Trial Program Guide DEVELOPING CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS for Effective Reading for Upper Grades Skill levels 8 - 11 Trial version: second level of each set Set 3: (Levels 7, 8, 9) Set 4: (Levels 10, 11, 12) Windows or MS-DOS (VGA display) OVERVIEW Designed for middle school through high school, this program can be used as well by ESL or adult students for remediation. Emphasis is placed on thinking about word relationships and recognizing proper inferences, main ideas, and logical sequence of sentences. Each lesson is self-directing and self-correcting and presents both read-in-context word replacement questions and comprehension questions as well as crossword puzzles. Students receive graphic rewards. Each set consists of three levels. The topics represented are: history and culture, music and the arts, nature and science, historical figures, famous personalities, entertainment and recreation, and unusual facts. MOUSE OPTION You may use the mouse, or the keyboard, as soon as the first exercise is on the screen. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION Each level contains twenty texts. There are three texts to a round. The student's understanding of each text is tested in four parts: (1) vocabulary (2) reading comprehension (3) text description (4) crossword puzzle. Students must get at least 70 percent on part 1 to go on to part 2, 70 percent on part 2 to go on to part 3, and 70 percent on part 3 to go on to part 4, the puzzle. The program allows each text to remain on screen at the same time as questions or puzzle, so the student can refer to the text when choosing an answer. In part 1, the student reads through the text and is then presented with vocabulary-in-context questions: three or four words are consecutively highlighted, and the student is asked to select the best replacement or definition from among four multiple-choice answers. In part 2, the student is asked to answer two comprehension questions from among the following possibilities: the best title for the paragraph; a sentence that could logically begin the paragraph; a sentence that could logically be put within the paragraph; a sentence that would best complete the paragraph; a sentence that tells something that is not actually stated. If the student asks for help, the computer will suggest a way to find the correct answer. The student does not lose any points for getting this help. Whenever a student answers incorrectly, s/he is told why that answer is incorrect and is asked to try again. In part 3, the student is given four words or phrases and is asked to choose the two that best describe what the text is about. The student must get both choices correct. If one is correct, s/he is told one choice is correct and is asked to try again. This exercise is designed to help the student identify the main idea and see the difference between a main idea and a supporting detail. Many students may be unfamiliar with this type of comprehension question. It may take a couple of rounds before they master the technique. In part 4, the student is given a crossword puzzle to fill in. Each time the student asks for help with a word, the computer gives one letter. Most of the answer words and clues are based on the text, and many appear in the text. In the School versions of the program, if typing is too difficult the teacher has the option of eliminating the puzzle exercise. When the student begins, three texts in each round are chosen randomly from the level's lower reading range. The student is shown a summary of his/her scores after each round of three texts or anytime s/he exits the program. The summary will indicate the number of texts completed in the round and on the level. It will also show the average score for each part completed in the round. In parts 1, 2, and 3, students get twice as much credit for answering correctly on the first try as on the second try. If the student gets a "You are having trouble" message after any of these parts, it means the student's score was not high enough to go on to the next part of that text. Any text on which the student fails to score high enough on parts 1, 2, and 3 will be included in the pool of randomly chosen texts for subsequent rounds. In part 4, students lose points for each incorrect letter and for each hint; the scoring works in favor of a student who can spell even a small portion of a word correctly on the first try. Doing poorly on part 4 does not prevent the student from moving ahead. The round is completed when the student passes the first three parts. RECORD MANAGEMENT To see student records, run RECORD from the directory, or press [CONTROL]T while at the title screen. The default directory for the windows trial version is: c:\MAVDEMO\DCTS?-WD\RECORD.EXE This version saves records for only two students. A third name will automatically replace a previously entered name. (The School version saves records for as many students as disk space allows. The Network version saves records for 1,000 students.) The records can go to the screen or the printer. You may see the records of both students, or choose one of the student's scores. If you choose to look at the scores of both students, you may have them displayed in alphabetical order or from highest to lowest. Use the following keys to make your selections: ALT: Allows you to choose items in the Top Menu: (1) Order (2) View (3) Select (4) Print (5) Delete (6) Exit. In each of the first three options, you will have the choice of selecting records from the Pull Down Menu by name, date, skills mastered, or class code. TAB: Changes the category of information that is displayed in a fixed cycle, e.g., from students' names to last dates played, to highest mastered skill levels, to class codes, to a student's entire record and then back again to the students' names. ENTER: Selects or deselects any piece of information on which the cursor is placed. Selected items can be viewed, printed, or deleted as a group. They appear on the screen highlighted in red. Screen Layout: Instructions are placed in color boxes at the bottom of the screen. The number appearing at the end of the last line of instructions on the screen indicates the position of the cursor in the total number of records. Just before this number is a description of what information is being displayed, e.g., name, date, etc. Moving the Cursor: To move the cursor use the arrow keys. To see preceding screens, use the Page Up key. To go to following screens, use the Page Down key. To go to the beginning of a list, press the Home key. To get to the end of a list, press the End key. To See Records: All information may be viewed on the screen or printed out. To clear previously selected records, choose Select from the Top Menu and Deselect from the Pull Down Menu. Note that your viewing selections are cleared each time the program is restarted or the computer is turned off. Examples 1. To print out the records of one class, follow these directions: Top Menu Pull Down Menu Other Keys Remarks/Actions ALT Select Class Cursor keys Find the beginning of the class ENTER Mark the beginning of the class Cursor keys Find the end of the class ENTER Mark the end of the class ALT View Selected Now only that class is displayed. (Repeating this step would restore screen as it was.) ALT Order Name Class now alphabetized ALT Print Selected Printing is optional. Information can be Information can be viewed on the screen. 2. To print the highest (or lowest) skill level, follow the steps above, replacing Class, from the Pull Down Menu, with Mastered. 3. To see the records of all students in a range on the screen, choose View from the Top Menu and choose Entire from the Pull Down Menu. 4. To see the records of an individual student on the screen, place the cursor on the name of the student whose records you want to view, and press TAB to change the information displayed. Record Management Error Fix: If the program runs but does not keep student records properly, access the RECORD program and delete all records. Copyright 1989-1996 Merit Audio Visual All rights reserved GTDR ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- We hope you enjoy using DEVELOPING CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS FOR EFFECTIVE READING FOR UPPER GRADES. The School versions of this program contain the following: 1. Two sets of three levels of exercises 2. Record management for as many students as the disk space allows 3. A program guide Merit offers a full range of educational software for writing, reading, grammar, vocabulary, ESL, and math. Merit software is available for networking for Novell and other LAN, and site licensing. School or Institutional Purchase Orders accepted. We will be happy to answer any questions you might have. MERIT AUDIO VISUAL (800) 753-6488 (212) 675-8567 FAX: (212) 675-8607 Call us Monday through Friday between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM Eastern Time. Or write MERIT AUDIO VISUAL, 132 W. 21 Street, New York, NY 10011, for free software catalog. This program is produced by a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442-9427 USA, FAX 616-788-2765 or send a Compuserve message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536.