spelling, poor handwriting and trouble putting thoughts on paper.

Writing requires a complex set of motor and information processing skills.  To say a student has “dysgraphia” is not sufficient.  A student with these disorders will benefit from specific accommodations in the learning environment, as well as additional practice learning the skills required to be an accomplished writer.

Warning Signs

If a person has trouble in any of the following areas, additional help may be beneficial:

• Grips pencil tightly, positions body awkwardly
• Writes illegibly
• Avoids writing or drawing tasks
• Tires quickly while writing
• Says words out loud while writing
• Omits words, leaves out words in sentences
• Has difficulty organizing thoughts on paper 
• Demonstrates large gap between  thoughts and understanding expressed orally and written ideas

Generally, strategies fall into two categories.  First, providing alternatives to written expression.  Or , second, remediating: providing instruction and practice  for improving handwriting and writing skills. 

Both types of strategy should be considered when planning instruction and support.  In addition to specialists, don’t hesitate to involve family or friends.

To find the most beneficial type of support, you will engage in a process, trying different ideas and openly exchanging thoughts about what works best in each situation.

Following are some examples of how to teach individuals with dysgraphia.

Early Writers

• Use paper with raised lines for a sensory guide to assist staying within lines.
• Try different pens and pencils to find one that is most comfortable.
• Practice writing letters and numbers in the air with big arm movements to improve motor memory of these important shapes.
• Also practice letters and numbers with smaller hand or finger motions.
• Encourage proper grip, posture and paper positioning for writing.  Reinforce this early (it’s hard to unlearn habits)!
• Use multi-sensory techniques for learning letters, shapes and numbers.  For example, speak through a motor sequence (“b is big stick down, circle away from my body”).
• Introduce computers for word processing early.  But don’t eliminate handwriting — while typing can alleviate the frustration of forming letters, handwriting is part of a person’s ability to function in the world.
• Be patient and positive; encourage practice and praise effort — becoming a good writer takes time and practice.

Young Students

• Allow use of print or cursive, whichever is more comfortable.
• Use large graph paper for math calculation to keep columns and rows organized.
• Allow extra time for writing assignments.
• Begin writing assignments creatively, with drawing, outlining or speaking ideas into a tape recorder.
• Alternate focus of writing assignments: put the emphasis on some for neatness and spelling, others for grammar or organization.
• Explicitly teach different types of writing — expository, personal essays, short stories, poems, etc.
• Don’t judge timed assignments on neatness and spelling.
• Have students proofread work after a delay; it’s easier to see mistakes after a break.
• Help students create a checklist for editing work: spelling, neatness, grammar, syntax, clear progression of ideas, etc.
• Encourage use of a spell checker (speaking spell checkers are available).
• Reduce amount of copying —  instead focus on writing original answers and ideas.
• Have student complete tasks in small steps, instead of all at once.
• Find alternative means of assessing knowledge — such as oral reports or visual projects.
• Encourage practice through low-stress opportunities for writing, such as letters, a diary, household lists, tracking of sports teams.

Teenagers and Adults

• Provide tape recorders to supplement note taking and to prepare for writing assignments.
• Create a step-by-step plan that breaks writing assignments into small tasks (see below).
• When organizing writing projects, create a list of key words that will be useful.
• Provide clear, constructive feedback on the quality of the work; explain both the strengths and weaknesses of the project.  Comment on the structure as well as the information that is included.
• If the mechanical aspects of writing remain a major hurdle, use assistive technology, such as voice-activated software.

Note: many of these tips can be used by all age groups.  It’s never too early or too late to reinforce the skills needed to be a good writer.

Although teachers and employers are required by law to make “reasonable accommodations” for individuals with learning disabilities, they may not be aware of how to help.  Speak to them about dysgraphia.  Explain the challenges you face as a result of this difficulty.

How to Approach Writing Assignments

1. Plan your paper.  Pull together your ideas and consider how you want them in your writing.
2. Organize your thoughts and ideas.
3. Create an outline or graphic organizer to be sure you’ve included all your ideas.
4. Make a list of key thoughts and words you will want to use in your paper.
5. Write a draft.  Focus this first draft on getting your words on paper only — don’t worry about spelling or grammar.  (Using a computer makes later editing easy.)
6. Edit your work for spelling, grammar and syntax; use a spell checker if necessary.
7. Revise your work for producing the final draft.
8. Rewrite your work into the final draft.
9. Be sure to read it one last time.

sole source: James O’Keefe’s blog at http://www.studentyear.com/. 

James O’Keefe is the owner of About Rad, offering FREE articles, and advice on health issues.  He’s also the owner of  The Parental Advocate,  to help parents become better advocates for their LD children.

tutoring in Columbus OH:   Adrienne Edwards   614-579-6021   or email  aedwardstutor@columbus.rr.com

+ Writing: Teach Strategies and Self Monitoring Directly

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A great article in IDA Perspectives (Summer 2009) by Linda H Mason.  Here are some highlights of “Effective Instruction for Written Expression.”

