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 -
This month, seven tasks were revised and 12 new tasks were added to "Reading and Spelling - Vowel Sounds - Long Vowels", in the /or/ sound subsection. The /or/ sound is represented by a range of spelling patterns; the most frequently occurring being "or" (fork), "au" (haul), "aw" (paw), and "ore" (core). In this edition we have fine-tuned the subsection which targets the /or/ sound spelled with "a" (fall), "ar" (war), and "al" (talk). There are now a range of models (activities) which allow the learner to progress from decoding (sounding out and blending), encoding (spelling), through to automatic recognition of the target words. This range of activities is consistent with the evidence showing that accurate decoding and repetition is the most efficient way to support formation of orthographic representations (mental images of words) and reading fluency.
As in most areas of "Reading and Spelling", a range of engaging activities are used to support mastery of letter-sound knowledge, accurate decoding, and automatic word recognition and spelling. The WordSound Buttons and WordSearch encourage the student to sound out and blend the sounds to read each word; LookThenCover and SmileyMan support recall of spelling patterns; WordBreaker, a word study approach for multisyllabic words, and MemoryWords and ConnectWords provide fun activities to consolidate automatic recognition of previously decoded words.
As with all eLr materials, an interactive session with an instructor is an essential component of early word reading and spelling development. It allows the student to receive feedback about accuracy of decoding and encoding, and enables word reading development to occur within a rich oral language environment. We welcome your feedback about these tasks and any aspect of eLr, as well as your suggestions about additions and modifications to eLr.
eLr has grown and developed over the last 20 years. When it was launched in 2000, there were about 1,200 tasks. Each month, we have added and revised various aspects of eLr, and it now contains more than 14,850 tasks. Here are a few ways to find out about how to use eLr and to be aware of the new tasks and any changes to the way eLr operates.
Go to www.elr.com.au/showme to view our short instructional videos. These are grouped as "Clinical insights" which cover oral language, speech sound disorders, and literacy intervention areas; "How to ..." which outlines the process of providing free home practice for your clients, and "Some of the eLr models" which are short snippets showing how to use some of the eLr models (activity types).
We also run regular free webinars to assist any individuals or groups who'd like learn (or share) more information. For a current listing with registration details of available webinars, please see www.elr.com.au/support/events.htm
You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and Pinterest to see our regular posts which alert you to new and updated material, and show quick snippets of activity types with links to our free trial offer www.elr.com.au/tryme.
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 -
If you would like your materials listed on this page (at no charge), please contact us.
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 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.
For a current listing of available webinars, please see www.elr.com.au/support/events.htm
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
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