Abstract: The game apparatus comprises a pack of cards, each having printed thereon a respective pictogram. The pictogram carries two letters and two blank markers indicating wild letters. The pictogram is repeated four times on the card, one on each side of the rectangular card. The players form words according to the pictogram. The apparatus also includes a number spinner, for indicating the number of letters in the words the players have to form; and includes a strike-bell whereby a player can indicate that he has thought of a suitable word. The cards are marked with difficulty stripes, indicating the number of words from a dictionary list that fit the particular pictogram.

Abstract: A portable device facilitates learning of a language based on recorded linguistic expressions of at least two types. The portable device includes an apparatus for reading each linguistic expression from the medium. A memory within the portable device stores linguistic expressions in various zones in accordance with an identifying marker. The voice of a user can be recorded by a recording portion of the portable device. A monitoring device enables monitoring of the user's voice and of the linguistic expressions retrieved from storage. A central unit is programmable by the user to cause the portable device to execute a desired instruction sequence.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for teaching reading and spelling skills to children which is particularly adapted to be used in teaching children with a short-term memory disability. Visual indicator members are provided wherein a first set of visual indicator members represent vowel letters, a second set of visual indicator members represent consonant letters extending above a middle line on a ruled penmanship paper, a third set of visual indicator members represent consonant letters extending below a lower line on a ruled penmanship paper and a fourth set of visual indicator members represent consonant letters not represented by the second and third sets of visual indicator members. Each of the visual indicator members of each set have a unique color characteristic whereby the members of each set are distinguishable from each other. In addition, the members of each set have a common physical characteristic, such as height, whereby the different sets may be distinguished from each other.

Abstract: A prompt-providing adaptive speech tutor toy, is characterized by a programmed sequence of prompts in standard speech evoking a user's voice response of a word or phrase. Initially, a vocalized password provides a wake-up call during sleep mode to activate a start sequencer. This turns on the system. The user selects a category. A sequence of prompts and responses follows. Each response is accepted by a user input transducer, electronically treated to eliminate environmental noise and to put the response in a digitized form for computer evaluation. Computer evaluation follows. Frequency domain information from the user pattern is compared against frequency domain information from a standard pattern. Time domain information from the user pattern is compared against time domain information from a standard pattern. The comparisons are concatenated into a comparison score and this is checked against a threshold.

Abstract: A method employing the art, science, and technology of cartography to decode and comprehend graphic language texts. Improved reading and writing proficiency and efficiency may be realized by mapping a graphic language textscape (c.f. landscape). A textscape may be mapped with regard to typography, graphic or phonetic attributes of selected graphic features, meaning or usage of selected graphic features, statistical analyses of the attributes, meaning, or usage of selected graphic features, or semantic, rhetorical, compositional, thematic, or conceptual configuration. Two or more textmaps may be compared by sequential display, juxtaposition, superimposition, or animation (rapid sequential display). Elements of two or more textmaps may be combined either selectively or wholesale to produce a new textmap. Textmapping may be practiced in any scale, in up to four dimensions. Textmapping may be practiced directly upon a text, as well as indirectly, off to the side or on a separate surface, for example.

Abstract: Letter writing skills are improved through use of an associative letter writing template comprising stationery having distinct regions separable by perforations. One distinct region has an outline of a letter while another distinct region has a plurality of thematic markings. The thematic markings may include words grouped by sub-topic and/or illustrations relating to a common theme.

Abstract: A method of playing a sentence forming game is disclosed which consists of a plurality of cards with a plurality of sentences (12) known as sentence cards or sentence means (10), a plurality of cards with a plurality of pictorial elements (16) known as picture cards or picture means (14), and a plurality of rewards or scoring means (36). Players chose a sentence (12) from sentence card or sentence means (10) to form by finding relationships between words in sentence (12) on sentence card or sentence means (10) and pictorial elements (16) on picture cards or picture means (14). These relationships are subjectively judged by the other players. Players receive rewards and/or scoring means (36) based on if their explanations are subjectively judged by the other players to be interesting, creative, and/or entertaining.

Abstract: A youth oriented alphabet learning cardgame is set forth in several generic-variants, the preferred embodiment featuring a special corner oriented arrangement of alphabetic indicia, in combination with a related key visual picture-pairing object illustration arranged centrally within the card format. Thus, on each individual card a different alphabet character is represented in both upper and lower case ("A" and "a" for example), preferably positioned upper-case immediately above lower-case.

