The impact of word prediction software on writing

26th August 2024 - Stacey Shubitz

The backstory

After a three-hour surgery in early July, I woke up feeling a bit disoriented in the hospital bed. As the anesthesia wore off, I gradually became more coherent and could communicate with the nursing staff. However, I spent most of my overnight stay feeling like I was in a fog. I struggled to find the right words mid-sentence, which was frustrating because I needed to communicate what I needed.?

The next day, I communicated as I typically do. That’s when I drew the parallel between my frustrations of not finding the right words after surgery and the struggles many people go through as writers.?

The context

Being a fluent writer feels out of reach for many kids due to circumstances outside their control. Striving writers, whether they face challenges to meet grade-level benchmarks or have a language-based learning disability such as Dyslexia, often struggle to find the right words. In addition, English language learners may grapple with the intricacies of English, which causes them to slow down when writing. Also, students with more severe learning disabilities may have difficulty putting their words onto the page. All of these kinds of writers benefit from accessibility tools like word prediction software, which can increase their writing fluency and allow them to move through the writing process with greater ease.

The big picture

Word prediction tools prove invaluable for young writers. They enhance writing efficiency, accuracy, accessibility, and confidence by reducing keystrokes, minimizing errors, supporting users with diverse needs, and improving overall writing fluency.

Word prediction offers four distinct benefits to learners with writing difficulty.

• Increased Efficiency: Word prediction reduces keystrokes and allows faster writing by providing contextually relevant words and phrases learners can insert with fewer keystrokes. Once a writer sees the word they want, they can simply type the number next to the predicted word, which will be inserted in their document. Reducing the physical effort it takes to type can be transformative for students with fine motor difficulties or emerging keyboarding skills since word prediction allows a child to select their intended word with fewer keystrokes.
• Improved Accuracy: Word prediction tools reduce the cognitive demands when students engage in transcription. This is valuable so students can focus on the message they want their writing to convey instead of worrying about whether they’ve spelled words correctly. In addition, typos, phonetic spelling errors, and easily confused words get corrected as they type.
• Enhanced Accessibility: Various accessibility features reduce a student's cognitive load while they’re engaged in transcription. This matters because accessibility features can alleviate the anxiety associated with word retrieval:

Using a topic-specific vocabulary feature: This feature offers words related to a particular subject and helps students with difficulty recalling specific terminology. It can particularly benefit learners with memory-related cognitive disabilities or language-processing issues. When there’s a topic feature built into a word prediction program, students can easily find relevant vocabulary for almost any subject. Students might increase their vocabulary due to topic-specific suggestions they encounter.

Tackling Fine Motor Demands: While word prediction might not increase a student’s typing speed, it can reduce motor fatigue by reducing the number of keystrokes they make and eliminating the need to fumble with the shift keys.

• Increased Confidence: Young writers can take greater risks and use more complex words in their writing, rather than default to utilizing simpler words they know how to spell accurately. In addition, word prediction allows students to become more fluent writers since they can focus on communicating big ideas in their writing, rather than getting stuck when attempting to recall a word, the correct spelling, or use more sophisticated language.

Word prediction doesn’t compose a text or do the writing for someone. Rather, it looks at the context of a piece of writing and makes relevant suggestions to help a writer get their thoughts on the page.

One small shift

All students, not just those with an Individualized Education Plan (or IEP) or 504 Plan , can benefit from having access to word prediction software. Making word prediction software available to all students reduces the stigma sometimes associated with using assistive technology. In addition, having word prediction available to all students means that students with undiagnosed learning disabilities and temporary disabilities – such as a broken wrist – can use word prediction whenever needed. Further, providing access to word prediction for all students means that all children can learn how to use it, thereby removing any stigma for needing the extra support and eliminating the need to later add it onto an IEP or a 504 Plan as an accommodation.

The bottom line

Word prediction reduces students' cognitive and fine motor demands, allowing them to go through the writing process with an emphasis on drafting, rather than concerning themselves with accurate keyboarding and correct spelling.?

Discover more

• Beyond spelling: How word prediction software enhances the writing process?
• Empowering individuals with dyslexia ?

Stacey Shubitz is the Chief of Operations and Lead Writer at Two Writing Teachers and the co-host of the Two Writing Teachers Podcast. A certified literacy specialist and former classroom teacher, she has experience teaching fifth grade in East Harlem, NY, and fourth grade in Central Falls, RI. In 2009, she transitioned to a career as a literacy consultant in Pennsylvania. She consults with school districts and presents at local, state, and national conferences.

Stacey is the author of Craft Moves: Lesson Sets for Teaching Writing with Mentor Texts and co-authored several other educational books about writing instruction. Currently, she is writing a practical guide offering firsthand insights and expertise for parents and caregivers navigating the complexities of special education in grades K-6. From understanding legal frameworks to fostering self-advocacy skills, the book will provide essential tools and real-life examples to advocate for children with higher support needs confidently.

Online Connections:

● ? ? Blog: https://twowritingteachers.org

● ? ? Podcast: Two Writing Teachers Podcast

● ? ? Website: Shubitz Literacy LLC