ELR-News

ELR Software produces computer programs designed by speech pathologists for speech, language & literacy intervention. Our programs may be used interactively within therapy sessions, to increase efficiency in service delivery, and to improve access to the Internet for people with special needs. We are also available as consultants to clinicians and research projects in the fields of literacy and accessibility issues associated with the Internet.

The aim of this newsletter is to inform you of developments and changes to our major products eLr (Extra Language Resources) and Word Meanings. We welcome the opportunity for feedback and questions, and will be pleased to consider including reader contributions and announcements.

This Newsletter (and previous editions) as well as a "print-ready" PDF version of the current edition is available online at www.elr.com.au/news. An email version is also sent monthly to members of our mailing list (See Subscribing/Unsubscribing).

In this issue -

1. Additions to eLr
2. Other Independent Developers
3. Free Downloads
4. ELR 2024 Calendar

1. Additions to eLr

This month we've continued the major revision and expansion of the "Prefixes and Suffixes" subsection in "Reading and Spelling - Later Skills". The now named "Morphology" section will eventually include tasks focusing further on roots and word bases as well. Prefixes and suffixes are now comprehensively categorised into 4 levels roughly corresponding to the frequency of usage with subsections for each level as follows:

• Prefixes
  1. un, re, mis [COMPLETED]
  2. dis, non, de, in, super, sub, bi, tri, pre, pro, mid, over, under [COMPLETED]
  3. semi, co, il, im, ir [COMPLETED]
  4. inter, intra, ultra, trans extra hyper hypo, coll com con, anti, ex, em, a [Under revision]
• Suffixes
  1. s/es, ing, ed, y, er/y, ful, y, er, est, less [COMPLETED]
  2. ish, ly, ment, ness [COMPLETED]
  3. or, ist, an, ic, ive, ous, al, able, ible, ate, ion [COMPLETED]
  4. en, ee, ant, arian, ure, ar, ance, ence, age [Under revision]

Seventy five new tasks were added this month so that Levels 1 to 3 are now completed. We'll continue to extend the coverage over the next few months.

These activities encourage the student to identify the morphemes in each word and discuss meaning, with the ultimate aim of developing fluent word reading and accurate spelling. A range of models (WordSound Buttons, WordSplits, WordSearch, SmileyMan and ConnectWords) have been used to provide for variety and repetition. The WordSplits model also includes an example sentence for each word to facillitate discussion of the usage of target words.

We welcome your feedback about these tasks and any aspect of eLr, as well as your suggestions about additions and modifications to eLr.

2. Other Independent Developers

As an occasional feature of this Newsletter, we include simple, unpaid announcements of products developed by other small, independent developers, who, like ourselves, are practising clinicians who have put their ideas and experience into resource materials for general distribution. Links and brief information about these sites may be found at www.elr.com.au/links/developers.htm. To date we have listed -

• PELICAN TALK Speech Therapy Resources
• ReadingDoctor Software
• The MusicLanguage Series
• Cued Articulation Training
• Spelfabet
• Behaviour Help

If you would like your materials listed on this page (at no charge), please contact us.

3. Free Downloads

ELR has a number of free or evaluation files available for downloading directly from our website. Please see www.elr.com.au/downloads.htm for specific details. For other supporting materials and documents available for free download, please see www.elr.com.au/support.htm.

• eLr-Offline: A "universal" App version of the eLr which can be installed on any modern computer or tablet. Allows you to use all eLr activities anywhere access to the Internet is not possible or desirable.
• eLr  Directory: Summary of eLr Directory in print-ready PDF format. Contains all the classification information but no listing of actual tasks and task numbers. (The full version is available only to eLr subscribers.)
• eLr Fonts: 19 free symbol fonts as used in many eLr activities. Download the single zip file containing all fonts and install them on your own own computer.
• SSP Progress Monitor: A free monitoring tool for assessment/review of decoding accuracy within a Systematic Synthetic Phonics (SSP) approach. Response Forms and lists of Stimulus Items are provided.
• APAR/PDF: APAR (Assessment of Phonological Awareness and Reading) in print-ready PDF format (zipped). Contains all the score sheets and stimulus cards.
• WordDriver: A web app developed by ELR Software for research entitled "The effectiveness of a computer-supported intervention targeting phonological recoding and orthographic processing for children with word reading impairment" (Curtin University thesis, 2015).



4. ELR 2024 Calendar

ELR Software offers free eLr tutorials over the web. We can provide this sort of support to individuals, or to groups who would like to have an overview of eLr. We are also offering free Coviu sessions to allow clinicians to get a feel for teletherapy, and in particular the advantages of using eLr for Coviu. Please contact us for details.

Subscribing/Unsubscribing to this Newsletter

You are receiving ELR-News because you are an eLr subscriber, or have expressed an interest in either eLr, Build-a-Sentence or Word Meanings. To subscribe or unsubscribe, send an e-mail with details to news@elr.com.au