Mystery Puzzles are Animated Step-by-Steps® designed to provide students with practice recognizing letters/numbers in sequential order.
If the child is using direct selection they can directly access the puzzle pieces when instructed to find a letter/number.
If the child is using a switch, alphabet/number knowledge is not required; across slides, a switch click removes one puzzle piece while simultaneously providing stimulation by announcing the number/letter of the puzzle piece being removed. Please note this resource does not target scanning per se, but rather targets motor practice in accessing a switch.
Each puzzle size (e.g. 4-piece puzzle, 9-piece puzzle, 16-piece puzzle)
has a series of slides, each targeting the 'next' letter/number in the sequence.
For example:
Slide 1 - "Find a"in the lettered puzzle array
Slide 2 - "Find b"in the lettered puzzle array
Slide 3 - "Find c"in the lettered puzzle array . . . etc.
Whenever the child (using direct selection) selects the requested correct letter/number, that puzzle piece is removed revealing a portion of the underlying picture; the letter/number name is heard. If the child is using a switch for access the process is errorless. They hear the command 'Find a' and a click of their switch removes the puzzle labeled "a".
Whenever a child (using direct selection), touches the wrong requested number /letter, a mildly negative "huhugh" is heard; the underlying portion of the image is NOT revealed.
This is not an issue with children using a switch, as the process is errorless.
When the picture is fully revealed … the child is rewarded with a cheering sound effect.
Instructions are provided for using photos from a picture library that is included with the resource. Instructions are also provided for using pictures of your choosing, e.g., 'mystery' photo faces of classmates, therapists or family members.
How fun is that?
This resource is great for tele-practice using Zoom. When the slide (viewed via shared screen) announces "Find d", the child must indicate the correct letter on their alphabet display (non-electronic/electronic) possibly assisted by a parent or older sibling. If the child is correct the therapist/teacher proceeds to click on the correct letter/number triggering the animation to remove the target puzzle piece. If the child selects the incorrect letter on their alphabet board ... the therapist selects the suggested incorrect letter which results in the 'huhugh' sound (a slightly negative sound effect assigned to all non-target puzzle pieces). " Nope that's not it ... let's try again, "Find d".
In fact most Animated Step-by-Steps® lend themselves beautifully to tele-practice. Each page often includes a series of animations. Read the text up to the star … click … and see an animation of what you just read. If you have purchased a symbol-supported version, the symbols will appear AFTER all the slide animations have been triggered. The symbols are now available to conduct some Aided Language Stimulation.
The bottom line: Animated Step-by-Steps® are perfect for tele-practice
…’til the next post … (new posts every Monday)
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©2020 Carol Goossens’, Ph.D.
Augmentative Communication Consultant
Special Educator
