Trial Program Guide DIAGNOSTIC PRESCRIPTIVE READING Skill levels 3 - 8 Trial version: VOCABULARY (Level 1) Complete Program: VOCABULARY (Level 1), SEQUENCE (Level 2), MAIN IDEA (Level 3), FACT/OPINION (Level 4), FACTUAL RECALL (Level 5), INFERENCE (Level 6) Windows or MS-DOS (VGA display) Diagnostic Prescriptive Reading improves the comprehension skills of students in reading levels 3 - 8. Each lesson focuses on one skill within six ranges of difficulty. In addition, a crossword puzzle encourages the student to think about word and idea relationships. The presentation of the material also makes the program effective for ESL students and older students who need remedial help. Each lesson is self-directing and self-correcting. The computer gives an explanation specifically for each incorrect answer. The program evaluates performance after each round. The student who does poorly is directed to a lower range for remediation. The student who does well is directed to a higher range for further skill development. Students are rewarded by graphics in each round. OVERVIEW The program contains the following reading skill categories: Vocabulary Fact or Opinion Sequence Factual Recall Main Idea Inference Each category contains 72 selections and provides practice on one skill at each of reading levels 3 to 8. There are 12 questions in each level, or range, from which selections are randomly chosen for each round. When students first use the program, they enter their name. The teacher may ask students to enter a class code; this is optional. If the students have passed a level in the main program, at a subsequent session they are directed to the appropriate skill level. DIAGNOSTIC TEST A one-time diagnostic (placement) test for each category determines the range at which the student enters the level. Each diagnostic test consists of multiple-choice questions that gradually get harder as the student gets more and more correct answers. The program is configured so that the student is placed at the range at which s/he gets one answer wrong. This may be changed with the ASCII file, config.dat on each level. The first line indicates the number of questions the student needs to get correct, and the second line indicates the maximum number of questions per level the student will receive. MAIN PRACTICE PROGRAM A round consists of randomly chosen selections. The format used in this program allows the selection, the question, and multiple-choice answers to remain on screen at the same time so the student can refer to the text when choosing an answer. Whenever a student answers incorrectly, s/he is given an explanation of the reason that answer is incorrect and is asked to try again. If the student does well, s/he 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. For the student who successfully completes the round, there is a crossword puzzle to sharpen vocabulary and thinking skills. At the end of each round, the computer gives the percentage of right answers. The number of questions in a round varies from a minimum of four to a maximum of eight. The student who does well needs less help and therefore gets fewer selections. If the student gets 70 percent or more correct, s/he has the option of repeating the range or going on to the next range. If the student scores less than 70 percent, s/he may choose to repeat the range or go to a lower range. If the student gets the first four answers correct, the computer immediately advances him/her to the next range. The round will end when the student can no longer achieve a passing score of 70 percent because of the number of wrong answers already accumulated. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION LEVEL 1, VOCABULARY: Students are given words and asked to select the correct meaning from among several choices. Words appear in context. Incorrect response messages show students how they may have mistaken the meaning of a word. Example: Student reads: "Jenny walked along the EDGE of a field. EDGE is . . ." Student chooses from: "near the middle," "never very large," and "at the end or side." LEVEL 2, SEQUENCE: Students are given selections based on time order (e.g., for events) or order of steps (e.g., in directions). Students are asked what would come first, second, third, or last, or are told to find the proper place for a particular step in the directions for doing or making something. Example: Student reads: "Marcus wanted to play baseball. He called all of his friends to ask them to play, but they were all busy. In the end, Marcus realized he could not play baseball that day. What happened LAST?" Student chooses from: "Marcus realized he could not play baseball," "Marcus wanted to play baseball," and "Marcus called his friends to ask them to play baseball." LEVEL 3, MAIN IDEA: Students read a variety of selections and answer questions that test such reading skills as identifying the main idea, recognizing irrelevant sentences in a paragraph, and locating the topic sentence. Example: Student reads: "Most pets have short lives. Cats, for example, rarely live more than 15 years. An exception to this is any large talking bird. Certain kinds of macaws can live over 100 years. Parrots can live to be 50, and myna birds can live to be 80. People have passed these pets from generation to generation." Student chooses the main idea from: "Some birds can live to be very old," "Parrots can live to be 50," and "Most pets have short lives." LEVEL 4, FACT OR OPINION: Students are asked to differentiate between fact and opinion in a variety of statements. Example: Student reads: "Traveling by train is more comfortable than traveling by bus. Is this Fact or Opinion?" LEVEL 5, FACTUAL RECALL: Students read a variety of selections and answer questions based on the details provided in the text. Example: Student reads: "Alex was a musician. He played the flute in an orchestra every Sunday. He gave music lessons every day. When there was a parade, he marched with the band. In his spare time he wrote music. Every day, Alex did the following:" Student chooses from: "gave flute lessons," "marched with a parade," and "played in an orchestra." LEVEL 6, INFERENCE: Students are given a variety of selections. From the context they must draw inferences about situations, events, people, objects, feelings, etc. Example: Student reads: "I picked up a cup and went to the sink. I filled it with water. Was the faucet in the garden or in the kitchen?" Student chooses from: "the kitchen" and "the garden." 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\DPR-TD\RECORD.EXE The trial version saves records for only two students. A third name will automatically replace the first name entered. (The single user 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 the entire class, or choose an individual student's scores. If you choose to look at the scores of the entire class, 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 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 1994-1997 Merit Audio Visual all rights reserved GTDR ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- We hope you enjoy previewing DIAGNOSTIC PRESCRIPTIVE READING. The complete six-level School version of the program contains the following: 1. Six diagnostic tests and 36 developmental reading lessons for (1) Vocabulary, (2) Sequence, (3) Main Idea, (4) Fact/Opinion, (5) Factual Recall, and (6) Inference 2. Record management for as many students as disk space allows 3. A program guide that contains teaching suggestions Merit offers a full range of educational software for writing, reading, grammar, vocabulary, ESL, and math. Merit also offers networking for Novell and other LAN, and licensing. School or Institutional Purchase Orders accepted. We will be happy to answer any questions you might have. 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