Nessy

Revolutionising the way dyslexics are taught, by using a fun learning system that encourages self-esteem
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Contents

Our Philosophy

Welcome to the Nessy Learning Programme!

Background and Philosophy ...........................................page 3 Unique Learning Strategies ............................................page 6 Functional Learning Areas ..............................................page 8 The Programme Structure ..............................................page 10 Product Features .............................................................page 11
Screenshots

The birth of Nessy

Nessy was born out of practical experience. Over the past 35 years Pat Jones, teacher and founder of the Bristol Dyslexia Centre and Belgrave School, has developed a series of successful techniques for teaching dyslexic students. Mike, her dyslexic son, who also teaches at the BDC, has now incorporated the special techniques into a unique, comprehensive and inspirational programme using simple software. Now, all dyslexic students can benet from this extensive teaching experience by using one interactive, multi-media programme Nessy.

Map of the Nessy Programme .......................................page 18

Home Screen Loch Nessy 12 islands and 120 lessons

Who is Nessy suitable for? .............................................page 22

Age range Students who will benet from programme Teachers Parents

Who can teach with the programme? ...........................page 23 Endorsements and Case Studies .....................................page 25 The Creators of Nessy.....................................................page 28 Also Available: BrainBooster study skills ......................page 29 Technical Specifications and Purchasing Information ..........................................page 32

35 years ago, there were few resources for dyslexic students and when Pat discovered that her own sons were dyslexic she had to create new, stimulating and exciting ways of learning. Mike soon went from the bottom of the class to the top and this inspired her to devise a new, effective, and fun teaching programme. Thousands of dyslexics in various schools and centres have enjoyed the same success and this led to the founding of the Bristol Dyslexia Centre. Nessy has been tried and tested by the Centres team of specialist teachers and has proved an invaluable resource for raising the reading, writing and spelling skills of thousands of students.

History

Our Philosophy is to encourage a love of learning and stimulate healthy self-esteem and educational curiosity
Nessy revolutionises the way dyslexics are taught by:

Making it fun and raising self-esteem

Dyslexics no longer feel inadequate because with Nessy they can achieve results. Other children want to join the Nessy group. Dyslexic children no longer feel stupid or inadequate. They have something special. Parents and children dont feel pressurised at home it is fun for the whole family.

This is great it doesnt feel like work! Jamie, dyslexic student

Our Philosophy

Our Philosophy

Being inspirational

Dyslexics often dont want to learn because they are afraid that they cant. Nessy: Builds condence you will see an incredible change as condence grows and learning takes off. Is an infectious learning programme with over 500 combinations of fun interactive games Increases vocabulary and language skills with over 289 fun card games Entertains and extends writing skills - with over 1000 fun printable resources

Jack doesnt mind practising now in fact he asks us to play the card games and he plays on the Nessy computer games in his free time!

Understanding how dyslexics learn

Many educational concepts are difcult for dyslexics to grasp e.g. prexes, sufxes, nouns and verbs. These words do not have concrete meaning and cant be associated with real objects. Nessy gives meaning by relating ideas to lively and memorable characters e.g. prex (head), root (body) and sufx (tail). I think Nessy is wonderful. The kids love it because of the games and funny characters. They actually dont realise they are learning! Christy Harrison, specialist teacher of dyslexics.

My son asked if he could read to me last night! Thank you so much for giving me my son back. He is a changed child. Nessy provides: A complete, comprehensive and phonic-based teaching structure Straightforward direction for teachers and students Cumulative structure which makes for effective learning Success activities are carefully formulated to only include words already taught This programme has such depth and breadth and is so easy to follow. I feel I know what to teach next, and it is so easy to record progress.

Building from a solid framework

Having a thorough understanding of dyslexic difficulties

Dyslexia affects memory and sequencing so learning concepts need to be practised and repeated. Forgetting previous learning can be frustrating and demoralising for both teacher and student. Enjoyment is the key to making good learning effective and memorable. Nessy students really love their lessons because resources are versatile enough to be used repeatedly in many different variations. Cumulative and incremental lessons give security and condence.

Unique Learning Strategies

Unique Learning Strategies

Animated Spelling Rules

Present information in different, stimulating formats, giving more than one way of absorbing Information. Can be used as a quick reference to recap specic learning points.

A library of ready-made mnemonics

Mnemonics help students learn difcult spellings. Original memory rhymes link to visual images, channelling hearing, visual and doing memory simultaneously. e.g. o u great hairy monster words for the ough pattern. Rhyme is linked to visual images and interactive games to encourage retention.

e.g. The Protectors rule teaches ck/k/ke: tch/ch: dge/ge choices. Animated rules show the vowel being protected from a roaring monster by a shield.

