Choose and Tell: More Nursery Rhymes
by Inclusive Technology
Adam
Last Update 19 hours ago
Article contents
- Overview
- Who's it for?
- Using the program
- Story stages
- Options and settings
- Typical use cases
- System requirements
- Downloads and documentation
- Useful support articles
- Troubleshooting
1. Overview
The Choose and Tell series is a collection of fun, story-based activities designed to develop choice-making, listening, and storytelling skills.
Each title encourages children to make decisions that influence what happens next in the story - helping them learn that their choices have consequences.
The Choose and Tell titles are perfect for learners using switches, touchscreens, or pointing devices, and are especially popular in early years and special education settings. With engaging animation, clear narration, and bright visuals, they provide a motivating way to practise language development, cause and effect, and turn-taking.
Other titles in the series include:
Each follows the same simple, accessible format - ensuring consistency for learners and flexibility for educators.
2. Who's it for?
This program is suitable for:
- Early years and primary-aged learners
- Learners developing cause-and-effect understanding
- Learners practising making choices
- Learners who benefit from switch access or scanning
- SEND learners who need structured, predictable interactions
It works well in classrooms, therapy sessions, and home learning.
3. Using the program
Starting a story
- From the title screen, select Play Story.
- The first story page appears with spoken and visual prompts.
- A mouse icon or switch icon shows how to move forward:
• Mouse icon = click
• Switch icon = press the connected switch
Making choices on screen
- Move the mouse pointer over an object and click when it highlights.
- When using switches, items are highlighted automatically using scanning.
- A Back button may appear in the top-left corner, allowing the learner to go back and change a choice (if enabled in Options).
4. Story stages (in order)
1. Choose a character
The learner chooses one of the following characters:
- Little Bo Peep
- Mary Mary Quite Contrary
- Little Jack Horner
- Yankee Doodle
- Pussy Cat
The full nursery rhyme is then played with illustrations. The learner presses to move through each line.
2. Choose transport
The character goes on a journey. The learner chooses how they will travel.
Possible options include:
- Bus
- Train
- Magic carpet
- Flying broomstick
- Digger
The program offers two or three choices at a time, chosen randomly.
3. Choose a destination
The learner chooses where the character goes:
- Mountains
- Desert
- Jungle
- Arctic
- Duck pond
The character travels there and interacts with the environment.
4. Choose the treasure
The learner chooses a treasure to find, such as:
- Gold
- Biscuits
- Chips
- Crisps
- Lollipop
5. Choose a monster
A monster steals the treasure. The learner chooses which monster appears:
- Griffin
- Gorilla
- Witch
- Vampire
- Ogre
6. Choose a solution
The learner decides how the character gets the treasure back:
- Fairy wand
- Smelly sock
- Heavy weight
- Balloon
- Remote controlled car
The story then plays out using the learner’s choices.
Replay and print
At the end of the story, the learner can:
- Replay the story (without decision screens)
- Print the story as a small book
Printing pictures and stories
You can print at any time:
- Press Ctrl + P on the keyboard
- Choose Print in the Windows print dialogue
You can also print when a story is finished.
Printable resources include:
- Colour images
- Black-and-white images for colouring
These can be used away from the computer.
5. Options and settings
Open Options by:
- Clicking Options on the title screen, or
- Pressing Esc during a story
Choices
- Set whether learners are offered two or three choices on decision screens
- Character selection always shows all five characters
Back button
- Turn the Back button on or off
- Useful if you want to prevent learners changing earlier choices
Access method
You can choose to use:
- Mouse
- Touchscreen
- Keyboard
- One switch
- Two switches
If using a joystick, trackerball, or roller mouse, select Mouse / Touch Screen / Interactive whiteboard
Scan and access adjustments
Scan speed
- Controls how long each item is highlighted before moving on (single switch scanning).
Scan colour
- Changes the colour of the scan box to improve visibility.
Auditory scanning
- Reads out the name of each choice as it is highlighted
- Also reads choices when using the mouse
Delay (pre-acceptance delay)
- Ignores very brief switch presses
- Helps learners with involuntary movements
- Example: a 0.4 second delay only accepts longer presses
6. Typical use cases
- Early cause-and-effect activities
- Switch scanning practice
- Language and storytelling sessions
- Group activities with shared decision-making
- Printing stories for follow-up work
7. System requirements
- Compatible with: Windows: 7 / 8 / 10 / 11
- Activation key sent by email
- MSI installer is available for site licence customers.
- An active internet connection required for installation/activation.
8. Downloads and documentation
9. Useful support articles
10. Troubleshooting
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If any part of this article was unclear, or you think there is something missing (extra steps, examples or images etc.), let us know and we'll update the article:
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