BK舊post (10)

mmouse:

其實我都好有興趣讀parents course，可不可以講多一些上課的程況和內容呢？
另外，我今日又去了一次太古 showroom，我問Connie有關New Edition的問題，佢話New Edition是不會cover所有blends的，只會cover到英國教育部要求cover的內容，所以她說，覺得Old Edition是比較適合香港多一些。
我亦在那裏看過New Edition的 Teacher's Guide，新版是Programme1加埋Programme 2一本過，$450，內頁係全彩，Connie一邊同我看，一邊分析給我聽，印刷上是好了，也有一些新的內容，但也又欠缺了一些舊的內容(如： wordlist)。
另Early Years的新版 Handbook也已經有得賣了。
其實有關於letterland的故事書，如：At Home Readers(共3個stages共15本書)及The Storybooks(共20本書)都常常可以在[size=medium]英國ebay網站[search for ：letterland]上競投得到，而且價錢一般都是十分平，連郵費都起碼平香港買一半有多，所以有興趣的媽媽都可以去看看。我自己都是在那裏差不多都買齊了letterland的故事書。

BK舊post (9)

終於收到letterland有關於new characters的回應，回應如下：

Dear Marie

Thank you for your email regarding the new Letterlanders. Many considerations were taken into account in making changes to some of our characters. They include some political correctness points. Our concern to be as supportive as possible to teachers in all parts of the world was highest on our list. We also saw a need to move with the times. For example, since the advent of digital clocks and watches that don’t ‘tick’ some children no longer have the word ‘ticking’ in their vocabulary. Hence the shift to Talking Tess.

The attached transition stories for character changes may be useful. These will be added to our website, www.letterland.com shortly. Meanwhile Lyn Wendon, the originator of Letterland, would be glad to hear from you further, given your daughter's strong familiarity with the original characters. What are her reactions to the changes? Her opinion counts! She may even have some better ideas for some of the changes. Children are often leaders in the realm of imagination! Also how much do you feel she has benefited from Letterland?

If you would like, too, to give us your postal address, we can keep you up to date as more new publications become available based on the new art style.

Best wishes

Amanda Brown
Letterland International Ltd

BK舊post (8)

Jokey2828：
唔好意思，我知道你可能想聽其他用家的意見多些，但我都忍不住想講下我的意見，希望你不要見怪，亦希望其他用家可以多些發表，互相多討論，大家才有更多啟發！

其實我早在一年多以前，已經接觸過Letterland入面的Magazine，但當時我對letterland的感覺好麻麻，因為佢個樣真係怪怪地，好 似夾硬將o的人整到好似英文字母，我自己第一時都幾抗拒。後來斷斷續續都有看下BK中有關letterland的post，但自己始終都唔係o甘接受，驚 住要個女學o的怪型怪相的人物。
由於我想去太古showroom都看下ORT的CD-Rom所以有機會在那碨接觸到letterland，我同老公兩個叫Connie(.o個度的 sales)可不可以講解一下甚麼是letterland，她講了不夠20分鐘，我同我老公都愛上了這套教學模式，盡管當時我己已經用了差不多六百元於三 日前買了longman的Phonics for Kids我o地都決定唔用，要轉用這套教學模式。
我好想話(唔知其他用家同不同意我的講法，唔好意思大膽講句)[size=medium]Letterland並只不是一套教材，佢同其他DWE、Phonics for Kids...等最大的分別是佢注重的是教學的過程同教者的演譯，是一個教學模式。
佢有好多好多產品，多到你覺得好亂，買o西會好貴，但係其實佢並唔係要你o甘做，我覺得香港人(我都是)太習慣買一些一套一套的教材之後回家係o甘播(好似我之前都有買DWE及Mother Goose)但係用Letterland，如果是這樣用的話是沒有甚麼效果的！
我覺得成個課程最主要的是三個stage的Teacher's Guide(Early Years的叫 Handbook，因為其實未必一定要由Yearly Years開始的，大些的小朋友可以由Programme1開始)要明白佢成個教授Phonics的理念，及方式，才可以知道佢其他的各樣東西怎樣運用 (Teacher's Guide每一課都有講要用甚麼其他附助產品及可以加些甚麼不一定需要的其他產品)。
好像講佢的story book，Phonic Readers其實係用都比Programme 1的小朋友，有了基本對short sound的掌握，及一定Programme 1的consonant blends、double consonants...之後比小朋友 [size=medium]自己併音讀出來的，因為內容雖然不是很吸引，但佢係包括了很多easily-decodabe words令小朋友學了一段時間的letterland 後有閱讀的成功感。如果當一般故事書的去看，就不能發揮佢本身設計的作用了！

