If one wishes to follow this programme, the materials required can be purchased from Longman Logotron and from Somerset Education Services. The Somerset materials consist of a Manual containing the Phonic Blocks of text, teaching instructions, and results of research carried out in Somerset schools where the materials were first piloted; also required is the wordprocessor Talking PenDown, produced by Longman Logotron, Cambridge, U.K. (Suppliers of educational hardware and software should be able to provide these materials).

Background
In May 1991 an Educational Psychologist in the Somerset Education Services (Martin Miles) and an advisory teacher for Information Technology and Special Needs (Mike Bolton) developed the idea of using the technology already available in Primary Schools to help children who were experiencing learning difficulties - particularly in reading. Over a six month period their idea was directed along a certain path, in keeping with their (then) most pressing concern - i.e. the growing number of pupils being identified with specific learning difficulties and/or dyslexic-type tendencies. At the time such problems were being investigated, and expensive remedial programmes such as the Reading Recovery Scheme (from New Zealand) were being put in place in Somerset schools. The question of what Information Technology might be able to do to help, was largely ignored.

As education was moving inexorably into the age of technology, there seemed to be a need to investigate the various possibilities offered by computers, in order to help children experiencing problems in the general area of literacy.

Martin and Mike's idea was to try to use the computer equipment already available in schools, and to adapt programs and software in the area of special needs. The idea of using a wordprocessor
which gave an instant speech feedback from the computer when words were keyed in, seemed appealing. They believed that this might provide better cues for the correction of writing, reading, and spelling. In addition, incorporating speech with wordprocessing would be moving nearer to a multisensory approach to learning, using Information Technology.

Phonic blocks
The Talking Computer Project concentrated on using Longman Logotron's Talking PenDown as a tool to remediate learning deficits related to literacy, in conjunction with a pack of reading cards which were designed with a phonic development as their base. By using the cards (compiled after much investigation of phonic programmes already in existence) in conjunction with a computer program giving an instant feedback speech facility (e.g. Talking Pendown) the project team believed they were developing an early interventional remedial approach to literacy problems in their schools.

The objective was that this remedial work should take pupils to a literacy level from which they could advance and take control of their own learning situations, using IT; i.e. moving from a highly controlled situation to a low control situation in which pupils were in charge of their own learning, so that they could move on to mainstream texts and wordprocessors. The originators hoped that the drudgery of 'Drill and Kill' would be overcome by the motivation inspired by the computer, the fascination of the speech feedback, the boost to pupils' self-esteem, and the feeling (by pupils) that positive progress was being made.

This highly structured programme, based on a tried and tested traditional methodology now interfaced with the power of the computer, was piloted in Somerset schools over a period of twelve months, with pupils in all phases of education (age range: 7 -16 years). During that year the project produced some remarkable results.

Initial Piloting Results (taken from the Prolect Manual):

(a) ReadingAges - increases of up to 37 months with the average increase being 10.6 months.
(b) Spelling Ages - increases of up to 12 months.
(c) Short term Auditon, Memory - increases of up to 12 months. (d) Teacher observed: increases in concentration; increases in time spent on task; changes in attitude Oor the better); increases in self-esteem; transferability of skills to other areas of the curriculum.

The extraordinary thing about the above results is that they were achieved in little over 6 hours tuition, ie. 20 minutes a day over 4 weeks. Follow-up testing at 10 weeks and again at 6 months
indicated that progress had been maintained even after the withdrawal of the speaking wordprocessor.

GMROCS interest in the project
In March 1995, two Delegates from GMROC (East Cork Primary Teachers' ComputerStudy Group, based in Scoil Chlochair Mhuire, Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork) attended the MAPE Annual Conference in Bath College of Higher Education, at which the Somerset Project was demonstrated by one of its originators, Mike Bolton. (Note:
The MAPE - Micros and Primary Education - Annual Conference isthe UK equivalent of the CESI Annual Conference, held in Dublin every November; it consists mainly of demonstrations and presentations on the use of IT in Education). The Cork Delegates were very impressed by the Somerset Talking Computer Project. Soon after, GMROC decided to undertake research in some local primary schools, and to ascertain for themselves the value of this project in the context of Irish primary schools. Their aim was to establish whether the Talking Computer Project could significantly help pupils (in Cork schools) who were experiencing literacy difficulties - especially in regard to reading skills.

A number of Group members undertook to purchase the Project Materials and to test the claims as outlined above among pupils in their schools, who were experiencing literacy difficulties. In all, thirty pupils were given access to the materials in 8 - 10 schools in Cork East, and one school in Cork city. This research (or perhaps more correctly 'investigation') is ongoing, and initial indications suggest that pupils being exposed to the Project are (in the vast majority of cases) making significant progress in reading ability. The following example from one school, speaks for itself.

Sample School 1
(6th Class pupils who had been receiving remedial help two/three times weekly prior to entering the Senior class group in June '95, when remedial help was discontinued - in accordance with this school's policy of concentrating remedial resources on Junior and Middle classes)
Results
While this research was not conducted strictly according to scientific criteria (to avoid familiarity with the test, the June result was used, and the time which elapsed was added on to the then Reading Age) nevertheless the results in most of these cases are dramatic; one must conclude that use of the Somerset Project played a significant part in the vast improvement shown. It should be remembered that these pupils were not receiving any other remedial help between the tests.

