• You will need to upload the stacks "Preschool Primer 2.0" and the companion
stack "Preschool Primer Sounds I" (which contains all the required digitized
sounds) EVEN if you have the previous Preschool Primer stack. Sorry, I couldn't
figure out a way to update the previous stack!
• Sound input capabilities if you want to fully customize this stack. The easiest
method to do this will also require Apple's "Audio Help" stack (available from
most on-line services, or perhaps even your Hypercard Disks). All sound recording
support is designed to be used with Apples stack, so you're on your own if you do
not use Apple's free stack.
• Minimal hypercard scripting abilities if you want to fully customize this stack
• NOTE: I do not know if users of HyperCard Player will be able to modify parts of
this stack--I do not own a copy of it so I can't check it out.
• New Features For Version 2.0 •
Only two cards have been added to this stack since version 1.0, (1) A Preferences Card intended to be used by the supervising adult, and (2) A Child's Name Card the allows the child to select his name so it will be used through out the stack. The main improvements to this stack are in the user interface:
• Added support for any monitor size (9" to ∞). You will need to go to the
Preferences Card to adjust the card's size for your monitor if it isn't correct.
• Added a button to call up the sound editor in Apple's "Audio Help" stack to
make sound modification easier (stack is not included).
• Added support for several children to use the same stack.
• Improved the password protection (my kids are the best beta testers in the
world. Anyone want to hire them?).
• When the A-Z and 0-9 keys on the keyboard are pressed, the appropriate sounds
are played and the corresponding button is selected (if the current card has such
a button).
• Put all the sounds in a seperate stack for easier and smaller updates.
• Modified a few scripts (if you have made changes to version 1.0's scripts, you
will have to do the same to this stack. Sorry! I'm not sure how to avoid this).
• About This Stack •
This stack was created over a period of about four years for my son. I periodically added new features as the need arose. It has helped him learn his "ABC's" when he was about two and a half (he's 6 now). It helped him memorize several phone numbers including 911 and his own phone number by the time he was three and a half (looking back I ask myself if this really was a good idea). It helped us provide a simple method to try to teach him about child safety and the days of the week.
It has really helped my son that he was able to learn at his own pace. It is amazing how easily, eagerly and quickly he has learned through such a simple interface. It consists primarily of buttons that, when clicked, play a sound, flash a button or two and teach the child by sheer, although non-boring, visual and aural repetitious discovery. My second child is two now and is starting to mouse around on the stack.
It is not a perfect interface. It also doesn't have the most elegantly designed scripts. It uses the ABC sounds from Apples "Finger Spell" stack (I could not find a copyright notice on the stack, so if there is any problem, please let me know. At the present time, I'm too lazy to record the alphabet on my own).
This stack consists of 6 simple cards for the child and 1 card for the supervising adult:
• Child's Name Allows the child to select the name which will be spoken
on other cards of this stack.
• Phone Numbers Resembles a touch-tone keypad with spoken numbers.
Optionally touch-tones are played when the buttons
are clicked. Several buttons exist to teach the child
important phone numbers.
• The Alphabet Speaks the alphabet and has several buttons to spell
special words like Grandmother, Mommy, etc.
• Numbers Speaks the numbers from 0-109. It also teaches even
and odd numbers and can count by fives and tens.
• Child Safety This tries to teach the child:
(1) Not to let anyone pick him/her up (from school,
for example) without that person knowing a pre-
arranged "secret word."
(2) Not to play with electrical plugs.
(3) Not to open the door until (s)he asks, "Who is it?"
• Days of the Week Speaks the days of the week. Includes "Today is..."
"Yesterday was..." and "Tomorrow is...."
• Preferences Allows the supervising adult to set a few parameters
and adjust the stack's card size.
• Modifying This Stack •
You need to have Hypercard 2.x+ in order to modify this stack. If you only have the Hypercard Player you will probably not be able to make changes--you may be able to do some modifications, but I can't verify this since I do not own a copy.
I have tried to "Kid Proof" this stack. The interface and the extent of kid proofing has improved considerably since version 1.0 (My son is great at "breaking" things). There are two modes: "KidProofed" mode (normal use) and "Edit" mode (where you can change the stack). The edit mode is protected by a password.
Password: To edit the stack, you must know the password. The first time you open the stack the password is empty. You will be REQUIRED to set it. Make it simple and write it down if you need to--remember that it is just a curious child that you are protecting the stack from :-) I use the word, edit. You will then be taken to the Preferences Card where you will need to set certain parameters, like recording the location of certain other stacks and change the stack's size. From then on, when the stack is launched it will open in the KidProofed mode.
Entering Edit Mode: To enter the edit mode when in KidProofed mode (to change the stack, record sounds, etc.), simply command-click on either the "Previous" or "Next" buttons. A dialog box will apear asking you for the password. When you enter the correct password, you will be allowed to make changes. Any card that does something when entered while in KidProofed mode (like the Days Of The Week card) will not do said action when entered while in edit mode. I found it irritating to be told "Today is...." everytime I went past that card while trying to modify the stack....
Entering KidProofed Mode: When in edit mode, command-click on either the "Previous" or "Next" buttons to reenter KidProofed mode.
Recording Sounds:
When you enter edit mode, a button will appear at the bottom right with a microphone icon in it. Clicking this button will bring up Apple's recording pallet IF you have set the location of their stack on the Preferences card. When you click on the popup menu next to the current sound's name (initially "Untitled"), it may take several seconds to display the list of available sounds--that are many. Be patient and keep the mouse button down. The rest is pretty self-explanatory thanks to the consistent Apple interface.
The Record button required Apple's "Audio Help Stack." If you use another, you will need to modify the scripts associated with this button.