要看有趣的letterland故事書，佢的建議是用At Home Readers，比家長讀給小朋友聽，增加人物的故事性及趣味性，再深o的就用The Leterland Storybooks，每個故事都好長。
Letterland中，有一段說話我覺得好好：
[size=medium]Where is Letterland?
[size=medium]Letterland is everywhere where there are letters and words. Leterland can be in the supermarket, on the bus, at the zoo, in a classroom and of course.... in books! Children are not confused by the logic, as the idea of Letteralnd sprung out of children's imaginations. Instead the concept that the LEtterlanders are present in all wrods is some how reassuring to children as the characters provide the tools they need to help them spell words.
最重要的，是家長本身對letterland的課程認識，去到邊度，都可以用invisible的letterland characters來同小朋友解釋到小朋友不明白的併音問題，並不是一定要用letterland的故事書的。
我昨日去太古showroom的時候，Connie話：『如果家筆想自己用letterland 教，就一定要自己好鍾意letterland先得，如果唔係就好難！』我真是十分讚成！
由於我現在成日在家讀Teacher's Gruide，我個女見到，自然會更加喜歡letterland的人物及歌，因為佢知道媽媽都好鍾意，我又會同佢一齊唱，玩砌圖，多是佢要求我做時我先 用，令佢覺得聽letterland的故事是好好，是乖先有的。唔需要做到大家好似成日要上堂，好緊張。
letterland入面會有些伏線，例如"G"的alphabet song第二段唱Her girlfriend makes another sound, another sound....o甘小朋友問，o羊another sound呀？其實係到Programme2個角色先出現，叫Gentle Ginger，係個gymnastic，發g的soft sound，例如：gentle, ginger, agent, genius....好似c的soft sound 的，當g見到e，i，y就會出現.....
o甘由於我看了書，佢問我，我會話，我講小小比你聽，佢(Golden Girl)個女朋友仔係個體操好叻的女仔來o架，，化似你識打慣「關斗」但係重叻過你好多，比小小個樣你睇下啦，不過我現在唔講住，遲o的你再乖o的我先講.....
又例如我個女問我鍾意邊個人物(佢現在只學到h)，我就話係Eddy Elephannt，因為佢有Mr. E - Easy Magic Man帶住佢一齊，成日有魔術睇，佢遲o的重會變好多魔術，好得意o架！（因為我知道programme1 會學到magic e會變slient magic e或將short vowel變long vowel，會幾多變化，所以想佢早o的有心理準備，到學的時後唔會覺得辛苦，而係覺得變魔術)於是佢聽到我鍾意有long vowel man的人物之後，就話自己鍾意Annie Apple，叫我叫佢個名做Annie Apple，爸爸就係take care佢的Apron Man。我聽到就好開心，因為vowel的變化之後會好多，如果佢覺得自己鍾意o個個人物，就會易o的掌握了。

所以我想就算要學o西由Early Years到programme2，一定要買的o野我覺得不會好多，計過都係約二千幾元就得了，之後其他的o野買唔買，其實係自己決定，letterland is everywhere，家長掌握了，小朋友有興趣，你讀甚麼故事書，看到甚麼都會變成letterland。 ABC book最後一版有寫：
[size=medium]Don't forget that Letterland is a secret place. That means all the people and animals are usually invisible. So when they are in words, you will only see their letter shapes. [size=medium]But you'll know who they really are, won't you!
小小的經驗，希望不會令大家覺得太主觀，唔好介意大家講多o的交流下。

我還準備了一些關於letterland內的一些有趣故事，希望再有時間與大家分享！(如果BB重未出世的話)

希望再有其他用家講講自己的意見！

BK舊post (6)

kctammy:

