US 5,203,705 A · Word spelling and definition educational device

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.

Claims18

Dependent claims

An electronic language skills teaching aid machine comprising:

user list memory means,
entry means to permit a user to enter user selected terms into said user list memory means to provide a user determined list of terms,
at least one predetermined user controlled function means for operating on terms selected from said user list of terms,
selection means to select one of said terms from said user list of terms for use with said user controlled function means,
error memory means to record user error for each of said terms in said user list when selected by said selection means and processed by said user controlled function means, and
bias means to bias said selection means as a function of the frequency with which terms are incorrectly processed by the user controlled function as indicated by said error memory means.

3 more elements

A system to aid in the teaching of language skills comprising:

an electronic spelling corrector means having a main list of terms in memory to compare an entered term against said list in memory and to provide an indication that the entered term is a validly spelled term and, if the entered term is not a validly spelled term, to provide a set of terms from said main list which may correspond to the entered term, and user list memory means,
entry means to permit a user to enter user selected terms into said user list memory means to provide a user determined list of terms,
at least one predetermined user controlled function means for operating on terms selected from said main list of terms or said user list of terms,
user controlled pre-selection means to permit the user to select either said main list of terms or said user list of terms for use with said user controlled function means, and
selection means to select one of said terms in the one of said list of terms selected by said pre-selection means for use with said user-controlled function means.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Word spelling and definition educational device

Life of this patent

Word spelling and definition educational device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18