Letter Land

charis

Contact:
Connie Chen

Shop:
ETC Educational Technology
Connection (HK) Ltd
P415, 2/F Hsia Kung Mansion
Tai Koo Shing
Hong Kong

By Telephone:
2653 2789
By Fax:
2656 1627

charis

又：先前我又心思思，買了ABC book的新版，今天收到了，比較之下，新版除了顏色鮮艷，人物的內容也豐富得多，又up-to-date，書後的字彙還很多，很有用，我也很喜歡。相信以後我也會轉用新版的﹗不過先前買的舊版，也可以作為我的參考，都不會浪費的。

mmouse

Hi, all mummies,

I am attending ETC's course of Phonics for Parents.  After I have read marieyuen's comment, I prefer to buy the Early Years Handbook as that is much cheaper and will have a lot more information in papers.  This is definitely more cost effective to read a book if you have time.

The course handout is only 1 or 2 pages for each lessons.  You have to drop down what the tutor teaches about the stories for all the phonics.  The teaching method is quite good so as the tutor.

I just bought the Alphabet song CD and have the same query about the different pronounication of "says" by the male singer and the female singer.  I just wrote an email to Letterland about this query yesterday, awaiting reply.  Besides, I also found some of the lyris on the CD print are wrong - the song of Golden Girl and Wicked Water Witch.  As the price of that CD is $120, I don't expect they have so many mistakes in production.

Dear marieyuen,

It is so good to see all your comments regarding Letterland which are very useful, especially the way you home-made the magnetics.

I also bought the cassette tape from Letterland.  You can try to record the tape to MD.  Then you can divide the MD according to the alphabet (if your hi-fi has that function), it will be easier for you to select the track.

charis

Hi Mmouse,
Do you think the phonics course for parents is useful to you?  If possible, please share more with us here!
Have you ever seen the new edition?  But it's a pity that the products of the new edition are not complete.  Could you please ask Connie Chen when the new edition would arrive in HK?
Thanks for sharing.

marieyuen

mmouse:

其實我都好有興趣讀parents course，可不可以講多一些上課的程況和內容呢？
另外，我今日又去了一次太古 showroom，我問Connie有關New Edition的問題，佢話New Edition是不會cover所有blends的，只會cover到英國教育部要求cover的內容，所以她說，覺得Old Edition是比較適合香港多一些。
我亦在那裏看過New Edition的 Teacher's Guide，新版是Programme1加埋Programme 2一本過，$450，內頁係全彩，Connie一邊同我看，一邊分析給我聽，印刷上是好了，也有一些新的內容，但也又欠缺了一些舊的內容(如：wordlist)。
另Early Years的新版 Handbook也已經有得賣了。
其實有關於letterland的故事書，如：At  Home Readers(共3個stages共15本書)及The Storybooks(共20本書)都常常可以在[size=medium]英國ebay網站[search for ：letterland]上競投得到，而且價錢一般都是十分平，連郵費都起碼平香港買一半有多，所以有興趣的媽媽都可以去看看。我自己都是在那裏差不多都買齊了letterland的故事書。

kamen

Ｈｉ：ｍａｒｉｅ
請問ebay的payment method，同埋安唔安全呢？我都好有興趣係果到買書。Thank you!
From Kamen

marieyuen

Kamen：

Overseas buyers一般都係要用PayPal比錢，你可以先申請一個PayPal的戶口，將信用卡的資料在PayPal登記，我到現在都比過好多次錢，無問題，好安全。
英磅信用卡對£1=HK$14.49(我上個月收月結單時的對換價)
因為書一般都較重，我多數選平郵(surface mail postage fee)但大約要4至8個星期先可以寄到來，有些賣家會收3-5%的Paypal charges，不過都係好少錢，無所謂啦。
記得看看賣家肯不肯post to  worldwild，如果只係寫UK Only你可以bid之前先按ask seller  a question問佢可不可以寄來香港，好多都肯的。
不過如果賣家不接受PayPal的話，就好難可以買了。

[size=medium]我之前買的item及價錢：
[size=medium]1.  Letterland  Reading at Home Stage 2 & 3 10story books( as new )

£12+£4.9(postage fee & paypal charges) = £16.9
共需HK$245

[size=medium]2. Letterland Annual (Hardback activitiy book)

£0.99+£2.01(postage fee & paypal charges) = £3
HK$43.5

[size=medium]3. Letterland Paperback Storybooks 15本

£13.05+£4.6(postage fee & paypal charges) =£17.65
HK$255.84

[size=medium]4. Letterland 4 activities book

£6.54+£3(postage fee & paypal charges) =£9.54
HK$138

kamen

Marie,
Thank for you detailed explanation!
From kamen

Yumom

Hi, Marie,

You are really an expert in "Letterland". I'm also very interested to buy the books for my kid. But she is quite "old" already and know all A-Z. I teach her phonics myself in the past (of course, not so structure!) Can I skip the early year stage and start from programme 1 directly? Or is there any "minimum requirement", books that we should read so that the kids can catch up with the stories, characters etc.  Pls advise. Many thanks in advance.