好開心有其他媽媽分享！
但係唔知大家知唔知，現在上網訂，無論是yesasia.com或paddyfield.com訂letterland的貨，[size=medium]好多都是2003版的！
[size=medium]2003版的問題是有很多個characters係唔同了名又有些連樣都改埋！
1. Firemand Fred ->變左 Firefighter Fred
2. Golden Girl ->唔同左樣，好似無以前o甘斯文
3. Hairy Hat Man ->變左HarryHat Man無左鬚又無毛
4. Lucy Lamp Lady ->變左Lucy Lamp Light成個越南人士
5. Naughty Nick ->變左Noisy Nick
6. Poor Peter ->變左Peter Puppy無左眼淚
7. Robber Red ->變左Red Robot直程係第二個人物
8. Ticking Tess ->變左Talking Tess唔打電報轉o左用手提
9. Vase of Violets ->變左Vicky Violet多左個女仔
10. Wicked Water Witch->變左WalterWalrus，無左巫婆
11. Max and Maxine ->變左Fix-it Max，Maxine都唔見左
12. Zig Zag Zebra ->隻腳同個頭都粗左好多好難認到係Z

其實letter 的characters係好重要，角色一轉小朋友一定會混淆，同一個字母，同一個sound有兩個人，即係點呢？最慘就係佢現在只係轉了角色，但其他配套 又未能配合！好似所有故事書、dictionary、workbook等都係用番舊人物，要等佢全部轉o西新人物，又唔知要等到幾時！
而且我好唔明，一o的好重要的角色，佢轉左之後，phonics之後的劇情佢會點安排呢？例如：[size=medium]Hairy Hat Man無左Hairy，佢同Clever Cat走埋一齊時，點樣令Clever Cat sneeze之後發出'ch....'的sound呢？
[size=medium]無左Wicked Water Witch，'wh'走埋一齊時，女巫又點用佢把掃把打HairyHat Man令'wh'的h無聲只發'w'sound呢？
[size=medium]Robber Red係大賊，去到programme 2佢會偷走o的vowels，於是有The Vowel Stealers的poster同故事，但係成個Robber唔見左，得番個Robot，點得？
重有好多好多的故事，角色的不同，唔知佢會點發展.....就這件事，其實我已經上星期寫了封email去letter的support department問，佢幾日後只係回覆我會將我的問題轉去Australia的教育部回答....
我去太古問個sales，佢就重簡單，只係話建議未出齊之前都係用番舊o個套characters。不過我o念落都o岩，所以我雖然上網買了2003的 first reading flash cards及一些activities book，但係我最後都係去太古買番一盒舊的first reading flash cards了！
[size=medium]所以大家記住買時一定要留意係唔係2003版！

QUOTE:

kctammy 寫道:
marieyuen,

多謝你的分享！Please check PM!

之前yesasia減價,我訂了幾樣letterland的東西:
Alphabet Rhymes
Activity Book and Flashcards
ABC Book and Cassettle

上星期六去了太古問個sales我還需要那些materials才可以start,她叫我買了Early Years Casette, Alphabet Songs CD and Once Upon a Time in Letterland DVD.

今日收了信才知原來"ABC Book and Cassettle"的cassettle的內容是Alphabet Songs CD 的一樣,個sales仲話cassettle的內容是書中的文字,現在唯有當多個backup啦！

我覺得上網買平好多,大家不妨比較下才去太古買。

舊版
screen.width*0.7) {this.resized=true; this.width=screen.width*0.7; this.alt='Click here to open new window\nCTRL+Mouse wheel to zoom in/out';}" onmouseover="if(this.width>screen.width*0.7) {this.resized=true; this.width=screen.width*0.7; this.style.cursor='hand'; this.alt='Click here to open new window\nCTRL+Mouse wheel to zoom in/out';}" onclick="if(!this.resized) {return true;} else {window.open(this.src);}" onmousewheel="return imgzoom(this);" alt="" border="0">
新版

BK舊post (7)

[size=large]DIY Letterland Magnetic files:
我共做了4張A4，第一張(約2.5Mb)是用現成買的magnetic scan的(原價$60)質素係好好，一定好過自己印，所以好建詳買。
第二張(約900K)是Early Years度Scan出來的Captial Letters，因為Reading Flash Cards的公仔好舊，唔靚，所以用Early Years Handbook的公仔做。
第三及四(各約1Mb)張是用Programme 1的code Card做的，包括o西Programme 1所有要學的letters 配答。
[size=medium]我是依照原身的magnetic size度住用ratio除番scan size來做其他3張，所以大小是很準的，一定可以全部併得埋！

