ESL Special Ed Teacher

June 2009

Mrs. Wherrett introduced her program to me in September 2008.  I have been using it now for two terms and find it excellent.

The program is based on teaching the sounds of letters, a fact that I find of the utmost importance.  Many children come to school having been taught the names of letters but not the sounds and this causes great difficulty when the child is learning to read.  The variety of ways the sounds are presented, the gradual increase in difficulty and the video clips make this a very valuable resource.

The comprehensive support book for teachers and parents is detailed and easy to follow.  All parts of the book are simply and clearly set out.  It also includes a series of backup games, cards, diagnostic reading and spelling tests and record sheets.  These resources are able to be printed.

A few observations on my use of the program to date follow. It seems every time I use the program I discover more facets of it leading to further uses.

• Easy to install

• User friendly

I have used the program with 5 to 9 year olds, both girls and boys.  Once shown almost all of the children are able to access the work easily and can work independently or in small groups of two or three.

• Rewards

Rewards for correct answers are instant and simple.  With so much Computer Assisted Learning these days the reward is too long and, in my opinion, ‘gimicky’.

• Video clips and pictures

Most of the video clips and pictures are of real people and animals doing real things and so are more interesting and keep the children’s attention.

• Keyboard

The children learned the position of the letters on the keyboard very quickly.

• Motivation

Motivation is high.  The work of each unit is revised but in varied ways so the interest is retained.  I have observed that the interest span of individual pupils has increased markedly.

• Africa

Many of the children I teach are from Sudan, Congo, or Ethiopia and have also lived in Kenya or Uganda. The African animals used in the video clips are a source of great excitement.  One traumatised little boy became quite animated when he recognised the pictures and played them over and over.  He learned the word ‘elephant’ very quickly! Teaching African children to recognise the English word for the picture of, for example, the elephant is a further very important use I have made of the program. You could use every part simply to teach English – the pictures are so varied and therefore a good way of teaching EAL (English as Another Language).

• Difficult Sounds

Many children find great difficulty in recognising the difference between similar sounds e.g. ‘ch’ and ‘sh’, ‘a’ and ‘e’, ‘b’ and ‘v’.  These problems are dealt with well.

• Sound

All sounds are appropriate and clear. Voice production is also clear and well toned. The accent is ‘Educated Australian’. Sounds are repeated as often as required to ensure constant revision.

• Vocabulary

I found this particularly interesting and helpful.  Many words may not be familiar to the children but form a basis for extending their lateral vocabulary.

• Progress

Pupils may progress at their own rate.  The boy mentioned above likes to go over and over each section until he can complete the unit error free.

• Writing

I am delighted with the improvement in letter formation in all pupils who have used the program. It seems that many children simply copy from text without being shown the correct formation and therefore do strange things like starting at the end of a letter and working backwards.The writing as shown in the program also addresses the problem of confusing b and d.

This year I have had help on a volunteer basis from an African aide.  She comes every Monday.  I showed her Gilead which she learned very quickly.  She commented on the confident way the children use the program and the great progress she has seen. . I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Gilead and the progress made by the children in reading, writing and spelling, as well as in confidence, is most gratifying.

I am looking forward to Part 2.

Sr. M. Joseph pbvm EAL (English as Another Language)/Special Ed Teacher
(20 yrs experience in these areas.)