Yumom

mmouse

Hi all, I try to summarise what phonics and Letterland stories I have learnt from the 4 lessons as below:-

sounds of 26 alphabets in English (a-z)
hard and soft C
hard and soft G
bl, cl, fl, gl, pl, sl
br, cr, dr, fr, gr, pr, tr
sc, sk, sp, st, sm, sn, sw
scr, spr, spl, str
tw
ff, ll, ss, nd, nt, lk, lt
sh, ch, th, ph, gh, wh
short and vowel sounds
ay, ai, oa, ee, ea
silent magic e
vowel men in little words
y - long i sound/ long e sound
ar, or, er, ir, ur
aw, ow, ow, ew
au, ou
kn, ture, que
oi, oy
oo
syllables

Although the above list seems very long, but we don't have notes for all the Letterland stories for above.  So I don't think you can teach your kid just by attending this course.  That is why I agree with marieyuen about you have to buy the books in order to equip yourself with the teaching methods so as to teach your kid.  And you can refer to the books from time to time or you forget about the Letterland stories.

So in conclusion, it is very expensive to attend the course ($1200) compared with what you can learn from it.

Dear marieyuen,

I think it is very important to have the flash cards for some of the above phonics pattern, e.g. ch, sh, th...etc as the kid can associate the stories easily from the graphics on the flash cards.  Do you have those flash cards?  I check the price from ETC - $3xx for Programme 1 and another $3xx for Programme 2 flash cards, which I think too expensive.  Any comment about where I can scan those graphics?

Also, your suggestion for buying from ebay.co.uk is a very good experience.  Thank you.

charis

謝謝大家，特別是Marie，經常和我們分享用letterland的心得。
小兒已經五歲半，才開始這套教材，想不到他很快便喜歡那些人物，又時常開電腦的software，去聽alphabet and handwriting songs。不過因為不想太強迫他，都現在還未學完26人物。不過我已經開始想物識programme 1 & 2.
想請問Marie：你說新版不會cover所有的blends，其實少了多少呢﹖會不會也足夠小朋友用呢﹖我個人很想用新版去教prog. 1 & 2，所以想知多一點啊﹗(又捨不得同時買新版和舊版的teachers' guides，太貴了﹗)
Thanks again!

marieyuen

Yumom：
其實letterland的設計是可以skip Early Years的stage的。
如果你女女大過4歲以上，可以一開始就用Programme 1。
我想如果你Start with Programme 1，最基本要買的是：
1. Letterland ABC Book (太古$90)
【比所有第一次認識Letterland的小朋友認識31個主要的characters】
2. Letterlnd Software (太古$330) 或 Alphabet Songs CD & Handwriting Songs CD (太古$120 & $120)
【因為如果買了Software其實可以唔o西買兩隻CD都得，入面係有o西所有歌，而Programme 1 Teacher's Guide入面係有o西Alphabet Songs及Handwriting Songs 的歌詞】
3. Programme 1 Teacher's Guide (太古$390)
【主要的教程】
4. Programme 1 Picture Code Cards (太古$330)
【拿住卡來講故事，雖然好似好貴，但係都好有用】
5. BBC - Words and Pictures Software 【.Phonic Clip Art】CD-Rom (太古$280)
【有齊o西所有blends，digraphs及Advanced phonemes的發音, o甘唔o西驚自己唔識讀發音，入面已包括埋Programme2要學的內容，重可以印worksheet出來，這CD-Rom是我到太古問Connie如果驚唔識讀某o的發音時點算，佢介紹我買的。】
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Phonic Clip Art is a high quality resource program designed to help teachers create stimulating phonics worksheets, flashcards, games and multimedia presentations for the classroom.
The program provides example words and associated images for each of the short vowel sounds; long vowel sounds; vowel digraphs and trigraphs; consonant phonemes; and consonant clusters.

Extensive help, example worksheets and multimedia presentations are also provided, along with guidelines on how to create your own resources.

Key Content:

900 associated pictures available in both colour and black and white
Sound files available for all words and phonemes
Intuitive program structure and quick search facility
Over 2000 words/parts of words
Extensive help and educational ideas

Age Range: 4 - 7 yrs
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Yumom 寫道:
Hi, Marie,

You are really an expert in "Letterland". I'm also very interested to buy the books for my kid. But she is quite "old" already and know all A-Z. I teach her phonics myself in the past (of course, not so structure!) Can I skip the early year stage and start from programme 1 directly? Or is there any "minimum requirement", books that we should read so that the kids can catch up with the stories, characters etc.  Pls advise. Many thanks in advance.

