IMPROVING STUDENTS ’ LITERACY AND LEARNING WITH TEXTHELP ' S READ & WRITE SOFTWARE AT WINCHESTER JEBEL ALI SCHOOL
overseen by Pallavi Mallick , Head of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities . An experienced SENCO and trainer , Pallavi specialises in the design of individualised education plans ( IEPs ) to ensure that the full potential of every student is realised .
Reinforcing the school ’ s excellent reputation for supporting students with additional learning support needs , Pallavi recommended implementing Read & Write at Jebel Ali after encountering it at other schools in the GEMS Education network .
Every school has the desire to help each pupil reach their full potential . EdTech has its place to support this ambition by providing the tools to meet the challenges that every classroom faces - the need for differentiated instruction ; the support of additional learning needs and the capability to stretch and challenge those high achievers . All whilst promoting digital skills , encouraging independence and building confidence .
All this , whilst ensuring they meet KHDA rankings for attainment , satisfying parents demands for progress and providing support for students ’ individual needs to ensure progression , literacy development and language learning . Schools now , more than ever , need the tools and the strategies to meet these challenges .
We can take a look at how a local School tackled some of these demands by incorporating edtech software Read & Write from Texthelp Ltd . Located in the vibrant United Arab Emirates capital , The Winchester School - Jebel Ali is one of Dubai ’ s most respected and sought-after private schools .
Established in 2003 , it ’ s a leading destination for quality education for families in the UAE and beyond . The Winchester School is also part of GEMS Education ( Global Education Management Systems ) – the world ’ s largest operator of K-12 schools with a network of over 70 establishments .
As a Microsoft Showcase School , it ’ s part of a global community of schools engaged in digital transformation to improve teaching and learning , creating immersive experiences through technology to inspire lifelong learning and stimulate the development of essential life skills .
Embracing every student ’ s needs
Numbering over 3,000 , The Winchester School ’ s roll includes more than a hundred students identified as having a range of special educational needs . These range from physical disabilities to dyslexia , autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders .
To help these students with a wide range of everyday literacy challenges , the introduction of Texthelp ’ s Read & Write software has been
Read & Write was developed by Texthelp to provide the necessary tools for all students to support their reading , writing , vocabulary , comprehension and language development skills regardless of ability . The software has features such as text to speech , multiple language support , picture dictionary , spell check and prediction to build confidence and fluency in students .
Virtually all the Winchester School ’ s primary teachers have already been trained to use Read & Write with their students . Pallavi hopes that this training will soon be extended to benefit all pupils up to the age of 16 .
“ Read & Write works really well for our students ”, notes Pallavi . “ We ’ ve already got it installed on virtually all of our classroom laptops . And our site-wide license also allows our pupils to have it on their own computers , helping them with homework and independent study .”
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