|
||||||||||||
LottieScript Overview
|
IntroductionLottieScript is a unique set of tools that both illustrate and demonstrate how to write in cursive script. You type it; LottieScript writes it! It's a fact that pupils with good handwriting do better throughout their entire school life than those of similar ability but poor handwriting. At the same time, encouraged by hardware lead initiatives, more and more technology is swarming into the classroom. We feel that this has actually de-focused handwriting, to the point where some people are starting to believe it could be completely replaced by typing. Do we really want the only way our young people can express themselves, in words, to become technology dependant? Conscious of a need to redress the imbalance, TTH have built an environment that allows any subject you teach to have neat, accurate, consistent, handwritten content as part of the presentation on the Interactive Whiteboard and on paper worksheets. In this way, children are constantly exposed to (and are therefore encouraged to produce) legible, well laid out written work. Because the 'handwriting' is generated by the computer, it is:
LottieScript also includes tools to support your teaching of handwriting from the very earliest stages.
The Dyslexia Friendly Character Set The software supports two forms of fully cursive handwriting, as well as partly cursive handwriting with ‘break’ characters, and a pre-cursive form of printed handwriting. Our intention is to expand the character sets available to include all recognised handwriting types from simple print upwards. Planned developments include a pattern module (for early years pupils), italic and speed-loop based characters. The software also supports the teaching of basic literacy, with its ability to identify vowels and consonants in entered text, these features will also be enhanced in future releases. Teaching HandwritingThe handwriting modules perform all of the steps necessary to complete a piece of written work; they dot and cross relevant letters only after the last letter of a word is complete, or a break in the flow is reached; they write letter shapes according to accepted practice and maintain all proper letter joins. There are also several interactive features that enable you to break handwriting down, helping to ensure all pupils clearly understand each element. Below is a very basic example of an early prototype.
Main UsesGet LottieScript Now or <click here to jump back to the top> LottieScript was designed primarily to be a classroom aid, used by teachers in a classroom setting, in conjunction with an Interactive Whiteboard. However, nothing about its design would prevent use on any PC, in small groups or one-to-one learning situations. The software supports the teaching and learning of handwriting in both active and passive ways;
In this way LottieScript can reinforce the use of good handwriting practice in many of the areas that text is used across the curriculum. LottieScript lets the teaching staff decide how and at what stage, to introduce each element of handwriting. Schools may progress from printed, to cursive handwriting, or commence with fully cursive and then introduce printing later, as they see fit. Character Sets<click here to jump back to the top> Once LottieScript is installed, you will be able to begin to customise the software to suit your requirements. On each PC, LottieScript can have a different set of options and a different character set. When initially installed, LottieScript has the Dyslexia-Friendly, fully cursive character set as shown above in the Introduction, but there are numerous optional characters within this and three other character sets are included in the current version. These are:
Pre-Cursive Print Character Set
Fully Cursive Character Set
Cursive with Break Letters Not shown here are the variations possible in some of the letters to allow for even more flexibility. But, if you cannot find a character form that you require, you may use our contact page or email to send us a description or an example of the missing form. TTH will happily consider including any such requests into future versions of the product as quickly as possible. Special Needs<click here to jump back to the top> As well as including a fully cursive, Dyslexia-Friendly character set, many of the optional features of LottieScript have been built to ensure that learners with special needs (SEN) can, where at all possible, learn alongside other pupils in the same classroom situation. To this end the software allows the setting of a number of colour combinations for both the background and the foreground colours. The speed of writing can be varied, and the thickness of the lines drawn can also be changed, to try to get the best visual experience for the audience. There are layout guides that can be optionally displayed, to indicate the relative heights of written elements. The static letter forms may be displayed in a number of ways and then printed, to produce dotted forms for worksheets, for example, On screen these forms may be completely hidden, so that LottieScript gives the impression of writing on a blank piece of paper. There are also further writing options, to cycle the pen colour for example, each feature designed to assist with understanding and to ensure legibility. Software ModulesGet LottieScript Now or <click here to jump back to the top> All of the handwriting features described here are available in three writing modules
There is also a Worksheet module that allows the production of a wide variety of printed material to support teaching and, for example, to produce large size output for signage in the classroom. Every output is consistent with the chosen handwriting style.
Future DevelopmentsGet LottieScript Now or <click here to jump back to the top> TTH has a full set of developments planned to go into future releases of Lottie handwriting products. Release 5.1, will include a pattern module for Foundation stage pupils, as well as some other minor enhancements. This will be available as a free upgrade to existing licensed users. We will also launch a sister product, LottieItalic. This will use the same handwriting engine as LottieScript but will utilise an italic character set and will also include speed loops and other character variations, designed to indicate how pupils can develop style and increase speed, without compromising legibility.
Sample of the Italic Character Set in development Beyond this, both products will also be able to take advantage of our most exiting long term development; a dictionary based phonics tool. This will replace the existing phonic sound option and allow the creation of completely new or alternative combinations of sounds to be output with the touch highlight facility. Using this teachers will be able to specify how letters should sound in specific words. This would, for example, cater for specific local accent needs as well as synthetic phonic literacy aids. Installation<click here to jump back to the top> A free, 30-day trial of LottieScript can be downloaded from this website. Simply take <this link> or one of the others around the site, to the Download page and follow the instructions there. The trial is a fully functional version of the software for you to explore before making a purchase, after 30 days the software will stop running unless you purchase a license. If you are a UK School, you only need issue us with a Purchase Order number and we will send you everything you need to license your software, including a CD .If you have any remaining eLearning Credits these can also be used to buy LottieScript. Alternatively, you can convert a downloaded copy to a fully paid license and pay direct using Paypal, all through this web site. A License to use LottieScript is supplied on a site, or location, basis. Once a license has been purchased it may be used to Activate a set number of PCs at that location. You must purchase a license before the software can be Activated with the codes that we will send you.
|
|||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
