A preview of Doorway First Words

Doorway First Words is the second piece of software in the Doorway suite to come to the site;  www.doorwayonline.org.uk.

It presents pupils with the opportunity to learn how to spell, and test their spelling of over 40 Level A words. These words are all represented by quality line drawings.

The target words are CVC words, words with 'oo' ee', 'ch', 'sh' and 'th'in them. The on-screen keyboard includes 'keys' to represent these digraphs. The words are spoken by a recorded voice.

A preview of Doorway First Words - high quality artwork

Almost all the quality artwork for the new version of Doorway First Words has been drawn by Thomas Lee.

The pictures represent Level A words; CVC words, words with 'oo' and 'ee' in the middle; words with sh, ch and th

Here  are some examples of the artwork

Adding to the Topic Word Lists

Doorway Speller does not have a facility allowing users to add their own words. However, users within Scottish Borders can add their own lists by sending them to pwhittaker@scotborders.gov.uk.

Why not send in a list of topic words before you start a new topic. Let pupils practise spelling these words. Get some good spellers in the class to research the words you are going to come across in the topic. You should have fewer spelling errors during the run of the topic.

It is important to make sure that you send the words in the correct format;

1. The list should start with the name of the list
2. The items in the list follow
3. All items in the list are separated by a comma
4. There are no spaces
5. If you are sending more than one list, send them in the same document, not as separate documents

Here's an example of how to send two lists in one document or email;

Reptiles,snake,lizard,tortoise,turtle,chameleon,crocodile,
alligator,terrapin,gecko

Birds,sparrow,cuckoo,partridge,kingfisher,pheasant,
woodpecker,peacock,pigeon,eagle,chaffinch

New Jotter Primary Font

The Doorway software is enhanced by the use of the newly developed font for almost all of the text. The font has been designed by Thomas Lee as a simulation of a school handwriting scheme. Its name is; Jotter Primary.

Thanks to a lot of people

Four programs in the Doorway suite are close to being on line.

Doorway Speller is already working well and is in use in several schools and homes too!

Coming very soon - Doorway First Words, Doorway Text Type and Doorway Cashing in.

Thanks go to;

Scottish Borders Council

Thanks to the following for their encouragement and help with funding;

Pat Nicholson and Keith Russell, headteachers; Maria Lucia MacConnachie, Additional Needs Manager; Marjorie Rae, Additional Needs Co-ordinator; Douglas Angus, QIO; Jaqueline Garry, CPD Manager.

CALL Scotland

Thanks to CALL Scotland, Edinburgh University, for their advice with regard to implementing accessibility options within Doorway software.

Doorway Multimedia

Thanks to Roger Spooner and Andrew Burt, the original developers of Doorway for Acorn RISC OS computers, for their permission to use the Doorway name and some of the concepts of the software.