Concrete meaning is given to ideas and rules

Supports memory and understanding. e.g. Rabbits and Tigers (real, memorable creatures) are Nessy characters linked to sufxing rules.

Learning Concepts are linked to characters

Reading and spelling rules are linked to visual, innovative concepts, which make them easier for the dyslexic to learn and retain.

e.g. Silly Bull is linked to syllable; one beats the ground and one beats out the word.

Learning in very small, incremental steps Meticulous structure

Learning becomes manageable and readily remembered. Helps prevent failure. Nessy has been carefully designed so it only uses words previously learnt; students are not suddenly faced with an unknown word. Unfamiliar patterns are not introduced until the student can tackle de-coding skills with condence.

Functional Learning Areas

Covered by the Nessy Programme

Spelling
Phonics Spelling rules Concepts Segmentation Onset & rime Rhyming activities Prexes (Head) Sufxes (Body) Roots (Tail) Homophones Common letter strings High frequency words (Tricky Words) Own voice dictations

Reading
Decoding strategies and games Syllable division (Chunking) Assimilation Context Cloze Phonics Develops phonological awareness Auditory memory training Visual memory training Tracking Sequencing Ideas for parents to help at home Small carefully structured reading books High frequency words (Tricky Words)

Writing
Sentence construction Parts of speech Bullet point planning Accurate writing Paragraphing Creative writing Story planning Motivating ideas and story boards

Language Skills
Vocabulary development Receptive language Expressive language Alphabet and dictionary skills Orientation Writing skills Sequential planning Sentence development Creative writing

Memory & Thinking Skills

Mnemonics Problem solving Associated learning

Programme Structure

Product Features

Nessys structured learning programme is divided into 10 colour-coded and animated islands accessed through the Loch Nessy screen.

An integrated training manual

Nessy takes children right through school

Island 1 starts at alphabet level (5 years, KS1). Nessy islands advance incrementally through a hundred lessons to Island 10, advanced multi-syllable level (16 yrs, KS4).

The programme is full of the information needed to teach dyslexic students; rules, guidance, strategies, word lists, assessments, activities and record sheets. Nessy provides explanations on how to use the resources. It trains you how to teach dyslexics effectively.

Simple and user friendly

Nessy is a huge resource bank of 120 lessons and 1500 printable pages. Navigating between sections has been kept simple by using only two main screens and giving the 10 learning stages a visual reference as colour-coded islands. The Nessy programme is easy to navigate, it is so visual and tactile. I nd the programme very, very user friendly. The islands idea is easy to follow and work with.

Nessy is cumulative

Resources have been carefully structured so it only uses previously studied words. As levels of understanding and condence increase, students accomplish increasingly demanding tasks.

A quick links button accessible through the toolbar

Assessments tailor the programme to individual requirements

Nessy reading and spelling checks identify a starting point and nd weak areas that need to be targeted for revision.

This drops down all the Nessy lessons in alphabetical order. Clicking a lesson name will immediately open the document.

Versatility

Simple to follow, step-by-step structure

Nessy guides teachers, parents and non-specialists smoothly from one topic to the next. Each lesson and each island is sequenced and interlinked.

Resources are so versatile that they have been used successfully with individuals, small groups and even teaching a whole class.

A Recording Studio

Learning is focused into small manageable steps

e.g. vowel sounds are taught one at a time. This makes the learning process gradual but more effective for the dyslexic student.

Record keeping

Printable record sheets track each students progress and lay the basis for the next Individual Education Plan (acclaimed by Ofsted inspectors).

Animated games are tailored to an individuals specic needs. The students record their own words and then select an animated game to practise the target spellings. This feature facilitates the effective teaching methods of own-voice dictation and multi-sensory input.

Each Nessy lesson starts with a fun learning strategy or rule. This is often reinforced with a visual ashcard. Lessons progress from letter pattern to single words, sentences and stories. Each element of the lesson incorporates activity sheets and games to make this staged process fun.

Detailed advice on how to teach dyslexics effectively

Nessy breaks the barriers to learning

Nessy is geared to the way dyslexics think and learn. Dyslexic students nd tests threatening and may be frightened of failing but Nessy replaces this barrier to learning with a series of games. Students are motivated to advance by wanting to explore the Nessy land and win games before moving on to the next island.

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Product Features

Board Games

Revision games at the end of every section

Revision games provide a means to ensure that learning is secure before moving on.

