home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- Trial Program Guide
-
- DEVELOPING CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS
- for Effective Reading for Upper Grades
- Skill levels 8 - 11
-
- Trial version: second level of each set
-
- Set 3: (Levels 7, 8, 9)
- Set 4: (Levels 10, 11, 12)
-
- Windows or MS-DOS (VGA display)
-
- OVERVIEW
-
- Designed for middle school through high school, this program can be used
- as well by ESL or adult students for remediation. Emphasis is placed on
- thinking about word relationships and recognizing proper inferences, main
- ideas, and logical sequence of sentences. Each lesson is self-directing
- and self-correcting and presents both read-in-context word replacement
- questions and comprehension questions as well as crossword puzzles.
- Students receive graphic rewards.
-
- Each set consists of three levels. The topics represented are: history and
- culture, music and the arts, nature and science, historical figures,
- famous personalities, entertainment and recreation, and unusual facts.
-
- MOUSE OPTION
-
- You may use the mouse, or the keyboard, as soon as the first exercise is
- on the screen.
-
- PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
-
- Each level contains twenty texts. There are three texts to a round.
- The student's understanding of each text is tested in four parts:
- (1) vocabulary (2) reading comprehension (3) text description
- (4) crossword puzzle.
-
- Students must get at least 70 percent on part 1 to go on to part 2,
- 70 percent on part 2 to go on to part 3, and 70 percent on part 3 to
- go on to part 4, the puzzle. The program allows each text to remain
- on screen at the same time as questions or puzzle, so the student can
- refer to the text when choosing an answer.
-
- In part 1, the student reads through the text and is then presented with
- vocabulary-in-context questions: three or four words are consecutively
- highlighted, and the student is asked to select the best replacement or
- definition from among four multiple-choice answers.
-
- In part 2, the student is asked to answer two comprehension questions from
- among the following possibilities: the best title for the paragraph; a
- sentence that could logically begin the paragraph; a sentence that could
- logically be put within the paragraph; a sentence that would best complete
- the paragraph; a sentence that tells something that is not actually
- stated. If the student asks for help, the computer will suggest a way to
- find the correct answer. The student does not lose any points for getting
- this help. Whenever a student answers incorrectly, s/he is told why that
- answer is incorrect and is asked to try again.
-
- In part 3, the student is given four words or phrases and is asked to
- choose the two that best describe what the text is about. The student must
- get both choices correct. If one is correct, s/he is told one choice is
- correct and is asked to try again. This exercise is designed to help the
- student identify the main idea and see the difference between a main idea
- and a supporting detail. Many students may be unfamiliar with this type of
- comprehension question. It may take a couple of rounds before they master
- the technique.
-
- In part 4, the student is given a crossword puzzle to fill in. Each time
- the student asks for help with a word, the computer gives one letter. Most
- of the answer words and clues are based on the text, and many appear in
- the text. In the School versions of the program, if typing is too
- difficult the teacher has the option of eliminating the puzzle exercise.
-
- When the student begins, three texts in each round are chosen randomly
- from the level's lower reading range. The student is shown a summary of
- his/her scores after each round of three texts or anytime s/he exits the
- program. The summary will indicate the number of texts completed in the
- round and on the level. It will also show the average score for each part
- completed in the round.
-
- In parts 1, 2, and 3, students get twice as much credit for answering
- correctly on the first try as on the second try. If the student gets a
- "You are having trouble" message after any of these parts, it means the
- student's score was not high enough to go on to the next part of that
- text. Any text on which the student fails to score high enough on parts
- 1, 2, and 3 will be included in the pool of randomly chosen texts for
- subsequent rounds.
-
- In part 4, students lose points for each incorrect letter and for each
- hint; the scoring works in favor of a student who can spell even a small
- portion of a word correctly on the first try. Doing poorly on part 4 does
- not prevent the student from moving ahead.
-
- The round is completed when the student passes the first three parts.
-
- RECORD MANAGEMENT
-
- To see student records, run RECORD from the directory, or press [CONTROL]T
- while at the title screen.