Abstract: An interactive learning device in the form of an open book for toddlers and preschoolers, having a plurality of embodiments. In one embodiment the book has three-dimensional letters of the alphabet received by a card that spells a word. The card is adapted to be placed in the book and a speech processor circuit recites the word written therein and sounds the phonic associated with each phoneme in the word when the child places the correct alphabet letters in the card, and repeats the entire word. In a second embodiment the book acts as a simple translator. In a third embodiment the book is in the form of a talking math calculator that teaches elementary mathematical operations. In a fourth embodiment the child may learn the sounds and names associated with various animals, and may also translate the animal names. A plurality of shapes and colors may also be represented by cards and indica bearing units.

Abstract: Educational devices using process-oriented educational methods are disclosed to prepare pre-school children, school children, and teenagers for keyboarding. The devices include sets of gloves and indicia applied to the fingers of the gloves to provide pictorial and alphanumeric representations of the computer keyboard. The visual and tactile memorization of the glove images are complemented by auditory and associative memorization provided by a story-telling educational method. Synergistic use of the gloves in the context of supervised story-telling also trains the pre-school children to develop and practise both lateral and vertical thinking skills, thus preparing them for coping creatively with the inherent hardware/software limitations of computers. The memorization of the alphanumeric representation of the computer keyboard is reinforced through synergistic use of the gloves in a variety of activities including learning the alphabet, learning word-spelling, and learning languages.

Abstract: A competitive board game including the purposeful scrambling and unscrambling of numerous words, mostly nouns, chosen from a variety of categories randomly by a plurality of teams each having one or more players which includes individual team playing tokens movable upon a sequential path of spaces defined upon the upper planar surface of the game board. Included is a pass category for allowing an active team to force an inactive team to perform the unscrambling within a sixty second time period. There is also a choice option allowing the active team to choose any one of the available categories.

Abstract: A speech synthesizer (3) produces prompts in the voice of a native speaker of a language to be learned to which the student replies or imitates. A phrase recognizer (1) employs keyword recognition to generate from the student's prompted response an original speech template spoken by the student. Thereafter, interactive dialogue takes place. The student's progress in that dialogue is monitored by measuring the deviation of the student's current speech from his original speech template. When this deviation is sufficiently large so that the recognizer (1) no longer recognizes what the student is saying, the system retrains and updates the student's speech template. In another embodiment, the system includes a display which shows the native speaker's mouth shape while the words to be imitated are spoken by the speech synthesizer (3). Also provided are a video pick-up and analyzer for analyzing the shapes of the student's mouth to give the student visual feedback.

Abstract: The language instruction and fact recognition apparatus and method for teaching as well as self instruction of a language, primary or secondary, increasing vocabulary of a language and providing a fact recognition basis with self learning and self checking techniques. The apparatus provides a key or master chart having an arrangement of a single word, words or graphical representations, a plurality of cards each having primary and secondary indicia accompanied by a word, words or graphical representation corresponding to the chart on a first side thereof and a correlative word, words or graphical representation on the second side thereof with a card orientation and placement device for retaining the cards in a manner to present the first side of a card to the second side of another card.

Abstract: An educational dynamic method of teaching language is disclosed wherein a set of geometrically-shaped objects represent the parts of speech of natural human languages. The objects are animated to undergo shape change, act alone, and interact with other of the objects to represent symbolically the actions performed on or by each part of speech. Frameworks defined by the grammatical case patterns of the represented language provide the boundaries for arrangement of the objects. Each object is configured to logically represent the complements of the class of words pertaining to the part of speech represented by the object. Animation of the objects in the form of shape changes and dynamic interaction within and between the objects assists in representing the words, expression and action, whether it be voluntary, involuntary, active or inactive. Each object contains the vocabulary words consistent with the level of the language being taught which fall into the class or part of speech represented by that object.

Abstract: A reading kit comprises at least one sheet of text, a set of rubber stamps, and an ink pad. The text is in the form of a storyline of which key portions have been omitted. Each rubber stamp has an image which corresponds to a respective key portion in the text so that a reader may complete the story by stamping the appropriate image onto the sheet using the appropriate rubber stamp and the ink pad. Typically the storyline would be suitable for young children who are learning to read.

