* A reading scheme to enable classroom assistants and parents to help five and six-year-olds with readingdifficulties has been launched by the Open School, an educational charity which offers materials and services to children who might underachieve or fall through the educationnet completely. Soundworks takes children through specific steps to help them link sounds with words. The pack contains a training programme and resources. Though each child’s programme should be overseen by the class teacher, it can be conducted by others trained in its use.
The work can be safely handed over to non-teachers, says the Open School, because the scheme is supported by step-by-step instructions. The materials cost Pounds 180; training costs vary.The Open School, Park Road, Dartington, Totnes, Devon TQ9 6EQ. Tel: 01803 866542. Stand IT56
* Shakespeare workpacks from Cutting Edge Publications are claimed to be “the first differentiated Shakespeare series for key stage 3 and 4”. They contain hundreds of text-based creative activities for all abilities but particularly with special needs in mind. Packs are now available on Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet and Midsummer Night’s Dream.Cutting Edge Publications,26 Haytor Drive, Milber, Newton Abbot, South Devon TQ12 4DU.Tel: 0181 549 8501. Stand SN21
* Molly is a lovable handpuppet designed “to elicit responses and encourage interaction from even the quietest child”, say her makers, LDA. She can also be used to demonstrate specific mouthtongue movements. Speech and language therapists, teachers, clinical psychologists, nurses could make use of her friendly appearance. Teachers and others can use her to show mouth shapes, tongue positionings and hand movements. Those working with deaf or hard of hearing pupils can move her fingers for signing. She can be fitted with a hearing aid and is surface washable. She measures 660mm and costs Pounds 75.LDALiving and Learning, Abbeygate House, East Road, Cambridge CB1 1DB. Tel: 01223 365445. Stand G51
* The Language Master LM6000 Special Edition from Franklin Electronic Publishers, specialists in linguistic technology, is not much larger than a calculator but combines a spelling corrector, dictionary, thesaurus, grammar guide and 10 educational games in one compact unit. For the blind, three special keys enable them to read, say and spell words on the screen. For the speech-impaired, the Language Master has a message list facility that can save up to 26 messages for playback at any time. There is also a personal word list that speaks. For those with learning disabilities, the Language Master has 26 function keys. It costs Pounds 299.Franklin Electronic Publishers (UK) Ltd, 7 Windmill Business Village, Brooklands Close, Sunbury-on-Thames, Middlesex TW16 7DY.Tel: 01932 770185. Stand E19
* The Sound Beginnings pack, a new resource from LDA, helps to identify those pupils with poor awareness of sound patterns in spoken words soon after they enter school and also contains a programme to teach that awareness. The pack includes a classroom-based assessment to pinpoint pupils who need help; photocopiable instructions for classroom assistants working with children; an audio-cassette of activities; a sample letter for parents and a wealth of ideas for bringing rhyme and alliteration into classroom topics. Also available is LDA’s Wordbuilding Box which contains 116 high-quality wooden letters. Designed for use with Sound Beginnings, it can also be used on its own for word-building and word-play. The Sound Beginnings Pack is Pounds 29.95; the Wordbuilding Box Pounds 19.50. LDA, Abbeygate House, East Road, Cambridge CB1 1DB.Tel: 01223 365445. Stand G51
* Indoor Sounds and Outdoor Sounds are two sets of high-quality recordings on audio-cassette linked to photographic cards. Designed to develop a wide range of skills in language development, general learning and reading, the sets focus on essential areas such as sound awareness, attention and concentration; active listening; auditory discrimination and vocabulary development. Each set comes in a strong storage box containing 40 laminated cards, two audio-cassettes and notes for guidance: Pounds 33.50 each;Pounds 60 for both sets. Winslow Press, Telford Road,Bicester, Oxon OX60 OTS.Tel: 01869 244644. Stand B47