271 Innovative printable card and board games

1000s of printable worksheets

Card games are a versatile and motivational way to reinforce and revise each lesson. They are an ideal supplement to send home for parents to reinforce school learning. The games are formatted for printing onto sheets of sticky labels so they can be made quickly: Chain Game Snap and Pairs Follow On Choose or Lose Blue and White game Fishing Dominoes Bingo Fix-it Grab The Pointy Game The Pokey Game The Smarty Game Flashcards

Printable worksheets are combined with cards, board games, animated rules and computer games.

Reading and spelling assessments

The Nessy assessments give a simple way to track progress and diagnose areas of need.

Story books tailor made to each lesson

Story-books provide more than just practice at contextual reading. These books are exceptional by specically focusing upon the vocabulary the student is learning in the Nessy lesson. All the words used in the storybooks have been carefully chosen, to ensure students are not expected to read words they have never seen before.

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Computer Games

Computer Games

Interactive computer games

The games have been designed to target

Sentence spelling and reading Vocabulary development. Instant reading recognition. Sound sorting. Multiple levels. A two-player option. Flagging up of spelling errors. See or hear words again.

The Nessy animated computer games lead the eld in graphic quality. The games provide a motivating way to revise and reinforce the learning gained from Nessy lessons. Twelve game formats in 586 different versions provide a huge range of choice: Brain Drain ......................... encourages reading speed and vocabulary development Chase The Chicken ........... improves instant word reading recognition Poke the Pig....................... improves instant word reading recognition Doggy Din Dins .................. reinforces the sufxing rules Glynn Goes Fishing ........... reinforces single word spelling Squish Em ......................... reinforces single word spelling Hands Off My Bananas ..... reinforces single word and sentence spelling House of Fear .................... Cloze Reading for vocabulary and context Monster Sound Sorting..... recognition of the different sounds made by ough Power Protectors .............. reinforces single word spelling of the Protector rule Wet Kipper(2 Player) ...... reinforces single word and sentence spelling Whack-A-Rat ..................... reinforces single word spelling

Features of the games include

Multi-sensory learning environment features

The recording studio, allowing students to use their own recorded words (own-voice dictation). Interactive games with their own-recorded words (see, hear, say and do). All the words used in the games have been carefully chosen to ensure students are not expected to read words they have never seen before. Games make learning fun.

Built for success and enjoyment

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Computer Games

Computer Games

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Map of the Nessy Programme

Map of the Nessy Programme

Make It Fun! is a printable document that explains the Nessy approach to learning - it should be fun. (4 pages) The User Guide is an interactive guide that introduces the programmes features. (19 pages) Help at Home is a printable document suitable as a handout for parents. It includes suggested activities that develop vital skills needed for learning (6 pages) The Recording Studio allows you to adapt the system to meet your individual needs. Here you can record your own words to spell or read with the animated games.

gives access to general resources

The Home screen

Reading and Spelling Checks are a range of assessments to identify gaps in learning, areas that need revision and to nd a starting point in the Nessy programme. (7 documents, 15 pages) Start Nessy will take you to the Loch Nessy screen where you can access the structured printable lessons. Card Game Rules explain how to play the different card and board games. Nessy includes 259 card games, 9 packs of ashcards, 12 board games and 6 story books. Record Sheets keep track of student progress and give teachers a simple system for helping to prepare individual education plans. (5 documents, 6 pages)

The Loch Nessy screen gives access to all the structured resources by visiting the numbered and colour-coded islands. Writing Beach At Writing Beach writing skills are broken down into 10 lessons. The lessons include fun ways to encourage reluctant writers. Writing development is taken from an introductory level through to paragraph planning and descriptive story writing.

Tricky Mountain Tricky words are sometimes called Key or Sight words. They include some of the most commonly used words but do not follow phonic rules. They have to be learnt by using special memory strategies. The Tricky Mountain includes these words in 9 Lessons of mnemonics, activities and games.

Reading Games

Games Arcade There are 12 game formats which have 586 versions. When combined with the recording studio this allows unlimited game play. Spelling Games All questions are random and include the option to hear and see the word again. Glynn Goes Fishing is another highly motivational game.

Map of Loch Nessy (overleaf) >>

Bananas and Wet Kipper have a second level that includes sentence spelling. Kipper has a two player option.

Chase the Chicken and Poke the Pig help encourage instant word recognition.

House of Fear develops reading speed and understanding. You must nd the missing word to complete a sentence.

Monster Words is a sound sorting game for the ough pattern. It helps to develop phonological awareness.

