Household Items

This program uses household items’ names and pictures to help the student to learn listening, identifying, and naming skills. There are seven sub-programs and they cover 37 household items.

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. Household Item Matrix

Select the option “Household Item Matrix” and click on the “Enter” button to open the program.

Household items are shown here in a two-row, two-column matrix. When the mouse pointer moves over the picture of a household item, an animation related to the item plays in the box on the right side of the screen. There are, in this program, two pictures and animations for each household item. 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 household items.
Auto Play
Check this box to run the “Household Item 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 names of the household items. If unchecked, it doesn’t say the names.
Label
This option is selected by default. When this box is checked, the name of the household item appears just below the picture. When unchecked, the word doesn’t appear.
Done
Click on the “Done” button to close “Household Item 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 Household Items Using Pictures”.
Settings
Prompt (Animation)
This option is selected by default. When this is checked, the correct household item picture animates in ten seconds to help the student choose the correct picture. 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.
Household Item 
This option is selected by default. When this is selected, distracters are all household items.
Non-household Item 
If this option is selected, distracters are not household items but some other items.
Mixed 
Distracters are either household items or non-household items.
Selection
The first household item (Bathtub) is the default. The student can select any household item from the list shown under “Selection”.
Ok
Click on the “Ok” button to open this program.

This “Progressive Method” is designed to introduce the household items to the student one by one. This method allows the student to master the household items’ names gradually.

This “Progressive Method” runs through seven stages:

Stage 1

 

Introduction. The selected household item 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 household item. This continues until the student clicks the “>>” button to move to the next stage.

Stage 2 

 

Single Household Item. In Stage 2, the student is asked to find the household item introduced in Stage1. When the student clicks on the household item picture, he/she is taken to the next stage.

Stage 3 

 

One Distracter. The household item introduced in Stage 1 and another picture as distracter are shown and the student is asked to find the household item. When the student clicks on the correct household item, the next “find” question comes up. As long as the student clicks on the correct household item, 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 household item picture, then the program returns the student to Stage 1, the Introduction Stage.

Stage 4 

 

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

Stage 5 

 

Three Distracters. The household item is shown with three other pictures as distracters. If the student clicks on the wrong household item, then the program returns the student to Stage 1, the Introduction Stage.

Stage 6 

 

Combinations. The household item that the student identified in Stages 1 through 5 will appear as a distracter or as the item to be identified. Another household item (which the student learned earlier) will also appear as a distracter or as the item to be identified. If the student clicks on the wrong household item picture, then the program returns the student to Stage 1, the Introduction Stage.

Stage 7 

 

This is the last stage. In this Stage, the student is asked to identify all the household items he/she has learned so far. If the student clicks on the wrong picture, then the program returns the student to Stage 1, the Introduction Stage.

>>

 

When the student clicks on the “>>” button, the program introduces the next household item 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 Household Items Using Pictures

Click on “Matching Household Items Using Pictures” and then click the “Enter” button to open this program.

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

Here a household item is shown at the top of the screen. The student is asked to click on the matching item shown among others (distracter/s) at the bottom of the screen.

Level 1
When this option is selected, one household item picture appears at the top of the screen. One household item 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 household item 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 Household Item or Non-household Item distracter. “Mixed” gets disabled.
Level 3
This level is selected by default. One household item 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 Household Item, Non-household Item, or Mixed distracter.
Training
The Training mode is selected by default. This program uses household item pictures 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
Household Item
This option is selected by default. When this option is selected, the distracters are household items. This option is disabled for Level 1 and available for Level 2 and Level 3.
Non-household Item
When this option is selected, the distracters are some items other than household items. 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 household item and the other distracter is non-household item.
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 (household item to be identified) and its location on the screen. It 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 household item.

For Level 2 and Level 3, the teacher/parent has to select the matching household item, 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 household item picture 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 household item picture is not chosen after ten seconds, it blinks.
Prompt with Label 
The names of the household items appear below the pictures.
Prompt with Animation
If the correct household item picture is not chosen after ten seconds, it animates.

Congratulatory Animation 

This box is checked by default. This is available only for the “Training” mode. When this is checked, clicking the correct household item picture 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
All household items are selected by default. Click on the check box to select or deselect any item.
Select All
This is checked by default. Check this box to select all household items. 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 Household items Using Similar Pictures

Click on “Matching Household Items Using Similar Pictures” and then click the “Enter” button to open this program.

This program runs like “Matching Household Items Using Pictures,” but the pictures shown are similar but not identical.

The settings are the same as those of “Matching Household Items Using Pictures”.

5. Matching Household Items Using Words

Click on “Matching Household Items Using Words” and then click the “Enter” button to open this program.

This program runs like “Matching Household Items Using Pictures,” but instead of pictures, names of the household items are used. The student is required to click on the correct word which represents the household item shown on top of the screen.

The settings are the same as those of “Matching Household Items Using Pictures”.

6. Discriminating Household Items

Click on “Discriminating Household Items” and then click the “Enter” button to open this program.

Here, the student is asked to find and click on the correct household item shown on the screen.

The settings are the same as those of “Matching Household Items Using Pictures”.

7. Activity with Household Items

Click and select the program option “Activity with Household Items” and click the “Enter” button to open this program.

The settings are the same as those of “Matching Household Items Using Pictures”.

Here, a boy or girl is shown at the top of the screen. The student has to help the boy/girl to do an activity. There are items shown at the bottom of the screen. The student should choose the correct household item needed to complete the activity named in the sentence. (The sentence is always spoken.) The student clicks on the item, the item moves up to the boy/girl, and the animation showing the activity plays.