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Instructions Ballyland Sound Memory

Download accessible Word document with these Instructions and Tips for Ballyland Sound Memory

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Goal:

Find matching pairs of sounds. The game ends when you have found all the matching pairs, and your score is provided. There is no time limit.

Gameplay:

Press “Play” to start. You get three games in a row with unchanged settings and selections, before you return to the Main Menu. The faster you find the matching cards, the higher your score. Default setting is "Flick" mode, with 6 cards and the Ballylanders' soundset.

Game navigation:

Always select a card first, using a specific gesture to put it in focus.

  • Drag game: drag one finger* over the screen to the card you want to select.
  • Flick game: flick** left and right, up and down, with one finger to move Wheelie to the card you want to select. When you flick to either end of the grid, you hear a “dung” sound alert.
  • Just touching a card will not open it! To hear the selected card in Drag or Flick game, Double tap*** anywhere on the screen. Remember: Flick changes the focus; If you don’t flick anywhere, a double tap will keep giving the same sound. Note that in a Drag game you can combine finger drag with a “split tap”: Keep the “dragging” finger still on the selected card and tap the screen with a second finger to open it. This way you don’t lose orientation on the screen as may happen when you lift off your dragging finger.
  • “Open Sounds” & Flick game: Drag your finger around the screen and listen to the sounds. Double tap to play the game.
  • Selfvoicing menus can be turned on/off at Main Menu.
  • To return to the Main Menu from inside a game: double tap the “hot spot” in the bottom right corner.
  • Black Curtain creates a level playing field for all. Turn on/off in Settings. With no visual feedback at all, sighted players need to completely rely on the same skills as children who are blind use to navigate the game, which makes for an exciting challenge for all. Double tap the button in the bottom right corner to return to the game menu. Try the Black Curtain Challenge!
    • *Finger drag means that you put the fingertip of one finger on the screen and then lightly drag your finger around the screen, without lifting it up.
      **Flick means that you make a quick, light 'swipe-like' movement on the screen. Flick right means moving from left to right.
      ***Double tap involves a quick repeat of one tap, which itself involves a quick putting down and lifting up of the fingertip of one finger in the screen. The VoiceOver default value for the gap between the two taps is 0.5 sec, so the double tap needs to be quite quick. Once something is in focus, the double tap to open can be done anywhere on the active screen (there is no need to tap on the card).

Digital Game Grid:

While busy navigating the screen to locate, memorize and pair the matching sounds, children will build a basic understanding of how a digital grid is built up, from rows and columns. Each game starts with spoken information about the layout and sound set of the grid, and during play, rows and columns are spoken. This is essential learning for building skills to navigate mathematical grids and tables.

Tips for sighted parents and educators using the app with a child who is blind or has low vision:

      • In most other apps a child who is blind will be required to use VoiceOver to control and navigate the interface. The Ballyland apps use self-voicing, and VoiceOver needs to be turned OFF inside the game.
      • Note that a 'dung' sound alert indicates an ‘empty cell’ or a ‘virtual wall’: you try to move to where there is nothing anymore.
      • When playing with the Ballyland Sound Memory app, the iPad needs to be kept in “Landscape Mode” (as opposed to “Portrait Mode”). This means you need to turn your device around so that the longest sides are at the top and bottom.
      • In a Flick game, a child with low vision who is able to see Wheelie on the screen may benefit from the instruction that you need to make Wheelie 'touch' each of the two the matching cards.
      • For a child with an additional hearing impairment, position the side of the iPad where the loudspeaker of the iPad is positioned to best suit the child's needs.
      • Touch gestures can be made anywhere on the active screen of a mobile touch screen device, and should be light and small.
      • The outer edge of the iPad is not part of the active screen. As a child who is blind will not be able to see where the active screen starts, it is advised to use a case (skin) that covers the inactive border (bezel).
      • A child with low vision may find an iPad with a white border around the black screen easier to use.
      • Play 'Ballyland Magic Plus' to learn the different touch gestures required for this app.

Accessibility and self-voicing menu navigation:

  • The Game is audio based and self-voicing, regardless of what setting you select.
  • For screen reader users the app opens with instructions to turn off the screen reader while playing with the app, and to turn on self-voicing menus.
  • Self-voicing Menus turned on allow a blind user to navigate the menus independently.
  • When you turn ON self-voicing menus, menu items and menu texts will be spoken. Use the flick right and left gesture to flick through the menu items and open your selection with a double tap. Note: Flick right means that you make a quick, light ‘swiping’ movement from left to right with one finger on the screen.
  • If self-voicing is OFF, (single) Tap on the menu buttons to activate.
  • TIP: To assist a player who is blind with the screen navigation, use an iPad case that covers the inactive border of the iPad screen (image below).

child's hand doing a flick up finger gesture on iPad screen with iPad cover around it

Wheelie 3D printed Learning Tool

Wheelie is part of this app, and in Flick Mode he follows every flick! You may be able to arrange to have Wheelie printed as 3D learning tool, through school, library or 3D Hubs, to enable the child to tactually explore Wheelie’s features, including his turning wheels. You can download the free 3D print file from this page.