Integrating Educational Software

Language Arts

Grades K-6

Click on a featured software title, or scroll down through all the reviews.

Title:    All-in-One Language Fun
Publisher: Syracuse Language
Grades: pre K-6
Platform: hybrid CD-ROM
NH Frameworks: Language Arts Std. 3
Description: This program teaches children Spanish, French, German, Japanese and English (ESL) through total immersion--no English is spoken or shown. No reading or typing is required. Three levels of menus include 27 games and activities for each language, many having a practice/explore mode to preview vocabulary before game play. All feedback and verbal corrections are provided through natural expressions spoken by native speakers of each language.

Integration:    
Best used by individual students
One or more computers as an activity center
Enrichment
User guide only -- includes complete program operation.

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Title:    Amazing Writing Machine
Publisher: Broderbund
Grades: 1-5
Platform: Win/Mac hybrid CD-ROM
NH Frameworks: Language Arts Std. 2, 6
Description: This creative writing and illustrating program encourages students to express their thoughts in five different ways through stories, letters, journals, essays and poems. All projects include page layout templates that include areas for text and graphics. Story starters, bright ideas, secret codes, quotes, corny sayings and jokes add flavor to the writing process. KidPix drawing tools are included along with stamps and backgrounds or import your own pictures (BMP for Windows, PICT for Mac).

Other features include basic word processing capabilities, text-to-speech, 3 print formats, spell check, rhyming dictionary and rebus picture tool.
Integration:    
Can be used by individuals or pairs/small groups (collaborative writing)
Multiple computer environment (lab) needed if students are all to work on an assignment at the same time, otherwise use one or more computers as an activity center
Curriculum reinforcement for language arts writing/communication.
Teacher guide includes tutorials, 15 cross-curricular lesson plans, blacklines and additional resources for teachers. Supplemental guide, "Write All About It!" (Teacher Created Materials), also included for grades 3-5.

 
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Title:    EasyBook Deluxe
Publisher: Sunburst
Grades: K-6
Platform: Win/Mac hybrid CD-ROM
NH Frameworks: Language Arts Std. 2, 6, 7
Description: Students write, illustrate and print books in four different formats. Basic word processing and editing capabilities allow students to enter and edit text for books, essays, poems or reports, design page layouts and to create and edit pictures to illustrate their writing. Software includes stamps, clip art and backgrounds or import pictures in bitmap format (.BMP) from other sources. Other features include spell check, thesaurus, text-to-speech and publishing capability on Sunburst's web page.

Integration:    
Can be used by individuals or pairs/small groups (collaborative writing)
Multiple computer environment (lab) needed if students are all to work on an assignment at the same time, otherwise use one or more computers as an activity center
Curriculum reinforcement for language arts writing/communication.
Teacher guide includes Instructions to create a classroom publishing company and how to bind books, along with 16 writing activities for grades K-2, 3-6 and K-6.

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Title:    Imagination Express Destination: Pyramid
Publisher: Edmark
Grades: K-8
Platform: Win/Mac hybrid CD-ROM
NH Frameworks: Language Arts Std. 1, 2, 6 Social Studies Std. 16, 18
Description: Students create interactive, electronic stories with an Egyptian theme. The talking electronic Pyramids Fact Book covers topics such as how the pyramids were built, ancient Egyptian beliefs, daily life and work, communication and technology in ancient Egypt-- knowledge that can be incorporated into students' stories.

This story telling and learning program includes backgrounds, animated stickers, music and sound effects to help students enrich their writing experience. Story starter ideas are also included.          
Integration:    
Can be used by individuals or pairs/small groups (collaborative writing)
Multiple computer environment (lab) needed if students are all to work on a project at the same time, otherwise use one or more computers as an activity center
Curriculum reinforcement for language arts writing/communication skills or enrich a social studies unit on Egypt.
Teacher guide includes program operation, guided tour to introduce students to features and 23 cross-curricular activities (with blacklines) that incorporate science & health, math, art and creative dramatics.