Brain Drain develops vocabulary, comprehension and word nding skills

Squish Em and Whack a Rat give a list of missed words that the student can focus upon.

Doggy Din Dins and Power Protectors include animated rules to help learn the sufxing rules and when to use the patterns ck-k, tch-ch and dge-ge.

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Map of Loch Nessy

Map of Loch Nessy

The Loch Nessy screen gives access to all the structured resources by clicking the numbered and colour-coded islands.
Aqua Island 1
8. initial 4. cvc e.g. 5. syllables 1. alphabet 2. vowels & 3. letter 6. sh 7. ch 9. y as i 10. revise blends rib consonants reversals 12 card Aqua (7 pages) 1 card 1 card 2 card 4 card games 1 card game 3 games games e.g. b/d Island game game games 1 board 1 board (8 pages) 1 ashcard 1 card 1 story 1 shing (10 pages) (5 pages) game game pack game book game 1 story book 1 story book (31 pages) (12 pages) (37 pages) (15 pages) (12 pages) (35 pages)

Pages include activity sheets, word lists, card games etc.

White Island 7
61. sticky i 1 1 ashcard pack 3 card games (14 pages) 68. ough/ 69. ce-se 70. revise 67. -le 62. oi-oy 63. ou-ow 64. Y rule 65. harder 66. o as augh plurals u/ou stage 2 White 1 card 1 card 1 card 2 card 5 card 1 card 1 card 2 card Island game game game games games game game games (8 pages) (8 pages) (8 pages) (14 pages) (5 pages) 1 bingo (8 pages) (15 pages) (13 pages) game (20 pages)

Yellow Island 2
12. end 11. cvc-cvc 13. -ff -ll blends e.g. rib-bon -ss 6 card games 2 card -all -alk 1 shing games 2 card game (12 pages)

Blue Island 8
18. tails set 1 (sufxes) early plurals 1 ashcard pack 2 card games (16 pages)

14. c-k 15. ar 16. or 17. er ir ur -ck -k 1 card 2 card 5 card 3 card game games games games (11 pages) 1 shing 1 board games (12 pages) game game 1 story book (14 pages) (21 pages) (35 pages) (16 pages)

19. th wh 20. revise qu Yellow 2 games Island (10 pages) (5 pages)

71. homo- 72. split 73. vowel 74. are-air- 75. ur-ir 76. soft 77. x next 78. au-aw phones 1 vowels re ear ear-our c-g to s 2 card 3 card 2 card stage 2 ear-ere-eer 1 card stage 3 (2 pages) games games games 1 card 1 card game 4 card (14 pages) (14 pages) (12 pages) game game (8 pages) games (14 pages) (8 pages) (17 pages)

79. tails 4/5/6 adv. sufxes 3 ashcard packs 11 card games (24 pages)

80. revise Blue Island (5 pages)

Black Island 3
21. magic e 5 card games 1 bingo game 1 shing game (36 pages) 23. phonic 22. ck/ 24. soft 25. harder sounds set 1 k/ke c-g 1 2 beat 1 ashcard 2 card 3 card words pack games 1 card game games 3 card (8 pages) 1 bingo game (15 pages) games (12 pages) (20 pages) 26. vowel 27. triple r 2 blends 3 card games 1 ash card 1 bingo game pack 1 story book 2 card (25 pages) games

Grey Island 9
28. v-f-th the v rule (6 pages) 29. a 30. revise before Black s-f-th Island 1 card (5 pages) game (10 pages) 81. links 82. long a 83. long o 84. long i 85. long u 86. ie-ei 87. long e 88. ch a 89. ph and 90. revise stage 2 Y as i k/sh que Grey 3 card 3 card 4 card 3 card 3 card 3 card stage 2 3 card 3 card Island games games games games games games (11 pages) (10 pages) 3 card (11 pages) (9 pages) (10 pages) games games (5 pages) (16 pages) games (7 pages) (7 pages) (10 pages)

(6 pages)

Green Island 4
31. tch-ch 4 card games (14 pages)
32. open 33. magic e 34. -ed 35. phonic 36. ai-ay 37. igh-y 38. oa-ow 39. heads 40. revise syllable 2 beat words reading sounds the L rule y as i (prexes) Green 1 card 4 card games 2 beat 5 card set 2 1 card reading 1 card Island game 1 board words games 2 card game 2 card game (5 pages) (9 pages) game 5 card games (9 pages) games (10 pages) (17 pages) (15 pages) games (15 pages) (12 pages) (20 pages)