Abstract: A method of teaching reading is provided in which symbols to be read are presented to the student. A mirror image of a reader reading the symbols is presented to aid the student's understanding of visible reading correlations. The method may be presented using electronic devices, such as a video tape recorder and a monitor, or using a "transparent flash card" in which a piece of transparent material has a display of symbols to be read and an area for viewing the reader and teacher.

Abstract: An interactive teaching apparatus and a method for teaching graphemes, i.e., letter symbols of an alphabet; grapheme names, phonemes; and phonetics are disclosed. The apparatus comprises a display of graphemes wherein each of the letters is color-coded with at least one of a plurality of distinctive colors. Each of the distinctive colors corresponds to a characteristic of sound production associated with at least one phoneme or speech sound of at least one of the graphemes. The letters are accompanied by a plurality of visually perceivable images, each of which is positioned adjacent to at least one of the graphemes and has a name including at least one phoneme of at least one adjacent grapheme. The apparatus also includes a plurality of individually-activated, sound generating devices, each of which is associated with one of the graphemes and generates the name or at least one phoneme associated with the grapheme.

Abstract: An alphabet learning and word forming game is presented which utilizes a round ball having letters on its surface and four pick-up sticks. The surface of the alphabet ball is made of a material that is readily attached to one end of the pick-up stick. This attaching mechanism may be a vinyl ball and a pick-up stick having suction cups on one end or it may be a ball covered with a clear adhesive pile surface and a pick-up stick with a VELCRO hook surface on one end. The ball is rolled between players and the pick-up stick is attached to the ball such that one letter is underneath the pick-up stick each time it is rolled. The players accumulate points for forming words during a set time period from the letters which they have obtained through catching the ball with the stick. If the player is dissatisfied with the letters that he has, the ball may be re-rolled to him to obtain a new letter with a penalty of one point for each re-rolling. One point is awarded for each word formed.

Abstract: Capturing the attention of the audience by having them watch letters being arranged on a blackboard in what appears to be a completely random, jumbled manner as words germane to the topic of discussion are enunciated, and then seeing those letters combined, perhaps with a few filler letters, to spell out yet another word which also is germane to the topic of discussion.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a method and apparatus for teaching reading and spelling. Specifically, the invention delineates the rules governing the syllabic division and letter sounds of one, two, three, four and five syllable words. The method employs an unique system of integration of these syllabic rules, phonograms, four sets of consonant clusters and single consonants for teaching a learner reading and spelling with either a manual or computer program.

Abstract: The present invention is a word game to be played by two or more persons, in which the object of the game is to assemble solutions to word transformation puzzles. The game of the present invention requires the use of a computer (or processor), a display, and a keyboard (or other input device). At the beginning of the game and at various times during the game, the processor must find a solution to a word transformation puzzle or determine that one does not exist. Efficient solution of puzzles by the processor is accomplished by creating two minimum-length search trees, each tree having a number of nodes that contain words generated via a predetermined relationship with respect to one another. The first tree is based on the first Doublet word (the source), while the second tree is based on the second Doublet word (the destination). An intersection of the two search trees is discovered by repeatedly comparing at least one word of the first search tree with at least one word of the second search tree.

Abstract: An electronic apparatus breaks a stream of recorded sound into discrete segments. The apparatus randomizes the order of the sound segments and will allow the sound segments to be re-ordered to their original order or to some desired order. The apparatus allows re-ordering of the sub-segments of a sound segment to create additional sounds (i.e. playing a sound segment backwards). The apparatus includes a control that will record and playback individual or groups of sound segments. A memory or skills game can be played in which the object is to re-assemble the sound segments to some determined order in a limited or unlimited amount of time. Levels of difficulty can be changed to make the game more challenging. The apparatus allows a player to create silly and entertaining stories by arranging the sound segments in some order and then playing some or all of them back to the player.

Abstract: An educational word game apparatus utilizes game sheets or boards having rows of spaces for advancing a game piece a predetermined number of spaces. Many of the spaces contain words which are to be either read, pronounced, spelled, and/or defined before a player may move forward. The first player to reach a finish space wins the game. The game may be provided with words of varying difficulty, according to various professions, and in different languages.

Abstract: A card game to facilitate the learning of spelling words. The card game is comprised of a number deck and a word deck. Players play the numbered cards and are then commanded to spell a word from a card from the word deck having a length equal to the additive sum of the numbered playing cards played.

