ELR Software produces a range of computer programs designed by speech pathologists for speech, language & literacy intervention. Our programs may be used interactively within therapy sessions, to increase efficiency in service delivery, and to improve access to the Internet for people with special needs. We are also available as consultants to clinicians and research projects in the fields of literacy and accessibility issues associated with the Internet.
The aim of this newsletter is to inform you of developments and changes to our major products eLr (Extra Language Resources), Rude Readers, Word Meanings and EIA (Enhancing Internet Access). We welcome the opportunity for feedback and questions, and will be pleased to consider including reader contributions and announcements.
This Newsletter (and previous editions) is available online at www.elr.com.au/news and an email version is sent monthly to members of our mailing list (See Subscribing/Unsubscribing).
In this issue -
This month we have opened up a new subsection, introduced a new model and added a total of 57 new tasks. The new subsection is called "Differences", and it appears in Using Language. The Using Language category is also fairly new and has the aim of providing materials to encourage use of specific language. This category now includes "Sequences", and the new section "Differences", which will have a couple of subsections. The first subsection (which appears this month) is called "What is Wrong?" There are 13 new tasks which provide clients with interactive pictures where up to 6 things are wrong. The client is encouraged to find/fix the error, and to explain why it is wrong, and how/why it should be fixed.
The new model has been developed for this subsection, called "PictureFixer". There are ways to modify the task for each client, but the default setting is that a picture appears on the screen with one thing wrong at a time. Clicking the error (or the wrong thing) fixes it so that the picture is then correct. There are up to 6 errors for each picture - clicking the forward arrow brings up the next error. The task can be modified in a couple of ways: it can be made more difficult (or more fun), by selecting the number of errors that you want to appear at one time (eg by selecting "2", there will be two errors in the picture). The combination of errors is random, so each time the task is loaded, the client will be presented with errors in a random order. If the client is having difficulty detecting errors, "assist" mode can be selected. In this mode the error can be highlighted, and the client can then name the error and click the highlighted area to correct.
Forty-four tasks have also been added to "Reading and Spelling-Three Letter Words". Nineteen tasks have used the MultiButton letters model. The focus of these tasks is to provide practice in decoding (reading) three letter words where either the final or middle letter changes. These tasks will be especially useful for students who need practice taking notice of the ends of words, or the vowel sounds.
Twenty-five tasks have used the LookThenCover model. This model is currently used in the Demon Words section of Reading and Spelling. It enables the client to look at a word, say it, cover it up, write it, and then check that they have written it correctly. We received feedback that it would be good to have this type of activity in the earlier sections, such as Three Letter Words.
We have a pretty busy start to the year this year, with a series of workshops being presented in the Albury area and Sydney in early March, and also in Queensland in early April. We will be in Sydney between Mon 28th February and Friday 4th Mar, with workshops in Wodonga, Junee, Hornsby, Caringbah, Parramatta, St Ives, Lindfield and Liverpool. In April we have arranged workshops in far north Queensland between Tue 5th and Fri 8th April, and in Brisbane between Mon 11th April and Thu 14th April. Details appear at the end of this newsletter, but feel free to email us if you have any questions. Look forward to meeting interested people and receiving feedback and suggestions.
Sniff Your Socks (Volume 4) practises /s/ blends on 16 verbs "squash", "sniff", "smack" and more. Using three modal auxiliaries "could", "would", "should", the child is asked to judge "Could you sniff your socks?" = ability; "Should you sniff your socks?" = allowability; "Would you sniff your socks?" = willingness. As well as practising auxiliary fronted questions, the child has to respond with the answer - "could/couldn't"; "should shouldn't", "would/wouldn't" practising contacted negatives. The slightly naughty nature of the initial statements - "smack your teacher", "slap your sister", "squash your brother", "slurp your soup" focuses on the judgements carried by modal verbs.
ELR has a number of free or evaluation files available for downloading directly from our website. Please see www.elr.com.au/downloads.htm for specific details. For other supporting materials and documents available for free download, please see www.elr.com.au/support.htm.
- Wodonga: (St Monica's Primary School, 137 Brockley St) Monday February 28th. 9.00-10.30
- Junee: (Junee Public School, 124 Lorne St) Monday February 28th. 2.00-3.30
- Hornsby: (Mt Wilga Hospital,2 Manor Rd) Tue March 1st. 9.00-10.00 (Adult rehab focus)
- Caringbah: (Catherine Rubbi Speech Pathology Services, Suite 203, 2nd floor, 304 Kingsway) Tue March 1st. 12.00-1.30
- Parramatta: (Parramatta City library, Top floor - large meeting room, Civic Place, off MacQuarie St) Wed March 2nd. 4.00-5.30pm
- St Ives: (Ku-Ring-Gai Community Groups Centre Cnr Monavale and Rosedale Rd, St) Thu March 3rd. 3.30-5.00
- Lindfield: (Lindfield Sp Path & Learning Centre - Devon Barnes, Suite 3, 12-18 Tryon Rd) Thu March 3rd. 6.00-7.30
- Liverpool: (Liverpool City Library (room 2) 170 George St) Fri March 4th. 3.300-5.00
- Cairns: (Education Queensland) Tue April 5th. 3.00-4.30.
- Ingham: (Education Queensland) Wed April 6th. 3.30-5.00.
- Townsville: (Education Queensland) Fri April 8th. 1.30-3.00.
- Brisbane: Places, dates, times to be confirmed
Speech Pathology Australia National Conference, May 29th - June 2nd, Canberra. We will have a commercial stand during the conference with eLr, Rude Readers, Word Meanings and EIA on show.
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