Software Evaluation #2
ESL Reading Smart
Title of Software: ESL Reading Smart
Producer: Alloy Multimedia, 2006
Target students (e.g., age or grade-level of students): This software is targeted for late elementary to high school learner population (grades 4-12)
Proficiency level (e.g., beginning, intermediate, advanced): Lessons plans and instructional materials are written at 4 levels of difficulty: newcomers (Level 1), beginners (Level 2), intermediate (Level 3), and advanced (Level 4).
Description: ESL Reading Smart is a language software specifically designed to English Language Learners (ELLs). The software is in line with currant TEKS and TESOL requirements. The software offers over 100 lesson plans with instructional materials – vocabulary and comprehension activities, worksheets, and printable handouts. The program overview claims that the software addresses students’ diverse learning styles, reading levels and interests.
The software is easily accessible. There is a 30 day free trial on line.
For teachers, reading materials can be chosen based on Lesson Plan, Standards, and Syllabus. The Lesson Plan option is broken down into Levels (see above), Genres (Poetry, Myth and Legends, Short Stories, Bibliographies, Articles) and Regions (North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, Africa). The Standards can be chosen for AZ, CA, OH, FL, TESOL, and TX. The Syllabus option includes Newcomers’ Program and Reading Program.
The student or the teacher selects a topic and level of difficulty. Then in the Students’ Option the student can follow or choose from the following activities: reading, listening, vocabulary (multiple choice, word search puzzle), comprehension quiz (true or false, multiple choice, sequencing of events). In the comprehension quiz the student is given the percentage of his or her correct answers. The correct answers are not revealed, therefore the student can try to guess the correct answer again. There are two additional activities or sections – background information about the writer of the reading material and a collection of web resources.
Evaluation:
One of the program’s strengths is that it is student-centered. It offers a large variety of reading materials for learners with different interests. Also, it considers the learner’s geographical location and provides culture specific reading materials and related activities.
The overview claims that the software is designed to facilitate the development of listening, speaking, reading, writing, and vocabulary acquisition. I think the software itself is a great source to improve reading skills, vocabulary acquisition, as well as pronunciation. It also facilitates listening skills. I was not able to access the printable learning resources, but I assume that those resources are designed to address speaking and writing skills as referred to in the overview.
Another advantage of the program is that it comes with a classroom administrative system and a student assessment area. I think this is a great way of tracking classroom management and student development.
Another important characteristic of the program is that the pricing is tailored for the individual district, campus, or classroom. Hopefully it means that poorer educational sites receive a discount and therefore, are able to benefit from the software.
The disadvantage of the program is that though it considers the students’cultural background as far as reading selection, it is not able to assess and incorporate the students’ individual schemata- a crucial source in ESL reading.
Also, the program description claims that the program promotes critical thinking and collaborative work. I do not see how the software facilitates such educational goals. It is possible that the web resources (that I was not able to access from the ESL Reading Smart website) include activities that address these educational goals. Regardless, I believe the readings and the related activities can be easily extended to promote critical thinking and collaborative work by a creative teacher.
To sum it up, I think ESL Reading Smart is a great tool in a classroom setting where individual students need to improve their reading skills. I think with this software, the teacher is able to focus on certain aspects of reading development, let the student work individually, in pairs or, in small groups. I think the program may be a good additional source for improving students’ reading skills, but cannot stand alone as a source for teaching students how to read efficiently. Besides improving reading skills as part of the educational curriculum, this program seems to be an excellent source to promote Sustained Silent Reading.
I think the reading materials and subsequent activities of this program can be easily extended into classroom objectives where critical thinking, collaborative work, and various other skills (writing, speaking, etc.) are incorporated.
Title of Software: ESL Reading Smart
Producer: Alloy Multimedia, 2006
Target students (e.g., age or grade-level of students): This software is targeted for late elementary to high school learner population (grades 4-12)
Proficiency level (e.g., beginning, intermediate, advanced): Lessons plans and instructional materials are written at 4 levels of difficulty: newcomers (Level 1), beginners (Level 2), intermediate (Level 3), and advanced (Level 4).
Description: ESL Reading Smart is a language software specifically designed to English Language Learners (ELLs). The software is in line with currant TEKS and TESOL requirements. The software offers over 100 lesson plans with instructional materials – vocabulary and comprehension activities, worksheets, and printable handouts. The program overview claims that the software addresses students’ diverse learning styles, reading levels and interests.
The software is easily accessible. There is a 30 day free trial on line.
For teachers, reading materials can be chosen based on Lesson Plan, Standards, and Syllabus. The Lesson Plan option is broken down into Levels (see above), Genres (Poetry, Myth and Legends, Short Stories, Bibliographies, Articles) and Regions (North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, Africa). The Standards can be chosen for AZ, CA, OH, FL, TESOL, and TX. The Syllabus option includes Newcomers’ Program and Reading Program.
The student or the teacher selects a topic and level of difficulty. Then in the Students’ Option the student can follow or choose from the following activities: reading, listening, vocabulary (multiple choice, word search puzzle), comprehension quiz (true or false, multiple choice, sequencing of events). In the comprehension quiz the student is given the percentage of his or her correct answers. The correct answers are not revealed, therefore the student can try to guess the correct answer again. There are two additional activities or sections – background information about the writer of the reading material and a collection of web resources.
Evaluation:
One of the program’s strengths is that it is student-centered. It offers a large variety of reading materials for learners with different interests. Also, it considers the learner’s geographical location and provides culture specific reading materials and related activities.
The overview claims that the software is designed to facilitate the development of listening, speaking, reading, writing, and vocabulary acquisition. I think the software itself is a great source to improve reading skills, vocabulary acquisition, as well as pronunciation. It also facilitates listening skills. I was not able to access the printable learning resources, but I assume that those resources are designed to address speaking and writing skills as referred to in the overview.
Another advantage of the program is that it comes with a classroom administrative system and a student assessment area. I think this is a great way of tracking classroom management and student development.
Another important characteristic of the program is that the pricing is tailored for the individual district, campus, or classroom. Hopefully it means that poorer educational sites receive a discount and therefore, are able to benefit from the software.
The disadvantage of the program is that though it considers the students’cultural background as far as reading selection, it is not able to assess and incorporate the students’ individual schemata- a crucial source in ESL reading.
Also, the program description claims that the program promotes critical thinking and collaborative work. I do not see how the software facilitates such educational goals. It is possible that the web resources (that I was not able to access from the ESL Reading Smart website) include activities that address these educational goals. Regardless, I believe the readings and the related activities can be easily extended to promote critical thinking and collaborative work by a creative teacher.
To sum it up, I think ESL Reading Smart is a great tool in a classroom setting where individual students need to improve their reading skills. I think with this software, the teacher is able to focus on certain aspects of reading development, let the student work individually, in pairs or, in small groups. I think the program may be a good additional source for improving students’ reading skills, but cannot stand alone as a source for teaching students how to read efficiently. Besides improving reading skills as part of the educational curriculum, this program seems to be an excellent source to promote Sustained Silent Reading.
I think the reading materials and subsequent activities of this program can be easily extended into classroom objectives where critical thinking, collaborative work, and various other skills (writing, speaking, etc.) are incorporated.
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