| Software Review |
by
Elyse Schwartz |
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Reading and Writing for Life
Reading and
Writing Strategies
Reading
and Writing for Life from the Nectar Foundation, is a multimedia program
which presents skills and strategies for reading and writing a variety
of text types which are encountered in day-to-day life. The material
is presented in a very academic manner, and would probably be most useful
for learners preparing for the GED. While the scope of this program
is impressive, the denseness can make it overwhelming at times.
The software
is divided into two parts—Reading and Writing. Reading has four
sections to choose from which cover different types of text, such as informational,
literary, and graphical. The sections are comprised of an Introduction,
Tips and Practice, and Reading Selections. Tips and Practice outline a
number of strategies and skills for reading each type of text. Detailed
explanations are accompanied by a reading selection with questions to
illustrate what has been taught. Reading Selections contain several reading
passages with questions. Pre-reading questions will get the learner thinking
about the topic, and a Reading Strategies button provides additional help.
The text for Introduction and Tips is always accompanied by audio and,
in many cases, graphics. The learner may click on an optional button to
hear the reading selections. These selections are quite long, and once
the audio has begun, I haven’t found a way to stop it except by
going back to the main menu. The text for the reading selections is in
a box on the left side of the screen, while a box with questions is on
the right side. Only a few paragraphs of the selection can be viewed at
a time, which can make it difficult to find answers to the questions.
Although
there are some multiple choice questions, most of the answers need to
be typed in by the learner.
The learners’ answers can be compared with the answers generated
by the computer,
| Just
the facts
Theme:
Reading and Writing Skills
User Level:
Advanced
System Requirements:
Windows 95, 98, 2000, XP or NT
Macintosh: System 7
66 Mhz
16 MB of RAM
CD-ROM drive
Colour monitor
Cost:
$49 CDN for a single user
$200 CDN site license
Ordering Information:
Nectar Foundation
130 Lotta Avenue
Nepean, ON K2G 2B9
613-224-3031
http://www.nectar.ca |
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but in many
cases the two sets of answers will not match exactly. Therefore, the learners
will need to decide if their answers correspond closely enough to the
computer’s answers.
The Writing
part of the program has seven sections, including such text types as
summaries, news reports, and correspondence. Each section has an Introduction,
Tips and Practice, and some appropriate writing tasks. The Tips and
Practice section thoroughly introduces the topic in a step-by-step approach,
and usually includes some samples of student writing with assessment
forms, which can be filled out and then compared with a teacher’s
assessment. The writing tasks provide not only a scenario and a task,
but the learner is steered through each step of the compositionprocess
and given a great many prompts and tips on the way to the finished product.
Reading
and Writing for Life contains an exhaustive list of strategies to help
literacy learners cope with today’s world. It contains thorough
explanations and good samples of different types of text. If you have
advanced learners who wish to pursue further education, this is an excellent
program for a moderate cost.
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