Mason bases the advice on the instructional approach called S. R. S. D.: Self-Regulated Strategy Development.

Researchers have established that explicit instruction is necessary for  teaching strategies to students with learning challenges. 

They need direct  instruction and modeling in ways of generating ideas, organizing those ideas, and regulating writing behavior (self-regulation).

The stages for strategy acquisition are

1. Develop/assess background knowledge relating to the writing content
2. Discuss the strategy to be used (see below)
3. Model it
4. Memorize it
5. Practice it with guidance
6. Perform it independently

Include these steps in every strategy session.

The one Universal Strategy is called P O W  —

• P (pick an idea) 
• O (organize notes)  
• W (write and say more).

Here are some specific strategies for three types of writing  (make charts): 

Story and Narrative Writing — think “W – W – W, What 2, How 2”

• W……..Who is the main character?
• W……..Where does the story take place?
• W……..When does the story take place?
• What…What does the main character do /want to do?
• What…What happens next?
• How….How does the story end?
• How….How do the characters feel?

Persuasive Writing — think “TREE”

• T……..Topic sentence: Tell what you believe!
• R……..Reasons (3+): Why do I believe it; will my readers, too?
• E……..Explain reasons:  Say more about each reason.
• E……..Ending: Wrap it up right!

Informative Writing — think “PLAN then WRITE”

• P………Pay attention to the writing prompt.
• L………List main ideas to develop the essay.
• A………Add supporting ideas (details, examples, etc).
• N………Number major points in the order you will use them.

then

• W………Work from your plan to develop thesis statement.
• R……….Remember your goals.
• I………..Include transition words for each paragraph.
• T……….Try to use different kinds of sentences.
• E……….Exciting, interesting, “$1,000” words.

Teaching Self-Regulation

 Explicit instruction in self-regulation should be embedded in every session. 

The four self-regulatory procedures are

• goal setting
• self monitoring
• self instruction
• self reinforcement

Goal Setting

First, students should be taught how to set personal, individual and specific goals for learning, using and maintaining the use of the strategy.

Use a learning contract to support goal setting: for example, “Today I will write a story with 7 parts.”  Do this every day.

Self-Monitoring

Students self-monitor by counting the number of strategy parts they have written.  Use a chart or graphic organizer, and have the student count off what he has done.  When finished, have the students count to make sure all parts have been used.

Encourage the student to revise the papers to include any missing parts.  They might graph the number of strategy parts on a graphing sheet.

Students need to understand that self-monitoring is a process to use at every stage of their work.

Self Instruction

You should model self-instructions for problem definition.  For example, “I need to write a story with 7 parts.”  Focus on attention and planning (“First, I need to pick an idea“); strategy implementation (“I know what to do, I do the first strategy step“);  self evaluation (“Did I include all the strategy parts?“) coping (“I can do this, I know this strategy!”); and self reinforcement (“Wow, I can write a good story!”)

Self Reinforcement

After modeling, then  support the student in developing a listing of personal self-statement he can use before, during and after writing.  These personal self-statements are written out, so he can see them at any time.

Finally, teach your student to recognize his own successes in writing.  Often, the graphing sheet serves as an excellent self-reinforcement.  Here again, make a list and write out positive self-reinforcing statements: “I did it!”

sole source: Linda H Mason’s article “Effective Instruction for Written Expression” in the Summer 2009 “Perspectives on Lanuage and Literacy” magazine of the International Dyslexia Association.  See the entire article for detailed instructions on how to implement this approach.  IDA’s Web site is www.interdys.org

tutoring in Columbus OH:   Adrienne Edwards   614-579-6021   or email  aedwardstutor@columbus.rr.com

 

+ Pen: Mightier Than The Keyboard?

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 According to a study at the University of Washington, second, fourth and sixth grade children with and without handwriting disabilities were able to write more and faster when using a pen than a keyboard to compose essays.         

The study, headed by Virginia Berninger, a University of Washington professor of educational psychology, looked at children’s ability to write the alphabet, sentences, and essays, using both a pen and a keyboard.

Says Berninger, who studies normal writing development and writing disabilities, “Children consistently did better writing with a pen when they wrote essays.  They wrote more and they wrote faster.”

Only for writing the alphabet was the keyboard better than the pen.  For sentences results were mixed.

But when using a pen, children in all three grade levels produced longer essays and composed them at a faster pace. 

In addition, fourth and sixth graders wrote more complete sentences when they used a pen.   The ability to write complete sentences was not affected by the children’s spelling skills.

