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SN children

Clicker 6 definitely worth getting if you can afford it :)

10 replies

coff33pot · 22/11/2012 19:35

In a nutshell I think parents can buy it for £90 last time I looked. Schools can buy up to 5 licences at a time?

DS has been using Clicker at school since Sept. I have it downloaded here on his laptop so he can do "homework"

He started Juniors not reading or writing or spelling.

This week alone he has brought home a complete story which he made up about dinosaurs and a cat. Also a certificate showing at end of sept he had learnt 25/100 1st 100 words and now at November he has learnt 42/100 of the 1st 100 spelling words on curriculum. Grin

He still doesnt "write" as I want to concentrate on the reading and spelling so the interest is there and maybe the writing will come. That said he wrote out his Dads birthday card from start to finish so we are getting there.

You are able to adapt it to suit your own childs interests to aid learning by way of programming in sentences (to put in order/fill in with keywords etc) download pictures of interest to make comics and stories. As they write you can have predictive text on so the child can read down the list and pick the word they think is correct, replay and there is a voice that reads the sentence back to the child if you wish and so the child can correct it if it doesnt sound right. goes right up to 12 letter words I think maybe 14... but it can be set at your own childs ability which ds is no more than 4 letter words at present.

Anyhow I dont have shares in this one LOL just to say its well worth the money it is asking for :)

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mrslaughan · 22/11/2012 19:45

Hi Coff - can I ask you what your DS diagnosis is/ educational challenges?
I think he may have speech and language issues?
Does he use it at school? on a laptop? iPad?

I am wondering about it for DS - he has dyspraxia, and touch typing in a wee way off, but is struggling with writing....wondering about experimenting with it at home, with the view for him using it at school

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coff33pot · 22/11/2012 20:14

mrslaughan DS is dx with AS and ADHD combined plus tourettes and fine motor skill issues, specific LD in both reading and writing skills.

For speach and language he is having the Language for Thinking programme at school. He is fully verbal but there is an issue with receptive whilst expressive is above average.

Phonics are a nightmare for him and I worked out a long time ago that he is a "whole word" reader. Infant school refused to believe this and so insisted on extra phonics practice hence his refusal to read. His spellings he has learnt has proved that at the school as the words he can spell, type out are "non sounding words" words you cannot sound out as in phonics, where as the other children are struggling with these but are fine with the sound out ones :)

He uses it on a computer at school and a laptop at home :) this is the first time the school have used it as it was a suggestion via the LA. Since then they have purchased 10 licences in all and are using it for a wide range of children not necessarily SN.

It can be used either with the mouse or in touch typing so its user friendly for anyone to be honest. DS prefered the mouse but now he can remember some spellings and his way round the keyboard he is getting braver :) He has attempted write but the only downside I have found is that he has started to write yes but in capitals (like you see on a keyboard?) I think he has memorised the layout of the keyboard in his head if that makes sense as he pauses and closes his eyes but I am in no hurry to correct that as it is writing! Grin

What we have done is I suggested if I provide a usb stick they should be able to back up each day or just on a friday even then I restored it onto DS laptop and so keep up to date with school and if he has a tired day he can then complete his clicker work at home and I can save it for them to restore it there. Also I can put any photos on it for them to use aswell so its quite good!

I think the fact that you can have a voice over is a brilliant idea. DS isnt so upset if he gets it wrong as its not a teacher saying its a little bit wrong but it is being read out and its up to him to decide to amend it without feeling upset so it boosts his confidence.

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mymatemax · 22/11/2012 20:16

DS2 uses clicker 5, can you upgrade or do you ahve to buy the complete thing. Clicker 5 was very expensive

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coff33pot · 22/11/2012 20:20

the predictive text can be set or unset. You can see words with pictures along side as you would see on flashcards? The predictive words pop up like a list of flashcards too. I think this has aided his reading/memorising of words the whole word way iyswim.

It can be that a child could become lazy in letting the predictive text work for them but that was found in older children with less reading issues. It can be turned off and so can the voice.

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coff33pot · 22/11/2012 20:23

Just had a look at the cricksoft site mymatemax you can upgrade to 6 for £59? I find the link a sec

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coff33pot · 22/11/2012 20:23

www.cricksoft.com/uk/products/tools/clicker/homeuser.aspx

£89 to download from scratch and £59 to upgrade from 5 :)

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mymatemax · 22/11/2012 20:25

fantastic, thanks Coff33. I'll have a look.
School have said they will have clicker 6 after xmas, he is used to 5 so hopefully the more flexibilty of 6 will allow better use.

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coff33pot · 22/11/2012 20:27

i was going to get flashcards initially but found that a way to expensive way as you had to buy certain phonics sounds etc in sets! it would have cost me hundreds so I drew and wrote some out instead lol from the pictures on the net hehee. Glad I dont have to do that anymore or stick anything else to my fridges and walls lol

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CheeseToasty · 22/11/2012 21:20
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nostoppingme · 22/11/2012 21:37

Thank you so much for sharing coff33pot !!!

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