What is HelpKidzLearn?
HelpKidzLearn is a collection of free software for young children and those with learning difficulties to play online. The software is split into four sections:• Games and Quizzes
• Stories and Songs
• Creative Play
• Find Out About
You will get the most out of these activities if you play them together with your child. Use them as a focus for chatting. Speaking and listening is very important for young children's educational development, particularly reading and writing.
Who has made HelpKidzLearn?
HelpKidzLearn has been created by Inclusive Technology Ltd., a commercial organisation providing assistive technology and educational software. Many of the activities at HelpKidzLearn are free samples taken from our own software titles. Inclusive's primary focus is special needs education, but we also have catalogues for early years and primary education. Click on the IT logo at the top of this web page to go to the Inclusive Technology web site. To contact us please email info@helpkidzlearn.com
Interactive Visual Timetable
Produced by the Down's Syndrome Association, this program can be downloaded and used to easily produce timetables with pictorial clues for young children and those with more complex difficulties. These timetables are great for sequencing simple events to aid memory and are particularly useful to promote positive behaviour (i.e. if you do your reading and eat your dinner you get to play a board game.)
Connecting switches to your computer
Some of the software on HelpKidzLearn can be played just using the space bar or a few other keys on your computer's keyboard. This software can also be used with special switches, for children who are unable to use the keyboard. Switches for this kind of use come in all shapes and sizes.To connect these switches to the computer you need a "switch interface". This is a little box with a cable that normally plugs into your computer's USB port. The switch interface has about 4 small round sockets. You plug your switches into these. Simple!
When you press a switch, the interface box makes the computer think that the space bar (or some other key) is being pressed. So if you run a storybook activity, where normally you would press the space bar to turn the pages, you can now use a switch to do the same. Interface boxes can be set to behave like different keyboard keys or even the mouse buttons.
Switches and switch interfaces are all available from Inclusive Technology.
HelpkidzLearn recommends the NEW Simple Switch Box from Inclusive Technology.
CBeebies Games for Switch Users
Inclusive Technology and CBBC have teamed up to give switch users the chance to play with their favourite CBeebies characters. Inclusive has modified several CBeebies games so that they can be accessed using switches.
Tweenies: Make Music with Max: Listen to the names of different musical instruments and the sounds that they make, then choose four to create your own tune.
Teletubbies, Peek-a-boo: This simple, highly visual timing and observation game encourages children to spot the Teletubbies as they hide in Teletubbyland.
Tots TV, Counting Song: This game works on counting up to ten in French and English with both words and numbers.
And many many more. CBeebies 'Switch' gamesCBBC Switch Accessible Games - by Inclusive Technology Ltd.
Six CBBC games have been re-versioned by Inclusive Technology Ltd, for children who use Switch technology.
CBBC Switch Accessible Games