– How one pupil’s learning has been completely transformed by Clicker

I’m a support-for-learning teacher in an Aberdeenshire primary school, and I want to share the story of one of our incredible P4 pupils’ learning journey with Clicker.

‘He’d often anticipate the frustration and discomfort of writing’

This boy has always been bright, full of ideas, and eager to learn, but writing was a huge challenge for him. He has significant fine motor difficulties, and holding a pencil caused him so much pain that even writing a short sentence was proving impossible. He’d often anticipate the frustration and discomfort of writing tasks, which led to emotional outbursts that disrupted his learning and his peers.

We knew he had other challenges in the background, but improving his access to learning was something we could help immediately. We’d tried various strategies, including speech-to-text tools, but they weren’t effective because his young voice and speech immaturities meant they often wrote down the wrong word - and that only increased his frustration! On the recommendation of another local school, we decided to trial Clicker – and honestly, it’s been transformative.

‘Clicker has made writing enjoyable for him, something I never thought I’d see’

Clicker has completely removed the writing barrier for this pupil. Clicker’s Word Banks were an instant hit – he loves being able to tap words onto the page instead of struggling to write them out by hand. Because he’s such a strong reader, he uses them effortlessly, and his teachers can easily customise them to include his own ideas. Within just four weeks, he was working entirely independently on Clicker.

One of the things he loves most is the playback feature. Hearing his writing read back to him helps with editing – he notices when something doesn’t sound right or when he’s missed a word, and he can fix it on his own. It’s also a huge confidence booster. He’s so proud of his work now that he’ll play it back for his teachers and friends (sometimes at full volume!), wanting everyone to hear what he’s written.

Clicker has made writing enjoyable for him, something I never thought I’d see. He’s even able to add pictures to his work, which he really enjoys. His confidence has soared, his writing has improved, and his emotional outbursts have significantly decreased because writing is no longer a painful or frustrating experience.

Another big win is how easy it is to save his work. Everything goes straight to OneDrive, so his teachers and parents can see it immediately. His parents love being able to see his progress, and his work can be printed and added to his jotter when needed. It’s given us such a clear and accessible record of how far he’s come.

‘He no longer needs one-to-one support for writing’

Clicker hasn’t just helped him – it’s completely changed the dynamic of our classroom. Before, we had to timetable one-to-one adult support for any writing tasks. The teacher or pupil support assistant (PSA) had to act as his scribe and manage his emotional outbursts. This often meant the rest of the class wasn’t getting the attention they needed.

Now, he doesn’t need that support at all. He works independently during writing lessons, freeing up the teacher to focus on the entire class. We’ve even been able to reassign the PSA to support other children around school, which has made a huge difference.

He no longer needs one-to-one adult support for writing, and that alone has been a huge breakthrough for both him and the school. The classroom feels calmer now. We’re not dealing with the emotional outbursts that used to disrupt lessons, and the teacher doesn’t have to juggle so much anymore. Clicker has created a much more balanced and positive environment for everyone.

‘Clicker is one of the best investments we’ve ever made’

For us as a school, Clicker has been a total game-changer. The time, energy, and resources it’s saved us – not to mention the positive impact on this boy’s learning and emotional wellbeing – make it one of the best investments we’ve ever made.

We’ve shared his story with other local schools because it’s such a brilliant example of how Clicker can help with more learning barriers than you might expect. This boy’s challenges were rooted in fine motor difficulties, and Clicker has been the perfect solution. It’s also a tool that will grow with him.

The financial savings have been significant too. When we think about the cost of the one-to-one support he used to need, the investment in Clicker has more than paid for itself. But beyond the practical benefits, the change in him has been incredible. He’s finally able to share all the amazing ideas that were locked in his head before.

For me, seeing him thrive has been the most rewarding part. Clicker hasn’t just supported his learning – it’s transformed his approach to school and given him a sense of pride and independence that will carry him forward. I can’t wait to see what he achieves next!