-
- This version saves records for only two students. A third name will
- automatically replace a previously entered name. (The School version saves
- records for as many students as disk space allows. The Network version
- saves records for 1,000 students.)
-
- The records can go to the screen or the printer. You may see the records
- of both students, or choose one of the student's scores. If you choose to
- look at the scores of both students, you may have them displayed in
- alphabetical order or from highest to lowest.
-
- Use the following keys to make your selections:
-
- ALT: Allows you to choose items in the Top Menu: (1) Order (2) View
- (3) Select (4) Print (5) Delete (6) Exit. In each of the first three
- options, you will have the choice of selecting records from the Pull
- Down Menu by name, date, skills mastered, or class code.
-
- TAB: Changes the category of information that is displayed in a fixed
- cycle, e.g., from students' names to last dates played, to highest
- mastered skill levels, to class codes, to a student's entire record
- and then back again to the students' names.
-
- ENTER: Selects or deselects any piece of information on which the cursor
- is placed. Selected items can be viewed, printed, or deleted as a group.
- They appear on the screen highlighted in red.
-
- Screen Layout: Instructions are placed in color boxes at the bottom of
- the screen. The number appearing at the end of the last line of
- instructions on the screen indicates the position of the cursor in the
- total number of records. Just before this number is a description of what
- information is being displayed, e.g., name, date, etc.
-
- Moving the Cursor: To move the cursor use the arrow keys. To see preceding
- screens, use the Page Up key. To go to following screens, use the Page
- Down key. To go to the beginning of a list, press the Home key. To get to
- the end of a list, press the End key.
-
- To See Records: All information may be viewed on the screen or printed
- out. To clear previously selected records, choose Select from the Top
- Menu and Deselect from the Pull Down Menu. Note that your viewing
- selections are cleared each time the program is restarted or the computer
- is turned off.
-
- Examples
-
- 1. To print out the records of one class, follow these directions:
-
- Top Menu Pull Down Menu Other Keys Remarks/Actions
-
- ALT Select Class Cursor keys Find the beginning of
- the class
-
- ENTER Mark the beginning of
- the class
-
- Cursor keys Find the end of the
- class
-
- ENTER Mark the end of the
- class
-
- ALT View Selected Now only that class is
- displayed. (Repeating
- this step would restore
- screen as it was.)
-
- ALT Order Name Class now alphabetized
-
- ALT Print Selected Printing is optional. Information can be
- Information can be
- viewed on the screen.
-
- 2. To print the highest (or lowest) skill level, follow the steps
- above, replacing Class, from the Pull Down Menu, with Mastered.
-
- 3. To see the records of all students in a range on the screen, choose
- View from the Top Menu and choose Entire from the Pull Down Menu.
-
- 4. To see the records of an individual student on the screen, place
- the cursor on the name of the student whose records you want to view,
- and press TAB to change the information displayed.
-
- Record Management Error Fix: If the program runs but does not keep
- student records properly, access the RECORD program and delete all
- records.
-
- Copyright 1989-1996 Merit Audio Visual
- All rights reserved GTDR
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- We hope you enjoy using DEVELOPING CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS FOR EFFECTIVE
- READING FOR UPPER GRADES. The School versions of this program contain the
- following:
-
- 1. Two sets of three levels of exercises
-
- 2. Record management for as many students as the disk space allows
-
- 3. A program guide
-
- Merit offers a full range of educational software for writing, reading,
- grammar, vocabulary, ESL, and math. Merit software is available for
- networking for Novell and other LAN, and site licensing. School or
- Institutional Purchase Orders accepted.
-
- We will be happy to answer any questions you might have.
-
- MERIT AUDIO VISUAL
- (800) 753-6488 (212) 675-8567 FAX: (212) 675-8607
-
- Call us Monday through Friday between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM Eastern
- Time. Or write MERIT AUDIO VISUAL, 132 W. 21 Street, New York, NY
- 10011, for free software catalog.
-
- This program is produced by a member of the Association of Shareware
- Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle
- works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem
- with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to
- help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an
- ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products.
- Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI
- 49442-9427 USA, FAX 616-788-2765 or send a Compuserve message via
- CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536.
-
-
-