Communicate: Symwriter Help Sheet Beginner Tutorial - Widgit

Communicate: Symwriter Help Sheet Beginner Tutorial Starting with a document Open the program. The top row of buttons For students, starting with the easiest on the left to hardest on the right. (We will look at these later) Click on the Write document button This is the Expert Interface/Teacher button. This toolbar is complicated because it has everything you might want. There are simpler ones available. Adding and changing text and symbols We can start to write immediately without having to make a box first. This is continuous flow from one page to another. Type ‘We see daffodils and tulips in the spring.’ When wanting to change the appearance of symbols many things are similar to Communicate: In Print.  The symbol browser to the right shows and lets you choose alternative symbols, including choosing no support.  You must highlight the words for the colour and skin tone buttons to work.  The cat/sam button is the same. Qualifiers You can also choose to have qualifiers supporting a word. There are three types:  Plural- plus marks appear next to a symbol  Tense- and arrow pointing left appears above a symbol  Comparative (er/est) – exclamation points appear next to a symbol Click your cursor into the word ‘tulips’. Right click and choose plural qualifiers to make them disappear/appear. Communicate: SymWriter Beginner Tutorial Created by Jayne Locke, SIP www.widgit.com

Using pictures Click on the Graphics tab. Open the Photos folder and then Plants. Look at the two little icons at the top: Hover your mouse over each one in turn to show the tool tip.

Insert pictures into the document

Replace symbols with pictures

Click on the Insert Pictures button Click on the photo of daffodils Click to the left of the sentence you have just written Notice that the sentence has word wrapped beside the picture Click on the picture to re-size it To replace the symbol for daffodil with this picture Click on the Replace Symbol button icon Click on the daffodil picture in the graphics panel Click into the word ‘daffodil’ in your document Formatting Text and Symbols You can easily change the size of the text and symbols Highlight the text and click on the size up and down icons

Click here to change Text Click here to change Symbols

Alternatively you can set the sizes independently using the individual drop down size boxes. Communicate: SymWriter Beginner Tutorial Created by Jayne Locke, SIP www.widgit.com

Formatting pictures and captions Click at the beginning of the text and press return Click on the text alignment buttons to centre the text Click on the picture of the daffodils

Click on the alignment buttons to move the picture Drag the corner of the picture to make it bigger

Communicate: SymWriter Beginner Tutorial Created by Jayne Locke, SIP www.widgit.com

Writing in text mode Close this document and open a new one:

Click on show symbols button to hide symbols for text only

Use the drop down menu to make the font bigger

Type “I can here the waivs” “waivs” is highlighted in pink to show it is a mis-spelling

Right click on this to see the spelling suggestions Choose the correct spelling

NOTE: You can still see the meaning of words in the symbol browser even when writing in text. Click in the word ‘here’ and see its meaning. This would help a child to see they had the wrong word.

Communicate: SymWriter Beginner Tutorial Created by Jayne Locke, SIP www.widgit.com

Symbol support in Text Mode You can also turn on specific symbols in a text document by clicking on the symbol in the panel, or pressing the F9 key. This is very useful for making worksheets to just support new, selected or difficult vocabulary.

Interfaces Clearly this interface is too complicated for most early writers. Return to the launcher and look at the different interfaces.

Configuring Interfaces Re enter the program in the Write Document interface Select View>Configure Interface

Communicate: SymWriter Beginner Tutorial Created by Jayne Locke, SIP www.widgit.com

To modify one of the student toolbars Click Open Interface Choose ‘Green’ Click on the items on the list to the left As you do so you will see different sections of the toolbars are highlighted Click on the items on the list to the right These are the different buttons found on the selected toolbar on the left. Select the first item on the left (Page Navigation) Delete the toolbar by clicking on the X button at the top of that panel

Select the second item on the left (Main) Delete the Print button by choosing it from the right and clicking on the X button in the middle of the panel

Communicate: SymWriter Beginner Tutorial Created by Jayne Locke, SIP www.widgit.com

Add a button to the interface Choose a toolbar from the left you would like to add a button to Choose a button from the middle you would like to add Click on the add button (right arrow) from the middle of the panel to add the button

Change the size of the buttons Use the slide at the bottom of the panel to change the size of the buttons Click into All Toolbars to affect them all Click onto Selected Toolbars (selecting which tool bar you want to change from the top left) to affect selected toolbars

Communicate: SymWriter Beginner Tutorial Created by Jayne Locke, SIP www.widgit.com

Add the interface to the launcher screen You can add an interface for a specific user to the launcher so they can access their individualised buttons and button size Click on Save Interface button when your interface is the way you want it to look

Save the interface with a memorable name

Click on the Launcher tab.

Select your new interface file from the drop next to Choose the interface

Type in the text you want to see on the launcher next to Button Text

Browse for a picture for the button by clicking on the folder icon next to Button Picture Click Add.

NOTE: You can save up to 10 user-defined buttons, suitable for individual, groups or for specific activities

Communicate: SymWriter Beginner Tutorial Created by Jayne Locke, SIP www.widgit.com