How word prediction works

Here's how it works: After a student selects each letter, a list of words appears on the screen beginning with the letter or letter sequence typed. Each time a letter is added, the list is updated. When the desired word appears in the list, students can choose the word and insert it into their text with a single keystroke (each word is numbered so students need only type in a number when the right word appears).

For example, if a student wants to write the word tomorrow, first she selects a t and the following list of common t words appears in the word prediction window below:

Since her target word does not appear in this list, the student types o, the next letter in tomorrow, and a list of to words appears in the word prediction window (bottom left).

Now that the target word has appeared, the student selects the number 2 key and tomorrow is inserted into the text followed by a space. The number of keystrokes for writing tomorrow has been reduced from nine to four.

This material was developed by the National Center to Improve Practice (NCIP), located at Education Development Center, Inc. in Newton, Massachusetts. NCIP was funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs from October 1, 1992 - September 30, 1998, Grant #H180N20013. Permission is granted to copy and disseminate this information. If you do so, please cite NCIP. Contents do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of Education, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by NCIP, EDC, or the U.S. Government. This site was last updated in September 1998.

Collection: Word Prediction

NCIP Profile: How word prediction works