background image

Chapter 5   Using Overlay Keyboards 

 

- 76

 

-

 

Figure 5-4   

Discover:Board

 Mouse control overlay

 

 

Reading Difficulties 

Early readers/writers or users with 

specific learning difficulties

 can use overlay keyboards to 

produce whole or part words and phrases, with a single keypress. This allows a student to practice 
sentence formation without having to worry about the spelling of individual words. Different 
overlays can be created to suit the current curricular topic. The 

Concept Universal

 overlay below is 

for use with the Wellington Square reading scheme. 

Figure 5-5   

Wellington Square

 overlay 

 

Overlays are not limited to letters and words – anything can be drawn, printed or glued on the 
overlay. Non-readers can select photographs, pictures or symbols as well as, or instead of, text.  

Figure 5-6  

 Concept Plus

 overlay

 

 

 

Summary of Contents for Overlay Keyboard

Page 1: ...Chapter 5 Using Overlay Keyboards 5 1 Introduction 5 2 Choosing an Overlay Keyboard 5 3 Further Information...

Page 2: ...lay Keyboards Discover Board Concept Universal Plus IntelliKeys Paper or plastic overlays are placed on top of the keyboard to show the user which keys and areas have been programmed on the keyboard T...

Page 3: ...icular needs For example the keys can be made different sizes spaced further apart and arranged in a helpful layout say with common keys grouped together Visual Impairment Pupils with visual impairmen...

Page 4: ...e sentence formation without having to worry about the spelling of individual words Different overlays can be created to suit the current curricular topic The Concept Universal overlay below is for us...

Page 5: ...ards are approximately 1 or 2 cm square This means the overlay picture areas are big and blocky fine for letters and word banks but not so good for detailed pictures or maps Informax has 4096 individu...

Page 6: ...o concept keyboard software It is a small box with four switch jack sockets when a switch is pressed the software acts as though a key has been pressed on the Concept Keyboard Concept Keyboard softwar...

Page 7: ...made curriculum activities and overlays for popular educational CD s Others The Saitek PCDash is a small overlay keyboard designed mainly for playing games on PC It comes with ready made overlays for...

Page 8: ...wever you are usually stuck with the overlays and activities offered by the program and the content is generally fixed ClarisWorks templates some My World support packs Discover Curriculum Overlays an...

Page 9: ...each program Print out Overlay Programs with facilities for creating and printing paper overlays ready to be used with new overlay files can save considerable time and effort Table 5 2 Overlay Keyboar...

Page 10: ...hat you want to use and the ease of use of the keyboard and software are also key issues Acorn The most popular overlay keyboards for Acorn RiscOS computers are the Concept Keyboards with either Infor...

Page 11: ...e if you want a keyboard to give the user independent control over the computer and easy access to common programs while IntelliKeys has the advantage for creating your own educational activities Wind...

Page 12: ...ith downloadable resources for Intellikeys Suppliers AU Enterprises Ltd 126 Great North Road Hertfordshire AL9 5JZ Tel 01707 266714 Concept Keyboard Company 9 Murrills Estate Portchester Hampshire PO1...

Reviews: