As computers become an increasingly ubiquitous part of young children's lives there is a need to examine how best to harness digital technologies to promote learning in early childhood education contexts. The development of emergent literacy skills is 1 domain for which numerous software programs are available for young learners. In this study, we…

Examines the design of three reading software programs to determine their ease of use, format characteristics, and managerial components. Evaluates their text presentation segmentation to determine how closely they conform with current chunking theory in reading. Suggests that teachers directly examine the programs and manuals to determine whether…

Argues educators need to identify software that will effectively support children with reading difficulties. Discusses: why computers should be used to aid struggling readers; what makes good software and why; and what software to select for classroom use. Contains an evaluation device that can be used by educators selecting software for classroom…

This paper addresses the lack of evaluative resources for computer-assisted reading and writing instruction (CARWI). It begins by discussing the benefits, drawbacks, and effectiveness of computer-based instruction. It then describes types of CARWI packages, including: (1) writing process software; (2) electronic handbooks; (3) interactive…