Delmy+Cuevas

Quickstudy English Vocabulary

This software helps middle school students expand their vocabulary and writing skills. It includes games, quizzes, and a database of words. It covers punctuation, spelling and word usage. Students are able to print lessons and tests. The software covers a wide range of academic levels so it can be used by students from all levels from beginner to advanced. It has a dictionary, timed quizzes and a vocabulary board game. The software is very useful but it limits the student to learn mostly vocabulary words. It would be recommended for a student wanting to compete for a spelling bee competition but for any other student, it limits it's usage to vocabulary words and nothing else.

Math Advantage 2009 Grades 6-12

This program is aimed for students who want to improve their math skills. It is packed with a wide range of math activities that enable students from the middle school level all the way to high school. The software's goal is to help students master basic math skills and challenges students with more advanced activities that cover grades from 6th-12th. It does so with tons of activities, exercises and tests. It covers not only basic math but also geometry, pre-algebra, algebra I and II, trigonometry, calculus, statistics and probability. It comes loaded with over 385 lessons, thousands of exercises that cover a wide range of academic levels. It also has music, Ipod lessons, PC games and ringtones. This software had today's student in mind with the most up to date tech features that attract most of today's students. Installation is simple and all the lessons come in a DVD.

Superstart Discover Science and Wonders of the World

This software allows students from the 4th. grade and beyond to learn about Science. Students can learn about the human body, physics and chemistry. It also has a section on how machines work and it briefly touches on astronomy. The program makes Science fun and uncomplicated but it fails to cover more topics with more detail. Instead of covering just the human body in great detail it goes on to talk about space and machines. It does have great animation and sounds that attract most 4th. graders and can keep them interested. It also has challenging questions that make students not just learn but also analyze the information given and draw their own conclusions. Students can also print a certificate of completion which makes students feel that they have accomplished a task and mastered it.

Comment by Angelique Jackson

Delmy, I would wonder just how effective Quickstudy English Vocabulary would be for my ELL students. Research has found that rote learning of Vocabulary does not work very well with ELL students or mainstream English students, but rather that it needs to be taught in context and with meaning and prior background knowledge activated. I feel that most of these programs are primarily good for anchor activities for students that complete work early so similar situations.

Comment by Gail Purcell (Hi Delmy!)

Delmy, The Superstart Discover Science and Wonders of the World sounds like a really neat software program!! I like the idea that the students can learn about Science on the computer. I would love to implement a center that involves learning about science in this way. I also like the idea that the program causes the students to analyze the material and come to their own conclusions. I think this causes students to understand the important concepts. I would love to find a program that is for lower grade levels. I think that it would benefit students like the ones I teach.

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