1. INFORMATION TO PARENTS ABOUT FREE LEARNING SOFTWARE
Dear Parents, We Have Exciting News!
FREE READING and WRITING SOFTWARE FOR HOME USE—
THE SAME PROGRAMS THAT ARE ON THE SCHOOL COMPUTERS!
Premier Assistive Technology has created a wide assortment of tools that allow your computer to read to you. The Lambton-Kent District School Board has now made these programs available for you to use at home. This is a powerful set of programs to assist students who struggle with reading, writing and spelling. Through Premier you can have your computer read your favorite web page, email, homework, or book. There is even a program on this site that will let you convert your documents into audio files so you can listen to them on an MP3 player. These tools are also great for proofreading and editing your homework. To access these programs go to www.premierathome.com to download and install the products you need.
Please note that these programs can only be installed on computers owned by students, parents of students, or staff of the Lambton Kent District School Board.
How do I get this software?
- Go to www.premierathome.com. Once you get to the site, you will see a login button that looks like this: . Click on it to go to the login screen.
- Type in the following Login Name and password ( which you can access by calling the Learning and Enrichment Centre) and then click on the LOGIN button
- On the next page, “Click Here to go to the Download Page”.
Click here to go to the downloads page
- This will take you to the download page. There are many different products you can download and install from this page. Just select the Download Now link located below each product that you want to download and install.
Download and Installation Instructions
- Select the product you want to download and install.
- Click on the link that says “Download Now”.
- The following window will be displayed. Make sure you select the Save button. This will prompt you where you want to save the setup file on your personal computer. Make sure you make a note of the name and location where you save the file.
- Once the file has been downloaded, run the file to install the program.
*** RECOMMENDED PROGRAMS TO START:
Ø Talking Word Processor—the most versatile—you can use it to write and the software will try to predict the words you wish after you type the first few letter. You can also paste entire items into it and with the click of a mouse, hear and see word definitions
Ø Ultimate Talking Dictionary –look up words, categories, synonyms etc. that speak –this is a great program for improving the way that you write.
Ø Universal Reader
Ø Scan and read pro (* call the Learning Centre is problems arise with this program)
Ø PDF equalizer—it allows students to hear PDF documents read
Ø Talking Calculator ( no ‘Scientific”features for secondary students)
Ø E-Text Reader
Ø Text to Audio-converts text files to MP3 or WAV formats to listen to on a CD player
Ø E-Library (on www.premierathome.com website) –this site gives you instant access to 1500 books. There are however, many more in the “online books” I have put on the LINKS page of this website
Minimum System Requirements
· Microsoft Windows 2000 or XP
· 256 MB of RAM
· 200 MB of free disk space
· Mouse, Keyboard Speakers
· SVGA Monitor with a minimum 800x600 DPI resolution
A scanner is only a requirement if you wish to convert hardcopy documents (i.e. books, magazines, letters) into digital text. Scan and Read Pro and Universal Reader Plus are the only tools that use a scanner. They work with most flat bed scanners. The recommended scanners are those from Epson, Visioneer, or Canon.
Need Help???
Call the Premier Tech Support Hotline at: 1-519-913-1034.
This is a dedicated support line for Lambton Kent District School Board home use.
Also: Within each program, on the top tool bar the HELP section are ‘how to” videos that guide you through how to use the software.
2. PARENTS WHO WISH TO LEARN HOW TO USE THE SOFTWARE
Parents who wish to learn how to use the software can make an appointment to come in after school and be taught, very quickly, how to use the software themselves.
Below, you will also find a quick, step by step page to follow to help you through several of most frequently used programs.
Premier Suite Software:
Lambton-Kent District School Board
The technology on our network under the umbrella of the “Premier Suite” includes these and more;
Talking Word Processor
Ultimate talking dictionary
Universal Reader
Text to Audio
Scan and read pro
PDF equalizer—new—allows you to hear PDF files using more effective voices
Talking Word processor: ( looks like a key chain charm)
Click on the icon and a blank page will appear.
Cut and paste into it: from the web, a quiz, exam, classroom document in Word etc.
A double left clicking on any word will bring up its definition. You will also see the definitions separated i.e. as nouns, adverbs etc.
There are buttons on the top tool bar to have the computer speak any word in the text or in the dictionary. ( Voice= change voice, speed )
Click on the “prediction” box (must be green checkmark) and while you type a variety of words appear from which to choose. Click on them to hear them, and double right click to see/hear the definitions. Scroll down to more word predictions with your down arrow. Double left clicking inserts the word.
Use it to edit written work—hearing the work helps you find errors.
Highlight passages or words, in different colours and then EXTRACT them to make talking study notes. ( these can be converted to MP3 files too using the ‘Text to Audio” program
Use the autosummarize button . Move the scroll bar in order to decide how much of the text to extract the key points. You can choose whether to have it saved as a separate document.
To translate text: Universal Reader IGT
Open Universal reader IGT, click the arrow beside ‘Options’; Cboose “voices’;
Choose the down arrow beside ‘English to French’ . A drop list will appear
and you can choose which language and what action you would like it to
Perform.
The Ultimate talking dictionary/thesaurus
Click on the icon ( book)
Type a word into the rectangular box ( upper left) and click on “look up”
Expand your use of words when you write: “all types” will give you other words in the same category i.e. ‘angry” will give you “furious” , “raging”
Within the bottom boxes you will also get more words related to your topic, for example “types’ of words, ‘antonyms’, and “similar words”
Double clicking on any words will bring up more speaking definitions.
Clicking on “read” will allow you to hear any word spoken.
Keep this program open when reading anything from the Web, a novel in Msword form, or an electronic document from class.
The Universal reader
Click on the icon and toggle to the item on the web or to the document that you wish to read.
Highlight what you want to hear and click ‘read”, or go into the options bar, then click on “show view window”. You can change the font, colour etc. Now the words you hear will be enlarged against a coloured background in the window.
The bar beside “options” allows you to use the ‘talking pointer’ so you only hear the word you point to ( works only on a web document)
NONOTE: All programs have videos, with sound, that teach you more options. You can find the videos in the HELP bar at the very top of each program’s screen.
