Double clickin P-Animals (word + media)

[CCSimplicity]

Just noticed that for this favorite you need to double click on the mouse to move the the next screen and there is an arrow symbol that keeps appearing, not sure if this was done on purpose. The other favorites do not have the arrow or need to double click.

[lawrencelb]

yeah, I noticed the arrow as well, CCSimplicity.  At first, I thought it maybe could be used to click on the individual graphemes of a word to hear their individual sounds, but it doesn't appear to have that function.

Maybe this is something that could be a feature in the future??  I think the purpose of this program could really be expanded by


As for the double clicking, I hadn't noticed that b/c I'm still too busy arm wrestling my kiddo away from trying to click on the keyboard and mouse himself!! 

[KL]

Thanks for pointing out that confusion.

Both have to do with the POINTER.  Yes, that's what that arrow is, and you can turn it on and off on the playback settings by checking/unchecking the box next to where it says "Pointer."

The purpose of this pointer is to allow you to point to each syllable of the word, or each word of the phrase, or simply to show your child that the word is read from left to right, so that instead of having your child simply memorize this word as a whole picture, he/she will start to understand how the language (or each word) is read (from left to right), and also that it is made of different syllables.

As for the requirement to double-click, this was a new feature added in v1.02 in response to this thread:
http://forum.brillkids.com/little-reader/the-pointer/
Basically, it's to give you time to position the pointer before the pronunciation starts.

We really need to explain the pointer better, and I thank you for pointing it out!

Please let us know if that clears things up!

Lawrencelb, your sentence seems to be cut short:

Maybe this is something that could be a feature in the future??  I think the purpose of this program could really be expanded by

Please relieve us of our suspense by telling us what you wanted to say there!


KL

[lawrencelb]

Oops!! So sorry (for the incomplete thought in my last post on this topic).  That's pretty much how I talk -so I'm not surprised that an unfinished thought crept its way into my writing.   

Anyhoo, I think I was trying to say that if the pointer could be enabled to "control" what part of the word was spoken, breaking the word into its individual phonemes (or into onset and rime)- this could really expand the potential uses of the program as far as helping kiddos learn how individual sounds or sound segments come together to form words.  For example, my four year old is at the stage where she is playing around with isolating the initial phoneme of a word.  If the pointer could control the pronunciation, she could use it as a "self-checking" feature after she hypothesizes about what the initial sound of the written word might be.  So, she might see the word "cow" on the screen. Prior to it being pronounced for her, she could say "I think it starts with /k/" and she could then position the pointer over the "c" and it would say /k/ - thus "affirming" her guess. 
Okay, my initial point probably would have been much more clear on the first go around, but I hope you're catching my train of thought.  It may have derailed a bit too much for the purpose of this program - but, who knows? - there might be a way to make this happen?
Thanks for reading!

[KL]

Ah, that brings up the whole issue of phonics.

Whilst I'm not sure whether it'd be feasible to make it as sophisticated as how you describe, in Little Reader v2 (gosh, and we haven't even released v1 yet!  ), we will be including a brand new phonics section precisely for the reason of teaching a child how a word is spelt and pronounced.

For now, we have to do it more manually, eg., the "B Words" playlist.  There are other ways to get phonics concepts across too.  We'll try to upload some phonics-specific playlists to show you some asap!

But anyway, thanks for your thoughts, we'll bear that in mind when we do v2!

KL

[lawrencelb]

Thanks for your reply -
Yes, I agree that, with playlists, the sky is the limit!  Delving deeper into phonological awareness, you could build lists that only contain words of the same syllable structure or a playlist that contains words that differ only by one sound (to highlight the fact that by manipulating one phoneme within a word you change the meaning).  I know we are trying to constrain ourselves to the original concept, but as an SLP, I really see this program being utilized in many, many ways...let me know when you are itching for new directions...I'd be happy to share how I think this user-friendly format could be useful in creating playlists for kiddos with articulation disorders, kiddos with reduced receptive language skills, kiddos on the autism spectrum attempting to generalize concepts, etc.  Okay, my head is now spinning with the possibilities.  How exciting!  Thanks again for letting folks like me be a part of this and for listening to our thoughts (albeit sometimes random).   

[KL]

It's great to have an SLP onboard!!  We could surely learn a lot from you, and your ideas would be most welcome!  Please keep 'em coming!

KL

[Lappy]

I totally agree with Leanna, and I'm glad that phonics are getting some attention from Little Reader fans! 

From the get-go of the development we have been mulling over the creation of phonics and diphthongs sets - because these language elements will be important to our little learners.  And yes, with Little Reader the possibilities for learning ARE endless, and we can eventually branch out in creating highly specialized sets to cater to students with different skills and learning requirements.

I am personally very excited to have received your professional opinion as I am sure everyone will benefit from your insight!  :tongue2:  Maybe we can ask your help someday when we go down this route, and you can have a hand in making the programs better! 

[nhockaday]

I too would like phonics to be available! I was lying in bed last night thinking that would be a great addition!

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