Podd
by Indigo Learning Ltd
Hop, skip and sing your way to literacy
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Podd, an educational computer classic has been redeveloped for Nursery, Reception and Year 1 children.
Podd has been extended to support a range of early literacy and information and communication technology (ICT) skills and to support those with special needs. This new development is based on the familiar lovable character of Podd, which children find so endearing.
Podd understands over 170 words and can perform 100 (actions) different animations. Words are selected from the Ages 5-7 Literacy Hour word bank.
Excellent for language work, spelling and for promoting work away from the computer. Children delight in hunting for new verbs to see if Podd can do them and try out alternative synonyms, extending their vocabulary.
Podd Activities
Six different activities to support wider age and ability ranges.
- Podd in Action
Podd in action presents choices of verbs and is most suited to Nursery and Reception. Four verbs are displayed on the screen. Children click on a verb, which is then spoken aloud. The verb is repeated and displayed on screen, while Podd acts it out.
- What is Podd Doing?
Shows the children four animations on the screen. They click one, and Podd performs the action in full. The animation pauses for the children to say what he is doing. The answer is then spoken aloud and displayed on screen, while Podd repeats the action.
- Choose the Action
Choose the action starts with Podd performing an action. Four verbs are then displayed on screen, and the children have to decide which of the offered words describes that action The words are spoken to the players as they click on them. When the correct verb is clicked, Podd repeats the action.
- Spell the Action
In Spell the action Podd performs an action. The children have to type in a word to describe what Podd has just done. When they type in the correct verb, the verb is spoken aloud and Podd repeats the action. Synonyms are allowed in this game.
- What can Podd Do?
What can Podd do? is the original Podd activity. Podd waits for the children to type in a verb. If he doesn’t recognise the verb, Podd says “Oh no, I can’t”. When Podd recognises a verb, he will speak it aloud and perform the action. Finding over 100 words that Podd can act out challenges children to think while working with Podd and when they are away from the computer too. A list of words can be put on the wall near the computer to which children can add their new discoveries. Children can also discover which words are synonym by recognizing that Podd performs the same action for different verbs.
- Podd Can Play
Podd can play develops the previous activity, What can Podd do? In Podd can play children type in a sequence of three actions that Podd can carry out. The words must be spelled correctly to make Podd act. When three verbs have been typed in, Podd will perform them in sequence as the words are spoken aloud and displayed on screen. Teachers using an interactive whiteboard could develop variations of the game to challenge the whole class, for example by finding actions that begin with a particular sound or letter, different ways of travelling by foot or different facial expressions.
Teachers can set up Podd for an appropriate age group.
Podd In the Classroom
Once children are familiar with Podd, there are lots of ways in which they can explore the ideas the program introduces.
- Finding Actions
You can set children challenges, like finding five actions that:
- Podd can do, but the children can’t – dive, fly, juggle, etc.
- Podd can do standing up – run, trip, dive, walk, hop
- Podd can do with his face – blush, smile, wink, etc.
- Podd can do with his hands – juggle, wave, applaud, tickle, etc.
- Finding Synonyms
By ages 5-7, children can find synonyms for Podd’s actions. Compiling a list of synonyms can be an on-going class activity that children can add to as they use Podd. Here are some to get you started….
- Finding Word Pairs
Finding word pairs that mean the opposite is another possible activity.
- Finding Themes
In Podd Can Play students can create sequences of three actions which have a theme -ways of moving, starting with the same letter, or letter blends, for instance.
- Create an Alphabet
Create an alphabet of Podd’s actions, using printouts.
- Play ‘Silent Podd’
One child mimes an action and another has to confirm their understanding by typing that action into the computer.
There are lots of ways that Podd can stimulate activity away from the computer, too.
Podd is very easy to draw, and creating a gallery of actions helps to reinforce the words used.
Printouts from Podd can be used as a starting point for writing; the youngest children can write the action word under the picture; older users can write a sentence or whole story.
“Delighted that Podd is coming back to the classroom. A great favourite with teachers and children alike. Superb on the interactive whiteboard.”, Beverley Bevis, Teacher, St Matthew’s Primary School, UK
“Podd is a firm favourite in my reception class. The loveable character endears himself to children whilst helping to teach language and development, spelling, verbs and sentence making.”, Martine Hovarth, Teacher (Early Years), Eastbourne, UK
“The activities held on the program ensure that the children are able to practise their developing skills, both in ICT and Literacy, in a fun yet challenging environment where positive feedback and entertaining animations help to motivate and develop the children’s abilities.”, TEEM evaluator
Download
- Word bank lists of what Podd can do for each age group (pdf).
Podd is targeted at the following age ranges:
- Early Childhood
- Early Primary
Podd is designed to foster development in the areas of:
- Early concepts
- Literacy
For answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and technical support visit:
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