Classroom Evaluation Template

This template should be used for Classroom evaluations of CD-ROMs and Websites that are designed for student or teacher use.

Please complete those areas marked in grey and return it to TEEM.

Please don’t use bullet points, bold or italic type in your evaluation, as this will not be recognised when the file is uploaded to the TEEM website.

1.  GENERAL INFORMATION

This information is very important to your evaluation.  Much of it can be found in the evaluation brief that came from TEEM.

Name of Evaluator:

Eddie Huntington

Product information

Title:	Sounds and Rhymes
Publisher:	Xavier
TEEM ID ref:	77A002

Details of use

Date of use:	28/01/2004   (Format: DD/MM/YYYY)
Duration of use:	1 month
School details:	Age group:
	Funding status:
	Gender:
	Special status:	Technology School  Beacon School  City technology college  Virtual action zone  Education action zone  School of the future  Teacher training school
	Specialist secondary school status:	Art & Design  Business Studies  Citizenship  Design & Technology  English  Geography  History  ICT		Mathematics  Modern foreign languages  Music  PE  PSHE  RE  Science
Year group(s):	Key Stage 1	Key Stage 2	Key Stage 3		Key Stage 4
	Year 1	Year 3	Year 7		Year 10
	Year 2	Year 4	Year 8		Year 11
		Year 5	Year 9
		Year 6
Subject(s):
	Curricular product		ICT Tool product
	Subject 1:		Tool 1:
	Subject 2:		Tool 2:
	Subject 3:		Tool 3:
	Subject 4:
	Subject 5:
	Subject 6:
Topic(s):

Technical details

Internet access
	If used, please state the internet access used (per machine): (e.g. 56Kbps modem, 64Kbps ISDN, 1Mbps ASDL, 2Mbps leased line)
Hardware	Computer used:
	Processor:			Speed:
		(Please select the closest match)
	Memory:
	Graphics:	Was a special graphics card used?				Yes
		If yes:
		Graphics card type:  Memory:
	Screen resolution:
	Disk space	To include 'MB' or 'GB' after the figure – e.g. 12GB.
	Peripherals	CD-ROM  DVD-ROM  Interactive Whiteboard
Operating system	Windows	xp e.g. 98 SE, NT, 2000 or XP, etc.
	Linux
	Mac OS	e.g. 9.1or X, etc.
Browsers	Microsoft Explorer	5.5 e.g. 5.0 or 5.5 etc.
	Netscape Navigator	e.g. 4.0, 5.0 or 6.0 etc.
	Opera
Other software	Microsoft Word		Macromedia Flash
	Microsoft Excel		Quicktime
	Microsoft Powerpoint		Real Player
	Microsoft Access		Adobe Acrobat

2. INSTALLATION AND ACCESS

Sounds and Rhymes loaded easily and it was not necessary to make any changes to the screen resolution, etc. The program was only used on a standalone computer though it can be installed on a network. The initial  window is very small but can be increased when using the program with children. On first use, it is necessary to refer to the accompanying booklet in order to make use of all the program's features.

3. PLANNING TO USE THIS TITLE

A. Purpose of using this title

The aim of this program is to develop pupil's skills in initial and final consonants, medial vowels, initial and final consonant blends and rhymes. All of the intended objectives are met through this program. I used this program to reinforce skills being delivered in the Literacy hour. The pupils worked in pairs with some support.

B. What does the title offer that other resources don’t?

Sounds and Rhymes focuses on pure phonics without resorting to too many gimmicks. Unlike many of its competitors, it doesn't have lots of lengthy instructions which must be listened to before embarking on each section. Nor does it offer lots of multimedia cartoon-type distractions.  Instead, Sounds and Rhymes offers simple illustrations which serve only to point towards the relevant letter, sound blend or rhyme.

The program practises the patterns for a set amount of times (ranging from 4 to 8) which are predetermined by the teacher, and can be set up to reflect what is being taught. For example, it can be set to practise only 'bl' 'cl' and 'gl' initial blends or all 27 initial blends. Alternatively, you can mix initial and final blends or just practise bouncing vowels.

Like many of its contemporaries the program offers pupil reports. The advantage in this case is that it doesn't just keep a tally of wrong and right answers, but actually shows you the error. This allows you to reflect on the error later, thereby enabling you to see if there is a pattern to the errors or whether it was a simple confusion over ambigous graphics.

C. Differentiation

This program was particularly useful for those pupils who needed to practise and rehearse those skills delivered in the Literacy hour.  Whilst I would not recommend the program for SEN children, it was particularly useful for those pupils who always need to play 'catch up' and who often form part of the ELS support.

4. YOUR CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE OF WORKING WITH THIS TITLE

A. How did you organise the classroom?

The Sounds and Rhymes program was always used after class input and work on an area of word work.  Pupils who had shown limited understanding of the work were then paired off and introduced to the program, which had been preset to cover the objectives required. On most occasions the pupils were familiar with the basic use of ICT to support their work and were able to differentiate between right and left clicks. This meant that the pupils could be left to work on their own with the program, whilst I worked with another group. I could then reflect on their reports later and give feedback appropriately the following day.

B. The Context

The program is methodical and the teacher can preselect elements that are then delivered in easy chunks. The program can be altered to provide sounds, animations, both or neither. Since there are no prompts as to what to do, the children will require some initial input into the kind of words they are working on.  Once underway, there is an element of catching on and there is often significant progress as the program continues to build on their success. If, however, the pupil has continued to make similar errors then these can be picked up via the pupil reports. Further work can then be done with one-to-one support or adult-led group work away from the computer.

C. Ease of use – Design and Navigation

Simplicity is the key to this program, but unless you pre-read the handbook or have an intuitive understanding of software, understanding the key navigational features can be tricky. The simple controls are illustrated onscreen. The top left shows the mouse functions while the bottom right allows you to move on. To quit you need to press the Esc. button on the keyboard. However, once this is understood, basic navigation is swift and painless. One of the program's downfalls is its lack of an entry screen which allows you to 'choose a game' or a way of going directly to a higher level section.

D. Monitoring and Assessment

The program offers a pupil report, which allows you to look not only at their progress, but at their actual answers. The benefit of this is immense, as you can often pinpoint the exact nature of their errors, for example, always using 'a' for 'u' or totally mismatching any 'in' word endings. In addition, you are able to sit down with the child again and revisit those same elements, but from a non-ICT-based way, allowing the pupil to access it through another learning medium to suit their learning style.

E. Staff and Pupil Comments and Work

Although I was pleased with the progress of pupils using this software, initially the program was not interesting enough to captivate the pupils in my class and make them want to play with it through choice. Learning support staff, likewise, did not feel supported enough by the software to be totally comfortable with the program, although once they had 'had a go' they could see the benefit of it.

5. SUMMARY

A. Ease of Use

Sounds and Rhymes is a no-frills approach to learning letter sounds, blends and rhymes. It offers a simple and effective way to reinforce word level skills taught through the Year 1 Literacy objectives. The program can be adapted to meet specific learning goals or can be used to encompass a range of initial and final blends and rhymes.The ability to use the program as a reinforcement tool is particularly helpful for those children who need a little extra time to grasp word level objectives. Before using the program with the children it is necessary to spend some time exploring it to discover what exactly you want it to do, but once set up it is easy to use.

B. Classroom Experience

This program was used to reinforce objectives taught during the Literacy hour. It was used during group work time of the Literacy hour with Year 1 pupils and some Year 2 children who also benefitted from the specific and individual configuration of this program. Initially, pupils needed to be supported by an adult as they navigated the program. Once familiar with the package this was not necessary and the report feature enabled further practice to be directed where needed.