Red Island 10
97. -er -or 98. y as a 99. changed 91. -le -al 92. homo- 93. silent 94. -ly rule 95. sticky i 96. j 100. stage 2 -ar heads -el phones letters 2 choices vowel revise 1 card 1 ashcard k choices word end(prexes) 1 card stage 2 2 card 2 card Red game pack ings 5 card game (14 pages) games 7 card 1 card game games Island (6 pages) 6 card games (8 pages) (11 pages) games (7 pages) (23 pages) (5 pages) games (9 pages) (23 pages) (15 pages)

Purple Island 5
43. -le 41. oo-ew 42. tails 44. vowel 45. phonic 46. w rule 47. dge- 48. rabbit/ 49. drop e 50. revise tiger 1 ashcard stage 1 ui-ue set 2 r sounds ge Purple 1 card (doubling pack 3 card 3 card (sufxes) 2 card set 3 2 card Island game rule) 2 card games games 2 card games 2 card games 1 bingo game (10 pages) (5 pages) games 1 story (13 pages) games 1 story book (14 pages) games (9 pages) 1 card game book (10 pages) (24 pages) (10 pages) (25 pages) (15 pages)

Writing Beach
writing writing writing skills 1 skills 2 skills 3 2 games 1 game 1 game (4 pages) (11 pages) (9 pages) writing skills 4 1 game (5 pages) writing skills 5 (4 pages) unlucky Bob writing activities (5 pages) left-right days and reading dictionary discrimi- months accuracy skills nation (4 pages) (2 pages) 1 game (1 page) (2 pages)

Orange Island 6
51. spell 2 52. soft 53. tails 54. vowel 55. silent 56. links 57. vowel 58. -ed 59. w rule 60. revise beat c-g set 3 re letters stage 1 rr rule stage 2 Orange words stage 2 3 card 4 card stage 1 4 card stage 2 -et -ed 2 card Island 4 card 2 card games games 5 card games 1 card 3 card games (5 pages) games games (12 pages) (19 pages) games (14 pages) game games (14 pages) (30 pages) (23 pages) (25 pages) (8 pages) (16 pages)

Tricky Mountain
stage 1 (6 pages) stage 2 2 games (6 pages) stage 3 2 games (9 pages) stage 4 stage 5 stage 6 2 games 1 game 1 game (8 pages) (10 pages) (5 pages) stage 7 (3 pages) stage 8 (3 pages) stage 9 (6 pages)

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Who is Nessy suitable for?

Who can teach with the programme?

Age range

The programme is designed primarily for students from the age of 5 16 years. However, the programme has been used with preschoolers and adults. If the programme mentor presents the information sensitively, the programme can be used through all age groups. My adults like the programme too, it reaches all ages! I have the pleasure of teaching 5 to 50 year olds. Vikki Kitson, specialist tutor of dyslexics

Teachers

Make your school Dyslexia friendly!

Raise awareness of dyslexia; recognise and address difficulties effectively

Nessy is not just a resource to help teach, it is a complete teaching programme Learn new ways of teaching spelling and reading topics Manage and motivate disenchanted and disaffected students

Reduce your workload

Students who will benefit from programme

Nessy has been developed for dyslexics. However, the programme has been used effectively as a whole class teaching resource as the motivational games, combined with a solid phonic based learning structure, will be successful with most students. Nessy is wonderful we started using it in small groups but it is so successful that we are now using it for whole classes and the results this year have been amazing. Mrs Thompson, schoolteacher The programme has also proved benecial for students with: Moderate learning difculties Aspergers Syndrome Pragmatic semantic language disorders ADD and ADHD I have been using the programme for my son Daniel. Weve spent the last couple of nights working through the blending games and he shows no signs of boredom, a rst I believe! I really do believe that Nessy could be the break-through weve been looking for Penny Grigg, Parent of a child with ADHD

Teachers gain valuable time as learning support assistants are guided how to teach dyslexics The Nessy record sheets are an invaluable tool for preparing, structuring and monitoring Individual Education Plans/action plans The Nessy lessons give you a ready made lesson plan, reducing the time spent in preparation Ready made printable work sheets Ready made printable card games and work sheets Nessy lessons can be targeted at small group work for spelling, reading and writing activities following a consistent and complimentary theme

Consistent learning and development

The programme allows you to link learning from primary school to senior school Progress is detailed upon the Nessy record sheets which can be passed onto senior school providing consistent information on students levels of learning This enables continued learning and development and provides consistency to those students who are nervous about the transfer to secondary school Resources can be easily printed out and given to children as homework Parents can support schoolwork by playing games with their children Print simple documents, which give advice and suggestions to anxious parents Use the games with interactive whiteboards to teach the whole class

Handouts to parents

Whole school advantages

Maximising effectiveness

Nessy is designed to be used as a complete teaching system and will be most effective when lessons are followed in sequence.

