Case study: 1

As you read the case study consider:

• What was the pupil need being addressed?
• What assistive technology was used to address this?
• How did the teacher effectively implement the assistive technology?

In my Year 4 class, I worked with a pupil who had significant difficulties with decoding and transcription. They were an articulate and thoughtful pupil who contributed well during class discussions and could explain their ideas clearly. However, the pupil struggled with decoding, spelling, and getting their ideas onto the page in written form. Their written work was minimal, and I could see this was also affecting their self‑esteem.

As part of the graduated approach, I worked with the SENCO to review the strategies already in place and to consider what further support might help the pupil. We met with their parents to discuss progress and agreed that although targeted literacy intervention was helping, they still faced significant barriers when tasks required extended writing.

To ensure we were making informed decisions, the SENCO sought advice from the Local Authority's Specialist Teaching Service. The specialist teacher observed the pupil in class, looked at their work, and discussed their learning profile with us. Their advice highlighted that the pupil's strong verbal and comprehension skills meant they may benefit from a form of assistive technology, which would support them to share their ideas more freely and reduce the barriers. The specialist recommended using a speech-to-text tool for this.

When introducing the technology, I was conscious of not making the pupil feel singled out, particularly as they already struggled with self-confidence. As a school we already used Google Classroom, so I made use of the free built in speech-to-text tool. This meant I could implement it straight away through a mechanism already familiar to pupils.

I modelled how and when to use the tool during shared writing and added it to the classroom's list of available writing strategies. Where appropriate, that specific pupil was encouraged to choose between handwriting, typing, or dictation during certain tasks, making the technology a normal and accepted part of everyday learning. I also ran a 1:1 session with the pupil to build their confidence with the tool and ensure they knew how and when to use the technology.

This tool didn't replace the targeted literacy support the pupil received, but it meant that when tasks were focused on aspects such as comprehension, creative writing or sharing of ideas, the pupil was able to participate more confidently and demonstrate their understanding.

Over time, the pupil's written output increased significantly, and they became more confident sharing work. Because the technology was built into classroom routines, they did not feel different from their peers. The approach not only supported the pupil's progress but also fostered a more inclusive classroom culture where multiple ways of accessing and producing work were valued. Having successfully used the speech-to-text tool in this context, I shared the approach with other teachers so that it could be applied more widely as an adaptive teaching scaffold.

Once you’ve reflected on the questions above, expand the sections below to explore possible responses.

Possible responses

What was the pupil need being addressed?

• The teacher identified the pupil struggled with aspects of literacy such as decoding, spelling, and expressing their ideas through written form.

What assistive technology was used to address this?

• To address this, they implemented speech-to-text software.

How did the teacher effectively implement the assistive technology?

• The teacher sought advice from their SENCO and an external specialist to ensure they were using the most appropriate assistive technology for the pupil’s needs.
• The teacher provided training on how to use the software effectively and provided additional support for the pupil. 

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