Touching Sounds CD-ROM

Subject: English Language
Level: Secondary
Age Group: 11-14 and 14-16
Order Number: 5294

Touching Sounds is a reading, writing, spelling programme from the beginning stages. At the simplest level it provides a picture clue for each of the 40+ sounds of the English language. Used according to the instructions, it is a multi-sensory, teaching technique to provide necessary repetition (over learning) in an enjoyable way. It includes ‘touching sounds’ literally, single word dictation, sentence dictation, anagram exercises (sequencing) and word building at increasing levels of difficulty.

Reading – practice is vital for improvement – but how does a poor reader practice what they cannot do? Touching Sounds describes how this can be done – painlessly, involving a buddy or parent!

Spelling – even when the sound/symbol relationship is known and sequencing problems eliminated – so many English words are irregular. Touching Sounds lists the first 100 Keywords and shows how these can be learned. Handwriting/Letter Confusions – the programme advises on letter proportion and formation and includes worksheets of easily confused letters b/d/p, m/w, and n/u.

Touching Sounds was developed over 4 years by a specialist teacher of secondary age pupils, of average ability and above, with severe specific learning difficulties. (Many of the pupils had suffered from delayed speech but now their problems were considered specific, i.e. related to the reading and writing task). The programme has been used by: mainstream secondary schools, preparatory schools, by teachers of the deaf, in Colleges of Further Education, by Adult Literacy Groups and even by learners of English as a foreign language.

Once purchased, the CD can be freely copied and networked throughout the school.