The children and I all love using the worksheets and games - the pictures and sentences cause plenty of amusement! Nessy is proving very successful! Valerie Robson, schoolteacher

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Who can teach with the programme?

Case Studies and Endorsers

Parents

Mrs W. Hurford (MBE) Director of Special Education Jersey:

Help your child yourself

Nessy is being used in classrooms across Jersey as part of the literacy curriculum. Nessy has enabled teachers here to become more dyslexia friendly as it has given everyone a wonderful support programme to meet the needs of individual children throughout the age ranges. Nessy has had an infectious impact on the students. They are so eager to play the games that they want to play on Nessy in their free time. Nessy has proved to be a wonderful resource, not only for pupils with dyslexia, but also as a support for a whole range of special needs. It has been particularly useful when teaching English as a second language. Teachers have been able to train teaching assistants to deliver Nessy effectively and so meet the specic needs of pupils. Nessy has provided parents with a wonderful support programme to help their children.

Helps you to understand dyslexic difculties and teach your child Comprehensive system makes it understandable to people who arent teachers Learn how to make writing fun Ideal for home schooling and school phobics Nessy is a DIY kit to deal with dyslexia Allows parents to reinforce and support work being done at school Understand what your child is being taught at school Supports siblings use it for the whole family Boost your childs self esteem Break the cycle of failure Help improve your childs school grades Help your child to focus and engage

Support at home enables faster progress at school

See a change in your childs self-confidence and attitude to learning

Do homework and maintain a good parent/child relationship

Teach your children without them feeling pressurised to learn Facilitates a close relationship and learning time with your child Help your child to learn through games instead of using conventional book reading

John Jolliffe (Headmaster) & Amanda Swannell L.S.A. Northlease Primary School:

As a mother I know how hard it is to teach your dyslexic child and I wanted to make a programme that would make learning at home simple, fun and not a constant battle. Pat Jones My daughter loves it. Since she has been using it at school, her self esteem and condence has risen, plus of course her school work has improved immensely In fact I think all children, whether they have difculties or not, should be able to use Nessy as it is such a great way to learn. Jessica has really come on in leaps and bounds - in fact she is starting secondary school in September and the special needs teacher has suggested that she probably doesnt need too much extra help now at school. I think it is a wonderful way of learning - and not just for those with dyslexia but also for everyone. In fact, I suggested to the school, that all children should be able to use Nessy from time to time to support the other methods of teaching. Mrs Jo Montgomery, parent

We have been using the Nessy programme throughout the school for approximately eighteen months. During this time it has proved an invaluable support for language learning. The SpLD children all look forward to their Nessy sessions and are envied by those who arent currently using it. Nessy is seen as cool by a lot of the children. This removes any stigma that may be attached to using support programmes. The children enjoy using the programme very much and respond well to the challenging and varied interactive computer games. They also like the card games that enable them to consolidate their knowledge. It is well structured with interesting and varied resources that can be used to supplement work in a particular area. Providing more than one game enables us to reinforce the work and motivate the children at the same time. Recently we have been experimenting with the Recording Studio. This makes the programme much more exible since we can record and use our own spelling lists. The lists we have used so far include class spellings, key words and mathematical terms. It would also be possible to record vocabulary used when learning modern languages.

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Case Studies and Endorsers

Case Studies and Endorsers

Glenda Hegarty (SEN Governor & Parent) & Caroline Eastwood (L.S.A.) Tickenham School

Karen Sancto, Headteacher, Tickenham Primary School

Nessy gives a secure framework to work with and makes spelling rules easier to understand. Nessy gives the S.E.N children condence to have a go with their reading and spelling. It helps them to understand why they have to spell some words in a certain way. The children nd using mnemonics fun. They remember tricky spelling more easily. They love the games, both ICT and the card games. They feel enthusiastic and eager to learn instead of reading and spelling in front of their peers. Other children in the class often plead to go on Nessy, as The Nessy Group (S.E.N Group) obviously promote the work as being such fun. The programme has turned around the dreaded literacy lesson for the S.E.N children. They work at their own pace, and can assess their own learning with the use of ICT games. We have been so impressed with this programme, that we have recommended it to many schools in North Somerset and also to a particular school in Scotland. The children are all very positive about Nessy. They can all see improvements in their work and are proud of these. They are aware of the development of their spelling skills and their use of these to help them. They are showing improvement in their work and in their general condence of their work. Pupils have made comments such as, My handwriting has improved since using Nessy, You get out of boring work to fun work. Its fun because of the games but you learn too. They thought their spelling had improved because they could stop and break words down to help them. It has been so successful we have pushed for it to be used in Yr1/2 class.

