OVER 2 YOU 231 (17/05/05)

JOIN THE DOTS

I am a teaching assistant working one-to-one with a special needs child in a Primary school. I have been looking everywhere for a font (preferably Comic Sans) that writes the letters in dots that can be joined by the child to help with their writing/pencil control. So far without success. Can anyone help? I am sure this would be of use to other teachers and their assistants.

L. Sims, via email

I've found Handwriting for Windows to be an excellent program. You can have the font as individual letters, script, joined, unjoined, dotted in various ways for children to write over.

It is produced by Kath Balcombe (Educational Resources) and published by KBER (www.kber.co.uk/hfw.htm)

Anita Turner, via email

I suggest your correspondent looks at www.clubtype.co.uk, which has information about the Sassoon family of fonts, and where to purchase it.  It has a dotted letter version as well as a tracker version, and used in many primary schools and children's books.  She/he could also put 'Sassoon font' into a Google search to get to other sites, which sell it.

Lesley Powell, Sevenoaks

L. Sims could have a look at the Print Clearly Dashed font at www.bvfonts.com/free/fonts6.shtml or the National Dotted First font at www.pcworld.com/downloads/ file_download.asp?fid=4566&fileidx=1

James Brennecker, via email

The Teachers' Parking Lot has a series of penmanship fonts, one of which may meet her/his requirements. This link will get you there: www.fortunecity.com/skyscraper/dos/1232/page01.html

David French, via email

In response to your enquiry for fonts that can be printed in dots for a special needs child, my wife who is a teacher uses a program called StartWrite 2 from Sherston software.  Although this uses a limited number of fonts it will probably serve her purpose. Visit www.sherston.com.  This can be ordered on 28-day free approval for assessment.

Pete Fincher, via email

L Sims might like to try http://users.argonet.co.uk/users/quilljar/rules.html

It has several free downloadable fonts including JarDotty created by Christopher Jarman - an educational professional who specialises in teaching handwriting.

P. Pulfrey, via email

Your correspondent might be interested in a font creator product such as Font Creator from High Logic at: www.high-logic.com/

Thomas Murphy, via email

The following solution is not as laborious as it sounds. Using the program "Dazzle" (common in schools), first write the required text at the required size (probably around 200 point), using a pale coloured ink. Zoom to quite a large magnification and make a small black dot, using the Filled Shape tool; make a Stamp of this dot, which can then be stamped onto the writing, as closely as required. Next, pick up the writing colour with the 'eye dropper' and Paint Bucket the background and the writing to the same colour: finally Paint Bucket the background white.

Liz Watson, via email

L. Sims may find a font called Spot Matrix fits the bill for joining the dots writing.

It's a free download from www.fontflood.com,  (under the LEDs category) there are other similar fonts here, which may be helpful as well.

Malcolm Youd, via email

I have a workaround: print out the text to be copied in a pale colour (yellow?) over which the pupil can write. L Sims mentions Comic Sans, probably because it has a script-type letter "a" and a "g" without a looped descender.  There are other fonts in the Windows bag that might be as good if not better. Century Gothic is particularly clear and readable.

Stuart Lymath, Windermere St Anne's School, Cumbria.

I have found the following two web sites which very useful with my own children.  They are www.dltk-teach.com/alphabuddies and www.first-school.ws

K.Rowley, via email

The following site may be of interest and help: www.handwritingworksheets.com/

Andy Hayward, via email

Your correspondent will find a lot of help to teach special needs children to read onthe web site: www.users.rapid.net.uk/catphonics, which contains the web form of Mona McNee's book on Phonics. The worksheets can be downloaded and printed as much as you like without specific permission. If that site is not accessible I have placed just the comic dots at: www.bgls11958.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/comicdots/

Brian Gilbert, Hampton, Middx

SPANISH BROADBAND

My wife and I, fairy competent silver-surfers, are contemplating moving to rural Spain before the arthritis gets us! The location has no mains power or reliable terrestrial telephone services and we really would like a high-speed broadband service. Solar panels and a back up generator are no problem but does anyone know of a fairly priced satellite service or some other system available on the Mediterranean coast northwest of Almeria?

Ray Martin, via email

Prior to the introduction of terrestrial broadband in my area, I used a direct link by satellite, the service being provided by Bentley Walker Ltd. (sales@bentleywalker.net). They proved to be very reliable and have confirmed that they would be able to cover Almeria in Spain.

Keith Miller, via email

A great number of areas, especially Almeria, lack the traditional telephony infrastructure to provide phone lines and Internet access. Fortunately there are many technologies available to you to solve this problem and I would be more than happy to present the connectivity options available to you. Feel free to contact me or any of the Fonetica team on +34 952 664 310.

Ben Smith, Technical Director, Fonetica Comunicaciones S.A.

CAN YOU HELP?

My father-in-law (a soldier) died recently and in his papers we found a "Wehrpass" a sort of passport belonging to a WW2 German soldier, all in perfect condition. It would be nice if we could restore this booklet to the present generation of this man's family. It's written in German, some of it in the old "Gothic" script. Although a German soldier it looks as if he could have been from a Polish family. We do not have any knowledge of either the Polish or German languages. Could any reader, help us in our research by directing us to appropriate web sites etc. either here, Germany or Poland.

Eric Blackburn, Stockton on Tees

I would like to do my bit to help the environment and make a modest contribution by powering my well-used home desktop PC, peripherals and broadband connection using a renewable, non-polluting energy source. Can anyone recommend a suitable technology and give an indication of the likely costs involved 

Keith Cameron, via email