GB1596080A - Educational aid - Google Patents

Description

(54) EDUCATIONAL AID (71) We, ARNOLD STANLEY ROSS and DOUGLAS ALAN ROSS, both British Subjects, of 19 West Heath Close, London NW3 7NJ, and Apartment 32, 7 Rue Pestolazzi, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland, respectively, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- This invention is concerned with educational aids and particularly with devices to assist a person to learn to read.

The device is intended to be used in the teaching not only of children but also of under-educated adults, foreigners and retarded children. For convenience however the invention will be described in relation to the teaching of children.

An object of the invention is to assist in teaching a person to read by the current method in which the whole word is seen in print and at the same time the actual word is used.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide assistance to children in the immediate 'pre-reading' stage, and bridge the gap where- by in the earlier stages the mother has read to the child and before the child has reached the stage where it is able to read for itself, the child has learnt by heart the story the mother has read over-and-over again. The child then opens the book, and knowing the story by heart, 'pretends' to read itself.

From one aspect, the invention provides a device for teaching reading comprising a plurality of sheets in book form on which a text is printed in spaced lines, with magnetic strips on which the text is prerecorded interposed between the lines of text, with the words on the strips in alignment with the corresponding words in an adjacent line, a transparent sheet formed with guide slots attached to an edge of the book which can be brought to overlie any selected sheet with the guide slots aligned with the magnetic strips on the overlain sheet whereby on passing a manually held pick-up device along a guide slot, the sound corresponding to each word of the adjacent text may be reproduced.

The pick-up device may comprise a magnetic tape head mounted in a wand to be held in the hand with an on-off switch.

The on-off switch may be operated by a push button under the control of the operator or may comprise a microswitch operated by pressing the wand against the tape.

Playback mechanism comprising electronic means such as a silicon chip to pick up and amplify the recorded wording, a power source such as an electric battery and a sound reproducer may be incorporated in the wand so that it is self-contained. Alternatively the play back mechanism may be contained in a separate casing and connected to the magnetic head by an electric cable.

Other parts of the invention are embodied in the preferred form which will now be described in some detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a view of a "talking" book; and Figure 2 is a diagram of a wand for use with the book of Figure 1.

The "talking" book as shown in Figure 1 comprises a plurality of sheets 1 of thin card bound together by a wire spiral spine 2 to allow the book to open flat A number of lines of text 3 are printed on each page in the conventional arrangement of a printed book. The lines are spaced from one another sufficiently to allow strips 4 to be located between them. These strips are preferably printed onto the page or may be strips of magnetic tape. These strips are prerecorded with the text, with each recorded word aligned with the corresponding word of the printed text in the line 3 above it.

The recording covers the full width of the tape while the magnetic head is of less width, for example, one quarter the strips' width, so that the wand may move vertically without losing the signal.

A hand-held wand 5 for use with the book as shown in Figure 2 comprises a magnetic tape play back head 6 at the end of the wand 5 which can be passed along a magnetic strip 4 to pick up signals therefrom corresponding to the text 3. The wand 5 incorporates a silicon chip 7 containing the electronic devices required to pick up and amplify these signals and a miniature loud speaker 8 with a volume control 11 for translating the signals into the sound of the recorded word. A power source 9 is housed in the wand and the whole is enclosed in an outer case 10, preferably of shatter-proof plastics.

A spring loaded press button 12 is provided to switch on the device. This button is held down with a finger whilst the wand is in use, and will avoid the battery being discharged if the wand is left unattended. Alternatively a microswitch may be provided in the base of the wand so that when the wand is pressed against the magnetic strip the power is automatically switched on.

A socket 13 is provided to receive an earpiece for use when individual use is required, as when groups of people are using several of the devices at the same time. Insertion of the earpiece in the socket 13 disconnects the loud speaker 8.

As the book is primarily intended for young children means are provided for assisting the passage of the wand straight along the magnetic strip. As shown, such means comprises a clear transparent plastics overlay 14, for example about one-sixteenth inch thick, hinged to the right hand edge of the book by a ring-binder 15 or the like. Slots 16 are cut out of the overlay 14 coinciding with the strips 4. The wand 5 is inserted in the slot 16, thereby locating it accurately with the magnetic strip, and the slot acts as a guide as the wand is passed along the strip. Once, after some practice, the child has acquired sufficient skill to control the position of the wand without the use of the overlay, the overlay may be removed or folded back out of the way on the back of the book.