Abstract: An educational device for broadening one's vocabulary and for developing spelling skills. The device includes a generally rectangular board member that is divided by printed, colored lines into several rectangular sections. Each rectangular section includes a pictorial representation of an object, along with the spelled word corresponding with the name of that object, and a series of side-by-side tile positioning indicia next to the spelled word associated with the illustrated object. A plurality of letter tiles of substantially uniform shape are provided, each letter tile bearing the same color as that of the dividing lines on the board member with which it is to be used, and also bearing a letter of the alphabet on at least one surface.

Abstract: A home word bound board game is provided which consists of game boards, game pieces, decks of game cards and game sheets. The object of the game is for each player to score with game pieces on the respective game board, as many points possible by guessing words on the game cards, using synonyms and antonyms listed on the game cards. The first player after three rounds having the highest point score listed on the game sheet wins the game.

Abstract: A multichannel sound recording and playback device is described, which comprises a integrated circuit memory unit for storing messages, a microphone for feeding messages to the memory unit, a speaker for transmitting messages from the memory unit, message actuation devices uniquely associated with the different messages, and control circuitry (logic gates) for enabling and/or disenabling the memory unit and microphone, and for causing transmission of a given message when that message's actuation device is actuated. A preferred form of memory unit is an electrically erasable read-only analog memory IC chip, which permits very low power consumption (less than 100 microamps) during standby. A method for improving language and communication skills of a child is also described, using the device of the invention with pictures affixed to the message actuation devices.

Abstract: An educational device (10) for facilitating vocabulary development includes a display (11) for displaying reading text, a keyboard (12) and microprocessor (14). The reader selects target words or short phrases whose meaning may be unfamiliar. A context-sensitive sentence illustrating the meaning of the selected portion of the reading text and including the target word or phrase is provided and displayed for a first preselected period. The target word or phrase in the context-sensitive sentence is replaced with verification text and displayed for a second preselected period. A test function furnishes context-sensitive questions that check the reader's understanding of the correct meaning. Performance information is collected and presented upon request.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for playing a spelling game, wherein a player enters a telephone number to obtain access to a specially programmed audiotex voice communication device which enables the user to interact with the device by attempting to spell a sequence of words which are automatically pronounced for the player. Spelling is accomplished by player responses which are stored and reviewed by the audiotex device which determines whether the player has met predetermined criteria to be a game winner. Such criteria is preferably a combination of correct words spelled in less than a predetermined time period.

Abstract: An electronic spelling correcting machine compares input term against a list of terms in memory and validates spelling and provides a set of terms which may correspond to the input term if the input term is incorrect. The validated term or suggested term is provided with a locating indicia that permits the user to go to the page in a book where definition of the meaning of the word may be found. Various word games are incorporated. A user determined list may be substituted for the main list of terms in order to enable the user to practice word games and thus learn the words based on a selected list of terms of significance to the user. For purposes of game playing, the words incorrectly used from said user list are biased in such a fashion that they are picked in a quasi-random fashion so that the words played incorrectly are selected with greater frequency than the words played correctly.

Abstract: A preferred embodiment of the present invention is directed to a question and answer game for stimulating interest in commercial publications. The question and answer game includes a news periodical having a plurality of sections. At least one question is formed integral with the news periodical. The question is formulated such that the answer is found in an actual article appearing in the news periodical. An answer form is also integral with the news periodical. The answer form includes a first section for recording the answer to the at least one question appearing in the news periodical. The answer form further includes a second section for recording the location where the answer was found.

Abstract: A sound-coded system for teaching beginning reading using four sound descriptors which allows one letter or digraph to represent each sound without altering the traditional orthography, or correct American English spelling, of the original words. The sound descriptors correspond to the long vowel sounds, the single-sound digraphs, the silent or misleading letters, and the sounds made with a slight throat utterance. The simplicity and reliability of sound-coding makes decoding of unfamiliar words a game for beginning readers. A particularly preferred method of use is in the context of a book wherein the opaque text pages are interleaved between transparent pages.

