Start-to-Finish Books
by Gerry Kennedy
For PC Compatible and Apple Macintosh Computers
Start-to-Finish Books from Don Johnson
These books have been designed to meet the needs of older students. Start-to-Finish books have been designed as a reading scheme. They accommodate students who find reading difficult. This innovative new reading scheme currently boasts six titles, and is available in three formats. Each format offers a different amount of reading support, so that teachers, aides and parents can choose the appropriate combination that matches each student’s reading interest, abilities and needs.
Students need to read in order to become more proficient with text. So often, struggling students avoid reading, as it is a task that presents so many difficulties for them. They are reluctant and reticent to read as they either cannot cope with traditional text-based stories, or the content is unsuitable and not sufficiently stimulating. This becomes more prevalent and a much greater problem as they grow older. Often they find books with high interest content, are too challenging. Some students lack the confidence to pick up a book and read, at school or at home. Others turn off completely, as they fear failure.
Start-to-Finish books address these problems. There are six titles. All can be purchased on CD-ROM, on cassette or in book format. They serve to eliminate the reading and comprehension difficulties with high quality auditory support that increases reading success.
Computer Book Format:
Older students in upper primary and junior secondary who require additional support can read independently with the computer format. Each story is presented onscreen, with high quality voice. The entire page can be voiced, or students can click on individual words at any time. Pages can be repeated. Students can navigate to any page and start or finish where they choose in a reading session. The text is large and clear, with age and interest appropriate illustrations. Students can read by themselves, or with a friend.
The CD-ROMS will run on PC compatibles and/or Apple Macintosh computers. The CD’s are referred to as ‘hybrids’, as they operate on Macintosh or PC’s.
Macintosh (or PowerBooks): Mac LC III’s or higher, running System 7.5 or later, with 12 Mb RAM, 256 colour monitor and CD-ROM drive displayed on a 14” (or larger) monitor.
PC Compatibles (or Notebooks): 486/66 MHz PC or higher, Windows 95 or later, 12 MB RAM, 256 colour 14” monitor (or larger screen size), and a CD-ROM or DVD drive.
Note: The Computer Books MUST operate in 256-colour mode in order to be displayed on either Macintosh or PC computers. You need to change the screen display to 256 before launching the books.
Paperback Format:
Don Johnston created and designed these books to look and feel like mainstream textbooks. The presentation and style of each book is the same, with high quality artwork and covers that appeal to students. Large clear non-serif fonts have been used and text is double-spaced for easier reading. They look the same as their peers’ books and so students do not consider them too different. All chapters are beautifully illustrated, as are the CD-ROM pages onscreen.
Audio Cassette
These tapes are ideal for reinforcement and for students to listen to at home or at school in class. Students can read the paperback copy whilst listening to the tape. This promotes independent reading and helps build confidence. The tapes have page cues that make it easy for the reader to follow the story. They can read and listen to the words spoken aloud to them. In this way, poor readers can practice with a tailor made system that can be accessed at home in their bedroom, in their study area or in the classroom at school using headphones or listening posts – even in the car on holidays!
Written for Success
Each book has been especially written with a unique reading system that will help make real advances in students’ reading skills. Over 40 rules for vocabulary, sentence complexity, fluency, phonetic regularity and comprehension have been included in the editing process. The books were created and written by professionals for Don Johnston, with care taken not to compromise readability, comprehension and especially interest. Specialists then edited the books. These experts in language development, reading and learning disabilities focussed on ensuring that the books were appropriate for students with reading difficulties. They have succeeded with excellent results. Don Johnston has introduced a new reading system that will hopefully expand. There are currently six titles. They are spilt into two series, the Nick Ford Series and Classic Adventures.
In the Nick Ford Mysteries series, there are three titles: Grave Robber (84 pages), Crossbow Killer (84 pages) and Alcatraz, the Rock (88 pages). In the Classic Adventures, there are also three titles: Treasure Island (128 pages), The Red Badge of Courage (108 pages) and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (112 pages). There are new collections including a second Nick Ford Mystery set (including The Night of the Loch Ness Monster, Big Ben is Dead and The Secret of Old Mexico) as well as the popular Sherlock Holmes Mysteries (including A Scandal in Bohemia, The Adventure of the Speckled Band and Silver Blaze).
The Nick Ford Mysteries involves college students who have a series of adventures with their college teacher, Nick Ford. These young adults assist Nick in solving crimes. They work as a team and encounter danger and mystery as they travel, using resourcefulness and courage to overcome a number of predicaments. They will hold students’ attention, as they capture your imagination. The stories quickly develop intrigue and interest. The characters are likeable and will appeal to readers in Grades 5-9. Students in special settings will especially enjoy these thrilling stories, as they can be read over and over again.
The Classic Adventures include stories that have been universally recognised as enjoyable and represent worthwhile fiction for students. They are now easier to read and access. The stories have been totally rewritten, condensed and re-versioned. Adventure, excitement and reading pleasure have been maintained.
Features of the CD-ROM Format
Built-in Scanning
As Don Johnston is one of the leading specialists in the area of assistive technology, the company has engineered the Computer Books to incorporate built-in scanning. Switch users can easily and elegantly access any of the six books at any time, without requiring teachers to create custom switch access. They are therefore ideally suited to students who have a physical disability, who cannot access conventional books, turn pages independently or cope with traditional texts. Also included are keyboard equivalents for all menus, so that the books can be “driven” and/or accessed by Discover:Board, IntelliKeys overlays or Clicker 3 onscreen grids.
Assessment and Record Keeping
On the CD version, there is a ‘Cloze’ passage quiz after each chapter. Students follow the quiz and select the correct word to test their reading fluency. This is timed, with feedback for both student and teacher/parent. This student quiz data can be viewed at any time. The data that is tracked includes: time to complete each quiz, correct, incorrect and blank responses, and the choices that are missed. This diagnostic feedback proves invaluable for busy teachers who wish students to work by themselves, but need to know how successfully they have completed the reading task. Additional multiple choice questions for each book and chapter can be printed from the CD, for off-computer work.
There are black line masters on the CD disks and these handy resources can be printed. These ready-made worksheets, on Vocabulary Power, Capitalization and Punctuation, Character Studies, What Happened? and Comprehension Exercises, will prove to be extremely useful and will save teachers time preparing material. They promote ideas and strategies to use in class away from the computer.
The books, CD’s and audio cassettes can be purchased as single user packs (for individual titles), group packs including multiple books (5), a CD and a cassette with a teacher guide, or as Reading Group Packs. Contact Spectronics for more details on prices and purchasing information. Success in reading is a fundamental skill that creates opportunities for students and empowers them to be independent learners – and thinkers! Start-to-Finish books assist you in providing exciting learning outcomes for your students who are struggling with reading, in so many ways.