Thanks for pointing that out!

You know, you had me there for a long time! I was thinking to myself - OMG! What happened to it?!! Then after swiping some DHA pills from Felicity  I suddenly remembered why it's not there anymore!  Actually, it IS still there, we just renamed it to "Rotate media".

Gotta get the manual updated!  Actually, we have many changes to make to the manual but we're waiting for a more 'final' version of Little Reader to settle first and then doing all the changes in one go.

Anyway, phew, you had me panicking there for a second! 

KL

[Naming Words]

For today's tip, I'd like to talk about File naming issues.

Naming Words

One of the potentially confusing things is with 'word files'.  In your Word Library, the word files are displayed in the middle column under the heading 'File'.

There are 2 concepts here: The WORD FILE, and what I would call the WORD DISPLAY.  If we look at the "Animals" Category, first item, we see "animals_bird (bird)" displayed.  This means that for the WORD FILE name is "animals_bird", and when this word file is played back, the word "bird" is displayed (hence the name "word display").

The reason for having these 2 different concepts is that you may wish to create separate instances for a particular word display.  For example, the word display "wave" could be referring to the action of waving, or could be referring to ocean waves.  So one you might name as "action_wave", and the other as "nature_wave".  Similar instances may arise from different languages having the same combination of letters.

Now, when you create your own word file, you can name the word file anything you like. You DO NOT have to follow this system we used in the default library that comes with Little Reader.   

In fact, it's better that you use a DIFFERENT naming system, a more PERSONALIZED naming system, eg., "animals-bird-KL".  This is so that if you import another 'bird' word that someone else made, it is far less likely to have an import conflict with yours, and your import would go much more smoothly.  Likewise, when you EXPORT your file for others to download, the people downloading and importing it would have far less likelihood of encountering a conflict with your word file, and hence there'll be less instances of people choosing to 'skip' your file or 'cancel' the whole import.


For more about import conflicts, see this thread:
http://forum.brillkids.com/little-reader/important-import-conflicts-please-help-to-debug/

Naming Export files

With words, we've seen 2 different concepts in the above example: the 'word file', and the 'word display'.  Now, I'll add a third concept, which you'll encounter when you EXPORT or IMPORT word files: ".wrd" files!  Confused yet? You should be!  :tongue2:

These export files - .pl (for playlists), .cat (for categories) and .wrd (for words) - are quite separate from the internal naming systems, and only come into play when dealing with import/export.  Like the Word File, these export names do not have to have ANYTHING to do with what's inside.  Eg., I can export my "Body Parts" Category and name the .cat file something like "KL's Gruesome Body Parts.cat"  (except I might not count on many people downloading it...  ).

Like the previous issue, it would be advisable to name the file in a personalized way, so that when someone downloads it into their regular download folder, there's less chance that the file name would conflict with something that someone else had already done and which was previously already downloaded.

One reason we allow the export names to be different is so that people can label their exports files in a recognizable way, like in my example above.  Also, you could include multiple instances in one export file - eg., you could select all your animal-related categories and export it as one big "My Big Creature Set.cat" file.

Hope that helps!

KL

For TIP #1 (Flash Card mode), see here:
http://forum.brillkids.com/little-reader/tip-1-for-using-little-reader-flash-card-mode/


.

Great suggestion - added to 'Future Enhancements' list!

Well, that would be the perfect instance of using "COMBINE."  You still have your 'sandwich' but it will now have both sets of pronunciations, pictures, etc. within that ONE word file.  If you were suggesting having 2 word files (like 2 instances of "food_sandwich"), then things could get messy and confusing real fast, which is why we make you make a choice.

Looks like we'll have to move this "Combine" feature up the priority ladder.

But in the meantime, one way you could avoid this problem is to use a different naming system for all your self-created files.  You didn't have to name it "food_sandwich", but instead could have called it something like "food_sandwich-nh" - ie., tagging on "nh" to every one of your own file names so that it's much more unlikely that anyone would have named their file as such and hence reduce chances of conflict.

Same goes with naming your own media files.

In fact, I'll make this TIP #2!