Abstract: Small light weight voice recorder is worn by a user as a short term memory aid. It has a single, large, readily accessible control button on its front face. The device has two alternating operating modes, each of which is initiated by actuating the same button in the same way. In a first mode the device records a brief spoken message. In the second mode the message is played back. The device has all solid state components with no moving parts for durability, freedom from maintenance and low battery drain. It is especially useful for those with failing memory who may find the complexities and dexterity requirements of conventional recording devices beyond their capabilities. An alternative embodiment of the invention includes covered, rear mounted controls that are easily accessed and operated for playing back the recorded message at a preset time. This feature is designed to not interfere with the primary function of record and playback by alternate operation of a single button.

Abstract: A word processor with a spelling correction function. A spelling error can result from for example, improperly inputted characters or misread characters. When the improperly input or misread characters are not found, for example in a main dictionary or a user's dictionary of the word processor, characters from a probability table are selected to replace the improper characters which have been caused by the spelling errors. The probability tables can be formed by determining from proper inputting into the word processor the highest frequency of appearance order of two characters. In addition, the probability table can be made by determining the frequency of corrections of an improperly inputted character.

Abstract: A book that can be customized to teach letters, numbers, a series of letters, for example, a word such as a child's name and the like. The front cover has a window or opening through which can be seen the letters. The series of letters is formed by cutting each page short enough than the page beneath it such that letters on the right edge form the series.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for playing a spelling game, wherein a player enters a telephone number to obtain access to a specially programmed audiotex voice communication device which enables the user to interact with the device by attempting to spell, under supervision, a sequence of words which are automatically pronounced or defined for the player. Spelling is accomplished, in one form, by sequentially pressing common telephone pad keys, the keys being selected by the alphabetic letter associated therewith.

Abstract: The present invention, designed especially for preschoolers, is a phonics card game comprising in combination eight decks of letter cards, word cards and short- and long-vowel sound cards. This phonics card game is comprehensive and fun. As the players play with this card game, they see and name all the letters of the alphabet; they show the sequence of the alphabet; they separate vowel from consonant letters and have a special vowel and consonant category for W's and Y's; and they match lower-case letters with capital letters having the same name. As the players play with this card game they hear and say the short- and long-vowel sounds; they see and say one-syllable short- and long-vowel words; and they see, clap, and say words with one or more syllables. The players can win this card game without using up all the cards in a deck. They merely have to have the most stars, which are exchanged for points earned when players say a letter or word correctly on the first try.

Abstract: A method for training individuals in the art of writing dialogue utilizes a bound volume of pages depicting scenes arranged in a sequence pursuant to a pre-prepared story outline. Each scene includes one or more characters in the story and enclosed caption bubbles with underlined blank spaces in which a trainee is instructed to handwrite words corresponding to statements the trainee believes the characters might be saying. The page material permits pencil markings to be easily erased. Illustrations may be outline drawings suitable for coloring by the trainee. An instructor typically evaluates the handwritten dialogue and advises the trainee pursuant to the evaluation.

Abstract: This invention relates to a digital sound data storing device wherein analog sound data is synthesized from digital sound data. The device includes a case and an IC card detachably attached to the case. A plurality of digitized sound data groups are stored at a built-in memory of the IC card. The digitized sound data groups are obtained by recording sentences for foreign language conversation practice through a microphone to thereby obtain analog sound signal which is converted to digital sound signal. When the IC card is attached to the case, a signal processing circuit operates to read out the digital sound data group, which is converted to the analog sound signal. The analog sound signal is supplied to an amplifying circuit and reproduced as sound.

Abstract: A game for stimulating a plurality of participants to improve language skills and learning to interpret the meaning of figurative expressions includes a game board having a playing field defined by a course extending in a continuous path from a start to a finish. The path is divided into increments and a plurality of game pieces are used by the participants to advance from the start to the finish. A deck of cards is provided and includes on one face of the card a figurative expression, the definition of the figurative expression, and a number designating an increment of advancement on the game board. Appearing on the opposite face of the card is an illustration of the figurative expression. An answering participant is required to interpret from a view of the illustration the corresponding figurative expression, as well as a definition of the expression.

Abstract: A method of syntactically categorizing the constituents of English language sentences and a schema for depicting all possible categories to which the constituents of any sentence could belong. It also depicts the general order to appearance of the basic elements (foundation elements) in a sentence and their alignment according to the functions they perform in a sentence, the alignment being informative to a schema user of certain relationships between constituents of a common function.