[size=medium]重有，我今日找到文具店有售A4 size 的磁貼是$16.5一張貼紙我是買Supa-jet的『防水光面相紙貼紙』$60有15張。如果彩色油墨大概是$2，計埋一張都係約$22.5

screen.width*0.7) {this.resized=true; this.width=screen.width*0.7; this.alt='Click here to open new window\nCTRL+Mouse wheel to zoom in/out';}" onmouseover="if(this.width>screen.width*0.7) {this.resized=true; this.width=screen.width*0.7; this.style.cursor='hand'; this.alt='Click here to open new window\nCTRL+Mouse wheel to zoom in/out';}" onclick="if(!this.resized) {return true;} else {window.open(this.src);}" onmousewheel="return imgzoom(this);" alt="" border="0">screen.width*0.7) {this.resized=true; this.width=screen.width*0.7; this.alt='Click here to open new window\nCTRL+Mouse wheel to zoom in/out';}" onmouseover="if(this.width>screen.width*0.7) {this.resized=true; this.width=screen.width*0.7; this.style.cursor='hand'; this.alt='Click here to open new window\nCTRL+Mouse wheel to zoom in/out';}" onclick="if(!this.resized) {return true;} else {window.open(this.src);}" onmousewheel="return imgzoom(this);" alt="" border="0">

screen.width*0.7) {this.resized=true; this.width=screen.width*0.7; this.alt='Click here to open new window\nCTRL+Mouse wheel to zoom in/out';}" onmouseover="if(this.width>screen.width*0.7) {this.resized=true; this.width=screen.width*0.7; this.style.cursor='hand'; this.alt='Click here to open new window\nCTRL+Mouse wheel to zoom in/out';}" onclick="if(!this.resized) {return true;} else {window.open(this.src);}" onmousewheel="return imgzoom(this);" alt="" border="0">
screen.width*0.7) {this.resized=true; this.width=screen.width*0.7; this.alt='Click here to open new window\nCTRL+Mouse wheel to zoom in/out';}" onmouseover="if(this.width>screen.width*0.7) {this.resized=true; this.width=screen.width*0.7; this.style.cursor='hand'; this.alt='Click here to open new window\nCTRL+Mouse wheel to zoom in/out';}" onclick="if(!this.resized) {return true;} else {window.open(this.src);}" onmousewheel="return imgzoom(this);" alt="" border="0">screen.width*0.7) {this.resized=true; this.width=screen.width*0.7; this.alt='Click here to open new window\nCTRL+Mouse wheel to zoom in/out';}" onmouseover="if(this.width>screen.width*0.7) {this.resized=true; this.width=screen.width*0.7; this.style.cursor='hand'; this.alt='Click here to open new window\nCTRL+Mouse wheel to zoom in/out';}" onclick="if(!this.resized) {return true;} else {window.open(this.src);}" onmousewheel="return imgzoom(this);" alt="" border="0">
只係普通的small letters先係彩色，我想過都唔錯，可以比小朋友知道黑色的letters係有些特別的意思的。

BK舊post (5)

