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Word Shark is a multisensory program comprising 36 games that support all aspects of literacy.  It supports the following aspects of the English curriculum:
• word recognition
• phonics
• syllabic awareness
• spelling
• alphabet and dictionary work.

This title is specifically designed to help students with Specific Learning Difficulties develop reading and spelling skills. The design of the program allows the words to be spoken, signed and accompanied by pictures or animations where applicable.  A narrator speaks words aloud and words are repeated clicking on the ‘ear’ icon. As it is a multisensory program using the visual, auditory and kinaesthetic channels, it may be adapted for students with visual or hearing impairments.

I used Wordshark to reinforce phonics and word recognition skills in conjunction with the Laptops Initiative for dyslexia or other reading or writing difficulties. I identified areas that were problematic for these students by examining their written work.  The wordlists in the accompanying manual helped me identify and select the particular feature that I wanted to work on, e.g., consonant blends, silent ‘e’, vowel digraphs, compound words. 

For the purpose of this evaluation four students were selected, two from first year and two from second year.  I set up individual programs for each student.  In terms of required computer skills, the students required very little instruction and quickly mastered the necessary skills.  They became very confident in using Wordshark. They developed the ability to scan the screen quickly as the words appeared and achieved good scores. 
I introduced the lesson by teaching a specific vocabulary or spelling rule, for example, plurals. WordShark was used as an activity in the middle of the lesson to further reinforce the topic in question. The students remained motivated for about 30 minutes using the program before they began to lose concentration.

By providing instant audio and visual feedback, Wordshark contributes to the learning scenario in ways that could not be achieved by non-computer based resources.  Wordshark is fun to use; the various games are motivating and attractive to students.   It combines excitement with drill and practice activities. Tedious pen and paper exercises become an engaging learning activity.

I found the best use of Wordshark was with individual students as it was beneficial to sit with them in order to discuss their progress and deal with any problems encountered.  One of the thirty-six games can be played in pairs but essentially, this title lends itself to individual work.  I have used the software with a small group but the students have all been working on individualised learning programs.

The potential strengths of this software title are that it is structured, sequential, and multisensory.  It motivates and engages the students.  It provides opportunities for over learning, revisiting and consolidating skills.  It takes the tedium out of the repetitious learning of spelling by making drill and practice activities enjoyable.

Familiarity with the extensive wordlists and related games is required on the part of the teacher.  The teacher also needs to learn how to adapt the lists to meet their students’ requirements.   
A student with special needs would require the assistance of the teacher or a Special Needs Assistant to support and monitor his/her progress.  Basic typing skills are required in order to input words read aloud by the narrator without any further clues.  Without basic keyboard skills, students may have forgotten the word before they have typed it. Students with fine motor control difficulties may have problems tracking the movement of the mouse in the case of one or two games particularly ‘Sharks’, ‘Moving Words’ or ‘Noah’s Ark’.

A sample exemplar using this software.

Wordshark 3 Exemplar
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d2925.PDF