Hello readers,

Our Times Tables Testing software has been around quite a while… in fact, this month we’re celebrating its 10^th birthday.

Ten years ago, our software maestro Paul Strongman sat down and designed a simple but very effective program designed to help children learn their times tables.  At the time, Paul was a deputy headteacher who taught Year 5 and Year 6 classes.

“I knew the kids I had been teaching were bright, but they struggled with their times tables.  I thought that if they had a better way to practise them, they would be able to improve a lot faster,” says Paul.  “So I decided to write some software at home which would allow them to practise any of their times tables up to the twelve times table, and which would also record their scores so I could see their progress.”

Times Tables was an instant success with Paul’s pupils.  With daily practise, he saw a dramatic improvement in all of his pupils.  More than that, he saw a massive improvement in his pupils’ motivation to learn their times tables.

“I remember one pupil who was so confident with her times tables after using the software for a while, she volunteered to do the twelve times tables on the hardest difficulty level (with a three second time limit per answer) on the class white board, which meant the whole class was watching her,” remembers Paul.  “This was right at the start of a new September term as well.  Unfortunately, she only got 3 out of 20 correct.  Two weeks later, after some practise, she tried again and got 20 out of 20.  It was great for me as a teacher to see a child so motivated to improve, and she was just one of many.”

Ten years on, the software can be found in hundreds of schools all over the UK; and in a fair few homes as well.

To celebrate this milestone, we’ve got some special offers on our school site licence version of Times Tables, and on our bulk-buy options for home user disks.  The school site licence of Times Tables can now be purchased for just £39.99, which is a saving of £10 on the usual price.  It can also be ordered on 28 days’ free approval, so you don’t have to pay anything to try the software out.

For the pack of 25 home user disks, there’s an additional £5 off on top of the existing bulk discount saving of £50.  For the pack of 50, there’s an additional £10 off the usual bulk saving of £110.  These offers will run until the end of September.  Click here to view the Times Tables product pages.

Another of our products that’s been selling like hotcakes is our quality stereo headphones.  Connecting to any computer or audio output device with a standard 3.5mm jack, the headphones feature padded leather earpads for comfort, volume control & microphone built-in to the cable, and are also adjustable to ensure a correct fit.  These headphones have been very popular with schools, and our class pack of 30 sets of headphones provides an easy and cost-effective way to kit out a computer suite.  Our class pack of 30 is currently £164.95, giving you a bulk discount saving of £45.  We also sell a pack of 5 (giving a saving of £5) and of course individual sets, for £6.99 each.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this, and I’ll be back with another entry next week.  Thanks for reading.

The entire wishtrac.com web site has been inundated with visitors over the past week – our busiest week ever, so far…..

We’ve posted a free world cup wallchart as a download from the site (click here) and in the past week around 1000 people have downloaded it, to use in their classrooms during the World Cup.  The free wallchart software not only allows pupils to enter the scores of each World Cup game and watch the draw unfold towards the final, but pupils can also add match headlines and reports, and background information on each team taking part in the tournament!  As a way to encourage pupils to do some report writing, it’s ideal!

Along with the free World Cup Interactive Whiteboard wallchart, we’ve also produced an accompanying International Football Activity Pack (click here).  The activity pack contains over 100 pages of printable resources on a CD ROM, including the following:

• 32 A4 Flags to colour in (ideal for a World Cup display of flags, or classroom bunting)
• Simple Puzzles ideal for Key Stage 1 (Dot to Dot, Spot the Difference, Follow the Line, Mazes) – with up to three differentiated levels for each activity
• More Complex Puzzles for Key Stage 2 (Number puzzles, Anagrams, Word Searches and Quizzes) – with up to three differentiated levels for each activity
• Design Templates – to enable children to design football kits or boots, write match reports, or label a map of the world
• Research & Fact Finding:  32 information sheets for each competing nation, along with templates for children to complete, having found information in the text – ideal for classroom display!

Priced at just £4.95, the materials on the CD ROM can be freely printed or photocopied throughout the school.  CDs will normally be posted same day, so if you order today the CD should arrive within 2 working days.

Looking ahead to BETT, here’s what some of the National Press have to say about Wishtrac……

Literacy
On stand S51, Wishtrac launches its brand new literacy software for primary schools branded ‘Keywords for Literacy’. The new program simplifies the assessment and tracking of pupils’ ability to read and spell high and medium frequency words. Designed for use in primary schools, Keywords for Literacy also supports SEN pupils at secondary level.

Education Business (click here)

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Meanwhile, Wishtrac is launching Keywords for Literacy……..Laura Bratherton, a year 5 teacher at Liscard primary school in Wallasey, Merseyside, says: “Keywords for Literacy reduces marking and administration for teachers and special educational needs coordinators. It is invaluable for tracking data and monitoring progress over time.”

Special Needs Education, The Guardian (Click here)

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Literacy

For teachers involved in literacy, specialist educational software company Wishtrac on stand S51 is worth a visit. Launching a brand new programme for teachers and pupils called Keywords for Literacy, Wishtrac’s new programme makes its first appearance at BETT 2010.

Literacy-focused visitors can see how the resource has been designed to help simplify the assessment and tracking of pupils’ ability to read and spell high and medium frequency words.  The new software is designed for use in primary schools, as well as supporting SEN pupils at secondary level.

BETT 2010 Curriculum Focus (click here)

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Those looking for a contrasting locality for KS2 may be interested in Wishtrac’s CD resource on Llandudno (single user licence £29.99, site licence £69.99). It features lesson plans and video resources.

Think Global, Act Local, The Guardian (click here)

Our Creative Department have just completed overview videos for both of these products.  Whilst Booster Phonics is a very popular member of our portfolio, Keywords for Literacy is brand new, and due for an official launch at BETT 2010, where we are exhibiting on Stand S51.  Both products are ideal for SENCOs and class teachers, and will help raise attainment in pupils, especially those with SEN.

The Booster Phonics video can be viewed by clicking here, and the Keywords for Literacy video by clicking here.

Take advantage of our special ‘Web Launch’ offer.  Anything you buy (or order on approval) from the web site will be reduced by 10% automatically!  Special offer runs until 29th January 2010.

Exhibitions

We exhibit at a number of exhibitions and ICT events throughout the country.  Why not visit our stand at one of our upcoming events to try out our products? If you are arranging an exhibition for your authority, we’d be delighted to attend to demonstrate our software – get in touch if interested.

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