Crabma：
你講的starter set我不太清楚是包括哪幾樣東西，不過我在網上見到好似成千幾蚊o咼。我最初的時候到太古showroom個sales只係叫我買了四樣：
1. ABC book[太古$90]
2. Early Years Handbook cassette[太古$45]
3. Alphabet songs [太古CD$120]
4. Once upon a time [太古DVD$180]〕
共$430，沒有任何折扣，我當時想買埋本Early Years的Handbook[太古$330]佢都叫我唔好買，話：『唔o西o架，你聽cassette就得架啦，入面o羊都有o西o架...』
不過後來我開始用了之後，我發現如果買Software[太古$330]的話，入面係會有齊o西所有Alphabet Songs同Handwriting Songs及可以click出Alphabet sound聽，所以如果買Software的話其實Alphabet Songs CD及Handwriting Songs CD都可以慳番唔買，不過如果你想小朋友當歌o甘成日在CD機播就例外，因為software入面的歌是不可以抽出來當CD播的，一定要開電腦你 click出來先可以有得聽。所以，好似我個女，佢自己識得播CD聽，想得閒比佢自己聽熟下o的歌，所以我最後都有買CD。
至於本 Early Years Handbook 我自己就覺得幾好，但要視乎各個人的情況適唔適合買。因為佢其實係比老師看的教學指引，每一個letter都好詳細o甘講出點講解，點用教材，及有o羊活 動可以follow up，雖然在家中教自己的小朋友咢洗全部做齊，但係對於像我這些不是太有信心可以教得好的，就好似有本天書跟住，唔洗好似自己都唔知o岩唔o岩o甘亂講， 又驚講錯，又驚講少o左...
Early Years Handbook 的cassette的tapescript都有印o西在handbook內，所以如果比多一次我選，我唔會買cassette，因為cassette好麻 煩，我家中好難可以找到機聽，又唔可以分track聽，如果無tapescript對住，會好悶，又有些唔係太知佢講o羊時，我試過兩、三次都聽到想訓 著....
個sales話cassette好好，係可以聽埋發音同accent，但係如果有本發聲字典一查，讀音都唔係難找o者，用餅cassette來找o米重難找！
不過我都在之前的post講過，Early Years Handbook都好貴，又要好有心機同時間看先得，如果自己無興趣看，買了會好浪費，又如果你的小朋友已經讀緊幼稚園，可以不用做early years，由programme1開始的話，o甘更加可以唔買，因為到了programme1的Teacher's Guide[太古$390]，係會每個字母再先介紹一次的，不過就沒有early years o甘詳細。
以下係一段係YearlyYears Cassette 入面講Bouncy Ben 的tapescript，你可以看看，其實是給大人拿住本ABC Book，看住張圖，跟住講給小朋友聽的：
screen.width*0.7) {this.resized=true; this.width=screen.width*0.7; this.alt='Click here to open new window\nCTRL+Mouse wheel to zoom in/out';}" onmouseover="if(this.width>screen.width*0.7) {this.resized=true; this.width=screen.width*0.7; this.style.cursor='hand'; this.alt='Click here to open new window\nCTRL+Mouse wheel to zoom in/out';}" onclick="if(!this.resized) {return true;} else {window.open(this.src);}" onmousewheel="return imgzoom(this);" alt="" border="0">
Session 1 : Introducing Bouncy Ben
I can see a blue letter on this page. And I can seesomebody looking out of the letter. Can you see two blue eyes looking out of the letter? Yes, those blue eyes belong to a letterland rabbit called Bouncy Ben.
Can you see his blue ball at the bottom of the page? He bounced that ball into to bushes. Shall we put our hand out and pretend we've got a ball and bounce it?
Bounce, bounce, bounce goes the ball. That's right. Put your ball away now, and give your havd a rest.
Bouncy Ben loves playing with a ball. He dose something special with his big blue ball as well. Sometimes he balances his blue ball on top of his head. (That when he change to capital letter B sharp)

Session 2 : Bouncy Ben's shape and sound
let's have a look at Bouncy Ben's blue letter on his page again. Shall we draw it?
I'm going to strt at the top of Bouncy Ben's big brown ear, go down his ear, and then I'm going to go back up over has face... and I stop just under his chin.
And while I do it this time, I'm going to say Bouncy Ben's special sound. You listen. Bouncy Ben says' b..., b..., bl...'. It's a very short little sound.
Can you say his short little sound with me? 'B..., b..., b...'. Yes, Bouncy Ben says, 'b....'.
I can see something yellow right at the top of the page. It uses its yellow wings to fly. Do you know what it's called? That's right. It's a butterfly. a beautiful butterfly.
Wait a minute. That word butterfly starts with Bouncy Ben's sound, doesn't it? "B..., b...' butterfly. That's the sound Ben always makes in words!
And can you see something else that flies in the sky? It has a sting. What's it called? A bee! That's right. It's a buzzy bee.
Who can remember how we draw Bouncy Ben again? Where do we start? Right at the tip of his big long ears. We go right down his ear, then up around his face so he is ready to say 'b..., b..., b...' for Bouncy Ben.

每一課除了有以上的tapescript之外，重有Objective, What you need, Teaching suggestions [ included: Intrucing Bouncy Bouncy Ben, Bouncy Ben's letter shape, Bouncy Ben's sound], Bouncy Ben's words list, Things to do, Things to talk about and Explaining the capital B shape.如果係vowel，重會講埋long vowel man

crabmama 寫道:
Hi marieyuen,

Welcome back ! Hope u had a wonderful CNY.

Let say I would like to start now. Should i buy
the "phonics at home starter" or the CD-rom and
Early Years Handbook u mentioned abt? Is the cassette for kids or for parents ? Do u think it's necessary too ?