Examines and evaluates microcomputer software designed to assist in diagnosing students' reading abilities and making instructional decisions. Claims that existing software shows valuable potential when used sensibly and critically by trained reading clinicians. (MM)

A study investigated software choices of graduate-level clinicians in a university reading clinic to determine computer use and effectiveness in literacy instruction. The clinic involved students of varying ability, ages 7-12, using 24 Power Macintosh computers equipped with "ClarisWorks,""Kid Pix,""Student Writing…

Evaluates several voice synthesis programs for emergent readers which can be used to help make the transition from listening and speaking to reading and writing. (MM)

Offers suggestions for using classroom computers for individualized instruction in spelling and tips for choosing spelling software. (FL)

Computer-based technologies offer promise as a means to assess students and provide teachers with better understandings of their students' achievement. This article describes recent developments in computer-based and web-based reading and literacy assessment, focusing on assessment administration, information management, and report creation. In…

Presents the first year's results of a continuing project to monitor the availability of software of relevance for literacy education purposes. Concludes there is an enormous amount of software available for use by teachers of reading and literacy--whereas drill-and-practice software is the largest category of software available, large numbers of…

Reviews software available to the classroom teacher for desktop publishing and describes specific classroom activities. Suggests using desktop publishing to produce large print texts for students with limited sight or for primary students.(NH)

Presents eight guidelines to consider when using computers for language instruction, emphasizing computer use in a social and purposeful context. Suggests computer software which adheres to these guidelines. (MM)

First in a continuing series of reports on trends in marketing and publication of software for literacy education, a study explored the development of a database to track the trends and reported on trends seen in 1995. The final version of the 1995 database consisted of 1011 software titles, 165 of which had been published in 1995 and 846…

Intended for reading and language arts teachers at all educational levels, this guide presents information to be used by teachers in constructing their own computer assisted educational software using the BASIC programming language and Apple computers. Part 1 provides an overview of the components of traditional tutorial and drill-and-practice…

Offers some suggestions for using a microcomputer in class when only one work station is available. (JC)

Notes two trends in the development of basal-related software and describes the Scott, Foresman Reading Courseware and the Ginn Reading Software. (JC)

Discusses how computers can "converse" with students for teaching purposes, demonstrates how these interactions are becoming more complex, and explains how the computer's role is becoming more "human" in giving intelligent responses to students. (HOD)

The expert systems are designed to imitate the reasoning of a human expert in a content area field. Designed to be advisors, these software systems combine the content area knowledge and decision-making ability of an expert with the user's understanding and knowledge of particular circumstances. The reading diagnosis system, the RD2P System…

Holistic approaches to the teaching of reading and writing, most notably the Whole Language movement, reject the philosophy that language skills can be taught. Instead, holistic teachers emphasize process, and they structure the students' classroom activities to be rich in language experience. Computers can be used as tools for whole language…