Sounds:
These sounds should be modified using the "Record" button:
• "WhatsTheSecretWord" which is my son's voice saying:
"What's the secret word?" (you don't really need to modify this,
but I think it helps the child learn when he hears his own voice
asking what the secret word is).
• "SecretWord" which is currently set to a gereric: "The secret word is 'Macintosh' "
You should record a new secret word if you intend to use this idea!
Buttons:
Adding a new button:
Enter the edit mode, select the button tool under the menu bar (the middle one on the top row), select one of the buttons you wish to duplicate, type comand-c and then command-v to create a new copy. Position the button using the mouse.
Modifing an existing button (perhaps one you just created):
• Child's Name Buttons: You need to modify the child's name buttons
on the card previous to this one. I have supplied space for 6 names. To
change the button name, simply command-click on the button and you will be
prompted for the new name and asked to record a sound for that name. You
need to be in edit mode to change the button's name.
Please remember that the sound you record MUST be named EXACTLY
as you name the button!
• Phone Number Buttons: You will also need to edit the buttons that represent
the phone numbers you want your child to learn. Just command-click on
the button and you will be led through a three step process of changing the
number.
Please remember that if the "Long DX" button is hilited and the phone number
you enter does not start with a 1, the area code that is in the "Area Code"
button will be spoken first.
• Others: All other buttons you want to change will need to be done manually.
• Known Bugs/Problems •
One user has reported that the card resizing process "stalls" on the PB 145B (V7.1). He reports that moving the mouse continues the process. Go figure....
• Future Development •
I have no idea what I will do with this in the future. Some additions will most likely be made because of the future needs of my (now two) children. Whether or not I upload future versions depends entirely upon what kind of response I receive.
• Contacting Me •
This stack is "e-mail ware." If you like (or, gasp, dislike) it please send me e-mail. I'd ----REALLY---- (get the point?) like to know how far this gets and what kind of response it receives. I deeply thank those who actually sent me eMail. If you have any problems with this stack, please let me know and I'll try to fix it. EMail can be sent to me at:
Dave Kemsley
AOL Screen Name: DavKemsley
Internet: kemsley@ipld01.hac.com, or
davkemsley@aol.com
I check into AOL once or twice a month. I can receive e-mail ALL DAY LONG EVERY WORK DAY at the "kemsley@ipld01.hac.com" internet address because I sit down in front of a computer ALL DAY LONG (as long as I still have a job :-), but please don't use it for commercial purposes.
• "It's A Small World, After All" (Or "Dave's Rambling Again") •
The modifications I mentioned above are a result of the comments of several people who sent me the requested eMailgrams. I was quite surprised, encouraged and relieved by their responses. They found a few problems with version 1.0 and suggested a few new features. I'd like to mention each of them to show them my gratitide and give them their proverbial 15 minutes of fame. They originally gave me permission to include their last names, but I thought it more appropriate to only include the last initial in order to protect their children anonymity.
1. Dennis O'C. (New York, USA) has the dubious distinction of being the first to send me e-mail after downloading the stack for his two daughters, Carolyn and Laurin.
2. Scott E. (Ohio, USA) who downloaded the stack to keep his nephew entertained while Scott got married. Scott is even thinking of using the stack while teaching at his elementary school. Wow!
3. Clive B. (England) and his children James and Emily.
4. B.G. M. and his daugther Sheetal.
5. Sean S. (Massachusetts, USA) and his daughter Carly.
6. Wayne B. (Ohio, USA) and his daughter.
7. There are about four other respondees, but I do not have their permission to release their names.
8. Special thanks to Paul B. (Bristol, England) and his sons Nick, Jack and Frank (and of course his wife, Liz, who allows them play on the computer). It has been very enjoyable keeping in touch with someone in a distant land "separated by a common language" (as Paul likes to say).
It is amazing to me how electronic communication has changed and in many respects enriched our lives. I uploaded Preschool Primer 1.0 to America Online and the Internet site at Sumex (Stanford University) which was therefore also transferred to many Sumex mirror sites around the world.
Because of this stack I now have friends in the UK, whom I have never met (I realize that in the UK we would probably be called acquaintances, but hey, I'm American and we're a little more lax on such social customs). Paul B.'s three boys, Nick, Jack and Frank, even recorded an rendition of "Happy Birthday" in a stack (with cute English accents) and sent it to my son when he turned five. He really loves this simple stack from a land he has a hard time even comprehending and my daughter gets a great big grin on her face when she listens to it for whatever unfathomable reason a 2 year old could have. My son recently sent Nick a happy birthday greeting and is preparing one for Jack and Frank.
The world is getting smaller all the time. Pretty soon we won't even know our neighbors, but we will have friends scattered around the world whom we have never even met--except through "Cyber Space."
• Average Joe-User Copyright Notice •
This stack is released as is. I assume no responsibility for any damage, destruction or loss of data that may be caused by its use (There is no reason this should happen, but just to protect myself....). I also don't accept responsibility for any psychological changes you or your child may experience by sitting in front of your computer for many happy, educational hours, unless, of course, it is a positive response.
You may use this stack, or any part thereof, for any purpose except to make profit as long as credit for the original work is given to me and this message is included in any modified stack (although you can modify this message to describe your additions). Please upload any good modifications you make to it for the benefit of others. You may NOT use it for profit in any manner without my permission.
• BBS, CD-ROM, ETC. Copyright Notice •
This stack may be distributed through BBS's (for user downloading) and CD–ROM's, as is. You may NOT sell it for profit for any reason without prior permission from myself, except to recover your expences to provide a public service as Stanford University (Sumex) does. This information MUST be included and be unchanged. You may not distribute a modified version of it without my prior permission.
I also claim any and all other appropriate copyright notices that are commonly found in public domain, shareware, e-mail ware, postcardware... notices that I have not included here.
