Summary

In developing the use of the data projector, Sue Hammond created PowerPoint presentations for the Literacy Hour. Success was due chiefly to the stimulus and focus provided by this powerful visual medium. While there are concerns over restrictions imposed by copyright, the long-term benefits of resource preparation make the effort worthwhile. A scanner would be well worth acquiring. Even without the benefit of adding children's pictures, it is possible to incorporate slides which featured the children's own ideas. The display lends importance and validity to their thoughts.

The projector was used in classes from Reception upwards, and children thoroughly enjoyed the lessons. Despite the initial problems that had to be overcome in order to use it, the data projector proved an excellent tool for the classroom.

Download the PowerPoint presentations (without sound)
Heydiddle.ppt 355K

'Hey Diddle Diddle', with additional slides featuring the children's ideas (without sound)
Wizzywhangy.ppt 422K

Written by Year 4 for younger children, inspired by Spike Milligan's 'Ning Nang Nong'

Creating resources using PowerPoint

I believe that one of the main reasons for the effectiveness of PowerPoint is that it is a resource attuned to the wider culture of the children we are teaching. They are accustomed to seeing powerful visual images: through television and video, advertising, and icons. Whilst the printed word is still prevalent in our society, it is often accompanied by clever designs or colourful pictures. A very theatrical performance by the teacher can bring a text to life during shared reading. However, this is often a challenging task. It is particularly difficult during word or sentence level work.

PowerPoint offers a variety of exciting opportunities that provide their own stimuli. Children see words and images that twist and turn, appear and disappear. They see sentences that arrive a word at a time from different parts of the slide, accompanied by gentle chimes or applause. The children are consequently absorbed by the presentations, and appear to retain more information.

Once planned, the lessons are available to other colleagues. They form a resource to be used, or built upon, year after year. Investing the time to put together a presentation is, I feel, certainly worthwhile, particularly in the long term.

Advantages of using the data projector in the Literacy Hour
The main advantage was that all the children could see the text or pictures. Without the projector a text, even in big book form, is not easily visible to thirty-three children. Consequently there is a danger that significant elements are missed. The projector was used with nearly a hundred children at one time and they were all able to see the text and pictures clearly.

At Key Stage 2, it is difficult to find enlarged texts or relevant extracts to meet the NLS objectives. However, putting an extract from the class book, a playscript, a brochure, or an advertisement onto the projector can easily eliminate this problem. The teacher is able to highlight particular features, knowing that every child can see the object of that focus.

We do not have scanning facilities at school, so this prevented me from projecting some of the wonderful pictures that are an essential feature of many of the texts we use. On the occasions that I was able to organise this, the benefits to the children were enormous. Scanned pictures were marvellous for zooming in on a specific feature. It was possible to discuss a character's mood or response and to consider the implications of an event. The subsequent slide could then be used to develop or reinforce the element being discussed. Alternatively, a new slide could be added that used the children's own ideas.

The children were particularly enthusiastic about the latter technique because seeing their own thoughts on the screen gave them importance and validity. With me acting as scribe, even children with limited independent literacy skills were able to feel like readers and writers.

Addressing NLS objectives
When teaching my Reception class I found the opportunity to have individual words slowly appearing was particularly useful for shared reading. Tracking the text and focusing on reading each word became a simplified task. Once the whole sentence had appeared we could then re-read for meaning and enjoyment. Of course, this would have become a stilted and disjointed way of introducing every page, but it was a valuable tool to use for some pages.

During a session looking at rhyming words I was able to bring in the correct rhyme, through using a separate text box, after the children had made their suggestions. Similarly, in a lesson with Year 2, the children's predictions were added to a slide before they had access to the scene. They were also particularly delighted when asked to suggest words that rhymed with 'bread', to focus on the vowel phoneme ea/ai/e, and these were sorted onto a separate slide. The size of the text, and its accompanying images, make it easier to follow and, therefore, to recall.

The children are able to interact with the text: their words become the story or recipe, instruction, etc. Of course, this can be done using a flip chart or whiteboard, but the projector enables it to be more effectively a shared event because each word is visible to everyone as it is produced. A hard copy can also be printed and used as the basis for the children's independent writing.

Opportunities for shared writing
The data projector is a useful resource for Shared Writing as well as reading. Its uses include:

Our verdict
The data projector could become a dynamic addition to our literacy resources. It is not destined to replace the 'read aloud' story time sessions when children and teacher are engrossed in a wonderful tale, but it is certainly an excellent tool for teaching NLS objectives. Using the data projector ensures that every child has full access to text, illustrations and diagrams and can take an active part in shared reading and writing.

Pupils' verdict
The enthusiasm of the children is probably the most effective indicator of how the Powerpoint lessons were received.