Welcome !
L'Escapadou's Writing Wizard is designed to help every child learn how to trace through a system carefully designed to maintain motivation. The app is fully customizable to suit every child's needs, and lets you check their progress through a system of reports and profiles.
For Kids
Kids wants to have fun, and Writing Wizard offers a ton of it by letting kids trace using 50 animated stickers and sound effects. In addition, kids can play with the animated stickers once they have finished, keeping them motivated to trace over and over!
For Parents and Teachers
For Schools
For schools, a prepaid version is available for purchase through Apple School Manager or your Mobile Device Management (MDM) system. A discount is offered for purchases of more than 20 licenses. Additionally, certain settings can be configured remotely via your MDM, simplifying the deployment process. It is also feasible to remotely push Word Lists to devices.
Schools can contact us for further information or assistance at support@lescapadou.com
Tracing Parameters
The tracing experience should be defined according to the current level of each child. In order to do that, the app provides several parameters to customize several key settings: letter size, difficulty, draw only on model path or the actual path the child is tracing, show/hide model, etc.
All parameters can be modified when the child is tracing using the top-right gear button (in Free Play Mode). By default, parameters are set for beginners. Please check the Help section in the parameters panel to learn more about each parameter.
Settings
In addition to the tracing parameters, there are many settings to customize the app (font, left-handed mode, sounds, colors, game time limit, customize the five stars mode, ...). You can find all these settings in the Settings panel ("Settings" button on the home page)
Adding Your Own Words
Kids love to write their names and the names of family members or friends. It's also a great way to learn how to spell words.
To add your own words, you need to create a new word list :
Importing Word Lists from text files
You can also add word lists defined in a text file:
***Word List 1 Title
word1
word2
word3
***Word List 2 Title
word4
word5
word6
Sharing, Exporting Word Lists
You can export existing word lists to make a backup or to import them to other devices (use the "Import/Export" button, in the dialog that displays all lists). When you export word lists, it also exports the audio recording you made for words
Importing Word Lists Using Web links
If you put word lists on a web server, word lists can also be imported using a web link (in Safari for example). It is also possible to load word lists saved in Google Drive using a web link. Please contact us at support@lescapadou.com if you want to use this feature.
Play Mode
The Play Mode defines how tracing parameters are set when the child traces letters. The Play Mode can be changed using the "Mode" button, which is available when you select a letter, number or word.
Free Mode:
In this mode, when the child traces a letter or word, all the parameters allowing the customization for tracing are available via the top-right "gear" button. This is the default mode when you start the app. It lets you explore how you can change the parameters of the tracing experience so they fit your child's needs.
This is the default mode when you start the app. It lets you explore how you can change the parameters of the tracing experience so that they fit the needs of your child.
5 Stars Mode:
This mode focuses on the selected letter or word, prompting the child to trace it 5 times using different parameters. Each step is more challenging, starting with the easiest parameters and eventually hiding the model altogether. For each successful step, the child wins a star that is displayed in the letters menu.
Parameters can be customized for each step so that you can tailor the 5-Stars mode tracing experience. Parameters can be customized in the main settings dialog, which is available on the home page.
About Some Tracing Parameters
Letter Size
Larger letter size makes tracing and memorizing easier. This is why, by default, letters are as large as possible to make it easier for beginners to trace and memorize them. As your child makes progress, you can change the size of the letters as well as other parameters.
A consequence of this feature is that all letters may not have the same font size. However, there is a setting available if you wish for all letters to be the same size. When using this option, letters won't be as large; but, they will be aligned with one another. This setting can be used when the child has made some progress.
“Draw Only on Model” Tracing Parameter
By default, the app automatically draws along the model path, as opposed to the actual path the child is tracing. This is an interesting feature for beginners, allowing them to memorize the correct shape of letters. As they make progress, you may want to turn this parameter off so the child can see what he's actually tracing.
Try to Use a Stylus
Using fingers to write is fun but eventually the child has to learn how to write with a pen. So, it may be a good idea to use the stylus when the child has made some progress (a stylus is fairly cheap).
PDF Worksheets
Kids needs also to practice handwriting on real paper, and that's why we included a tool to create PDF worksheets from your word lists. Once the child has some abilities to trace letters, you can begin to print handwriting worksheets so the child practices on paper in parralel.
The tool has many settings (size, arrows, color, dot tracing,..) so that you can create worksheets according to the current level of each child. Once you're happy with the settings, you can print worksheets directly from the app or email them.
How Children Learn to Write & Read
As parents, we all wish to give our children the best possible start; but, let's admit it, it is not always easy to know how to effectively help them build their first literacy skills.
1-Curiosity as a Primary Motivation
We should always keep in mind that learning to read and write requires a lot of effort. The curiosity of a child regarding print is essential to his motivation to learn. A child living in an environment with lots of print, and people reading and writing around him, will be interested enough to make the necessary efforts.
However, there is more you can do to keep the motivation going and help him through the various steps he will have to take. Our apps are designed to help you support your kids and give them a head start.
2- Learning Letters
This includes recognizing the letters, learning their names and the sounds they make - alone or combined with other letters. Spending time assisting your child when she becomes interested in letters is a wonderful way of helping her learn all she needs to know about letters. L'Escapadou has also developed more exciting apps, such as Word Wizard and Montessori Crosswords, to help your little ones learn their letters and build words, naturally absorbing the sounds of letters while playing.
3- Tracing Letters
Learning to trace letters is no meager feat, as it involves developing a wide array of new skills, while the child is still in the process of learning his letters. To trace legible letters, kids will need to develop fine motor skills, along with learning where to start, the direction of tracing and where to stop when tracing each letter.
Writing wizard is designed to make this process easy; to help your children build the strong foundations they need to succeed in life. A demo helps kids visualize the tracing of every letter. Each letter is named and spelt out, to reinforce previous knowledge of sound/letter associations. Clear visual instructions are used to indicate where to start, the direction of tracing and where to stop. After every successful attempt, the child can relax and play with animated stickers, making the experience thoroughly enjoyable and keeping him/her eager to repeatedly try.
Your feedback is important
Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or feedback. With your feedback, all apps are updated on a regular basis. And, I'm sure that some of you will have some wonderful suggestions to make Writing Wizard even better. You can reach us at support@lescapadou.com. Thank you!
FAQ
[Freemium version] Restoring your purchases / App not unlocked after purchase
Please use the "Restore" button to restore your purchase. The "Restore" button is located in the same dialog you used to unlock the full app (in the title bar or at the bottom of the dialog)
Our in-app purchases cannot be purchased twice with the same account, so don't worry you will never be charged twice.
[School version] Remote configuration using your MDM (aka Managed App Configuration)
This feature allows administrators to remotely configure specific settings within Writing Wizard without physically touching the device. Each setting is configured using a key-value pair, which is then passed to the app installed on devices.
Please contact us (support@lescapadou.com) if you want to use this feature
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Privacy Policy
L'Escapadou takes children's privacy seriously. We believe you should not have to worry about your kids being tracked by apps or websites.
Our Apps:
External Links: Protected parent sections are available where you can send us a mail for support, check out our others apps, and like us on Facebook. Before accessing to a parent section, an addition (e.g. 18+7) must be resolved so that young kids cannot access it.
If you have any questions about our privacy policy, please contact us: support@lescapadou.com