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Title:   Inspiration
Publisher:  Inspiration Software
Grades: K-12
Platform: Win/Mac hybrid CD-ROM
NH Frameworks: Language Arts Std. 2, 5, 6, 7 
Description:  "Inspiration is a software tool for visual thinking and learning.  It supports the use of these techniques on the computer enabling students to easily create, update and work with visual organizers, concept maps, idea maps, webs and other visual diagrams.  Visual learning and thinking techniques assist students in clarifying thinking, understanding concepts and integrating new information.  Visual diagrams provide a high-level view, revealing patterns, interrelationships and interdependencies.  They also allow students to reduce complex information into small parts that can be more easily understood and learned."  (Quoted material taken from booklet: Classroom Ideas Using Inspiration For Teachers by Teachers)

Inspiration has two main environments: diagram view and outline view.  Within diagram view, you can create (but are not limited to) concept maps, idea maps, webs, and storyboards.   Thirty-four templates are included that span language arts, science, social studies, teacher tools, and thinking activities.  This newest version of the software includes hyperlinks and Internet graphics support along with a wealth of symbols. 
Integration:
Can be used by individuals or pairs/small groups (collaborative writing and brainstorming)
Multiple computer environment (lab) needed if students are all to work on a project at the same time, otherwise use one or more computers as an activity center
Curriculum reinforcement or enrichment for language arts writing/communication skills or as creative/organizational tool for any curriculum area
Teacher guide includes program operation and tutorials along with picture and description for each template included.  An additional manual is available entitled Classroom Ideas Using Inspiration For Teachers by Teachers and includes integration ideas for K-12 language arts, science, and social studies.  Be sure to request the additional manual along with the software.   

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Title:    Kids! Spanish
Publisher: Syracuse Language
Grades: 1-5
Platform: Win CD-ROM
NH Frameworks: Language Arts Std. 3
Description: This program teaches children Spanish through total immersion--no English is spoken or shown. No reading or typing is required. Activities build on children's natural tendency to learn language through imitation. Thirty seven activities are divided into 5 levels of increasing difficulty. Exploration and game play are both available within each activity. Native speakers provide feedback. Includes 400 common words and expressions.

Children can record their voices and play them back, comparing their voice to the native speaker's voice. Software does not come with a microphone. A sing-a-long cassette tape is included.
Integration:    
Best used by individual students
One or more computers as an activity center
Enrichment
User guide only -- includes complete program operation.

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Title:    Triple Play Plus! Chinese
Publisher: Syracuse Language
Grades: 3 & up
Platform: Win CD-ROM
NH Frameworks: Language Arts Std. 3
Description: This program teaches children or adults to speak and understand Mandarin Chinese. Continuous speech recognition (IBM ViaVoice technology) allows the user to improve pronunciation and develop a natural speaking style. The software comes with a microphone and complete setup instructions.

Twenty activities are divided into three levels and focus on vocabulary, phrases and conversations, all incorporating everyday topics. Conversation transcripts and translations are also included in the manual.
Integration:    
Best used by individual students
One or more computers as an activity center         
Enrichment
User guide only -- includes complete program operation.

 

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Title:    Ultimate Writing & Creativity Center
Publisher: Learning Co.
Grades: 2-5
Platform: Win/Mac hybrid CD-ROM
NH Frameworks: Language Arts Std. 2, 6, 7
Description: This word processing and creativity tool supports students throughout the entire writing process. The program provides oral and written help at every stage along with hundreds of writing projects and idea starters in four school-appropriate writing lands. Writing formats include newsletters, journals, storybooks, reports and signs.

Additional features include graphics and backgrounds (or create your own pictures), sounds, music, animation, text-to-speech, spell check, and thesaurus.
Integration:    
Can be used by individuals or pairs/small groups (collaborative writing)
Multiple computer environment (lab) needed if students are all to work on an assignment at the same time, otherwise use one or more computers as an activity center
Curriculum reinforcement for language arts writing/communication.
Teacher guide includes 8 tutorials, 36 guided activities and 36 cross-curricular activities.

