New 'Scally' software expands Topologika's range for early learners and those with Special Educational Needs

16 March 2005 … Rather than produce software for a particular teaching style, age or ability range, Topologika is committed to producing titles that suit a number of Key Stages and a wide range of learning scenarios. Scally's World: Letters and Nouns is the latest example.

As a tool for teachers of early learners as well as for those with particular learning difficulties such as Down's Syndrome, Scally's World: Letters and Nouns offers 16 Literacy and Communication activities to develop spoken vocabulary, early reading skills and alphabet knowledge.

"But not with rigid controls and target-setting;" explains managing director Brian Kerslake. "Teachers are fed up with software that has just one trick. They know their pupils, and they know what works for them. They want flexible software, not the multimedia titles that eLCs seem to be inspiring. Like all the best producers, our software can be tailored to work the way teachers want - or it can work straight from the box with the word sets we provide, such as 'Year 1 Starts and Sounds', 'Year 1 All About Me', 'Year 2 Alphabet', and so on."

Scally's World: Letters and Nouns is designed around a wide variety of grid-based picture, first letter, initial consonant cluster and whole word activities accessible from an Activity Menu. On-screen help is available, and grid sizes can be from just 2 tiles to 16. Each activity offers spoken prompts (four voices, adults and kids) to reinforce pronunciation, word and letter knowledge, and correct answers win charming animations. There's a short 'Scally film' to watch at the end of a go, and different 'guises' enable children to change the look of the program - 'jungle', space' and (for older users) 'steel' are examples. But the software can be adapted to suit more than just learners' visual needs. Like previous titles in the series (Scally's World of Verbs, World of Problems and the Activity and Resource Pack), Letters and Nouns supports input for those lacking basic mouse skills via an interactive whiteboard, a Touchscreen, switches or simply via Space and Return.

Bob Black, Education Information Officer for the Down's Syndrome Association (Topologika's SEN consultant and designer of their best-selling Speaking for Myself, recently revamped as Speaking for Myself PLUS) adds, "Teachers and carers will find the wide variety of tasks, combined with the ability to create individual profiles and to vary the activity choices and the level of help offered, make the pack an invaluable tool for meeting individual needs at home or in the classroom."

Topologika's software is available on 'approval' for 30 days to schools and other educational institutions. Visit www.topologika.co.uk or call 01326 377 771.