The purpose of this report was to evaluate the Lalilo software program. This large-scale quasi-experimental study independently conducted by Lehigh University reported that K-1 students in schools using Lalilo increased their early literacy skills at a greater rate than students in similar schools that did not use Lalilo.

Equipping prospective teachers (PTs) of young English learners with a variety of child-appropriate materials and techniques is very prominent. Digital Stories (DSs) with their multimodal features enable teachers to meet the needs of 21st century digital native students when learning a foreign language. Thus, the study aims to investigate the…

Describes how the authors took a small step toward using technology as they developed and used a rubric as a guide for reviewing software. Provides an example of the process of creating a rubric and a model for teachers to adapt or change for their own software evaluations. (SG)

IBM has advertised huge reading gains for Writing to Read, an expensive computer laboratory program aimed at improving the reading and writing performance of kindergarten and first grade students. However, the evaluations done to date simply do not support the program's effectiveness at improving young children's reading achievement. (MLH)

Discusses interactivity as it pertains to learning. Presents the findings of a survey of primary school teachers asked to evaluate two science-based CD-ROMS and the resulting theoretical framework of cognitive interactivity. Identifies dimensions for teachers to assess (visibility and accessibility, manipulability and annotatability, creativity…

The software "Breakthrough to Literacy" was introduced in kindergarten classrooms in a suburban school district in 1999 and focuses on oral language development. Through observations, the author studied the effects the software had on individual children's oral language and pre-reading readiness skills. Along with reading skill development, oral…

A study examined commercially available computer software to ascertain its degree of congruency with current methods of reading instruction (the Interactive model) at the first and second grade levels. A survey was conducted of public school educators in Connecticut and experts in the field to determine their level of satisfaction with available…

Assessed 32 kindergartners' prior knowledge of left and right, then exposed experimental group to software program "Jellybean Hunt" from Edmark Corporation's "Trudy's Time and Place House." Found that students exposed to the software significantly increased their scores on the posttest measure of their understanding of the…

Next to playing, matching instructional features with children's characteristics may stimulate children's development in early education. Instructional lines of ordered playing and learning appliances, inclusion of diagnostic and achievement indicators, flexible grouping of students, screening of initial student characteristics, and supportive…

This study examined the collateral effects of WiggleWorks, an interactive literacy program, in two settings: a cohort study comparing random samples of grade 1-2 students (n=452) before and after software implementation and a longitudinal sample tracing students from Kindergarten to grade 1 (n=126). WiggleWorks contributed to greater student use…

The Accelerated Schools Project is an approach to school change, designed to improve schooling for all children, in particular, for "at-risk" students. In 1997, four accelerated elementary schools associated with Florida A&M University identified reading achievement across all grade levels as their major challenge. Using the…

A group of 20 students in a self-contained kindergarten classroom was selected to receive enrichment using computer software. Of those 20, 10 were randomly selected to use "Bailey's Book House" on a Macintosh computer. "Bailey's Book House" and the Macintosh computer were considered to be the newer models. The other 10 students used "First Letter…

An evaluation of a CD-ROM multimedia component of a first grade science curriculum, the IBM/CTW "Through the Woods," is presented. The presentation offers hands-on activities related to forest ecology, such as virtual nature walks. Children participating in the study (n=95) displayed ability to use the technology, a high degree of affect…

Reviews the research literature on Writing to Read (WTR), a computer-based language arts program designed to help kindergarten and first grade students develop reading and writing skills. Limitations of the evaluation reports, research projects, and specialized applications of WTR are reviewed, and problems in research design and methodology are…

This critique of "Writing to Read," a computer-based reading and writing program, uses aesthetic criteria and artistic criticism. Observations of kindergarten and first grade classes are described; education as art is considered; the issues of time and control are examined; and the aesthetic criteria of balance and coherence are…