Module 2 – Specialist High Tech Options & Microsoft 365

[noirin lucey]

For SEN pupils between the ages of 5 and 12, Microsoft’s Immersive Reader is a potent tool that can significantly support literacy in special needs classrooms. For educators, this inclusive software is a priceless resource because it offers a variety of features that cater to various learning styles and abilities.

The Immersive Reader has text-to-speech capabilities that let students who struggle with reading or have visual impairments hear the text read aloud to them. This improves understanding and motivates reluctant readers to interact with the material on their own. The tool also aids bilingual students by offering simultaneous text translation into multiple languages ,which will be particularly useful for our new EAL pupils. The Immersive Reader also offers the option to customise text appearance to suit personal preferences.

For students with dyslexia or attention issues, the ability to customise font size, spacing, and background colour reduces visual stress and improves focus. The ability to break complex words down into syllables, which promotes phonemic awareness and helps students who have trouble decoding, is another essential quality. The syllable highlighting feature helps students understand word structure, which enhances their reading and spelling abilities.

Additionally, the Picture Dictionary feature promotes vocabulary growth by connecting words to appropriate pictures. This helps students with learning disabilities and delayed language comprehension by improving word comprehension and memory. The read-aloud and highlighter features of the Immersive Reader also aid comprehension by enabling students to follow along visually while listening. This strengthens the relationship between spoken and written words.

In conclusion, Microsoft’s Immersive Reader is an adaptable and inclusive tool that can greatly aid literacy in special needs classrooms. For students with a range of abilities and needs, its text-to-speech, customisation, syllable highlighting, picture dictionary, and comprehension features create an engaging and accessible learning environment will foster  effective learning.

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