Webinar recap: Accessing the curriculum with Clicker
Undiagnosed special needs? Clicker helps keep students in class with the support they deserve
"I just want you to imagine if every [elementary] gen ed classroom were to use Clicker as their basic document for all gen ed students, not just for students in special ed or a student who struggles with writing, because it has something for everybody." - Rose Racicot, Assistive Technology Specialist & Occupational Therapist
How can you help emerging readers and writers stay in their classrooms while supporting literacy growth?
Rose Racicot, an AT Specialist and OT, was the go-to for teachers and admins when students were struggling and frustrated.
Rose believed these struggles happened because students couldn't express themselves. She searched for an assistive tech tool that supported literacy for K-5 students. She found Clicker and its built-in accessibility features helped. Students who struggled to focus on literacy for 2 minutes were now engaged for 30. Clicker improved students' motivation and confidence. It also helped teachers create an inclusive classroom. The support it provided allowed special education students to stay in their gen ed classrooms for longer.
Fast forward to October 4, 2024, Rose and I, Crick Software’s Senior Education Consultant, shared how Clicker promotes total curriculum accessibility while supporting an inclusive push-in framework.
What's covered?
- Curriculum accessibility through Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
- Differentiated instruction and support for diverse learners
- Data and analytics for informed teaching
How do you support your beginning readers and writers?
1. Curriculum accessibility through Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Clicker empowers teachers to support their students. Think of it as a supportive word processor. Teachers don't need to supplement it, and students don't need to switch tools for support.
Clicker supports multiple means of representation, engagement, and expression. Its built-in features help students with atypical entry points to learn, stay engaged, and show what they know. It includes features like text-to-speech, word prediction, and picture cues, which help students who might struggle with reading or writing.
Students can also use tools like guided word order and talk sets to stay engaged and build confidence as they work at their own pace. Whether they're just starting to write or more advanced, Clicker gives them the support they need to express their ideas in ways that work best for them.
If curriculum is the "what" of education — what students should learn — then accessibility is the "how." It's about how all students can engage with that curriculum regardless of their needs.
Clicker tools help make the curriculum usable to all students and promote classroom participation.
2. Differentiated instruction and support for diverse learners
Nothing replaces best practices in reading and writing instruction. But what happens when some students need more time while others are ready to move on? Teachers know no curriculum is perfect, so they constantly supplement it to meet their students' diverse needs. But with Clicker, the need for constant supplementation decreases considerably.
Clicker helps teachers support their students, even in large classes. Students get exactly what they need and stay right where they are — fully engaged in their gen ed classrooms. Many teachers have shared that Clicker’s well-rounded support keeps students in the classroom, allowing them to learn alongside their peers without being frequently removed for specialized instruction.
Differentiation for reading and writing with Clicker
| Reading support | Writing support |
| Speech-supported text Clicker Books has built-in text-to-speech. It helps emerging readers and students with reading difficulties. They can read along and listen to the text. | Guided sentence construction Clicker's Sentence Sets help students build sentences step-by-step. The support is scaffolded and can be reduced as students gain confidence. |
| Flexible use Clicker Books anchor lessons. Teachers can use them in whole-class read aloud or individual reading sessions. | Word prediction & picture cues Clicker has word prediction and picture cues. This helps students write independently and learn vocabulary through visuals. |
| Accessibility Clicker Books are switch-accessible for students with physical disabilities, and teachers can customize the content to meet specific student needs. | Phonetic word prediction Students who struggle with spelling can use Clicker's phonetic word prediction. It suggests words based on phonetic attempts and reads them aloud. Students won't feel frustrated or prevented from expressing their thoughts in writing. |
| Visual aids Emerging readers and English learners need visuals to aid in comprehension. Clicker includes picture cues with the words to add context and meaning. | Verbalization before writing Students can use Voice Notes to express their thoughts before writing in a Clicker Document or Clicker Board. This low-pressure method helps students who struggle with writing. Any vocabulary collected in a Clicker Board can also be exported into a picture supported Word Bank. |
And that's only some of what Clicker offers. Clicker has even more flexible tools to support differentiated instruction. That way, teachers can easily control what supports to use. It makes personalizing help for each student easier without adding to their workload.
3. Data and analytics for informed teaching
How can you know if the tools you're using are working?
Clicker keeps track and collects data for administrators and teachers. Then, it provides actionable insights into how students engage with its features. Educators can easily see, for example, if students rely on word prediction or phonetic spellings. It also tracks how scaffolds, like guided sentence construction, are used. It shows when students are ready to move on without extra support. It even highlights trends, like students who benefit from:
- speech feedback during writing activities
- picture cues for vocabulary
- extra time spent on tasks
Clicker tracks all this data and more. As a result, it helps with parent communication, lesson planning, and IEP writing.
This data isn't meant for tracking; it's for acting. The real-time insights empower teachers to adjust their instruction immediately. Literacy learning means meeting students at their level. It means giving them the right support at the right time. That's how progress is made.
What’s stopping student growth - your curriculum or accessibility?
If you change your K-5 literacy and writing curriculum every few years to support student growth, it's not a problem with your curriculum. It's an accessibility issue. Successful literacy programs allow all students to express themselves. This means every student, especially those with low literacy, takes part.
You don't need to wait for your next curriculum overhaul. Clicker can help your students succeed today, without teachers having to over-supplement it.
Additional resources
Want to know more about Rose's personal experiences using Clicker with struggling students? Read her case study now.
