ELR Software produces 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) and Word Meanings. We welcome the opportunity for feedback and questions, and will be pleased to consider including reader contributions and announcements.
This Newsletter (and previous editions) as well as a "print-ready" PDF version of the current edition is available online at www.elr.com.au/news. An email version is also sent monthly to members of our mailing list (See Subscribing/Unsubscribing).
In this issue -
One hundred and five new tasks have been added across all sections of "Systematic Synthetics Phonics" within "Reading and Spelling Early Skills". The new tasks use the Jumping letters model: isolated graphemes or words appear on the screen and the student is encouraged to say the sound(s) associated with each grapheme, or decode/pronounce each word. New items are produced with each click on the current item.
Use of the Jumping letters model provides the learner with multiple opportunities to practice grapheme-phoneme knowledge and achieve accurate decoding of words that contain those letter-sounds. It is especially useful when used in conjunction with the range of other models in these sections: The WordSound Buttons and WordSearch to encourage the student to sound out and blend the sounds to read each word; LookThenCover and SmileyMan to encourage recall of spelling patterns; WordBreaker, a word study approach for multisyllabic words, and MemoryWords and ConnectWords to provide fun activities to consolidate automatic recognition of previously decoded words.
Systematic Synthetic Phonics teaches early word reading by introducing grapheme-phoneme relationships in a systematic scope and sequence, and providing opportunities to blend (for reading) and segment (for spelling) words that contain those graphemes. This approach is consistent with a large body of evidence showing that interventions that encourage accurate decoding (sounding out and blending) and multiple exposures of words are the most effective strategies to support development of automatic word recognition - an important skill for fluent reading.
As with all eLr materials, an interactive session with an instructor is an essential component of early word reading and spelling development. It allows the student to receive feedback about accuracy of decoding and encoding, and enables word reading development to occur within a rich oral language environment.
We welcome your feedback about these tasks and any aspect of eLr, as well as your suggestions about additions and modifications to eLr.
Given the unprecedented demand for clinicians to be using teletherapy, we are offering free, customised webinars to assist any individuals or groups who'd like learn (or share) more information. For a current listing of available webinars, please see www.elr.com.au/support/events.htm
As mentioned last month, we've recently developed a series of short instructive videos about aspects of using eLr which are available at www.elr.com.au/showme. They are grouped as "Clinical insights" which cover oral language, speech sound disorders, and literacy intervention areas; "How to ..." which outlines the process of providing free home practice for your clients; and "Some of the eLr models" which are short snippets showing how to use some of the eLr models (activity types).
We have more topics on our to-do list, but please let us know if there are any particular topics you'd like covered.
As an occasional feature of this Newsletter, we include simple, unpaid announcements of products developed by other small, independent developers, who, like ourselves, are practising clinicians who have put their ideas and experience into resource materials for general distribution. Links and brief information about these sites may be found at www.elr.com.au/links/developers.htm. To date we have listed -
If you would like your materials listed on this page (at no charge), please contact us.
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.
ELR Software offers free eLr tutorials over the web. We can provide this sort of support to individuals, or to groups who would like to have an overview of eLr. We are also offering free Coviu sessions to allow clinicians to get a feel for teletherapy, and in particular the advantages of using eLr for Coviu. Please contact us for details.
For a current listing of available webinars, please see www.elr.com.au/support/events.htm
You are receiving ELR-News because you are an eLr subscriber, or have expressed an interest in either eLr, Build-a-Sentence or Word Meanings. To subscribe or unsubscribe, send an e-mail with details to news@elr.com.au
Copyright ©2021 ELR Software Pty Ltd
| Postal |
ELR Software Pty Ltd PO Box 1456 Bairnsdale VIC 3875, Australia |
| Phone International |
(03) 5156 8309 +61 3 5156 8309 |
| Fax International |
(03) 5156 8609 +61 3 5156 8609 |