SynPhony Instructions for creating early reading materials in other languages

1. SSyynnPPhhoonnyy::
Literacy tools
http://call.canil.ca/
Ellie Hall

2. OObbjjeeccttiivveess
● Learn advantages to use of SynPhony and appropriate
situations for its use.
● Learn to whom one might recommend the use of
SynPhony.
● Learn how to set up Synphony files.

3. WWhhaatt iiss SSyynnPPhhoonnyy??
● Browser-based tool to help literacy teams produce graded reading material: ie
primers
– Performs frequency counts automatically and helps in determining sequence of
lessons
– Generates handwriting practice
– Story-checking tool
– Word-search generator
– Nonsense word generator
● An evaluation tool will be available in future
● http://call.canil.ca/
● developer: norbert_rennert@sil.org

4. AAddvvaannttaaggeess
● html-based:
– Multi-platform; runs on Windows, Linux, Mac
– Once the files are set up once, can copy to another
computer with no need to install anything; can also archive a
copy of the files.
● Unicode
● Handles non-Roman scripts- ***font must be unicode!
● Can save a significant amount of time in primer development-especially
in frequency counts.

5. EExxaammppllee
● Workshop in September 2012 for a language with a new
orthography. Primers eventually included 42 lessons.
● Frequency counts generated by SynPhony.
● After the early lessons were outlined together as a group
(sequencing and choice of a keyword for each lesson), the
MTT’s, who did not speak English, were able to outline the
rest on their own.
● Shortened overall workshop duration by as much as one
week.

6. DDeemmoonnssttrraattiioonn

10. SSttoorryy CChheecckkiinngg TTooooll

11. WWhhaatt ddoo LLTT ppeeooppllee
nneeeedd ttoo kknnooww??
● SynPhony can save a lot of time in making a primer.
● It’s easy to use once it is set up- but people may
need help setting it up.
● What aspects of primer development SynPhony can
help with.
● How to set it up, and what information you need
about the language in order to set it up.

12. RReeqquuiirreemmeennttss
● Computer- Windows/ Mac/ Linux
● Firefox browser (Safari and Chrome should work with Roman scripts)
● An orthographic wordlist (a long one) or texts formatted as plain text
files.
● UTF-8
● Basic orthography statement: what are the consonants, vowels, tone
marks; also digraphs and trigraphs.
● Process Language Data for Literacy.zip (contact Norbert Rennert for
most recent version)

13. EEnntteerriinngg ddaattaa
● Put data source files in the 'data' folder.
● Open Process Language Data for Literacy.html and follow the instructions,
moving from the left side tab to the right. Clicking on question marks [?]
displays help.
– Under “Language data”, enter the name of the language,
– Paste the wordlist or text into the box marked “Word List.”
– Click “Auto-detect script.”
– It should enter the consonants and vowels for you. You will need to
enter Multi-graphs yourself. Type them in with a space between each
grapheme.
● You can save the web page with a new name if you want the file to keep
your data after you close it.

14. SSeeggmmeennttaattiioonn--
PPhhoonnoottaaccttiiccss
● Under the “Segmenting” tab, click “Segment word list
from language data tab.” Anything appearing under
“Residue” suggests it contains graphemes which were
not included when the language data was entered.
● Click on the “Review” tab. Clicking on letters on the left
will display words with those graphemes.
● Click on “Phonotactics” to see how the program has
handled the wordlist.

15. OOuuttppuutt
● Under the “Output” tab, output productivity data.
– Choose “words sequenced by productivity”, then
click the last output button.
– Select this output and copy into a spreadsheet of
your choice. Save for future reference; this will tell
you the frequency of each grapheme.

17. CCrreeaattiinngg tthhee ffiilleess::
SSyynnpphhoonnyy wweebbppaaggee
To create the SynPhony prototype file:
– Under “Output,” choose “SynPhony Web page.”
– Click through the buttons and save the three files
in the locations indicated. (The .js file may need to
have file extension renamed)

19. SSoommee ccaavveeaattss
● Quality of wordlist or text- if there are misspellings, it will be reflected in the
output of SynPhony, so words suggested for lessons may include things that
are not words.
● Languages with long-established orthographies may be more complicated.
● Languages using syllable spacing may need some editing of the text files for
SynPhony to recognize words.
● If you are using a non-Roman script that is not yet supported, contact the
developer for help (norbert_rennert@sil.org).