ELR-News

ELR Software produces a range of 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), Build-a-Sentence 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. New eLr Materials
2. Other Independent Developers
3. Free Downloads
4. ELR 2019 Calendar

1. New eLr Materials

Forty seven new tasks have been added to "Reading and Spelling", in the "Consonant Sounds" subsection targeting spelling options for the /h/ sound ("h" eg hat), the voiced /th/ sound ("th" eg than, and "the" eg bathe), and the /y/ sound (eg "yes"). Within the /y/ sound, we have also included tasks targeting words which start with a /y/ sound but have no spelling representing the sound, eg the word "use" has three sounds "y-oo-z" but the /y/ sound is not represented by a spelling option. Other similar words include "union, unit, unite, usual".

The /h/ sound is a consonant sound which is produced by a partial restriction of the vocal cords resulting in a quick burst of voiceless sound. The /y/ sound also involves a partial restriction within the mouth - the middle of the tongue is positioned close to the roof of the mouth and released, resulting in a voiced sound. The voiced /th/ sound is a long sound in which the tip of the tongue is placed on the top teeth allowing a long voiced sound.

The addition of these activities almost completes one of our current goals, which is to provide activities that may be useful when teaching letter-sound relationships of the consonant sounds of English. There are now activities in the "Consonant Sounds" section targeting the following sounds:

1. /p/ sound, spelled with "p, pp"
2. /b/ sound, spelled with "b, bb"
3. /t/ sound, spelled with "t, tt"
4. /d/ sound, spelled with "d, dd"
5. /k/ sound, spelled with "k, c, dk, ch, q"
6. /f/ sound, spelled with "f, ff, ph, gh"
7. /s/ sound, spelled with "s, ss, se, c, ce"
8. /z/ sound, spelled with "z, zz, ze, s, se"
9. /ch/ sound, spelled with "ch, tch"
10. /dge/ sound, spelled with "j, g, ge, dge"
11. /sh/ sound, spelled with "sh, ch", and the range of words with suffix endings
12. /th/ sound, spelled with "th"
13. /th/ (voiced) sound spelled with "th, the"
14. /m/ sound, spelled with "m, mm, mb"
15. /n/ sound, spelled with "n, nn, kn"
16. /r/ sound, spelled with "r, rr, wr"
17. /w/ sound, spelled with "w, wh, u"
18. /l/ sound, spelled with "l, ll"
19. /ng/ sound, spelled with "ng, n"
20. /h/ sound, spelled with "h"
21. /y/ sound, spelled with "y"

As with all eLr tasks, the role of the instructor is to ensure that accurate decoding and reading has occurred, and to encourage vocabulary expansion (eg by talking about the meaning, and using the word in a range of sentences). For additional information about the development of these tasks, please refer to our February 2018 ELR-News which outlines the rationale and evidence base for the speech-to-print approach to teaching early reading and spelling skills.

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 -

• News Talk CD
• PELICAN TALK Speech Therapy Resources
• ReadingDoctor Software
• The MusicLanguage Series
• The Building Language Series
• Online Cued Articulation
• Spelfabet
• Looking Learning
• Behaviour Zen

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.

• Products: The current ELR Software - Product Brochure, in PDF format.
• eLr-Offline: Compiled, "mirror" version of the eLr (Extra Language Resources) website which you may download and run on your own PC. Allows access to the eLr Directory and all tasks from locations where regular access to the Internet is not possible.
• 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.
• Build-a-Sentence: An interactive program to strengthen labeling of nouns, verbs and objects and production of 2 & 3 part sentences.
• Word Meanings: Volume One. Trialware, Interactive Language Program designed to build understanding and recall of words by strengthening semantic processing, based on the therapy manual Building Language: Word Meanings by Robyn Dower and Jan Mackey's, Helios Art and Book Co, 1996.
• eLr  Directory (Summary): 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.)
• APAR/PDF (zipped): APAR (Assessment of Phonological Awareness and Reading) in print-ready PDF format (zipped). Contains all the score sheets and stimulus cards.



4. ELR 2019 Calendar

ELR Software offers regular, 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