Curriculum RelevanceThe software supports Literacy, specifically word and sentence work. Each activity is labelled with the relevant NLS code for Year 4 and they are grouped in the three terms. The activities fit easily into the terms planning. They are designed to be used in the 'independent work' session of the Literacy Hour and they cover almost all the objectives in word and sentence level work. They are presented in six different formats: cloze activities, where given words are placed into blanks in a story or list of sentences; comprehension, where pupils choose the correct response from a choice of four; edit, where mistakes in a passage have to be found and corrected; quiz, where the correct answer has to be picked out; question & answer, where an answer has to be typed in and identify, where words or phrases have to be identified and selected. These activities can also be printed out as worksheets to use away from the computer. Activities completed on the computer are saved and reports on each child can be printed out.
The use of this software requires no special ICT skills. All children found it easy to use. They were familiar with loading software and the instructions given orally and written on the screen were clear and easily followed. Design & NavigationChildren are able to use the program with minimal help. The vocabulary is suitable for the age group and the icons used capture their interest. There is a choice of characters to give instructions and help, so the teacher can select a suitable interface for each child. The introductory sequence and any instructions can be ignored by selecting required options and the program responds quickly. Once an activity has been selected and started, it must be completed or no score will be recorded. However, you are allowed to leave before completion and a warning is given that no score will result.
It is simple to navigate around the program. Once logged on, a child can select from activities set by the teacher. When they are completed, the child can check whether they are correct. If there are any mistakes the child is invited to try again. A 'show me' button can be pressed for the correct answers and the child can 'start again', if they wish to have a second attempt.
There are no note making facilities, but a record is kept and can be saved as a TEXT file and printed out by the teacher, for monitoring.
A certificate is also available for printing out, giving scores achieved in a session, but this is only available immediately after the session. Once another person logs on, the facility is lost. Ease of UseThe title is designed to be used by children working on their own. There is a password-protected section for the teacher. This allows names to be input, activities to be selected, worksheets to be printed and reports to be looked at. Preferred options can also be selected.
It is possible for the children to register their own names and select from the full list of activities, if the teacher desires.
The character interface talks the user through all the stages and soon becomes expendable as the user gains confidence.
There is a simple menu from which the user can access the main menu, the activity menu, log in and print certificates. It is necessary to go to the main menu to exit the program and to access the teacher menu.
The documentation is clear and concise. Loading instructions are simple and details of how the software works are given with useful illustrations.
The software is very specifically targeted to one year group and activities grouped for each term. The software provides another dimension to the practise of spelling and grammar within the Literacy Hour. The facility to print the worksheets is useful, as it means all children can take part in the activities. Use of the computer helps motivation and gives instant feedback, but is not essential for the exercises. Special NeedsThe instructions are spoken, but the exercises are not. The text is not changeable and is quite small, so would not be suitable for children with visual problems or slow readers. The work is targeted at the Year 4 level. It is not possible to simplify the activities or shorten the tasks, so I would not use this resource for children with Special Educational Needs. CoursewareThe entire resource consists of exercises displayed on the screen. They are very easily accessed. There is no progression in difficulty, although some of the activities were challenging and some very easy.
The user must finish the exercises before clicking the 'Am I right?' button; a total score for the whole exercise is given. Therefore, it is not possible to answer one or two questions and check whether they are correct. Some of the activities give feedback after each question. The comments are varied, encouraging and supportive. The user is urged to 'try again' if there is a wrong answer. Scores are saved in the 'student record' section, with dates. They can be saved as a text file and printed.
There are around 180 activities, so it should not be necessary to repeat any of them! ConclusionThe software successfully achieves its objectives. These are to help the busy teacher integrate ICT into the Literacy Hour and use the activities to motivate children. The activities cover the phonics, spelling, vocabulary, grammar and punctuation of the Literacy Strategy for Year 4 and provide practise, once the necessary instruction has taken place. The varied short activities are a tool to be used during 'independent group work'. A record is kept, so the teacher can keep track of each child and check that work has been covered. The children receive encouraging feedback and are shown the answers if they request help. They can progress at their own rate and the use of the computer enables work to be checked and corrected.
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