| A major concern of secondary school teachers | | | | interactive presentations. Many in-class software |
| and college instructors is that students are not | | | | programs also include an online component that |
| learning those critical reading skills needed to | | | | encourages learners to access additional |
| progress satisfactorily through the upper levels of | | | | information and share that information with |
| their education. The primary issue concern is that | | | | learners across the world. |
| students who do not learn these skills well in the | | | | Computer Software Creates a "Real" Learning |
| lower grades will be unable to properly process | | | | Environment |
| the academic information they are presented with | | | | Until the advent of desktop computers, reading |
| in the future. Commercial reading software | | | | experiences were limited to print materials. Early |
| developers have worked hard to create software | | | | programs were only used as supplements to a |
| that gives learners real opportunities to read | | | | general reading lesson, rather than acting as a |
| critically and develop critical reading, and critical | | | | stand-alone reading experience. These factors |
| thinking, skills. | | | | meant that early computer reading programs |
| Computer Software is Interactive | | | | were unable to satisfy the needs of children |
| One of the primary benefits of commercial | | | | learning to read critically. |
| reading software is its ability to engage the | | | | Modern reading software can be used in |
| student. Most current reading software requires | | | | conjunction with traditional reading programs, in |
| that a student do more than merely punch | | | | lieu of such programs, or as supplements to them. |
| buttons. Most programs strive to develop real | | | | This flexibility indicates that reading software has |
| two-way communication with the student, allowing | | | | come a long way in providing real reading |
| the student to become involved in the learning | | | | experiences which mimic those of print materials, |
| process. Interactive software provides students | | | | yet yield readily to formatting changes. The ability |
| with the opportunity to generate their own | | | | of the new generation of reading software also |
| questions and leads the student through guided | | | | lends itself easily to a collaborative social |
| practice situations. Newer software has even | | | | environment which studies indicate helps learners |
| developed ways for students to interact with | | | | construct meaning from reading materials. |
| each other via the internet. Students work | | | | Reading software developers are working |
| together in virtual groups to expand the learning | | | | vigorously to keep up with the demand for |
| experience. | | | | increasingly sophisticated reading opportunities. As |
| Computer Software Uses Scientifically-Backed | | | | the world becomes more digital, the next |
| Research to Educate | | | | generation of readers accesses more information |
| The reality is that educational software that | | | | online than ever before using their personal |
| purports to teach without the backing of sound | | | | computers and devices such as their mobile |
| research and statistics often fails to hit the mark | | | | phones, Xbox's, iPods and Kindles. Formulating |
| when it comes to really educating children. For this | | | | reading programs that incorporate this trend will |
| reason, it is important to use software based on | | | | help ensure that technology keeps up with |
| established teaching strategies as well as credible | | | | student preferences and will provide new readers |
| research studies. Computer software also helps | | | | with sophisticated, interactive reading lessons that |
| learners fill in any gaps in prior knowledge with | | | | stimulate the imagination and increase learner |
| supplementary video, PowerPoint, and other | | | | knowledge. |