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Nearly all word processing programs come with a built-in spell-checking tool. These spell checkers are valuable to students with learning disabilities, since many written language disabilities include a difficulty with spelling. Spell checkers perform two important functions: they identify misspelled words and suggest correct spellings.
The process for using spell checkers is fairly universal in most programs. The spell checker scans a document against the program's dictionary, on command or automatically, and flags misspelled words visually and/or auditorily. Automatic spell checkers (ones that identify misspellings as you type) can be visually and emotionally disruptive for some students. As it scans the document and flags misspelled words, the spell checker will display a list of spelling suggestions. The user then selects the intended word, and the spell checker automatically replaces the misspelled word in the document.
Spell Checker Challenges
While spell checkers are invaluable to many users, they are not without several serious limitations for students with learning disabilities. Spell checkers cannot identify 30%-40% of the spelling errors that are real words (MacArthur, 1998). For example, in the following sentence, the spell checker missed the italicized words because they are real words:
"After the cloths our finished drying, if you don't fold them they will wriggle."
One way to overcome this problem with spell check, is to use it in tandem with a synthesized speech program, so the student can hear the word.
Another significant problem students with learning disabilities have is that spell checkers do not always offer useful spelling suggestions for severely misspelled words. If the student cannot estimate the spelling of the intended word (and many cannot), spell check is of little use. A third limitation is that when a suggested list of words appears, many of them visually similar, it is difficult for the user to identify the intended word. For example, if a student misspells contand for content, the spell check offers the following words:
contained, content, context, contest, and connote, which are very difficult to differentiate for students with decoding weaknesses.
A spell checker study done in 1996 found that students with learning disabilities correctly selected the intended word 82% of the time (MacArthur, 1998)). A student can avoid selecting the wrong word by cross-checking with a thesaurus or, again, using synthesized speech. A final limitation to spell checkers is that proper nouns are often flagged as errors, which can be confusing for students with learning disabilities.
Pocket Spellers
In addition to spell checkers bundled into word processing programs, there are stand-alone spell checkers that are hand-held and run on batteries. Franklin Spellers (Franklin Electronic Publishers, 2000) are portable electronic spelling correctors with a thesaurus feature. Some models have speech functions. The dictionary can correct over 110,000 words, provides 500,000 synonyms and antonyms, defines sound-alike words, and much more. The synthesized-speech models are especially useful to backup a word processors' spell checker. They are also useful for reading. When students encounter an unfamiliar word, they can type it in and hear the pronunciation and its definition.
User Implications
Since spelling is often one of the major barriers to writing for students with learning disabilities, most students gladly accept the limitations of spell checkers, weighed against the benefits. Despite limitations, such as ineffectiveness with severe spelling problems and visual confusion when displaying the suggested word lists, spell checkers are most effective with students who have ample phonological awareness to approximate the sounds of the intended word. They also tends to be better suited for students with visual discrimination skills, who can distinguish between similar-looking words.
Students with learning disabilities should realize spell checkers are very useful, but not 100% accurate. Regardless of the specific learning profile of an individual, spell checkers, used in conjunction with other strategies, can help enormously. Cross-checking misspelled words with stand-alone spell checkers, or a thesaurus, can minimize common spell checker oversights; using synthesized speech allows students to hear the word suggestions; defining words helps students better identify the intended choice.
Some studies indicate that spell checkers not only compensate for poor spelling, but also can be used as a tool to improve spelling. When students are encouraged to attempt alternative spellings before using a spell check, they flex both phonetic and visual skills.
Although spell checkers are fairly straight forward and user-friendly, they are only as good as the student's ability to use them. For example, most spell checkers include options to customize the dictionary to include proper nouns and acronyms. Other features include setting the spell checker to "auto correct" which automatically corrects the spelling of frequently misspelled words. For students who are distracted by the squiggled underline marking misspelled words, the programs can be set to hide misspelled words, until the student spell checks the document. As with all assistive technology, it is extremely important that students with learning disabilities be trained to use the technology in a way that will most empower their writing potential.
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