 

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Title:    Travel the World with Timmy!
Publisher: Edmark
Grades:  preK-2
Platform:  hybrid CD-ROM
NH Frameworks: Language Arts Std. 1, 3, 5   Math Std. 1, 3   Social Studies Std. 11
Description:  Students journey to Argentina, Kenya, Japan, France and Russia, learning about the wider world and learning to appreciate different cultures.  Through number and word activities, songs, stories, games, arts and crafts, children are exposed to the five languages and cultures.

As with most early learning Edmark software, both Explore mode and Question & Answer mode are provided within the computer activities.  The six learning activities include: Build-A-Village, Make-A-Story, Sing-A-Song, Arts & Crafts, Games and Theater.  A talking picture dictionary is also included.
Integration:    
Best used by individual or pairs of students
One or more computers as an activity center
Enrichment
Teacher guide includes learning opportunities for each computer activity, foreign language and culture resources, reproducibles and 35 cross curricular activities.

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Title:    Reader Rabbit 3
Publisher:  The Learning Company
Grades:  2 - 4
Platform:  hybrid CD-ROM
NH Frameworks:  Language Arts Std. 1, 2, 5, 6   
Description:  Through this playful program, students learn fundamental skills of reading and writing -- analyzing, building and understanding correct sentences.  In a carefully sequenced series of activities, this entertaining title helps develop a student's ability to identify and use the essential building blocks of language: subject, verb, adverb and prepositional phrase.

Students become reporters for the Wordville newspaper The Daily Skywriter.  Within "What's the Scoop", they join Reader Rabbit as they identify sentence parts to complete a story.  Playing  "Clue Hounds", they track the facts and solve short mysteries.  In the third activity, Sneaker Mole encourages students to match sentence parts to journalism's Who/What, Did What, When, Where, How and Why.  In the final activity, students become editors, then it's off to the printing press.
Integration:    
Best used by individual or pairs of students
One or more computers as an activity center or in a lab environment
Curriculum reinforcement and enrichment
Teacher guide includes complete instructions, resources and black lines and 20 language arts activities, with assessments.

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Title:    I Love Spelling
Publisher:  DK Interactive Learning
Grades:  2 - 5
Platform:  Win/Mac hybrid CD-ROM
NH Frameworks:  Language Arts Std. 2   
Description:  Humor and an excellent use of graphics keeps this spelling program lively.  Close to 5000 words are covered ranging from "kite" to "javelin".  The four program activities include: planet Anagrama (sort jumbled-up letters to make words), planet Aquatica (burst bubbles to spell words you hear), planet Arachna (spell words you hear) and planet Amphibia (guess mystery words). 

Students or teachers can select specific word groups to focus on within gameplay.  Three levels of spelling difficulty are available.  The program uses tracking software to adjust the learning level to each player, and monitors every question the player has trouble with, maintaining those words in a "Words I need to practice" list.
Integration:    
Best used by individual or pairs of students
Lab environment or one or more computers as an activity center
Curriculum reinforcement, remediation and enrichment
The teacher guide includes complete instructions, teaching suggestions and 30 classroom activities (with reproducibles) that complement the software activities. 

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Title:    I Love Phonics
Publisher:  DK Interactive Learning
Grades:  preK - 2
Platform:  Win/Mac hybrid CD-ROM
NH Frameworks:  Language Arts Std. 1   
Description:  Five animated game areas teach basic phonics skills.  Content is individualized based on student knowledge of letter sounds and shapes and on student progress as they advance through the skill levels.  Progress records enable teachers to view lists of specific words and sounds the student has mastered.

Specific phonemes can be selected to correspond to the reading curriculum or needs of individual students.  The program uses a seven step approach: hearing & discriminating general sounds, hearing phonemes in beginning positions, hearing phonemes in ending positions, hearing phonemes in beginning, middle & ending positions, CVC blending & segmenting, CCVC or CVCC blending & segmenting, reading and spelling, long vowel sounds (of two letters) and alternative spellings of long vowel sounds.
Integration:    
Best used by individual students all together in lab or for one-on-one instruction
Lab environment or one or more computers as an activity center
Curriculum reinforcement, remediation and enrichment
The teacher guide includes complete instruction, curriculum matrix and 25 classroom activities (with reproducibles) that complement the software activities. 

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