Perhaps when the system alerts you to a potential conflict (at whatever level) - it could be programmed to then enter a split screen that could show you (in a preview fashion) on one side what you are about to import and compare it (on the other side of the split preview) to what it would be replacing. 

Yes, I know exactly what you are talking about, and in fact, this suggestion is already on my list of 'future enhancements'.  At the very list, you will get a message telling you about the difference in file details, eg., which is newer, what file size, date created, etc.  We'll see what we can do.

KL

Yes, for sure, do them all!

We did Baby Plus (twice a day), lots of music (mainly classical but not only), played 'kick-feedback' games, 'massage', went singing karaoke every week, and speaking to her A LOT (and reading Dr. Seuss's "Baby Oh Baby!" especially - highly recommended!).

Re Baby Plus, see here:

http://www.brillbaby.com/prenatal/dobaby.php

(click on Brent Logan's Prenatal Institute).

Hi Lila,

Welcome! Glad to hear your daughter loves it! And don't worry about 'slacking' - we all do! And if you're not in the mood to teach, best not to!

See you around in the Forum!

KL

Oh definitely!! 

Ideally, you would even prepare 'real' materials alongside your play back session. Eg., when you show the word for apple, and the picture for apple, and maybe even a video of people eating apples, you could even bring out a REAL apple! Break it, let your child smell it, taste it, etc!

For sure, variety would be best, if you can afford the time and energy that goes in the preparation!

That's why action words are great too, because you can get your child to participate in motion to the word.

And that's also why VIDEOS would always be more powerful than pictures.  Hopefully, one day, our library would be so complete that we'd have videos of almost all the words out there.

Thanks for the great questions, Nohayo.  Funnily, I was just about to create a new thread on the subject of import/export, and just did:
http://forum.brillkids.com/little-reader/important-import-conflicts-please-help-to-debug/

Please let me know if this answers your question, and let me know whether it is working the way it should be.

Re your other questions:

- The Categories that came preloaded in Little Reader can also be found in the File Downloads section.  Check the Category description to double-check.

-

it was cloud so i renamed it cloud1, then the popup came back again saying I already have cloud3 word file... I hadn't named it 3 anyway..

Now this sounds VERY weird, and should have happened.  Can you please try to reproduce this error and give us a step by step?  eg., Which Category did you import? Try to see if this happens with another conflict word, or only just with "cloud".

- Skip means ignore this conflict, proceed with next.  Cancel means stop the whole import process.

KL

[1. Category name]

I believe the import function is the area which has the most bugs left to be discovered. (I just discovered one myself earlier today!)

The time when bugs are encountered is typically where there is a conflict when you import a file.

There are 3 types of potential conflicts when you import a .cat file:

1. Category name

This is when there is already a category created with the same name as the one you're importing. eg., You already have an "Animals" category, and the imported file also calls its Category as "Animals".

2. Word file name

This is when one or more word files in your imported Category has a name which already exists in your Word Library (could be anywhere in your library and doesn't matter whether it's in a Category that has the same Category name or not). For example, you are importing a word file called "animals_dog" (which has the word "dog"), and you already have a word file in your library called "animals_dog".  Note, it doesn't matter that your "animals_dog" word file uses a word "doggie" and not "dog" - it is the word file name that matters.

3. Media file name

This refers to the attached media that comes with the word files.  Eg., the word file "animals_dog" has attached to it a picture file called "dog1.jpg", and there is already a "dog1.jpg" file in your Media Library folder.  This folder is in C:/.../My Documents/BrillKids/Little Reader/Media Library", which is the folder used to contain all the pre-installed media files (.jpg, .mp3, .swf, etc.), as well as all the extra media that comes from imported stuff.



So, if you import a .cat file, you have to remember that you are typically importing 3 different things:
1. The Category
2. Word File(s) that come with the Category
3. Media files that come with each of those word files (assuming the media files were included during the original exporting of the .cat file).

Therefore, there are 3 potential levels of conflict, and each time a conflict happens, it will pop up that WARNING dialog box to ask you what you want to do with the conflict.


