Teach Me to Talk Companion Activities #1
by Gerry Kennedy
Teach Me to Talk Companion Activities #1
For PC Compatible Computers running Windows 95/98 or Mac OSTeach Me to Talk Companion Activities #1 from SoftTouch
This CD-ROM specifically works with Teach Me to Talk, the new software CD-ROM from SoftTouch. This resource CD-ROM disk can be used on either PC's or Mac's (i.e. it is a dual-format CD). It contains 428 MB of resources and activities that can be used on or off the computer. They have been professionally created and designed and add value to the Teach Me to Talk software. Busy teachers and speech pathologists need not spend hours creating, designing and making resources. Simply launch the program and print the exercises. Numerous activities include major categories of books, games and work sheets. The Picture Communication Symbols (PCS) and digitised (real to life photographic) images compliment the onscreen activities found on Teach Me to Talk. Each activity is fully described with clear, concise directions.
The activities can be printed in black and white or if you have a colour inkjet printer, in vivid colour. You will need a good quality inkjet or laser jet printer to print them. You can use the Imaging application (found in the Accessories group on Windows 95/98) or Simple Text on Macintosh computers to open and print these resources. To start the CD-ROM, place it into your CD drive and launch the program "Startc~1". This application guides you through how to access and use the various files. Each file is labelled clearly. The folders with exercises and activities are included on the CD-ROM disk. There are seven folders.
The activities are ready to print. First, you locate the particular file you wish to print and open it in an appropriate application (painting or publishing applications would be preferable if you possess them). Set your printer to High Quality or Normal setting and make sure that the page orientation to set to Landscape. Print in colour or black and white, laminating or mounting them on cardboard or more robust paper stock. Students as an extra activity can colour the pictographs in. They can be used immediately after printing. You use letter size paper or A4. Letter size is 8.5" x 11" and is a little shorter than A4 (297mm) which is 11.69" in length.
The various teaching resources can be cut to size (depending on activity (e.g. cards, sentence strips, and books) and affixed to card or tag board using rubber cement. You can also put Velcro on the back to use on felt boards. Books can be bound or hole-punched, with string, material or metal binders hinging them.
You can create Mini-Books. There are seven different topics. They are a great way to expand upon language skills in Teach Me to Talk. They help reinforce language skills, expand students' vocabulary and introduce new concepts and recognition of pictographs. There are two full-sized mini-books on this CD, What Goes With (15 full size pages with an animal theme) and Nouns (Beginning) with 36 half pages total. They are arranged from easiest to hardest. The Games activities include numerous ideas for incorporating and using language used in Teach Me to Talk with children of all ages. The Games section provides instant activity strategies and ideas. Teaching Hints accompanying each module provide up to five pages of ideas and directions.
The Work Sheets module provides many black line masters that will delight and encourage students to participate and learn. The PCS really come to life in the matching, sorting and sequencing activities. The images can be used to learn or test for big/small, same/different, single/plural as well as other categories.
Teach Me to Talk Companion CD-ROM adds extra value to the activities available on the Teach Me to Talk program (sold separately). A third support package, Overlays for Teach Me to Talk, is also available (sold separately). The three CD's combined provide powerful learning outcomes on and off the computer, in encouraging users with special needs to communicate and learn to speak. It will prove popular in mainstream settings as well. The images are large and clear and will accommodate users who are vision impaired. The comprehensive resources included on this CD-ROM represent excellent value for money.