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| Each game involves a cartoon family called the Hoopers, involved in a variety of beach activities. |
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Correct responses resulted in the student earning points to spend at the General Store or Beach Shop. Incorrect responses resulted in cartoon animations of anything from shark attacks to bridge collapses!
Earning points was not a motivating issue for these students but they enjoyed the Simpson like characters’ antics.
There are 160 words lists used in the program and details of each are given in the User manual. Teachers can create their own lists, which reflect class topics or ISL lists.
In most of the activities, the student can elect to do between 5 and 20 examples. I have found this to be a good feature as weaker students get feedback after 5 words or when time is limited the student opts to do fewer words in a game.
Beach Game
This game trains the visual memory. The word is spoken (in an Australian accent!!) in a sentence and remains on the screen till the user clicks indicating they are ready to type it correctly. The list can be chosen. Incorrect spelling is not displayed. After 3 attempts the word is shown correctly so frustration is minimal.
Diving Game
This is a game similar to Hangman. The student can choose to have the letter spoken as they select it by clicking with the mouse. A shark approaches with every incorrect selection. I found it beneficial to sit with the child when they did this asking questions like, "What letter always goes with q or what letters would make the long e sound here?" otherwise selection could be wild and pointless.
Fairground
| The 2 parts of compound words had to be matched. This exercise was used rarely (the inane giggling of Sarah Hooper got to me!! ) |
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Pier Game
Choose the missing letter from a list where the beginning and ending letters are given. If the wrong letter is selected then Nance Hooper ends up in the sea!
Sandcastle Game
A word is shown on the screen from a selected list. A feature of this activity is that one can stipulate the length of time the word is on screen from 1 to 10 seconds.
Windsurfing Game
Select the correctly spelt word from the 2 alternatives.
- The selected students remained highly motivated during the 6 month trial
- It provided individual and specific revision.
- Some improvement was noted.
- Other children requested to join their group!! Something children with difficulties rarely experience.
- It focused my teaching to support the areas identified in the diagnostic tests.
- Ensuring the activities were correctly selected and carefully done. Good questioning to focus always improved the outcomes.
- Time? When to fit it in, in a busy primary classroom.
- Noise and distraction. Headphones were essential and the other children did become less interested in the cartoon character’s actions as it became a regular part of the day.
What I liked about the program
- It’s
Australian with Australian voices.
- You have
the option to turn off the spoken instructions, especially when doing
the testing.
- Repeating
the diagnostic tests always generated new tests.
- A click
of the mouse moved the games on quickly and could avoid all the cartoon
action. Older students usually opted this for.
- Lists could be generated.
Take a look at an adult with spelling difficulties who evaluated the software at http://www.tassie.net.au/jay/tc970810.htm
Another view
http://www.educ.utas.edu.au/students/Margaret.ORourke/eval.htm
On talking with other teachers…
- One teacher
used the program with her high achievers, releasing her to spend more
time with struggling spellers.
- Another found that the harder the lists became, the less relevant the words were. Good spellers could always spell them but had no idea how or when to use the word.
Go to this web site to organise delivery of a $5 demonstration version http://www.ozemail.com.au/~tasnet/1_2.htm
