Prepositions

This program teaches the students to understand, use, and read prepositions (or prepositional phrases). The prepositions include on, in, under, in front of, behind, next to, between, next on the left, next on the right, below, and above. There are six sub-programs.

Select a program by clicking on the option and then click the “Enter” button to open the program.

Help

Click on the “Help” button to view the help contents. The help file opens in a separate window.

About

Click on the “About” button to view the profile of this company.

Enter

After selecting a sub-program, click on the “Enter” button to open the program.

Exit

To close this “Actions” program, click on the “Exit” button.

Note: In most of our matching and activity programs, the student must wait until the command voice has finished before he/she clicks on the object. For instance, the voice must finish “Match catching” before the student clicks on the catching picture. (If the student clicks on the catching picture before the voice command is finished, nothing will happen.) Therefore the teacher/parent needs to instruct the student to wait for the voice command to finish.

These sub-programs are:

1. Preposition Matrix

Select the option “Preposition Matrix” and click on the “Enter” button to open this program.

Prepositions are shown here in a three-row, three-column matrix on the left side of the screen. When the mouse pointer moves over an illustration of a preposition, an animation related to the preposition plays in the box on the right side of the screen.

>> and <<
By clicking on“>>” or “<<“the student can view the next or the previous set of prepositions.
Descriptive
This option is selected by default. When this is selected, a descriptive sentence using the preposition is shown under the animation. The computer says the descriptive sentence.
Auto Play
Check this box to run the “Preposition Matrix” program automatically; the student can just sit back and watch. To stop the automatic run, uncheck the box.
Preposition only

If this is selected, the preposition appears under the animation. The computer says only the preposition.

This program uses three pairs of objects to illustrate the prepositions. These pairs are:

Pencil and cup
This is the default. The program uses a pencil and a cup to illustrate the prepositions.
Toy and box
This program uses a pencil and a cup to illustrate the prepositions.
Book and table
This program uses a book and a table to illustrate the prepositions.
Sound
This option is selected by default. When this box is checked, the program pronounces the preposition.
Label
This option is selected by default. When this box is checked, the preposition appears just below the picture. When unchecked, the word doesn’t appear.
Frame
This is the default. When the mouse pointer is on the picture, a yellow frame appears around the picture.
Done
Click on the “Done” button to close “Preposition Matrix” and return to the main program.
2. Matching Prepositions Using Pictures

Click on “Matching Prepositions Using Pictures” and then click the “Enter” button to open this program.

The default selections for this program are: Level 3, Training Mode, Preposition Distracter, Command Text, Prompt with Blink, Congratulatory Animation, and Select All.

Here a picture illustrating a preposition is shown at the top of the screen. The student is asked to click on the matching picture shown among others at the bottom of the screen.

Level 1
When this option is selected, one picture illustrating a preposition appears at the top of the screen. One picture is shown at the bottom of the screen to be matched with the one at the top, without any distracter.
Level 2
When this option is selected, one picture illustrating a preposition appears at the top of the screen. Two pictures are shown at the bottom of the screen to be matched with the one at the top of the screen. There is one correct choice and one distracter. You can choose a Preposition or Non-preposition distracter. “Mixed” gets disabled.
Level 3
This level is selected by default. One picture illustrating a preposition appears at the top of the screen. When this option is selected, three pictures are shown at the bottom of the screen to be matched with the one at the top of the screen. There is one correct choice and two distracters. You can choose a Preposition, Non-preposition, or Mixed distracter.
Training

The Training mode is selected by default. This program uses pictures illustrating prepositions to train listening and matching skills.

Test
Here, the student can test him/herself. “Prompt” and “Congratulatory Animation” are disabled. The test results are recorded and “Report” becomes enabled.
Report

Only under “Test” mode is “Report” enabled. After doing any number of test problems, you can click on “Done” to see the report. When you click on “Done” the settings screen appears. Now click on the “Report” button under “Test” to see test results. First the current test result will be shown with the date, starting time, end time, and level of the test. It also shows the percentage of correct answers. There are also buttons for showing test results in different forms. “Report” allows the teacher/parent to measure the student’s progress. The following are available.

Detailed Report
This screen shows test results including the grade, object identified, distracters, and time taken to finish the test.
View Old Records
If there are old test results, they will be shown on this screen. The current test result is always on top.
Bar Chart
If you wish to see test results on a bar chart, click this button.
Overalls 
This button appears on the Bar Chart Screen. Here, the student can see the average of all test results of up to the last ten attempts. Written vertically on the bar are: overall percentage of correct answers, and date and starting time of the tests. When there are any old results, they will be shown, left to right, from oldest to latest.
Right Arrow 
This changes the display to the next more recent set of test results. When the current test result is on the screen, this button is grayed.

Left Arrow
This changes the display to the previous set of test results. When this button is grayed, there is no earlier test to see.

On the top left corner, the display indicates which record is being shown out of total records.

Print
When this button is clicked, the printer prints the current screen.
Delete
All existing records will be erased if this button is clicked. (But a warning message box pops up and asks for confirmation.)
Done 
Click on this button to close the screen and return to the previous screen.
Distracter
Preposition
This option is selected by default. When this option is selected, the distracters are pictures illustrating prepositions. This option is disabled for Level 1 and available for Level 2 and Level 3.
Non-preposition
When this option is selected, the distracters are some other items than pictures illustrating prepositions. This option is disabled for Level 1 and available for Level 2 and Level 3.
Mixed
This option is available only for Level 3. When this is selected, one distracter is a picture illustrating a preposition and the other distracter is a non-preposition.
Command Text
This is checked by default. When checked, a short command text is visible at the bottom of the screen. If unchecked, the command text will not be visible.
User Defined

This feature allows the teacher/parent to customize the screen by selecting particular matching objects and distracters and choosing their locations on the screen.