Attainment at Key Stage Two, Comparison with National Averages (Progress over time): Results of the Panda report provide clear evidence that since using the Nessy learning programme our average point score in English has increased. Results show that Tickenham SEN children are now making greater progress than others based on LEA bench marking data.

Glenda H (Parent)

My daughter, now at senior school, was one of the rst children to use Nessy at the school. Nessy was great at giving her yet another boost of condence, knowledge and reinforcement. It gave her a wonderful source of knowledge for senior school.

Julian Swindale Class Teacher, Sefton Park Infant School

Nessy is absolutely brilliant. I use it all the time for day-to-day teaching. Nessy has had a big impact on achievement and the way children thought they were achieving. The programme really has made a huge difference. It is easily understood, and teaches through understanding, fun, concrete methods. It is extremely methodical and the games are fantastic for learning. I love it, and the children love it. They even want to do Nessy in their lunch time. I wish it had been around when I was at school! How I use Nessy: The programme is used as extended training as the rules within the programme are extremely useful for me. We arent taught those things in teacher training. Other teachers from junior schools come in to watch me teach with Nessy to pick up ideas. They didnt realise ed made three sounds! I introduce an aspect of Nessy at the beginning of the week to the class and then we use the games and work sheets throughout the week. I use Nessy for planning, delivery (e.g. Teaching a rule with the interactive white-board), and then we play the card and interactive games to reinforce their learning. I send home sheets for the parents, especially groups of sentences so the children can learn with their parents. This also helps parents understand what their child is doing and learning. Often the parents dont know these rules and sounds either, so it helps them too. I now only use Nessy - it is the best resource I have.

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The Creators of Nessy

Also Available:

PAT JONES B.Ed (Hons) S.E.N.Sp.L.D.Ir.Sc.C.M.B.D.a

Pat has over 40 years teaching experience at primary, senior and adult levels, 35 of these with students having specic learning difculties. Pat lectures regularly and has been invited to talk to professionals and parents in the British Isles and abroad. She has been called upon as an expert in her eld to give evidence at educational tribunal cases. She has trained teachers and has acted in an advisory capacity to schools and local educational authorities. My own children are dyslexic, and they taught me how to make learning fun and rewarding. During the past 30 years I have taught thousands of dyslexic students and have lectured to schools, hospitals and universities. It is great that we can benet dyslexic students with our methods and stimulate a thirst for learning.

MIKE JONES R.S.A Sp.L.D, L.L.B.

I hated school. I was the dunce of the class who couldnt spell his own name. At 7 years old I found out I was dyslexic. It took me many years not to feel ashamed of this and not to feel that it was some kind of excuse. When I was taught in a style that suited the way I learnt, I went from bottom to the top of the class. I then went to Art College, then to gain a Law Degree, and went on to retrain to teach dyslexic students. Now I am passionate about helping other dyslexics succeed in a way that is fun and inventive. Its even better when you dont even realise you are learning. Mike is the creative director and co-creator of the Nessy learning Programme and BrainBooster Study Skills programme. Having Mike as a key creator allows the company to develop the programmes using his personal dyslexic insight.

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BrainBooster Study Skills

BrainBooster Study Skills

What is BrainBooster?

Dyslexia affects more than just reading and spelling. Many adult dyslexics will have found their own strategies for coping with reading and spelling difculties but still experience the frustration caused by problems in other areas such as memory, writing clarity, organisation and reading speed. These difculties can be overcome by learning the strategies of study skills. BrainBooster is a complete study skills programme that has been designed for adult dyslexics. It shows you vital strategies to help with the other areas affected by dyslexia.

Who is BrainBooster suitable for?

School-age students
Students as young as 11 years will benet from study skills. And as schoolwork begins to focus more upon higher skills such as writing essays and analysis of complex text, BrainBooster teaches the strategies needed to improve your grades and pass exams.

University and College students

How can it help?

Memory
Dyslexia causes specic areas of memory to be weak. This is why it is difcult to remember the way spellings look or to copy accurately but what many non-dyslexics dont realise is that this memory difculty affects day-to-day life. Forgetting important appointments or where you have put your keys can be very frustrating. BrainBooster includes practical strategies for remembering pin numbers, names, to-do-lists and much more.

