StoryMaker 4

Geddes Software

- 30 days free trial of StoryMaker 4

For a tutorial on using StoryMaker 3click here

StoryMaker 4 is a major update to our popular StoryMaker 3. Many new features have been introduced.
StoryMaker is an affordable, easy-to-use yet powerful tool for creating sentences and books and for teaching sequences of actions. It can be customised for any child and makes a natural companion to our “Flashcards” program.

Highlights of this program:

One page stories or multiple page books can created in a variety of ways.

For example the story can be directly typed in from the keyboard. This is especially useful for teachers or parents preparing stories for a child.

Word sets can be created and the child can create a story by clicking on words in a set
Many different sets can be created for each child.

Options can be set to automatically capitalise the start of sentences or put spaces between words
punctuation can be entered by typing or by clicking on the appropriate symbol.

Stories can also be created by the child from words in a dictionary

Two types of dictionary are available: a dictionary created specifically for the child or a dictionary of all words in the database (including words added by the user). These dictionary are accessed alphabetically.

The dictionary created for the child can be displayed as simple word lists or with thumbnails for the words (where appropriate).

Many options can be set for dictionaries, such as having dictionary words spoken when the mouse is over a word.

Words can be selected from the dictionary either by clicking or by dragging and dropping into position in a sentence.

Words in the page can then be arranged by dragging and dropping if desired.

A picture can be selected and displayed as the subject for writing the sentence or page - many children prefer to begin with a picture rather than a word in mind.

Creating a page with a dictionary created for the child. Optionally dictionary words can be spoken on a mouse-over

A variety of options are available when creating books or sentences. For example, key presses can cause the letter or phonic sound to be spoken.

Options for creating a sentence. Click for a larger image

Words in a story are matched against an existing database of over 4,000 recorded words. These are recorded with both USA and New Zealand pronunciations.
In StoryMaker 4 you also have the option of creating stories without using the databases. Such stories are limited to simply viewing or printing until you choose to convert them to use the StoryMaker 4 databases. StoryMaker walks you through this process.

Words not in the database can be easily added. StoryMaker walks you through recording sounds and allows a picture to be associated with each word you add if desired.

StoryMaker assists with editing these sounds to ensure consistent sound levels and to remove unwanted gaps at the beginning and ends of sounds by linking to installed sound editor software.

You can replace the sounds for words in the database with your own recorded sounds.

A database of pictures is included with pictures associated with words in the database where appropriate. You can replace these with you own pictures if you desire.
If a word is added that is a plural without a picture, the program will offer the picture associated with the singular (if one exists) when using that word in creating stories.

Stories can be used in a variety of ways, including listening to the story being read, reading the story by the words being spoken when the mouse is over a word, clicking on words as requested, rearranging the story words into the right sequence (only for single page stories) and recreating the story.
These last 2 options are especially useful in helping develop understanding of sentence structure and as a prelude to writing.
Many options can be selected:

Options when using a book. Click to see enlarged picture.

Books can be created and stored with a title page (and picture) and up to 60 pages
Pages of books can contain paragraphs, pages with or without text and with or without pictures.. Books and dictionaries can be exported to a USB flash drive or the hard disk for later copying to a CD if desired, and then imported on other computers with StoryMaker 4 installed. Books and dictionaries can be imported from StoryMaker 3 or 4 along with any reinforcements used.

An important part of StoryMaker is the ability to use reinforcements on the successful completion of a page or of a whole book. These can be from videos, sounds or pictures.
With videos, different section of the video can be used to reinforce each page. This can be used to teach a child a sequence of actions (such as crossing the road) and also to reinforce the meaning of what is read on each page. This also assists motivation for completing each page.
With sounds, different sound files can be used for each page of a book - these can be created within StoryMaker by editing existing mp3 files (if a sound editor is installed that StoryMaker can link to).

A number of reinforcements are provided with StoryMaker but personalizing them for the child is the best approach and provides the greatest assistance to learning, especially using videos or sounds and specifying different sections for each page.
A sample book with a video reinforcement is provided with StoryMaker illustrating the sequence involved in washing hands.

Below shows screens editing a video reinforcement:

Working with a video reinforcement. Click to see enlarged picture.

Determining which section of a video reinforcement will play with a particular page of a book:

Determing video section. Click to see enlarged picture.

Programs for using a book (or sentence) can be created.

Creating a program for working with a book

Books and sentences can be printed out. Many options can be selected to customize this.

Printing books. Click to see enlarged picture.

A date program is also included to assist the child learning the days of the week, months of the year and such concepts as “today", "tomorrow" and "yesterday”. Pictures can be associated with the days of the week or months.

This can be set up to ask "What day is today?" every time a child begins a session.

Words added by the user can be synchronised with the added words in Flashcards by a simple click on a menu option

We expect to add new features as in previous versions of StoryMaker which will be able to be available as a free download. Keep on eye on the downloads section.

Price: US$20 (approx. NZ$25) to register the downloaded version
For the CD or USB (site licence) versions, shipping and production charges are added to this.

USB Version: A USB version for site licences is available. This includes the site registration details on the USB and allows for quick install of StoryMaker (and Flashcards if site licences for both are purchased at the same time) where the only intervention needed is when installing a 3rd party sound editor or optionally installing a video codec pack. This enables StoryMaker 4 to be easily deployed on multiple computers on one physical location.
The downloaded, CD & USB versions are identical, however we may include additional sample books that can be imported on the USB version.

Order StoryMaker 4

StoryMaker 4 System Requirements

Recommended requirements: Pentium II 700 or faster with 512 MB for Windows XP or 1 GB for Windows 7)
The power of the computer and its graphics card will determine the size you will need to choose to display video clips. A modern PC with a quality graphics card will be able to display videos full screen.

Disk space requirements:
176 MB of disk space is needed (NZ version) - less for US version.

The program requires Microsoft Windows XP, Vista or 7, 32 bit or 64 bit.

The CD version is on recordable-CDs. All modern CD-ROM drives are designed to read these CDs without problems.

Geddes Software
18 Rosebery Street
Belleknowes
Dunedin 9011
New Zealand
Phone: 64-3-453-6544
Within NZ 03-4536544

Email:
For information or support(support@geddessoftware.com)
For sales:(sales@geddessoftware.com)