Abstract: A dictionary game including a game board having a track with a plurality of playing spaces which show letters of the alphabet intermittently alternating with spaces showig bonus stars. The game board also includes card spaces for a plurality of decks of question cards which are coordinated with the letters and symbols on the playing spaces. The game is used with a dictionary. A plurality of decks of question cards, wherein alphabetical characters are printed on the top surface and indicia for selecting a dictionary page number is imprinted on the bottom surface is also included as is a deck of bonus cards whereon questions are imprinted on at least one surface together with page numbers corresponding to the page in the dictionary whereon the answer to the question is contained. Apparatus for determining the progress of the players along the track on the game board is included as are playing pieces.

Abstract: A set of characters is provided wherein each character is formed by arranging a number of relatively small like characters in a pattern that presents a filled-in outline of the character. Each of the small like characters are printed by a thermographic process to provide a character which protrudes slightly from the media surface thus providing tactile feedback when the character is touched or traced with a finger.

Abstract: A translation system for translating a first language into a second language having at least one user's dictionary into which individual words in the first language desired and equivalent words in the second language can be registered according to user's necessity. This translation system provides means for designating a postpositional word functioning as an auxiliary to a main word such as a verb upon registering the main word in the user's dictionary.

Abstract: Educational sign language blocks are set forth as an educational tool to enable individuals to enhance an understanding of sign language, as typically utilized by hearing impaired individuals. The individual sign language blocks each include a designated letter of the alphabet and an associated symbol corresponding to that letter to reinforce the noted alphabet letter and further including a removable side face including the appropriate sign language designation for the aforenoted letter. The removal faces are each provided with three projections to correspond to three recesses within an associated face of the block. The pattern of recesses and projections are varied for each of the individual blocks whereupon an individual attempting to associate the appropriate sign language symbol with the designation or letter on the block must choose correctly or else the removable face will not mate due to misalignment of the projections and recesses.

Abstract: A computer method is disclosed for ranking word similarities which is applicable to a variety of dictionary applications such as synonym generation, linguistic analysis, document characterization, etc. The method is based upon transforming an input word string into a key word which s invariant for certain types of errors in the input word, such as the doubling of letters, consonant/vowel transpositions, consonant/consonant transpositions. The specific mapping technique is a morphological mapping which generates keys which will have similarities that can be detected during a subsequent ranking procedure. The mapping is defined such that unique consonants of the input word are listed in their original order followed by the unique vowels for the input words, also in their original order. The keys thus generated will be invariant for consonant/vowel transpositions or doubled letters.

Abstract: A hand held, self contained electronic spelling machine which has various pattern matching functions including the spelling validation function. Under user control, a spelling validation can be overridden and the normal spelling check routine provides the user with all possible words for which the valid input word might be deemed a misspelling. Under user control, a place indicia at one or more predetermined locations in an input word provides an exact matrix check of the input word against every word in the dictionary with the place indicia as variables. Under operator control, a prefix ending indicia permits a match of a given prefix against every word in the dictionary with the same set of initial letters. A single word is displayed at a time on a single line display. Scrolling keys permit the operator to scroll through the set of words found in each matching function.

Abstract: An educational game for teaching phonetics is provided. The game provides for the use of a deck of cards having at least one main card for each player and a plurality of secondary cards. The main cards have an indicia representing a number of phonetic tasks and the secondary cards bear an indicia representing a matching phonetic task.

Abstract: An arrangement of words is provided wherein a multiplicity of words are arranged in sequential groupings with each sequential grouping having a plurality of words having the same last syllable and wherein the sequential groupings are arranged in alphabetical order in accordance with the last syllable and the plurality of words in each sequential grouping are arranged in alphabetical order. Also, a book having at least three sections is provided wherein the first section comprises a multiplicity of words arranged in alphabetical order; the second section comprises single-syllable words from the first section arranged in alphabetical order and the third section comprises the multi-syllable words from the first section arranged in accordance with the last syllable as described above.

Abstract: Apparatus and method used in language skills development are described. A periodic table of forty-five language elements is presented. The periodicity of the elements is described in terms of articulation mechanisms. Photographs of mouth pattern and voice frequency information are provided for each language element. The two major families of vowels and consonants are preserved and emphasized on phonomats. These phonomats are designed to reinforce the relationship among the language elements. Alternate spellings, specially encoded, are provided to enable the student to pronounce new words and sentences based on his prior familiarity with the symbol and sound bets presented on the periodic table of language elements.