In this day and time of the 21st Century, technology and its dividends have been infused into the educational system to aid learning.  As a result, many classrooms today have access to iPads or other brand-name mobile devices to improve the learning environment.  This not only helps to match up with new technology standards but also meets the expectations of our 21st Century learners.

Considering the diversity of learners in each classroom, meeting each of their individual educational needs is always a challenge, and even more challenging is adapting to the needs of struggling students with Dyslexia, ADHD, Dysgraphia or even Autism.

There is not gainsaying how passionate I am about the Multisenory Approach to teaching, not only for the struggling learner but for all students.  As I have always reiterated in my blog posts, I am constantly seeking new methods, researching products and apps that can efficiently enhance this concept of auditory, visual and tactile approach to teaching.  I vehemently believe that the Multisensory Approach to teaching and learning not only makes a better student by also makes a better teacher.

On product I would strongly recommend for this purpose is the TacScreen.

The TacScreen is a tactile iPad learning screen that easily fits on any tablet.  The TacScreen fuses the fundamental techniques of multi-sensory stimulation to an iPad and helps complement an overall learning process.

Susan Mon Pere, a USC Business Entrepreneurship graduate created the TacScreen in 2013 and subsequently founded TacScreen, Inc. in 2014.  The development of TacScreen was born out of a desire to help her oldest son, who had been diagnosed with dyslexia at age 7.  When Susan realized the school system wouldn’t provide the much-needed intervention for her son until 3rd grade, she knew she had to get creative and do something for her child.

Susan knew the signs and struggles of dyslexia as she struggled in similar ways growing up with dyslexia herself.  She was not only well versed on the importance of treating and tackling her son’s different learning needs early on, but also knew that to effectively turn around dyslexia with her son, the services of an Orton-Gillingham tutor and a speech pathologist would be needed.

Sitting in the OG tutoring facility Susan pondered on the possibility of infusing the “sense of touch”, like sand, to an iPad…and TacScreen was created.  Today, Susan is dedicated to sharing TacScreen with other kids mothers just like her!

In order to effectively write an informative, unbiased review, I had to test-run TacScreen because I knew that to find out if the TacScreen was everything it claimed to be, I would have to bring it right to my own students to try it out!

My student “testers were in Kindergarten through 4th grade.  Here are some of their responses after trying the TacScreen for the first time:

• “This is Awesome! It’s like my finger is a pencil actually writing on paper.”
• “It’s very cool! I like it because it is different.”
• “I love the bumps!”
• “I think it helps me remember what the letter “feels” like when I try to write.”
• “Can I have this?”

Teachers discovered many things they loved about the TacScreen, too:

• “The students were more engaged during the activity using the TacScreen.”
• “I can tell this will help students keep focused on the task longer.”
• I love having a Multi-sensory option with the iPads during stations.”

WHY YOU SHOULD USE THE TACSCREEN

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There are many advantages to using the TacScreen as a multisensory learning tool.  I’m going to share my top five with you!

1. EASY TO USE

The TacScreen is an easy tool to use in the classroom or at home.  It is very easy to apply and fits perfectly on any iPad.  It works with any app or document you have on your iPad!  The app you see in the pictures below is the “Writing Wizard”.  You will also see below in the pictures, the easy step-by-step process for applying the TacScreen to an iPad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

       2. ENGAGES STUDENTS IN THEIR LEARNING

• The TacScreen was created to enhance the learning process for not just a dyslexic child, but also for growing learners. After observing all kinds of learners using the TacScreen, I am convinced that this is beneficial, especially to early learners.  However, I must add that whether or not a student has learning difficulties, this product is beneficial as it engages students, helping with retention and application of information. Hear the honest and organic responses from these students  after using the TacScreen for the first time:

3.  BRINGS A MULTI-SENSORY COMPONENT TO CURRICULUM

• The TacScreen is an easy and effective way to improve the use of technology as an educational tool with a Tactile Multi-Sensory approach.

4. ACTIVATES THE TACTILE LEARNING MODALITY

• With the TacScreen, there is a powerful connection students can make – learning and touching.  Multi-Sensory teaching essentially provides three important pathways or modalities for learning:  Auditory, Visual, and Tactile/Kinesthetic.  When all three pathways are activated while learning, retention of information will be much greater.

5. AFFORDABLE

• often times, outstanding products such as the TacScreen are placed at a steep price making it inaccessible to the populace but the TacScreen is affordably priced at $19.95 and they accept P.O.’s, too!

Here is the ordering contact information:

• If you are purchasing without a P.O., go to TacScreen’s website to place your order.
• If you are using a Purchasing Order,  contact Susan at Tacscreen@gmail.com or 559-288-6881

If you need to enhance learning for your students or you are in need of something to help your struggling learners, TacScreen is the way to go as it brings Multi-Sensory strategies into your classroom.  Furthermore, any learner can benefit from tactile learning and since the TacScreen works with anything you download to your iPad, you could create a task-specific document for use on an iPad.  Ideal for student remediation or writing stations!

Ideas for teacher-created documents for student practice or review might be:

• Vocabulary: Words and Definitions
• Spelling Words
• Sentences
• Cursive Letters

Are you ready to change your students’ lives by bringing a more Multi-Sensory component into your classroom and teaching approach? Then choose the TacScreen!

You will experience a big difference in the quality of your teaching and in the engagement of your student’s learning.

TacScreen is certainly a great way to start.  If your ready, start here.

Let me know in the comments below how you would use the TacScreen  in your classroom.  I’d love to hear your ideas – remember, there is no better personal development than when teacher’s share their ideas with each other!

Make it a great week!!

Sherri

 

 Posted in ADHD, Assistive Technology, Community, Cursive writing, Dysgraphia, Dyslexia, Learning Differences, Multi-sensory learning, TacScreen, Tactile learning, writing · Tagged @ATDyslexia, #dylsexia, #dyslexiareasearch, #education, #learningdifferences, Research and Development, TacScreen.com, understood.org/en, www.learningsuccess.com