Places at Home

This program uses names and pictures of places at home to help the student to learn listening, identifying, and naming skills. 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. Places at Home Matrix

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

Places at home pictures are shown here in a two-row, two-column matrix. When the mouse pointer moves over the picture of a place at home, an animation related to the picture plays in the box on the right side of the screen. There are, in this program, two pictures and animations for each place at home. Click on the picture to view the next picture and animation.

>>and<<
By clicking on “>>” or “<<” the student can view the next or the previous set of places at home.
Auto Play
Check this box to run the Places at Home Matrix program automatically; the student can just sit back and watch. To stop the automatic run, uncheck the box.
Sound
This option is selected by default. When this box is checked, the program pronounces the name of the place at home. If unchecked, it doesn’t say the name.
Label
This option is selected by default. When this box is checked, the name of the place at home appears just below the picture. When unchecked, the word doesn’t appear.
Done
Click on the “Done” button to close “Places at Home Matrix” and return to the main program.
2. Progressive Method
Click on “Progressive Method” and then click the “Enter” button to open the setting dialog box. The setting dialog box offers four categories of choices. These categories are Mode, Settings, Distracters, and Selection.
Mode
Training

This option is selected by default. When this is selected, the program can be used to train the student.
Test
Select this option to measure the student’s progress. The “Report” button under “Test” mode is enabled. The “Prompt (Animation)” option is disabled.
Report
This displays results of the “Test”. The report features are similar to those of “Matching Places at Home Using Pictures”.
Settings
Prompt (Animation)
This option is selected by default. When this is checked, the correct place at home picture animates in ten seconds to help the student to identify the correct answer. Uncheck this feature to disable it.
Command Text
This option is selected by default. When this is checked, a short text appears at the bottom of the screen. It tells the student which items to identify. If unchecked, the text won’t be visible.
Distracter
A “distracter” here means an incorrect choice.
Place at Home
This option is selected by default. When this is selected, distracters are all places at home.
Non-place at Home
If this option is selected, distracters are not places at home but some other items.
Mixed 
Distracters are either places at home or other distracters.
Selection
The first place at home (Bathroom) is the default. Any place at home can be selected from the list shown under “Selection”.
Ok
Click on the “Ok” button to open this program.

This “Progressive Method” is designed to introduce the places at home to the student one by one. This method allows the student to master the places at homes’ names gradually.

This “Progressive Method” runs through seven stages:

Stage 1

 

Introduction. The selected place at home picture moves from the left side to the center of the screen and a character points to the picture and pronounces the name of the place at home. This continues until the student clicks the “>>” button to move to the next stage.

Stage 2 

 

Single Picture. In Stage 2, the student is asked to find the picture of the place at home introduced in Stage1. When the student clicks on the picture, he/she is taken to the next stage.

Stage 3 

 

One Distracter. The place at home introduced in Stage 1 and another picture as distracter are shown and the student is asked to find the place at home. When the student clicks on the correct picture the next “find” question comes up. As long as the student clicks on the correct picture he/she stays in Stage 3. The student can move on to next stage by clicking the “>>” button. If the student clicks on the wrong picture, then the program returns the student to Stage 1, the Introduction Stage.

Stage 4 

 

Two Distracters. In Stage 4, the place at home introduced in Stage 1 and two other pictures as distracters are shown on the screen. The student is asked to find the place at home introduced in Stage 1. As long as the student clicks on the correct picture of the place at home, the student remains in Stage 4. When the student clicks on a wrong picture, he/she is taken back to Stage 1. The student can move forward by clicking the “>>” button.

Stage 5 

 

Three Distracters. The picture of the place at home is shown with three other pictures as distracters. If the student clicks on the wrong picture, then the program returns the student to Stage 1.

Stage 6 

 

Combinations. The place at home that the student identified in Stages 1 through 5 will appear along with another place at home. The original place at home (which the student learned earlier) may be the distracter or the place to be identified. If the student clicks on the wrong place at home, then the program returns the student to Stage 1.

Stage 7 

 

This is the last stage. In this Stage, the student is asked to identify all the places at home he/she has learned so far. If the student clicks on the wrong place at home, then the program returns the student to Stage 1.

>>

 

When the student clicks on the “>>” button, the program introduces the next place at home in the list.

<<

At any time the student can move backward by clicking the “<<” button when the button is visible.

Done
Click on the “Done” button to close this program.
3.Matching Places at Home Using Pictures

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

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

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

Level 1
When this option is selected, one place at home picture 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 of a place at home 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 Place at Home or Non-place at Home distracter. “Mixed” gets disabled.
Level 3
This level is selected by default. One place at home picture 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 Place at Home, Non-place at Home, or Mixed distracter.
Training
The Training mode is selected by default. This program uses pictures of places at home 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
Place at Home
This option is selected by default. When this option is selected, the distracters are places at home. This option is disabled for Level 1 and available for Level 2 and Level 3.
Non-places at Home 
When this option is selected, the distracters are some items other than places at home. 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 place at home and the other distracter is a Non-place at home.
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 (a place at home to be identified) and its location on the screen. This screen also allows the teacher/parent to choose the distracter/s.

There are no distracters for Level 1. Therefore the teacher/parent should select only the matching place at home.

For Level 2 and Level 3, the teacher/parent has to select the matching place at home, 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 of the place at home within ten seconds, the program guides him/her to the correct 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 of a place at home is not chosen after ten seconds, it blinks.
Prompt with Label
The names of the places at home appear below the pictures.
Prompt with Animation
If the correct picture of the place at home is not chosen after ten seconds, an animation appears (the correct picture animates).

Congratulatory Animation

This box is checked by default. This is available only for the “Training” mode. When this is checked, clicking the correct picture of the place at home 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 a check box to select or deselect a place at home.

Select All
Check this box to select all places at home. Uncheck to deselect.
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.
4. Matching Places at Home Using Similar Pictures

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

This program runs like “Matching Places at Home Using Pictures,” but the pictures shown are similar but not identical.

The settings are the same as those of “Matching Places at Home Using Pictures”.

5. Matching Places at Home Using Words

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

This program runs like “Matching Places at Home Using Pictures,” but instead of pictures, words for the places at home are used. The student is required to click on the correct word which represents the place at home shown on top of the screen.

The settings are the same as those of “Matching Places at Home Using Pictures”.

6. Discriminating Places at Home

Click on “Discriminating Places at Home” 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 Places at Home Using Pictures”.