ACQ Vol 13 No1 2011

58 / 60

56 ACQ Volume 13, Number 1 2011 ACQuiring knowledge in speech, language and hearing
Woodfine, P. (2009) Word whizzer! Level 1. Perth, WA:
Woodfine; A$80 plus GST plus postage and packaging;
Roslyn Neilson
Word Whizzer! is a
simple game that
claims (with a
liberal sprinkling of
exclamation marks)
to “improve
children’s ability to
understand, use,
and remember
words so they can
succeed with
speaking, reading
and writing”. The resource consists of a short, carefully
written explanatory manual and a sturdy cardboard spinner;
the adult using the game provides the vocabulary words.
Given the nature of the semantic questions, all the
vocabulary items have to be concrete nouns. The spinner
contains six questions, three with a semantic focus and
three tapping phonological awareness. The semantic
questions at Level 1 (4- and 5-year-olds) are: “What does it
look like?”, “Where do you find it?” and “What do you do
with it?”. The phonological questions are: “Can you clap it?,
What is the first sound?” and “What does it rhyme with?”
(The reviewer has not been provided with the Level 2
version, which presumably has more difficult questions.)
There is no game board along which participants can move,
to give the game a competitive edge or to set limits to its
duration; the “fun” of the game resides entirely in the
spinning of the wheel and the surrounding discussion. Some
extension games are suggested as well.
The logic of including both semantic and phonological
awareness questions on the spinner is explained quite
simply in the manual. It is argued that research shows that
consolidating semantic and phonological information in
the lexicon facilitates word retrieval in spoken and written
language.
Adults are required to make sure that the child is able
to answer the questions before playing the game. That is,
adults are expected, when necessary, to be able to teach
children basic phonological awareness skills (often difficult
with 4-year-olds), question comprehension, and also the use
of relevant descriptive language. Adults are also expected
to be competent at choosing, introducing, explaining, and
enriching the meaning of new words. Some guidance is
given regarding question comprehension, but it may be
problematic that Word Whizzer! is presented as suitable for
parents and teachers as well as speech pathologists.
I see Word Whizzer! (Level 1) as a useful item to be kept
on preschool shelves, most safely used with familiar words
rather than new vocabulary. As the game values the study of
words, it can hopefully increase the metalinguistic awareness
of parents and preschool teachers as well as children.
Belafsky, P., Coffey, M., Costello, D., Gilman, M.,
Lewis-McColloch, N., Sumida, Y., Atkinson, M.,
McHanwell, S., & Tunstall, R. (2010). 3D anatomy for
speech language pathology. London, UK: Primal
Pictures. ISBN 978-1-907061-12-7 DVD-ROM; UK
£145.00;
Nicole Watts Pappas
3D anatomy for speech-language
pathology is an electronic resource
aimed at speech-language
pathologists for use in both clinical
practice and student training. The
interactive DVD-ROM contains a
number of features. For example, the
software allows the clinician to
display detailed 3D images of various
structures of the body. The images
are clear and accurate and can be
manipulated in a number of ways, including 360 degree
rotation and adding or removing layers of anatomy. Holding
the mouse over any section of the picture labels the relevant
structure and displays information regarding its function.
Images included incorporate all areas of the body that would
be of interest to speech-language pathologists including
head and neck anatomy (incorporating skull, face, ear, oral
cavity and infratemporal fossa, oronasal cavities, neck,
pharynx and larynx, brain and cranial nerves, and thorax) and
systems of the body (incorporating the skeletal, muscular,
cardiovascular, lymphatic, nervous, endocrine and
respiratory systems).
A number of animations show movements of the face,
the larynx and pharynx, the temporomandibular joint, and
respiration. One of the best features of this software is the
inclusion of “movies” of speech sound production, voice
production, and swallowing. The production of all English
consonant and vowel sounds is provided as separate video
files, displaying tongue, teeth and palate movement, and
audio. Small movies are also included of the mucosal wave,
actions of the larynx, and the swallowing mechanism. These
movies would be an excellent teaching tool for clients,
provided an important visual aid for learning.
As a final feature, the program includes a number of
“patient information sheets” which can be viewed in either
PDF or word format and printed out for clients. Topics
include evaluation procedures of the larynx and swallowing,
vocal disorders, structural abnormalities, and swallowing
problems. The information provided on the sheets is
easy to follow and includes visual representations to aid
understanding. However, it would be nice to see this section
expanded somewhat, with further information sheets
provided on topics such as motor speech disorders.
The program is relatively easy to navigate and a tutorial
provides a good introduction to the use of the software. Overall,
this DVD-ROM provides a number of excellent and innovative
features that would be invaluable to the working clinician in
the areas of voice, motor speech, and dysphagia. It also has
the potential to be an extremely useful teaching tool.
Speech pathology resources
Resource reviews