Quickly make an impact with DocsPlus
Table of contents
Implementing new software like DocsPlus across a whole school can take time. It involves training staff, coordinating approaches, and understanding your goals.
Luckily, there are lots of simple things you can do with DocsPlus to quickly have a positive impact on your students’ writing.
No matter what stage of implementation your school is in, these simple tips can help students write more, write with fewer errors, and give you valuable insights into their understanding of lessons and subject content.
Each tip requires minimal setup, but of course if you ever have any questions about any DocsPlus feature, our experts are on hand to help!
Instantly find classroom activities on LearningGrids
Making worksheets and assignments can be very time consuming for teachers. One way you can quickly take advantage of DocsPlus is by exploring the extensive collection of ready-made curriculum content on LearningGrids. You can search for a specific topic or browse the categories and subjects to find what you need.
The selection includes hundreds of WorkSpaces, which are a great tool to help learners consolidate knowledge. A WorkSpace is a visual mind mapping or planning tool that helps learners to capture and organise their ideas.
For instance, if your class has been reading a specific text in English lessons you can assign a WorkSpace to help them think about themes, plot, and characters. You can also use a WorkSpace to help learners build their understanding of scientific processes, historical events, and political systems.
Provide key vocabulary with Wordbars
If there is important subject-specific vocabulary that your students need to use, you can give them instant access to it with a Wordbar.
When using a Wordbar, a student has a bank of words at the bottom of their Document, and they can simply click the desired word to add it into their writing. They can also listen to the words read aloud to them to confirm they are choosing the correct one and reinforce the connection between the spelling of the word and how it sounds.
This is a great solution for students who may avoid using more complex words because of anxiety around spelling. It also reminds learners of the key words for the topic and prompts them to use the words more frequently in their writing.
You can choose from hundreds of ready-made curriculum focused Wordbars on LearningGrids, or you can easily create your own to meet any specific requirements you have.
Boost writing productivity with the Predictor
If you have students who face blank-page syndrome at the start of a writing task or have low writing stamina, you can boost their writing output by turning on the Predictor.
The Predictor suggests the next word in a sentence based on what the student is writing. The suggestions are grammatically correct and context-appropriate. Plus, if the student is using a topic-based Wordbar, it will prioritise words from this set to help them use the most relevant vocabulary in their work.
Having the next word suggested keeps writing momentum going as students don’t have to stop and think of what they want to say next.
Easily assess knowledge using a Cloze activity
When students have trouble with writing, it can be difficult to assess how well they are understanding lessons. A Cloze Document is a great way to quickly measure comprehension without writing or spelling issues clouding the results.
Cloze Documents are fill-in-the-blank activities, which are equipped with text-to-speech for extra support if necessary. This ensures that all students, regardless of reading level, can access the activities.
Creating a Cloze Document is quick and simple. Click the ‘New Document’ button and select ‘New Cloze Document’ from the drop-down menu. Then copy and paste the text you wish to use into the text box. You can then select ‘Express Remove’ to instantly remove a random selection of words or highlight the words you wish to remove and click ‘Remove Selected’.
Once you have removed the words, click ‘Go’, and students can instantly start working on the activity.
Provide access to curriculum content via the DocReader
If you have students who struggle with reading, you can make lesson content accessible to them using the DocReader.
The DocReader reads lesson content aloud in a clear, realistic voice. Learners can have the whole document read to them or select specific sections or words they need to hear again. This means they can work at their own pace and take extra time to understand texts when needed.
To add a document into the DocReader, select the plus icon in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen. Then select the ‘DocReader’ tab and upload the PDF or DOCX file. You can upload content from your device, a shared drive, or from folders in DocsPlus.
This simple feature takes students from being confused by complex texts, to understanding and engaging with them.
If you’d like to learn more about using DocsPlus to support your learners, you can read these blogs:
