CUSTOM ACTIVITY CREATION
Creating custom activities gives you complete control over activity difficulty as well as what is included in activities for your student, allowing you to target your student's specific learning needs. After creating your custom activity, you can play it with the student, save it for later or send it as homework to the student.
Creating custom activities gives you complete control over activity difficulty as well as what is included in activities for your student, allowing you to target your student's specific learning needs. After creating your custom activity, you can play it with the student, save it for later or send it as homework to the student.
The Custom Activity Button at the bottom of each Activity Menu gives you complete control over activities and homework you need your students to complete. Clicking this button will take you to a custom activity screen.
The Custom Activity Button at the bottom of each Activity Menu gives you complete control over activities and homework you need your students to complete. Clicking this button will take you to a custom activity screen.
There are two types of Custom Activity screens, depending on the type of activity you want to create. Single letter graphemes, Silent E, Consonant Blends and Sight Word Custom Activity screens use an Item Selection format. Blending & Decoding and Segmentation & Spelling Custom Activity screens use the Regular Word Selection format.
There are two types of Custom Activity screens, depending on the type of activity you want to create. Single letter graphemes, Silent E, Consonant Blends and Sight Word Custom Activity screens use an Item Selection format. Blending & Decoding and Segmentation & Spelling Custom Activity screens use the Regular Word Selection format.
Custom Activity Creation: Item Selection
Custom Activity Creation: Item Selection
Applies to: Single letter graphemes, Silent E, Consonant Blends and Sight Word Custom Activity screens
Applies to: Single letter graphemes, Silent E, Consonant Blends and Sight Word Custom Activity screens
This type of Custom Activity screen allows you to customise / individualise activities for students by selecting specific items for inclusion in an activity.
This type of Custom Activity screen allows you to customise / individualise activities for students by selecting specific items for inclusion in an activity.
Selecting Items
Selecting Items
To choose the items you would like to include in the activity, click on them. Click again to deselect an item if you make a mistake.
To choose the items you would like to include in the activity, click on them. Click again to deselect an item if you make a mistake.
To play an activity with a student, click the tick button.
To play an activity with a student, click the tick button.
To send the activity to the student's homework list, press the 'Send Homework' button. You can manage student's homework in the Homework Screen.
To send the activity to the student's homework list, press the 'Send Homework' button. You can manage student's homework in the Homework Screen.
Don't forget to adjust scaffolding support if required by changing the start and end level (under the Scoring option).
Don't forget to adjust scaffolding support if required by changing the start and end level (under the Scoring option).
Saving Custom Activities
Saving Custom Activities
You can save your custom activities by selecting items for inclusion, then pressing the Save button. Enter a name for your saved activity by clicking on < new file > and typing the name, then press the tick button.
You can save your custom activities by selecting items for inclusion, then pressing the Save button. Enter a name for your saved activity by clicking on < new file > and typing the name, then press the tick button.
Loading Custom Activities
Loading Custom Activities
To load previously saved activities, click the Load button. Saved activities are presented in alphabetical order. Use the arrows to move through the pages. Select the activity you want and press the tick button.
To load previously saved activities, click the Load button. Saved activities are presented in alphabetical order. Use the arrows to move through the pages. Select the activity you want and press the tick button.
You can then press the tick button to play the activity or send it to the student's homework list by pressing the Send Homework button (see below).
You can then press the tick button to play the activity or send it to the student's homework list by pressing the Send Homework button (see below).
Custom Activity Creation: Regular Word Selection
Custom Activity Creation: Regular Word Selection
Applies to: Blending & Decoding and Segmentation & Spelling Custom Activity screens
Applies to: Blending & Decoding and Segmentation & Spelling Custom Activity screens
This type of Custom Activity screen allows you to customise / individualise activities for students by selecting word patterns for inclusion in an activity (such as words beginning with 'sh' or words with 'ar' in the middle). When you have created your custom activity, you can play an activity with a student by clicking the tick button.
This type of Custom Activity screen allows you to customise / individualise activities for students by selecting word patterns for inclusion in an activity (such as words beginning with 'sh' or words with 'ar' in the middle). When you have created your custom activity, you can play an activity with a student by clicking the tick button.
Specifying Word Patterns
Specifying Word Patterns
To choose words or word patterns you would like to include in the activity, use the text fields (the white spaces with question marks) to type the patterns you would like to include. If you want to include more than one pattern, press the '+' button. Up to 8 patterns may be included in an activity.
To choose words or word patterns you would like to include in the activity, use the text fields (the white spaces with question marks) to type the patterns you would like to include. If you want to include more than one pattern, press the '+' button. Up to 8 patterns may be included in an activity.
Question marks are 'wild cards'. So, if you enter ?-oa-?, your activity will contain words with 'oa' in the middle (such as foam, boat, soak etc). If you enter ?-oa-t, your activity will include words with 'oa' in the middle and 't' at the end (such as boat, coat, moat etc).
Question marks are 'wild cards'. So, if you enter ?-oa-?, your activity will contain words with 'oa' in the middle (such as foam, boat, soak etc). If you enter ?-oa-t, your activity will include words with 'oa' in the middle and 't' at the end (such as boat, coat, moat etc).
Adjusting your Word List
Adjusting your Word List
You can adjust (increase or decrease) the number of words, in the activity by pressing the Words button until the number shows the desired number of words.
You can adjust (increase or decrease) the number of words, in the activity by pressing the Words button until the number shows the desired number of words.
You can change the maximum word length by pressing the Max Length button.
You can change the maximum word length by pressing the Max Length button.
To change the vocabulary level, press the Vocabulary button (Level 1 = low level vocabulary, high frequency words. Level 2 = high level vocabulary, low frequency words, All Words = Level 1 & Level 2 words).
To change the vocabulary level, press the Vocabulary button (Level 1 = low level vocabulary, high frequency words. Level 2 = high level vocabulary, low frequency words, All Words = Level 1 & Level 2 words).
You can save custom activities by specifying the patterns for inclusion, then pressing the Save button. To load previously saved activities, click the Load button (as per the Item Selection video, above).
You can save custom activities by specifying the patterns for inclusion, then pressing the Save button. To load previously saved activities, click the Load button (as per the Item Selection video, above).
You can send homework activities to students by selecting the items you would like to include, adjusting scaffolding support and then pressing the 'Send Homework' button. You can manage student's homework in the Homework Screen.
You can send homework activities to students by selecting the items you would like to include, adjusting scaffolding support and then pressing the 'Send Homework' button. You can manage student's homework in the Homework Screen.