Both sides of the sheets 1 may be provided with the text 3 and magnetic strips 4 or, as shown, the reverse side may carry an illustration 17 of the text.

It will be apparent that the speed at which the wand is passed along the magnetic strip will effect the quality of the reproduction, though a slight change in the speed only changes the pitch of the transmission. In practice, it has been found that because the operator 'hears' the words, it is comparatively easy to acquire the necessary ability to control the speed to allow for a reasonable reproduction of the prerecorded wording. The recording speed on the magnetic strip is however made at a speed to allow the operator a certain latitude as to how fast he passes the wand over the magnetic strip and still be able to identify the words clearly.

It will be understood that the invention is not restricted to the details of the preferred form described by way of example which may be modified without departure from the scope of the accompanying claims.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A device for teaching reading comprising a plurality of sheets in book form on which a text is printed in spaced lines, with magnetic strips on which the text is prerecorded interposed between the lines of text, with the words on the strips in alignment with the corresponding words in an adjacent line, and a transparent sheet formed with guide slots attached to an edge of the book which can be brought to overlie any selected sheet with the guide slots aligned with the magnetic strips on the overlain sheet whereby on passing a manually held pick-up device along a guide slot the sound corresponding to each word of the adjacent text may be reproduced.

2. A device according to Claim 1 in which the pick-up device is of less width than the recording on the magnetic strip.

3. A device for teaching reading substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (3)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. devices required to pick up and amplify these signals and a miniature loud speaker 8 with a volume control 11 for translating the signals into the sound of the recorded word. A power source 9 is housed in the wand and the whole is enclosed in an outer case 10, preferably of shatter-proof plastics. A spring loaded press button 12 is provided to switch on the device. This button is held down with a finger whilst the wand is in use, and will avoid the battery being discharged if the wand is left unattended. Alternatively a microswitch may be provided in the base of the wand so that when the wand is pressed against the magnetic strip the power is automatically switched on. A socket 13 is provided to receive an earpiece for use when individual use is required, as when groups of people are using several of the devices at the same time. Insertion of the earpiece in the socket 13 disconnects the loud speaker 8. As the book is primarily intended for young children means are provided for assisting the passage of the wand straight along the magnetic strip. As shown, such means comprises a clear transparent plastics overlay 14, for example about one-sixteenth inch thick, hinged to the right hand edge of the book by a ring-binder 15 or the like. Slots 16 are cut out of the overlay 14 coinciding with the strips 4. The wand 5 is inserted in the slot 16, thereby locating it accurately with the magnetic strip, and the slot acts as a guide as the wand is passed along the strip. Once, after some practice, the child has acquired sufficient skill to control the position of the wand without the use of the overlay, the overlay may be removed or folded back out of the way on the back of the book. Both sides of the sheets 1 may be provided with the text 3 and magnetic strips 4 or, as shown, the reverse side may carry an illustration 17 of the text. It will be apparent that the speed at which the wand is passed along the magnetic strip will effect the quality of the reproduction, though a slight change in the speed only changes the pitch of the transmission. In practice, it has been found that because the operator 'hears' the words, it is comparatively easy to acquire the necessary ability to control the speed to allow for a reasonable reproduction of the prerecorded wording. The recording speed on the magnetic strip is however made at a speed to allow the operator a certain latitude as to how fast he passes the wand over the magnetic strip and still be able to identify the words clearly. It will be understood that the invention is not restricted to the details of the preferred form described by way of example which may be modified without departure from the scope of the accompanying claims. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A device for teaching reading comprising a plurality of sheets in book form on which a text is printed in spaced lines, with magnetic strips on which the text is prerecorded interposed between the lines of text, with the words on the strips in alignment with the corresponding words in an adjacent line, and a transparent sheet formed with guide slots attached to an edge of the book which can be brought to overlie any selected sheet with the guide slots aligned with the magnetic strips on the overlain sheet whereby on passing a manually held pick-up device along a guide slot the sound corresponding to each word of the adjacent text may be reproduced.

2. A device according to Claim 1 in which the pick-up device is of less width than the recording on the magnetic strip.

3. A device for teaching reading substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.