When this box is checked, the next screen will be the “SELECTION” screen. This screen allows the teacher/parent to choose the matching object (Preposition to be identified) and its location on the screen. It also allows the teacher/parent to choose the distracter/s.

There are no distracters for Level 1. The teacher/parent should select only the matching picture illustrating a preposition.

For Level 2 and Level 3, the teacher/parent has to select the matching picture illustrating a preposition, its location, and distracters from the User Defined “selection” screen before clicking the “Ok button.

The picture-matching screen has a “Back” button. The student can return to the User Defined setting screen by clicking this button. Click the “Done” button to close the User Defined program.

Prompt
This is checked by default. If the student fails to match the correct picture illustrating a preposition within ten seconds, the program guides him/her to the correct preposition picture. This is available for “Training” mode but disabled for “Test” mode.
Uncheck this box if the prompt is not needed in “Training” mode.
Prompt with Blink
This option is selected by default. If the correct picture illustrating a preposition is not chosen after ten seconds, it blinks.
Prompt with Label 
The names of the prepositions appear below the pictures.
Prompt with Animation
If the correct picture illustrating a preposition is not chosen after ten seconds, an animation appears.
Congratulatory Animation
This box is checked by default. This is available only for the “Training” mode. When this is checked, clicking the correct preposition picture invites a congratulatory animation. This animation runs for ten seconds. Click anywhere on the screen or press the space bar to stop the congratulatory animation.

Uncheck the box if the student doesn’t need congratulatory animation.

Selection

Click on the check box to select or deselect the preposition.

>> and <<
By clicking on “>>” or “<<“the student can move to the next or the previous set of prepositions.
Select All
Check this box to select all Prepositions. Uncheck to deselect.
Objects
Use this to select a pair of objects to illustrate the prepositions. The default is “Pencil and Cup”. (The other pairs are“Toy and Box ”and“Book and Table”.)
Ok
Click this button to open this program after choosing settings.
Done
Click this button to close this program and return to the main menu.
3. Matching Prepositions Using Similar Pictures

Click on “Matching Prepositions Using Similar Pictures” and then click the “Enter” button to open this program.

This program runs like “Matching Preposition s Using Pictures,” but the pictures shown are similar but not identical.

The settings are the same as those of “Matching Prepositions Using Pictures”.

By default, Level 3, Training, Distracter Preposition, Command Text, Prompt with Blink, Congratulatory Animation, and Select All are checked.

4. Matching Prepositions Using Words

Click on “Matching Prepositions Using Words” and then click the “Enter” button to open this program.

This program runs like “Matching Prepositions Using Pictures,” but instead of pictures, words that name the Prepositions are used. The student is required to click on the correct word which represents the preposition shown on top of the screen.

The settings are the same as those of “Matching Prepositions Using Pictures”.

By default, Level 3, Training, Distracter Preposition, Command Text, Prompt with Blink, Congratulatory Animation, and Select All are checked.

5. Discriminating Prepositions

Click on “Discriminating Prepositions” and then click the “Enter” button to open this program.

Here, the student is asked to find and click on the correct picture shown on the screen.

The settings are the same as those of “Matching Prepositions Using Pictures”.

By default, Level 3, Training, Distracter Preposition, Command Text, Prompt with Blink, Congratulatory Animation, Select All, and Pencil and Cup are selected.

6. Placing Objects by Locations

Select the option “Placing Objects by Location” and click on the “Enter” button to open this program.

Students are requested to place an object in the position named by the preposition. The student uses the mouse pointer to show where the object should be placed. A hand holding the object (pencil or toy) appears on the screen. If the right position is clicked on, the hand will put the object in that position.

The default selections for this program are: Select All, Pencil and Cup, Training Mode, Prompt (Both), Congratulatory Animation, and Command Text (Descriptive).

Selection Click on the check box to select or deselect any of the prepositions.

>> and <<

By clicking on “>>” or “<<“the student can move to the next or the previous set of prepositions.

Objects
Use this to select a pair of objects to illustrate the prepositions. The default is “Pencil and Cup”. (The other pair is “Toy and Box ”.)
Training

The Training mode is selected by default. This program uses pictures and animations to teach prepositions.
Test

Here, the student can test him/herself. “Prompt” and “Congratulatory Animation” are disabled. The test results are recorded and “Report” becomes enabled.
Prompt
This options list three types of prompts. They are Label, Zone, and Both.
Label
When this option is checked, prepositions (text) appear above the picture. The preposition changes according to the mouse pointer’s location relative to the object (Cup or Box). When unchecked, the word doesn’t appear.
Zone
When this option is checked, the area (zone) of the mouse pointer relative to the object (under it, in it, over it, etc.) is colored. If the area is the correct one (named by the preposition), the color is green. If the area is incorrect, the color is red. If this is unchecked, the colors don’t appear.
Both
This option is selected by default. When both is checked, both prompts will appear.

Congratulatory Animation

This box is checked by default. This is available only for the “Training” mode. When this is checked, clicking on the correct preposition picture invites a congratulatory animation. This animation runs for ten seconds. Click anywhere on the screen or press the space bar to stop the congratulatory animation.

Uncheck the box if the student doesn’t need congratulatory animation.

Command Text

This is checked by default. When checked, a short command text is visible at the bottom of the screen. The command text can be a sentence or the preposition only.

If unchecked, the command text will not be visible.

Objects
Use this to select a pair of objects to illustrate the prepositions. The default is “ Pencil and Cup”. (The other pairs are “ Toy and Box ”and “Book and Table”.)
Descriptive
This option is selected by default. When this is selected, a descriptive sentence using the preposition is shown at the bottom of the screen.
Preposition only
If this is selected, the preposition appears at the bottom of the screen.