Perhaps one key fact shown is that many children don’t have a reliable idea of what a sentence is until the third or fouth grade.

According to Berninger

Children first have to understand what a sentence or a complete thought is before they can write one. 

Talking is very different from writing.  We don’t talk in complete sentences.  In conversation we produce units smaller and larger than sentences.

This study was designed to compare methods of transcription, a basic cognitive process involved in writing.  It enables a writer to translate thoughts or ideas into written language.  Both handwriting and spelling are transcription processes.

Berninger’s group had done previous research showing that transcription predicts composition length and quality in developing writers. 

 Transcription by both pen and keyboard involves the hands, and researchers are trying to understand why units of language are affected differently when hands write by pen and when they write with a keyboard.

People think language is a single thing.  But it’s not.  It has multiple levels like a tall building with a different ploor plan for each story.  In written language there are letters, words, sentences and paragraphs, which are different levels of language.

It turns out they are related, but not in a simple way.  Spelling is at the word level, but sentences are at the syntax level.  Words and syntax (patterns for organizing the order of words) are semi-independent.  Organizing sentences to create text is yet another level. 

That’s why some children need spelling help while others need help in constructing sentences and others in composing text with many sentences.

Involved in the study were more than 200 normally developing children.  Children in the three grades were given three tasks. 

For one task, they were told to print all lower case letters in alphabetic order with a pen.  They were then asked to select each letter of the alphabet in order on a keyboard.  In both cases, they were told to work as quickly and accurately as possible.

In the second task, they were asked to write one sentence that began with the word “writing” while using a pen.  They were then asked to write one sentence that began with “reading” on the keyboard.

Finally, the children were asked to write essays on provided topics for 10 minutes, both with a pen and by keyboard.

Most children in the study developed transcription skills in an age-appropriate way, although a small number showed signs of a specific learning disability — transcription disability. 

 Both the normally developing and those with the disability wrote extended text better by pen than by keyboard.

Says Berninger

Federal accommodations for disabilities now mean that schools often allow children to use laptops to bypass handwriting or spelling problems. 

Just giving them a laptop may not be enough.  Children with this disability also need appropriate education in the form of explicit transcription and composition instruction.

We need to learn more about the process of writing with a computer, and even though schools have computers they haven’t integrated them in teaching at the early grades. 

We need to help children become “bilingual” writers so they can write by both the pen and the computer.  So don’t throw away your pen or your keyboard.  We need them both.

But we don’t want to lose sight of the fact that it is important for developing writers and children with transcription disability to be able to form letters by hand. 

A keyboard doesn’t allow a child to have the same opportunity to engage the hand while forming letters — on a keyboard a letter is selected by pressing a key and is not formed.

Brain imaging studies with adults have shown an advantage for forming letters over selecting or viewing letters.  A brain imaging study at the University of Washington with children showed that sequencing fingers may engage thinking. 

We need more research to figure out how forming letters by a pen and selecting them by pressing a key may engage our thinking brains differently. 

The study was published in the journal Learning Disability Quarterly, and co-authors were Robert Abbott, UW professor and chair of educational psychology, and research assistants Amy Augsburger and Noelia Garcia. 

 Funding was provided by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development.  Berninger can be contacted by email at vwb@u.washington.edu.  

tutoring in Columbus OH:   Adrienne Edwards  614-579-6021  or email aedwardstutor@columbus.rr.com

+ Teacher Talk: Use “Helpful Response” Language

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From Regie Routman’s great book “Writing Essentials,” here are tips for giving students some writing feedback.

When you start by celebrating the whole writing piece and noting what the writer has done well, other students will want to try what that writer has done too.  Don’t overfocus on details of the craft of writing. 

And use the exact words of the writer whenever you can.

Start With What the Writing Does

• I love the way your first sentence…
• Your story reminded me of…
• I could picture exactly how…
• When you said [blank] I felt…
• Your dad is going to treasure this piece because…
• I noticed that…
• I really like the way you used conversation to let the reader know exactly what you felt.  It seemed as if I were right there in the room with you…

Then Move to What the Writing Has

• You tried out conversation…
• You skipped lines so you could add things easily…
• You spaced your words, which makes it easy for the reader to read your message…
• I like the way you used the word [blank] instead of [blank]…

Encourage Youngest Writers and Developing Writiers

• I like how you were stretching out your sounds as you wrote…
• I saw you looking at the word wall to figure out a word.  Good for you…
• You’re spacing better between words.  That makes it easier for the reader…
• You drew your picture first, and that got you going on your story…
• I noticed you were using your reading finger to be sure your voice and your words matched…
• I love the way your picture has lots of information in it…
• You’re continuing your story from yesterday.  That’s great…
• Say your words slowly as you write them.  That will help you hear more sounds…