Essay planning, exam technique, revision skills and note taking are some of the many vital skills covered by BrainBooster. Dyslexic students will need additional support while they are at college and BrainBooster will prove to be an important aid.

Adults in the workplace and at home

BrainBooster can prevent stress by helping you to get organised and improve memory. The skills and strategies covered by this programme have been used successfully by specialist study skills tutors to help dyslexic adults of all ages.

Revision

Most people are never taught how to revise effectively and they just read through books or notes. This is often the worst possible way for dyslexics to learn. BrainBooster shows you alternative ways to revise that will make studying more memorable and effective.

Special Features

Organisation

Dyslexia can affect the way you organise your life as well as your thoughts and writing. Getting organised will make a huge difference to your life. This section also includes skills on note taking and exam technique.

Reading

Although many adult dyslexics will have reached a reasonable reading ability, they often still experience difculties with their reading accuracy, making small errors as they read. This can make reading aloud very embarrassing. Reading speed may also be slow, you may forget what you have just read or may have difculty reading longer multi-syllable words. BrainBooster provides strategies to help you improve all these areas.

The interactive questionnaire identies your learning strengths. This encourages students to think about alternative ways to study. The animated Chain Game is a fun but highly effective way to revise. Save your games and play them again when you revise. Students can work through independently, listen and watch animations, then play interactive exercises to practise the skills. The best way to learn is to adapt the BrainBooster strategies to your own work but where this is not possible there are many printable activities. Listen to a summary of the main points in each section. Key words are highlighted so you do not have to detail read unless you want to. Brain in a bottle appears with extra hints and tips along the way.

Main learning sections

Memory Skills: Writing Skills
1. Mnemonics 2. Acronyms and lists 3. Picture thinking 4. Number Pegging 5. Room Pegging 6. Names, Faces and learning lines. 7. Rhyme, rhythm and rap 1. Sentence construction 2. Bullet point planning 3. Paragraphs & topic sentences 4. Extended writing 5. Argument essays 6. Poetry analysis

Organisational Skills:
1. Organise yourself 2. Study Planners 3. How to study 4. Exam Technique 5. Dictionary Skills 6. Note taking

Writing

Dyslexics usually experience a whole range of difculties with writing so this is the largest area of the BrainBooster programme. Problems may include taking much longer to produce written work, writing confusing and over-long sentences and nding it difcult to get ideas into a clear paragraph structure. BrainBooster takes you from the beginnings of clear sentence construction to advanced essay and report planning.

Learning strengths

Revision Skills
1. Chain Games 2. Topic Pages 3. Skimming 4. Mind Maps 5. Flow Charts

Reading Skills

Every dyslexic has their own individual learning strengths and weaknesses. It is an important step to think about and identify your own learning style. The BrainBooster interactive questionnaire helps you to do this and also gives tips on ways that you can adapt the way you study to make the most of your learning strengths.

1. Eye exercises 2. Decoding 3. Skimming 4. Scanning 5. Main point nding 6. Analysing media text

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Technical Specifications

Notes

Minimum System Requirements:

Processor speed equivalent to Intel Pentium 3 or higher. 128 MB RAM 250 MB available disk space. Windows 98/ ME/NT/2000/XP

Important information regarding the User Licence

All CDs include full versions of both the Nessy Learning Programme and BrainBooster study skills. Each programme requires a separate purchase but both can be installed and used for a 7-day trial period. The CD should be removed from the drive after installation is complete and does not need to be in the computer to access the programmes. At the end of the trial period the software must be activated to allow continued use. Activation is a simple process to conrm that you have a legal licence to use the software. The activation process involves entering a series of numbers called an Activation Code. Once activated the software is tied to the computer. Where the computer is upgraded and the software transferred* contact us for a free activation: an admin charge will be made for further activations. The simplest and easiest way to activate is a one-time process over the internet but can also be quickly completed over the telephone. The user licence is compatible with network servers but not with computers that are linked using a shared drive.

Purchasing Information

Available: Single User licence Network licence

Online

Our website http://www.nessy.co.uk has a secure shopping facility. Our software provides onscreen instructions that connect to a facility for secure card payment. Telephone the Nessy sales team on 0117 9239 777 to make a card payment. Schools and Colleges can send an ofcial order form/number by: fax - 0117 973 50 50 email - info@nessy.co.uk post Nessy, Top Floor, 10 Upper Belgrave Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 2XH

Offline

For a full price list and schools order form please download from www.nessy.co.uk or contact the Nessy sales team.
* The goods are supplied in accordance with the Nessy terms and conditions. Registered in England & Wales No. 3845393

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Notes

Notes

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