Let's go through the 3 types again:

1. Category name

This is the most harmless of the conflicts, and possibly the most common, because we will typically name our Categories with the same names, like "Body Parts".  So, if I already created a "Body Parts" Category and import your "Body Parts" Category, I will get this first conflict.  Now, if I want to keep your Body Parts separate from mine  :tongue2: , then I would choose "Rename", and call your Body Parts something like "Body Parts (John Doe)".  However, if for example I know that you have different words and it would expand my Body Parts Category, I would simply choose "Replace", and that should result in all your new body parts words being imported into my original Body Parts Category. So previously I had eye, ear, nose, mouth, but yours had hand, fingers, foot, toes.  If I choose 'replace', then my Body Parts Category should now have all those words: eye, ear, nose, mouth, hand, fingers, foot, toes.

If I choose "Skip", then the whole Category is not imported, and if there are no other Categories in the .cat file (.cat files may contain more than 1 Category), then the import process ends there.

2. Word file name
For this conflict, typically the situation is something like this: You created a word for "toes", and named the word file as "toes1", and somebody else happen to name it the same way.  However, the pronunciation files, pictures, sound(?!), video(?!!) you attached to your 'toes' word file are probably going to be very different from what the other person attached to her 'toes' word file.  If you REPLACE, then your 'toes' word file will no longer have all your pictures etc. attached to it. (Note, your media files will still be in your Media Library, just that they are no longer linked/attached to the word file "toes1".)
So typically, where this happens, you would want to choose "rename".  You can then view the media used in the imported word, and if you like them, you could edit your original word file, and add the pictures from the imported word by looking into the Media Library folder where thsoe pictures have just been placed.

If you choose "skip", it will not import this word file, and proceed to the next word file in the Category.  If you choose Cancel, it will stop the whole importation process.

FYI, one feature we've been mulling is to have a "Combine" function, where you combine the attached media of both word files, so that if you original had 2 pictures attached, and the imported word had 3 pictures, after "combining" you would have 5 pictures attached to the word.


3. Media file name
This is the hardest to decide.  Following from the previous example, there is a conflict with toe1.jpg.  The problem is that it's hard to tell if it's the same picture or not.  If it is, then it's best to just 'replace' or 'skip', because if you 'rename', you will end up with 2 identical pictures in your Media Library being called different names.  But the safest thing to do would be to 'rename'.

"APPLY TO ALL"
If you check this box, then you will be telling Little Reader to use the same action for the rest of the conflicts that may occur.
The important thing to note here is that, at least for Build 1.03 and before, this applies across all 3 levels in the above example.  So if you choose to 'replace' the Category name, and choose to apply to all, then all word file conflicts and all media file conflicts will also be handled the same way.

I think the "apply to all" function should only apply to that level, and we will probably change that for the next build.


So, there are a lot of conflicts that can appear, and also a lot of different ways you can handle conflicts.  With all these permutations, it is only too likely that the programming has not dealt with all possible scenarios, and this is where the bugs will occur.

I hope the above explains what is meant to happen upon an import conflict.  Please try it out as much as you can, and please report all bugs in as much detail as possible!

Thanks!

KL

[Background]

Over the coming days or weeks, I'll be posting a series of 'useful tips to know' about using Little Reader, in order to help you get more out of Little Reader.

The first 'tip' concerns using FLASH mode - both word flash and picture flash.

Background

The Flash mode was designed particularly for right-brain training, which (for teaching to read) involves rapid flashing of cards.   As I remember Janet Doman saying in one of the Glenn Doman DVDs about flash cards (physical ones), you don't have to worry about flashing them too fast, because you won't be able to physically get to a point where it's actually too fast. 

The problem I used to have with physical flash cards is that it can be cumbersome to flash rapidly, especially when the cards are so big.  So this function in Little Reader is meant to help us avoid fumbling with flash cards and dropping them all over the place!

TIPS:

A. Pronounce the words yourself!

If you are happy with your own pronunciation of the words, then turn off the pronunciation function in the Playback screen (make sure the "Pronunciation On" check box is UNCHECKED) and read the words out yourself.