Use Language that Encourages and Clarifies

• I really like how you…
• So you’re saying…
• Perhaps you could try…
• Can you say more about…?
• How about if you…?
• You might want to…
• Think about…
• Let’s try this together…

Once You’ve Established Trust, Then You Can Be More Directive…

• I’m confused here.  I’m not sure what you’re trying to say.  I think you need to…
• Let me show you how to…
• Try another lead that…
• You’ve got too many “tired” words.  Reread and see if you can’t replace some of those with more lively language.  Let’s try one together…
• You’re piece ends abruptly.  Let’s talk about an ending that might work…
• Reread your piece before you start writing again…
• Why don’t you try…?
• Show me where you say…
• Explain…
• Check the criteria we’ve established.  Make sure you’ve done everything that’s required…
• One thing writers do when they want to [blank] is…  Here’s what I mean…

Generally, keep these things in mind:  What has the writer done well? 

 What is the writer trying to say?  How can I help him say it more clearly/succinctly/originally? 

What language can I use to encourage and support her?  What language can I use to nudge her to continue working on improving the quality of the writing? 

What options can I provide so he will be successful?

What are the one or two most important things I can say or do to help this student?

sole source:”Writing Essentials: Raising Expectations and Results While Simplifying Teaching,” by Regie Routman, Heinemann, 2005.  318 pp. ISBN 0-325-00601-6 (alk. paper) $32.50.  DVD included.   www.heinemann.com

tutoring in Columbus OH:   Adrienne Edwards   614-579-6021   or email   aedwardstutor@columbus.rr.com

+ Talk, and Your Software Does the Typing: Dragon Version 10

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David Pogue has just reviewed the newest version of Dragon NaturallySpeaking voice recognition software in the NY Times business section.

 This software is great for anyone who can’t type.  For students who have grave difficulties with writing and spelling, it might be a godsend.

NatSpeak’s principal mission is to type out whatever you say into any Windows program.   With version 10 its maker, Nuance, claims to have eked out yet another 20 percent accuracy improvement.

In the early days of speech recognition the user had to read a 45-minute sample script to train the program to recognize your voice.  Today, you can skip the training altogether. 

How well does it work?  Pogue read a thousand words of “Freakonomics” into the mike and the accuracy tally was 99.3 percent.  (It did render “edition” as “addition,” and “portrayal” as “per trail,” but it managed “Punic Wars” and “Ku Klux Klan.”) 

But spelling mistakes were zero.  People who use NatuallySpeaking, says Pogue, never make typos, only “wordos.”

Nuance has improved accuracy by recognizing eight accents: general (none), Australian, British, Indian, Great Lakes (Buffalo to Chicago), Southeast Asian, Southern US and Spanish.  Speed is another virtue.  And it waits for a pause in your talking before it types, so that it can use context to choose the correct homonym.

The program also understands more “natural language” commands: saying “Italicise ‘gas prices’ ” accomplishes what used to take three commands; and the program returns to where you stopped.  The trick also works with “bold,” “underline,” “delete,” “cut,” and “copy.” 

You can speak a series of search commands, beginning with “Search computer for…,”  “Search the Web for…,” “Search email for…”  For example, “Search maps for Chinese restaurants near Hoboken;” “Search Wikipedia for Bay of Pigs;” or “Search images for Gwyneth Paltrow.”

Does NatuallySpeaking work on a Mac?  Yes, but only when the Mac is running Windows and you’re using a USB headset adapter.  And you can’t transcribe interviews with it; it only recognizes one person’s voice.

NatSpeak is available in several versions: the Standard Edition ($100), for barebones dictation; the Preferred Edition for $200  (Bluetooth mikes and recorders, and those natural commands); medical and legal editions for $1600 and $1200; as well as a Professional Edition ($900) for corporate administrators who manage many NatSpeak installations from a central server.

source: David Pogue’s article in the NY Times on 8/7/08.  www.nytimes.com

tutoring in Columbus OH:   Adrienne Edwards   614-579-6021   or email  aedwardstutor@columbus.rr.com

+ Need to Write a Biography for Class? Web Site

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Bellingham Washington Public Schools has a Web site called “The Biography Maker.”

Just what is a biography? 

The story of someone’s life?  A tale of accomplishment?  A tale of woe?

Or is it a boring list of facts that nobody cares about?

A good biography brings a person to life, says the home page.  A good biography makes us care about what he or she did with time and opportunity.

Who wants to read another boring biography?  Who wants to write one? Certainly not you. 

So start up “The Biography Maker.”  Visit www.bham.wednet.edu/bio/biomaker.htm

Note: The materials may only be used by individual students using paper or digital images as part of writing biographies for class.

tutoring in Columbus OH:   Adrienne Edwards   614-579-6021   or email  aedwardstutor@columbus.rr.com