Yumom

marieyuen

mmouse：
好多謝你的分享，能夠將你上course的經驗分享給我們，真是十分難得！
我十分同意你話Picture code card是十分重要的，基本上Tearher's Guide及Picutre code card都是不可以缺少的，其他的買不買還可以因應自己情況考慮，所以我Programme 1 & 2的這兩樣東西都買了。
初初我都覺得好貴，但係Programme 1 有70張 code card ，Programme 2有85張，重係硬卡，雙面印，除開都係約4蚊，都OK啦。就算有scan file，又要自己買硬卡，又就位，又要印，又要墨都唔係平得好多，但係就一定好煩了。
而且佢背面雖然係plain letter但係有一些灰色的細字講番每一個card的故事的hint，比媽媽拿住張卡講比小朋友聽(自己可在背面看hints)。

mmouse 寫道:
Dear marieyuen,

I think it is very important to have the flash cards for some of the above phonics pattern, e.g. ch, sh, th...etc as the kid can associate the stories easily from the graphics on the flash cards.  Do you have those flash cards?  I check the price from ETC - $3xx for Programme 1 and another $3xx for Programme 2 flash cards, which I think too expensive.  Any comment about where I can scan those graphics?

marieyuen

其實我都好想肯定是少了的blends及phonemes是甚麼，不過個list只是印了在new edition的 Teacher's Guide入面，我在太古有看過，但不記得那麼多了，只是約有20個舊有的故事是沒有講的，包括：ge, gy, gi, ing, ang, ong, ong.....Connie話佢是每度抽一些出來唔教的，唔教的部份就是英國教育部不指定要學的部份，佢話英國小朋友是native佢日常reading中可能已經學到，不過未必適合香港的小朋友。
我想新舊版同時買是沒有必要的，因為實在太貴，但係你可以考慮下，其實用letterland的目的都是想小朋友學到併音，自己可以做到sight reading及words building，又可以解決一些學習英文的困難和問題，o甘用新定舊版可以做到這些效果呢？你自己的喜好呢？如果你自己是較喜歡其中一個版的人物設計，o甘你最好就你喜歡的去選，這樣你教時自己也會開心好多啊！

charis 寫道:
想請問Marie：你說新版不會cover所有的blends，其實少了多少呢﹖會不會也足夠小朋友用呢﹖我個人很想用新版去教prog. 1 & 2，所以想知多一點啊﹗(又捨不得同時買新版和舊版的teachers' guides，太貴了﹗)
Thanks again!

charis

好多謝你啊，要照顧bb還那麼熱心地幫助我們，真的很感激啊﹗:)

Yumom

Marie,

Thanks very much! You are really very nice!


Yumom

Jokey2828

Dear marieyuen,

How do we know the postage charge and how to settle it if we buy at ebay.com?

Thanks very much for your help.

Jokey2828

KWT

Dear all,

各位有興趣在eBay買letterland書的媽咪,不用太心急落bid,我發覺有些書好像價錢bid得太高,marieyuen買了兩個stages只用了12英磅,不計郵費.剛剛有人用多過10磅買stage 2的書.bidding完了,發覺同一個seller又再重新推出同一內容的書,每套完價4.99起bid.所以我想有意買書的朋友,不用太心急.

Jokey2828

I absolutely agree. To buy Stage 2 brand new in Hong Kong is around $250. So why should we buy second hand for 10 pounds? And don't forget the shipment charges!

Jokey2828

marieyuen

Dear All,

我的經驗係，這一個多月來，我常常都看住UK個ebay有關[size=medium]letterland的貨，可以講係源源不絕，唔驚無得買，所以唔o西心急，今次買唔到，等一個星期度又會見到有第二個人拿出來賣，可能重賣得平o忝！

Charis：
很多謝你的關心，我細女已經3個多星期大了，佢都OK啦，幾好湊，所以都可以有時間上下來，不過過多一個星期後我請的陪月就完了，到時可能會忙o的。

Jokey2828：
Overseas postage fee是多數要email問seller先可以知道的。除非個seller有好清楚o甘講o西所有地區的郵費。
你可以選擇在bid前問問seller肯唔肯post來HK，順便問埋surface mail的郵費(其實大概同surface mail to US一樣)，又或者個seller係有寫post to worldwild的，你就可以bid完先問佢要加幾多錢郵費。
bid完成功後，你個【My eBay】會見到你成功bid到的貨，重有個【pay now】的制，你可以click入去加埋seller話比你聽的郵費 recalcuate個總數之後submit過數比佢，又或者個seller會自己【sent invoice】比你，你照比就得。
不過我有經驗係，如果你發現佢send 給你的invoice有唔對(可能係郵費太貴，佢寫錯左用airmail，又或者佢無端端加o左成2磅packing fee)o甘你就千祈唔好比錢住，一於email問到佢清清楚楚先交投。