The reason for this is so that you would be able to flash the words FASTER, cos with the pronunciation files there, it would take longer since the words were pronounced relatively slowly, and there's a slight gap at the start of each pronunciation file which causes further delay. (The ending gap won't matter as much because you can cut short the pronunciation playback by forwarding to the next slide before the pronunciation file has finished playing.)

However fast you pronounce, though, please make sure that you continue to enunciate the words CLEARLY.

Later on, we may release new pronunciation sets for you all where the words are spoken at a much faster pace with zero gap in the beginning, so that those who are not comfortable pronouncing the words can also achieve rapid flashing.

B. Turn the Pointer OFF
With rapid flashing, you don't have time to use the pointer!

C. Use the NEXT-WORD PREVIEW feature

This is a little preview of the next word which shows up as very small text at the bottom right corner of a slide.  By default, this is turned on.  If not, you can adjust this under Pointer Settings. 

When you play back, you should focus on the preview and not on the big text which is what your child will look at.  Basically, you would call out the preview word at the same time you hit the next button.  That way, the moment your child sees a word, you would be calling out the word at exactly the same time.  Once you get the hang of it, you can achieve very rapid flashing.

D. Flash words, followed by pictures

Some of you may like to ensure that you're teaching your child not just how a word is pronounced (ie., association of a sound/pronunciation with a word letters), but also the MEANING associated with the word.  By purely flashing words, you do not get to teach meaning.

Therefore, after you flash a set of words, flash the corresponding pictures.  Switch the display mode to "Pictures only (flash)."  Note, in this mode, the pronunciation file is automatically played back, INSTEAD of the Sound FX/Picture Audio which normally accompanies pictures.  Again, if you can, then turn off the pronunciation and pronounce the words yourself.

Randomized Playback

Start by flashing the words/pictures "According to list."  After a few times, try randomizing the playback order by selecting "Order: Random".
However, if you're flashing back words immediately followed by pictures, then I think it's more important you keep the order the same for both words and picture flash.


Hope you find this helpful!

Anyone with anything to add about using the Flash mode?

KL

Thanks for the links and for sharing with us your experience!

Yes, right-brain education is indeed very powerful.  I've heard of Tweedlewink before too.  From what I can tell, it's modeled very closely after what your child would get or learn if he/she were to attend a Shichida class.  Unfortunately, Shichida classes seem to be only held in Japan, Singapore and Malaysia so far.

I'd be most interested to hear from people in Japan/Singapore/Malaysia who's child/children have attended Shichida before, and your experience with it.

KL

[One thing though, for all those using existing downloads and translating them, please indicate in the description which was the original creation that yours is translated from.]

Yes, and please free to take the existing BrillKids .cat files with all the pictures and sound effects and merely just TRANSLATE them.  You'll have to delete the pronunciation files though, of course.

For all download contributors, if you don't mind others taking your work and translating them into other languages, please indicate so here!
Alternatively, if you're interested in translating the work that someone else did, feel free to send the original creator a PM asking for permission to do so.

One thing though, for all those using existing downloads and translating them, please indicate in the description which was the original creation that yours is translated from.

Thanks!

KL

Thanks, Teresa, for sharing your experience, and congratulations on the progress you are making!

Right-brain education is a very intriguing subject, and I'm happy to see more and more people getting familiar with it.

Which DVD's did you use, btw?

KL

Hi Angie,

Glad to have you here!

Little Reader is ultimately a platform for you to deliver reading content to your child, and yes, right now, the content we have is still in its infancy.

Over time, especially after the commercial launch of Little Reader (we are still in beta-testing stage), we will be putting more energy into releasing more and more content for Little Reader (including all those examples you mentioned).  In the meantime, we are also counting on users like yourself to share content with others so together we can build a huge content database for everyone to share. Check back on the File Downloads section often for updates by ourselves as well as other members!

And thanks for the link to that site - it looks great!

KL

I'm glad that you guys are enjoying it!

And thank you both for your kind comments - these always encourage us to give you all a better product!

KL