Megan+Lawson

1. Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?

The purpose of this software is to teach and reinforce geography, world cultures, and languages. It is appropriate for grade levels 2-5. It would be a great supplement to any grade level's social studies curriculum. It is an instructional game that also utilizes problem solving skills. In the classroom, this software could be used after learning about different countries in the world, map skills, and how to use deductive reasoning. It could be used by each student simultaneously to see who could solve the puzzles first. Strengths of the program include tons of graphics, language skills, and information about different countries. A weakness that the testers found was that an almanac needed to be referenced to solve some of the clues. This CD-ROM program can be purchased for 29.95 on www.amazon.com. It is complatible with Windows 95, 98, and ME and Mac.

2. Heartsoft - My World Science

The purpose of this software is to reinforce previously learned science concepts. It can be utilized by kindergarten through third grade students. It is a tutorial based software. After teaching about magnets, students can put their skills to the test on the reviews to show what they have learned. This is how I would use it in my first grade classroom. I would also use a projector to use it as a group lesson or review for a test. Strengths of the program are that it is aligned with state and national science standards, ESL support is included, and there is a progress monitoring tool included for teachers. One weakness that I found was that if a student does not score 70% on a particular tutorial, the are prompted to repeat it. Students might just guess their way through to get to the next lesson without learning and applying their knowledge. A 2 user school version costs 149.95, but I think it would be beneficial to purchase an unlimited site license for 999.95, if funds were available. That way, many students and teachers could use it as much as they'd like. System requirements: Network compatible/stand alone or server based: Windows, Novell, Appletalk; also compatible with Windows 98, 2000, ME, XP and needs 64MB ram. It can be purchased at www.swexpress.com.

3. Math Blaster

This software is all about building math skills. They have many different levels, but I focused on the one for children ages 5-7, which hits kindergarten and first grade. It falls under the category of drill and practice and an instructional game. In my first grade class, I can see using this software as a "reward" after a test or if a lesson ends early. The concepts it teaches and reviews are: counting by whole numbers, understanding basic fractions, recognizing number patterns, estimating and rounding whole numbers, and mastering measurements. These are all components covered in my curriculum, so they would be a great reinforcement. A strength of this program is that it is aligned to state and national standards for math. As I said previously, it also reviews my school's math curriculum. Potential weaknesses are that it doesn't key on a student's current level of performance and it is not Mac compatible (all our lab computers are Macs). It requires Windows 2000/XP/Vista. It costs 24.99 and can be purchased at www.smartkidssoftware.com/ndkna200.tm.

4. Successmaker

SuccessMaker is educational software that differentiates and personalizes K-8 reading and math instruction better than any other program on the market. SuccessMaker provides instruction, practice and assessment that is well-correlated to Common Core Standards for both mathematics and language arts at all grade levels of the program. Designed to accommodate a full array of different learning styles - including those served by special education, or who are gifted, at-risk and English language learners, every aspect of SuccessMaker is singularly focused on the individual needs and desires of real students and educators. It falls under the category of tutorial. I would use it as a reading center (two-three students at a time) in the classroom. I could also use it in the computer lab as whole group instruction. It is a strong program because it is based on a student's current level of academic progress. I have seen students get frustrated with repeating a lesson and the program an get tedious, however. It can be purchased at www.pearsonschool.com. In Colorado, the software costs approximately 1100.00 per license, with a license serving 10 students per week. Schools typically use federal funding such as the Race to the Top grant to pay for this software. It is compatible with Windows 2000/XP/Vista and Mac.

5. Lexia

This software provides students with guided practice on foundational reading skills. It has levels from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade. It is a drill and practice tutorial program. This program could also be used in reading centers in my first grade classroom or in a computer lab as whole group instruction. Strengths of this program are that it is research based, aligned to state and national standards, based on student's level of performance, and includes printable worksheets also keyed to student's performance level. This is one thing I love about this program. If a particular student is struggling with vowel digraphs, worksheets are generated specifically for that student on that skill. Some people had installation problems with this software, and, like Successmaker, students can get burned out easily. It can be purchased at www.lexialearning.com. A plus about this program is that you can do a trial run for free to start, to see if it is a program that would meet the needs of your school. The cost after that is customized, based on the number of simultaneous users; if there were 25 simultaneous users, for example, the cost would be about 200.00 per user.