Spelling & Technology

Spelling has never been my forte.  That being said, I never understood the concept of looking up words in the dictionary that you don’t know how to spell.  I remember having teachers in school that would say, “Go look it up in the dictionary.”  In my mind I was always thinking, “I would if I knew how to spell it.”

I shared the above story because many students with special needs also struggle with spelling, and I understand their frustration with the dictionary.   I recently discovered a new dictionary app that I love. It makes sense to me!  I believe it will make sense to many of the students you serve too.  My new favorite dictionary comes in the form of an ipad app.  It is The Merriam-Webster Dictionary.  This dictionary app offers a voice search tool.  No more looking for the word “phone” in the F’s for elementary students, or the word “psychology” in the S’s for middle school students.  Technology is a wonderful thing!  If you have an ipad, check out The Merriam-Webster Dictionary.  It is free to download.  Better yet, if you know of individuals that struggle with spelling, tell them about it!