Stop pupils getting the wrong end of the stick at BETT 2006BETT 2006 - Teachers can get the first glimpse of a valuable new aid for teaching idioms at BETT 2006, when inclusive education publisher SEMERC launches Idiom Track on stand E40/F40. An interactive CD-ROM with accompanying flashcards, Idiom Track explores the real meaning behind everyday sayings such as ‘keep your hair on’ and ‘green with envy’. Aimed at users aged nine and above, it is an excellent resource for teaching literacy in primary schools and for students of all ages, for whom English is an additional language. Idiom Track is also a superb tool for pupils with particular needs associated with autistic spectrum disorders, who can experience great difficulty distinguishing between the real and literal meanings of idioms. Idiom Track is dual format and switch accessible. The software takes pupils through four different activities, gradually building a student’s confidence in understanding and using over 40 idioms in everyday speech. Engaging and fun images help children uncover and remember the real meanings of sayings, and flashcards ensure that learning can be reinforced away from the computer. A useful addition to the program is the ability for teachers to import their own images to illustrate an idiom. A picture taken with a digital camera of children acting out a saying can be added to the program, helping students remember the significance of its meaning. Idiom Track’s publisher, Laura Cryer from SEMERC, feels the software will help all pupils. “Idiom Track helps an individual child gradually increase his or her understanding and confidence in the vital social skills associated with communicating.” A full set of teacher resources including lesson ideas, suggestions for further discussion and a selection of clip art for teachers to create their own worksheets, ensures that Idiom Track is a valuable addition to any inclusive classroom. - ends - Notes to the Editor: • Idiom Track costs £59 for a single-user licence. • Idiom Track is part of SEMERC’s Track Series , consisting of CD-ROMS, workbooks and flash cards which target all the key aspects of teaching early literacy skills in the inclusive classroom. • Idiom Track has a full range of accessibility options including: switch access with one switch or two switch, mouse click, keyboard press and sound input. • Idiom Track is ideal for use by individuals or as a whole class activity on an interactive whiteboard. About SEMERC:SEMERC is a leader in ICT special needs publishing. SEMERC won the ERA’s Supplier of the Year award in both 2002 and 2003, and supplies ICT resources to more than 3,000 special schools in the UK.
For further information, please contact: Danielle Morgan PR Manager, Granada Learning Tel: 020 8996 3632 Email: danielle.morgan@granadamedia.com
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