Talking Tins - Helping all children to succeed with handwriting

What are Talking Tin Lids?

Tin Lids are small coloured disc devices onto which you can record a message. They can be re-recorded, and last either 8 seconds, (Yellow) or 30 seconds(Red) They have been designed as a practical aid for the visually impaired to help identify recognise tins/sell by dates etc and have a strong magnet at the back. You can also get a card/plastic pocket to enable you to hang them up easily. (Or plastic CD sleeves would also be likely to fit.) There are two small record buttons to press simultaneously while recording, and the red light will be seen in recording mode. Playback is a larger black button.

A Tin Lid is a versatile ICT device which can be incorporated into many areas of the curriculum in all levels.

What can I do with them?

Use them for Role Play:

In the Vets.. “the surgery is now closed”
In the supermarket “today’s special offer 2 tins of beans for 60 cents. Buy now while stocks last"
In the clinic “for appointments press 1 now”
In the activity areas: "fill up the red beaker" etc.
Use to support labelling of activity areas and parts of the continuous provision." This is the sand." or "Two children can play here"

Children can be encouraged to record their own voices and this can form assessments, showing their responses to the modelling of vocabulary or simple grammatical structures .

Pupils who are reluctant to speak have been motivated to use them.

They are good for special needs contexts - can children use their listening skills to detect who is speaking? What kind of register or ‘voice’ are they using- whispering voice, wobbly voice etc.

Tin Lids can be very useful to support your visual timetable for a newly arrived student, perhaps to add to registration time, or story time as a key message in the pupil's home language. " ( Name) When you hear your name, say,” Yes" "( Name ) Come and sit down."

HOT TIP: if you don't want the message to be over recorded, use a small disc of card taped over the record buttons leaving the play button and speaker free.

Older students

Use them to sequence Instructions in any practical task, such as a maths sorting activity or Science experiment. A Talking Tin Lid can be used for a simple instruction to carry out any independent task either in the preferred language of the student or in English at the appropriate level for the pupil.
Tin Lids can support individual students who may find instructions hard to remember, or where prompts are needed, so they have a very positive way of adding to the inclusive classroom, and the student has control over their use.
Talking Tin Lids can also be used in writing exercises where the student speaks into the device the sentence, then replays it as they write to help them remember their idea while writing. In this way their thoughts are not lost during the process of writing.

Examples of using Talking Tin Lids:

In a story box- to support the action talking place. ( the student can record key events in their story, or the devices can provide environmental noises, dialogue etc.
To model and use positional vocabulary- Put the toilet next to the window. Put the boy in the shower and the baby in the bath…
Repeating Instructions , giving a pupil chance to revisit the instruction and rehearse the language and then self check that the action has been carried out correctly. -Put the red triangle in the first square. Put the blue circle next to the red triangle..
Recording a response by the pupil, to an outcome that they have observed,- items picked up by the magnet, what happened when.....
Recording the next sentence for in a piece of writing, replaying frequently to listen to the message as often as necessary while writing it down.

Use them to stick up near key equipment- record a message such as “ Please ask before you use this”
“ This is the Thermometer , Take care of the Bulb.”
“This goes on top of the squeegee”
In a key place in school “This is the Student Support Office , please knock and wait”

Use them to make an audio tour of a display- “These are chopsticks. You eat with them”

Use with an interpreter- ESOL

Ask him/her to record “Good Morning/ its dinner time or a key message you might want others to hear/repeat when the Interpreter is not there to help make a new pupil feel welcome. Or Specific Information “ Go to the Art Room after Break”
Record the numbers 1-10 or colours in a pupil’s home language to help them to learn the equivalents in English and to foster linguistic/cultural diversity in your classroom.

HOT TIP: If you want to preserve the recordable message from an Interpreter, record onto another device first, then record to tin Lid from the original recording ( MP3 or similar)

Your purchase includes a strap and an extra battery,

TO PURCHASE CLICK HERE

Talking Tins are proving to help children of all ages to develop their speaking and listening skills. Talking Tins allow you to record and playback your own voice messages, music or sound effects.

Size: 79mm Diameter x 22mm

Recording time: 10 seconds

Supports the Development of Spoken Fluency and Listening Skills
Enhances the Learning Environment
Supports the Development of Writing and Confidence with Words
Record in any language - perfect for Modern Languages!
Classroom activities to suit all ages and levels of ability
Built-in magnets for attachment to any metal surface
Optional Adapters for attachment to other objects/surfaces
Messages are re-recordable - reuse time and time again!
Batteries are included, fitted and replaceable
View summary of a book that is a separate purchase (Product to come)