It is worth noting that all pupils tested in this instance were in their final year at Primary School. In the case of the pupil who made the most dramatic improvement, family circumstances and interest in schoolwork also improved significantly. Five of those who took in the test above are boys and two are girls, one of whom (pupil G) only kept pace with her chronological age. As regards spelling, the average improvement in the Spelling Age for these pupils was 7 months.

The project has just been completed with six pupils from Standard 4 in the same school, and again the results are very encouraging, although not as dramatic as with Sample 1 above. The Marino Test was used with the younger pupils, and the average improvement in the R.A. was 5 months (overthe 6 weeks duration of the project).

It might seem from the early results being returned that Senior class pupils made better progress than Junior class pupils, although this fact has not as yet been thoroughly tested.

Operating Procedure for the Talking Computer Project
The Project works on a one-to-one basis only and each session lasts about 20 minutes.

1 . One child is taught at a time. Talking Pendown should be loaded with SPEECH facility ON to WORDS & SENTENCES

2. Teacher shows the sentence on a card to the pupil who reads it 3 times - with help if needed.

3. The pupil says the sentence from memory (card hidden).

4. Pupil types the sentence - words been 'spoken by the computer.

5. Pupil checks with card for accuracy of typed sentence. (Pupil corrects if necessary)

6. Teacher asks pupil to identify letter patterns

7. Pupil repeats the procedure with the next sentence.

8. At the end of the card the pupil reads all four sentences. The pupil is asked to identify letter patterns.

9. Two cards in each 20 minute session would be a good average.

10. Use a size 20 plain' font. Trinity Medium seems good for most pupils

11. Progress should be monitored. The pupil's involvement in this will help to act as reinforcement.

12. It is suggested that morning time is best for this exercise, when the pupil is more receptive.

13. TEST at end of Project

14. Later TEST (after 6 MONTHS)

Benefits of using this project/materials
1. It is highly motivating. Children seem fascinated with the
computer's 'speech' as a reaction to their input.
2. The project can be operated efficiently by non-teaching person-
nel, e.g. school secretary, classroom assistant, a parent, or an older pupil. Once the Project is set up and the procedure understood, no special expertise is required. This is very important in a school situation as a one-to-one approach by the class teacher would not be possible.
3. Additional work can be assigned by the class-teacher if proper monitoring procedures are followed. (Sample monitoring sheets are shown in the Manual.)
4. The Project encourages a multi-sensory approach with aural, visual, and kinaesthetic input and output. Children feel that they are doing a practical activity rather than an academic one.
5. In addition to the project being highly motivating, children expressed great disappointment when the project was concluded. (The obvious stigma of the slow learner' was not perceived as such by pupils working on this prolect)
6. From the point of view of the teacher, the project material is highly structured, easily monitored, and contains suggestions for additional work. ('PenDown' has a facility for 'Word Lists').
7. The pupil quickly acquires keyboard skills. (The fact that older pupils seem to make greater progress than younger pupils may have a bearing on their level of skill in this area.)
8. In many cases teachers found a total (i.e. more positive) attitude change to reading and writing skills, improved concentration, greater ability to complete tasks, improved self esteem, and greater all-round interest in language learning generally.
9. Teachers were satisfied that their pupils with reading problems were being actively helped.
Drawbacks of the Talking Computer Project
1. The one-to-one nature of the prolect: lack of time to operate such a project during ordinary school time without the help of an 'assistant'.

2. Cost of the materials.

3. Confined to Acorn RISC OS Computers (unless a 'talking'

wordprocessor can be obtained for other platforms).

4. Lack of computers and/or computer skills in some schools.

5. The speech synthesizer is not the most sophisticated available and for Irish children the accent of the voice can occasionally be difficult to understand. (The Speed, Volume, Pitch, and length of pauses can be altered in the Speech Facility by an experienced operator.) However the majority of children had no difficulty with this aspect of the project.

6. ContInuity: a commitment to the project is required both by the teacher and the pupil. Long 'lay-offs' will inhibit progress.

Summary of findings by GMROC on the Somerset Talking Computer Project (TCP).
Initially, GMROCs aim was to discover if the Somerset TCP could significantly help pupils in our schools who were experiencing literacy difficulties. We carried out our investigation of the prolect as practising teachers and not strictly according to scientific criteria. All Group members who tried out the Materials were in agreement that the project did indeed contribute significantly to improvements made by pupils who were exposed to it. It seems that the Senior pupils made the greater progress. It will not be known until later whether this progress was maintained beyond the duration of the project. A number of pupils who had made very little progress using conventional methods in their remedial class, made outstanding progress using TCP Materials. The motivation of using a computer obviously had a bearing on their success. GMROC members were in agreement on the benefits listed above and will compile a fuller report when their investigations have been concluded. Questions on how pupils undergoing similar intensive tuition but not using technology might progress, also needs to be investigated. Many teachers expressed disappointment that the phonic blocks were not in a 'ready to use' format.

Cost at Materials
Talking PenDown (for Acorn Archimedes computers) is available from
Longman Logotron at a cost of £75.20 (May 1995)
The Somerset Talking Computer Project Learning Materials cost
£37.61 (May 1995).