How to Customize PlaybackLittle Math allows you to fully customize the playback of all your library files. Settings are built in to enable you to show number flash or dot flash presentations, as well as multimedia presentations.
To adjust these settings, go to the playback screen. All of the settings for playback are situated in the Preset Preview panel on the right, and the Play Panel at the bottom of the screen.
The Preset Preview PanelThe Preset SettingsThe upper section of the Preset Preview Panel shows a preview of the Preset Settings of the Preset you currently have selected. To adjust these settings, click on the Settings button on the right.
If you have a
NUMBERS Preset selected, the settings available to you will include:
•
Numbers or Custom - In Custom mode you may type in your own customized list of numbers to display.
•
Number Range - In Numbers mode, these sliders allow you to adjust the range of possible numbers to flash to your child during the presentation.
•
Number of Displays - This setting allows you to choose how many different numbers you want to show to your child in one presentation.
•
Order - This dictates whether your number range will play forwards, backwards or at random.
If you have a
MATH Preset selected, the settings available to you will include:
•
Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division or Custom - In Custom mode you may type in your own customized list of equations to display.
•
Number Range - In other specified Math modes, these sliders allow you to adjust the range of possible numbers to use on the left side of equations during the presentation.
•
How many integers on left side of equation? - This option allows you to adjust the complexity of equations to display to your child. For example, if you choose
2 integers in an addition Preset, then equations will have two numbers added together to form a result, such as
2 +
2 = 4. If you choose
5 integers, then equations will have five numbers, such as
2 +
2 +
2 +
2 +
2 = 10.
•
Max Value of Solution - This additional control, allows you to limit how big the result of an equation can be. For example, with a number range of 0 to 10, equations such as “10 + 10 = 20” are still possible, but with the Max Value of Solution set to 10, you can still maintain the number range without having equations too large or too complicated for your little one’s level.
•
Number of Equations - This setting allows you to choose how many different equations you want to show to your child in one presentation.
The Display SettingsThe lower section of the Preset Preview Panel provides a real-time preview of what your actual Displays will look like. To change your Display settings, simply click on the SETTINGS button on the right. Alternatively, when in your Preset Settings window you may switch to Display settings via the tabs at the top of the window.
When modifying Number Presets, your Display Settings will contain 4 sections -
Displays,
Icon Settings,
Word Settings, and
Background Settings. When modifying Math Presets, there will be an additional
General category containing options that pertain only to displaying Math equations.
Displays :Situated at the top of the Display Settings window, the three small boxes represent the order in which the selected displays will be shown for each number.
• Click on the green numbers to turn Displays on or off, or use the drop-down menus to select between three modes for each display -
Icon,
Numeral or
Word. • Under each Display there is a second drop-down box; this allows you to choose a Sound set to use for the audio pronunciation that plays alongside the Display.
General :If you are modifying the Display Settings for a Math Preset, there will be an additional section with two math-specific options.
•
Display numerals instead of icons after "x" or "÷" - This option can be used to display equations such as "
three aeroplanes" x 3 = "
nine aeroplanes" to avoid conceptual problems (e.g. you cannot multiply a car by a car).
•
Do not display math symbols if showing icons - Choosing this option will allow Little Math to show equations without symbols, catering for users who follow methods that suggest only showing dot flash cards.
Icon Settings :The Icon Settings area allows you to tweak a wide range of options for the images (known as "Icons" in Little Math) that are used to represent quantities. Most of these options are accessed via drop-down menus, and include:
•
Icon Set - Select from a list of available Icon Sets, choose to use a random Icon Set per slide, or choose to use a random Icon Set per presentation.
•
Icon Item - Select from a list of available Icons that are within the selected Icon Set. You may also choose from Random (each slide), Random (each playback), and All (Mixed), which will use various Icons all on the same slide.
•
Size - Choose from Variable (which automatically adjusts the Icon size), Small, Medium, Large, Mixed.
•
Shape Color - When opting to use the 'Basic Shapes' Icon Set, you can even choose to specify Colors for your Icons.
•
Icon Placement - To ensure your child isn't simply memorising patterns, you can choose Random Icon Placement, or choose to display Icons in a grid formation depending on your preference.
•
Column Count - When Grid Placement is selected, this additional modifier allows you to specify how many columns are in the grid, between 2 to 10.
Word Settings :All textual elements (Word and Numeral displays) are controlled in the Word Settings area.
•
Word Set - Word Sets allow you to change the language that your Word Displays will show.
•
Font - Allows you to choose a font for your written displays.
•
Font Size - Allows you to specify how large the fonts are.
•
Color - Allows you to specify a color for your written displays.
Background Settings : The Background color settings can be located just below the Word Settings.
•
Color - Choose a background color for your presentation, or choose to have random backgrounds for every slide.
Once you are happy with your changes, click SAVE to save these changes to your current Preset, or click SAVE AS to save the changes to a new Preset.
The Play PanelLittle Math also has a range of global Playback options that you can modify from the Play Panel at the bottom of your Playback screen.
Lock Mouse/KeyboardThe Lock buttons for your mouse and keyboard are helpful if your child likes to play with the keyboard and mouse during presentations. When both are locked, only the ESCAPE key on your keyboard will work, which will allow you to stop presentations.
Note: You must have Auto Forward enabled to lock both the keyboard and mouse, otherwise there would be no way to advance through the presentation! 
Auto ForwardThe Auto Forward setting allows you to play back presentations continuously without needing to click or press the spacebar to proceed to the next slide. You can also control the speed of the continuous playback by adjusting Auto Forward settings by clicking the cog button next to the auto forward button.
•
Auto Forward Delay - Dictates how much of a delay should be placed at the end of a slide before the next slide appears.
•
Delay Between Equations - This extra feature allows a further delay after whole equations to help differentiate between equations.
VolumeThe Volume settings allow you to adjust how loud audio pronunciations are during playback.
SubtitlesThe Subtitle settings allow you to display small windows at the bottom of your presentation to tell you what number is shown on the screen, as well as what number is about to be presented. This feature is useful when larger numbers of dots are taught, or when randomising numbers.
•
Current - This option shows a Subtitle for the current slide.
•
Next - This option shows a Subtitle for the upcoming slide.
•
Subtitle text font size - This option adjusts the size of Subtitles.
At any time during your customization you can press play to try out your new settings.
And that wraps up today's FAQ on how to customize playback! We hope you will experiment with Little Math's flexible playback options and find something that your baby will enjoy.
Until next time, happy teaching!
Shuki
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