Adult Literacy Education Software Recommendations

 

August 24, 2006

 

This list of recommended software for use in adult literacy education programs is based on my direct experience with the software or on the experience of colleagues.  The list includes generic software which every computer lab should have, commercial software, and free (mostly web-based) instruction software.  Although you will find sections here on professional development in using technology, project-based learning, and other sources for adult literacy education software reviews, this is primarily an annotated list of instruction software (including tutorials and simulations, as well as skills practice.)

 

David J. Rosen, Ed.D.

Newsome Associates

E-mail: djrosen&comcast.net (substitute @ for &, leaving no spaces)

http://home.comcast.net/~djrosen/newsome.html

 

 

Generic Software

 

An adult education computer lab should consider having the following kinds of (commercial or free) generic software

 

1)    _____A word-processing program with a spelling checker

2)    _____An Internet browser, such as Firefox, Safari or Internet Explorer (free, but the use of these may need to be regulated through a program's Acceptable Use Policy)

3)    _____Free e-mail accounts (such as Yahoo) and free Instant Messenger software which allows for real-time discussion (the use of these may also need to be regulated through an Acceptable Use Policy)

4)    _____CD-ROM references, including encyclopedias and dictionaries (a Web page which has a lot of free references is http://www.refdesk.com/

5)    _____A basic typing program (e.g. Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing, Typing Tutor)

6)    _____A simple graphics program

7)    _____A hypermedia authoring program tool such as Storyspace™, HyperStudio™, or HyperCard™,

8)    _____A free text reader such as Readplease (Windows only): http://readplease.com/ or commercial text reader such as CAST’s  E-reader: http://www.cast.org/udl/index.cfm?i=211 or the Kurzweil 3000: http://www.kurzweiledu.com/products_k3000win.asp

9)    _____Word prediction software such as the free WordCue http://elr.com.au/wordcue/  . Also see:

      http://e-bility.com/articles/literacy.shtml

10)                  _____Productivity tools online training such as the free one at: http://www.baycongroup.com/wlesson0.htm

11)                  _____Computer new user free tutorials such as those found at:http://tech.tln.lib.mi.us/tutor/welcome.htm or http://www.jegsworks.com/Lessons/ or the computers and technology section at http://firstfind.info

12)                  _____Virus Protection Software such as Norton AntiVirus  http://www.symantec.com/home_homeoffice/products/overview.jsp?pcid=is&pvid=nav2006 Or free antivirus software (for Windows), http://www.free-av.com/

13)                  _____Internet new user free tutorials such as those found at:

http://firstfind.info/ Select Help, then "Is this your first time using the Internet?"

http://learningladder.org/basics/index.htm

http://www.dclibrary.org/dclearns/learner/howtouse/basics.html

 

14)                  _____An online references Web page such as The Educator's Reference Desk  http://www.eduref.org/

15)                  _____Guidelines for Web content evaluation for low-literacy adults,

         for example: The Children’s Partnership’s free

         Guidelines for Content Creation and Evaluation and other free

         guidelines at http://www.contentbank.org/

Adult Literacy Education Software  Review  Sites

In addition to the recommendations you will find on this list you may wish to look at other adult education teachers' (and learners') reviews.  Here are some places where you will find these:

A Place to Start in Selecting Software
An article and database on ESL/ESOL software for children and adults. From CAELL Journal 8:1, Winter 1997/98; last updated May 2002

• http://oregonstate.edu/~healeyd/cj_software_selection.html

Adult Education Software List
A detailed list of adult educational software programs for use in adult literacy, Pre- GED, GED, and workplace education classes. Updated 10/24/04

•  http://www.wcs.k12.va.us/Departments/psoft/adulteducationsoftwarelist.htm

Adult Education Software Reviews on the Web

• http://alri.org/softreview/softreview.html

Evaluating and Choosing Software for your Adult Literacy or ESOL Program

• http://www.lacnyc.org/resources/IT/evalsoftware.htm

CALL @ Chorus" (a database of Computer-assisted language learning software reviews)
Last updated November 19, 2002

·  http://www-writing.berkeley.edu/chorus/call/index.html

Computer Resources for ESL
This Web site is a searchable, online database of over 300 items of reviewed software, Web sites and other materials which are available to assist in the learning of ESL/ESOL.  It is impressively comprehensive, complete and searchable.

•  http://sppro.ocdsb.edu.on.ca/orlac/

Cutting Edge CALL Demos"
Last updated November 16, 2002

• http://www-writing.berkeley.edu/chorus/call/cuttingedge.html

Northwest Region Literacy Resource Center 2001-2002 Software Reviews and Supplement

• http://www.nwlincs.org/softreview/toc.htm
• http://www.nwlincs.org/rev2supp/toc.htm

Project Read (Redwood City Public Library) Computer Lab Software Reviews

• http://www.projectread-redwoodcty.org/software_reviews.htm

Project Software Evaluations
Reviews by Virginia adult education teachers and students of literacy, pre-GED and GED software, Integrated Learning System software, and others. The reviews are all online, and detailed. Last updated in  1999.

•   http://www.wcs.k12.va.us/Departments/psoft/bookindex.htm
  

Software Reviews by Greater Los Angeles Literacy Practitioners

• http://www.otan.dni.us/webfarm/emailproject/litgla/software.htm

 

COMMERCIAL Software / Courseware	ABE/Basic Literacy	GED	ESL/ESOL	Workplace Basic Skills
Reading/Language Arts	PLATO*	PLATO*	ELLIS*	WES
	Language Tune-Up Kit	MHC GED Interactive*	EASY, the ESL Series	Day in the Life (ABE/ESL)
	Reading with Phonics	GED Online		Basic Life Skills at Work
	My Reading Coach
	Lexia Reading SOS
	Learning 100 (Steck-Vaughn)
	Reading Horizons (HEC)
	Academy of Reading
Writing	PLATO*	PLATO*	ELLIS*	WES
		MHC GED Interactive*	EASY, the ESL Series	Day in the Life (ABE/ESL)
		GED Online		Basic Life Skills at Work
	Inspiration	Inspiration	Inspiration
	Writer’s Blocks	Writer’s Blocks
Math	PLATO*	PLATO*		WES
		GED Interactive*		Basic Life Skills at Work
		GED Online
Science	PLATO*	PLATO*
		MHC GED Interactive*
		GED Online
	BrainPop	BrainPop
	Froguts	Froguts
Social Studies	PLATO*	PLATO*
		MHC GED Interactive*
		GED Online
Listening (ESL)			Rosetta Stone
			EASY, the ESL Series
			ELLIS*
Speaking (ESL)			Rosetta Stone