Phonics is the Key to Reading Success
On Hip Hop Avenue, we see the world through kids’ eyes.
It’s colorful, vibrant and full of learning potential. But it’s about more
than just understanding ABC’s - it’s about being part of a community where
learning is rewarding and fun!
Children join familiar JumpStart characters in a place
where reading, words and sounds abound. In and around the street, kids are
introduced to letters, sounds, words and sentences in a playful and natural way,
through captivating interactive games and the power of rhythm, rhyme and music.
Kids learn to be goal oriented as they focus on learning manageable groups of
words that open up new songs to sing along with and record in the Karaoke
Clubhouse. Let Val, the clubhouse supervisor and neighborhood mentor, nurture
your child’s fondness for reading as she acknowledges even the smallest
victories along the way by providing instant feedback and encouragement through
Voice Activated Learning.
Introducing Voice Activated Learning – V.A.L.
Educational research indicates a strong link between speaking words and
phrases aloud and developing early reading skills. Voice Activated Learning
(VAL) is an effective way to teach language development and reading, using the
learner’s voice to activate and reinforce the learn-to-read process. VAL
provides feedback of words read aloud into the included microphone, offering
helpful hints and enthusiastic encouragement. In developing the VAL
technology we are most concerned with developing confident readers. For that
reason, we have sharpened the technology to ensure that it recognizes when a
word is said correctly by little voices with all of their developmental traits.
Progress Reports
Throughout the progress of the game, the parent can access information on what
words and skills the player has learned. The information on the page is broken
up into two display areas that show the lyrics from the current song and the
skills the player will master while learning the words. A star denotes that the
skill has been completed. To see words and skills that have been
previously taught, click on the scroll arrows at the bottom of the display
frame.
- Print Lyrics – create a
paper copy of the lyrics for your child and his or her friends.
- Print Words – generate
flash cards featuring the song words.
- Print Skills – keep paper copies of your child’s
progress reports.
Skills Learned
- Letter, Sound and Word Recognition
- Word Building
- Vocabulary Building
- Spelling
- Rhyming
- Digraphs and Blends
- Beginning and Ending Consonants
- Long and Short Vowel Sounds
Blending with Val
Want to learn how to turn sounds into words?
Listen to Val sound out each letter, then see if you can figure out
what word the sounds make. Click the Microphone button then say the
word. Val will tell you if you are right and play back your version
so you can hear it! The words you learn in this activity are
the ones you will be singing along with in the Karaoke clubhouse
later!
- Blending sounds to make words
- Listening skills
- Read sight words
Trash Cans
The trash needs to be sorted, and Pierre needs your help! Trash Can and his
grumpy brother Trash Can’t both need trash, but as with everything, they
differ on taste. Click on a piece of trash to pick it up, then click over the
correct garbage can to drop it in. When all the trash is sorted, some trash
might be left on the pile. Click on the Checkmark button to see if you are all
done.
- Phonemic awareness
- Beginning sounds
- Ending sounds
- Identify beginning consonant sounds with
pictures
- Identify ending consonant sounds with pictures
- Identify short vowel sounds with pictures
- Identify long vowel sounds with pictures
- Identify consonant digraphs with pictures
- Identify consonant blends with
pictures
Mail Trail
The mail has dropped out of Frankie’s truck. Help Kisha ride her bike as she
picks up the letters. Use the Up and Down arrows on the keyboard to help Kisha
move around the obstacles. If you collide with one, your bike will start to
wobble and slow down. To fix the bike, steer Kisha over a bike pump. Look out
for the fun colored stars – Kisha will do a special trick for you when you run
over one of these. Be sure to finish the course before the time is up or
you’ll have to start over!
- Spatial awareness
- Following directions
Pack It
Frankie could use your help putting the packages in the truck. Val will check
her packing list and let you know what words Frankie needs. Click on a package
on the cart and place it in the truck, building the word from start to finish.
After all the words are on the truck, read the words back to Val to make sure
everything is good to go!
- Blend
sounds to make words
- Decode three- to five-letter words
Delivery
Help Frankie steer the truck around the streets and pick up the missing
packages. Avoid the other trucks or they will take the packages you have already
collected. When all the packages have been picked up, make your way back
over to the Clubhouse. Once you have collected all the packages, it’s
time to deliver them to your JumpStart pals! Val will let you know what each
friend needs by giving you a rhyme clue or asking you to find the correct word.
Click the package you want to deliver, then read the word on the box back for
Val to check against her list.
- Decoding
- Three- to five-letter words
- Identify rhyming words
- Identify sight words
Jump Rope
Here's your chance to practice all your new words in a fun way with Hopsalot and
his friend CJ. First, join Hopsalot and read the words out loud together as they
appear in the space above. Then, like a real jump-rope game, take turns to read
phrases. Hops will read a line, then you read it the same way. Click on the
Spinner on the tree to decide who goes first!
Comprehension
You’ve almost made it to the Karaoke Clubhouse, but there is one problem: the
song sheet is all wet, and the pieces are floating around in a puddle! Help Val
save the day by returning all the pieces to their correct places. Click on a
piece in the puddle to pick it up, and again to place it in a blank space. When
all the spaces are filled, click the Checkmark button to test your work.
All the words that have been placed in the correct sentence will remain, while
the others will return to the puddle. Once all the words are in place, help Val
check the sentences by reading them out loud before you head over to the Karaoke
Clubhouse to sing them in your next song!
- Use
context clues to identify unknown words
- Complete a sentence
Karaoke Clubhouse
It’s Karaoke time and you have learned another song! Each time you make your
way up to the Karaoke Clubhouse and earn the required amount of tickets, you
will earn a token to get you a new song in the Clubhouse. Val will toss
the token into the lick the jukebox to activate it, then click the arrows to
page through your songs. To play a song, click the icon in the jukebox display.
The Song Selector - The
Song Selector indicates which version of the song is currently
loaded. You can change the version by clicking anywhere on the
selector. The switch will toggle from the CD (Original version) to
the player icon (version with your voice recorded).
Playing a Song - To hear
the original version of a Karaoke song, select the song from the
jukebox then click the Play button on the Sound Monitor. To hear
your own version of the song, make sure the Song Selector is set
to the player icon then click the Play button on the Sound
Monitor.
Recording a Song - To sing
along with one of the many Karaoke songs, select the song from the
jukebox then click the Microphone button on the Sound Monitor.
Only one version of each song can be kept.
Each set of 24 songs you
record will use up around 100MB of hard drive space, so frequently
delete any user names no longer needed.
- Step-by-Step Approach: Children master each new word and sound as they
progress through engaging activities.
- Vocal Recognition and Feedback: Kids can record and hear their own voice
played back.
- Practice Vowels and Blends: Match up the letters and the sounds they
make.
- 8 Skill Building Activities: Learn over 200 words plus the 42 sounds
of the English language.
- Read-along Songs: Read and sing new
words as you follow along with 24 toe-tapping karaoke songs.
- Windows 2000, XP, Vista
- Pentium II (or
equivalent), 400 MHz processor
- 128 MB of RAM
- 300 MB available on hard
drive
- DirectX9.0-compatible
Video Card with 32 MB memory
- 16-bit color @ 800x600
- DirectX-compatible full
duplex Sound Card
- DirectX 9.0
- 24X CD-ROM drive
- Microphone (not included)
