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Critical Reading Software Reviews

Title of Program

The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain

Publisher or Producer

Queue, Inc., 338 Commerce Dr., Fairfield, CT 06430

Version and/or Date

1988

Setting (in classroom, small groups, etc.)

Individaully in the lab

Potential Users

High school and college students

Computer

Hardware: Macintosh RAM: 1 MB Hard Disk Size: 2-3 MB

Checklist

(characteristics present indicated by x)

   Overall design of program is good
 x Reading selections are long (several paragraphs).
 x Reading selections are complete works rather than excerpts.
 x Content of reading selections is appropriate for college 
       students.
 x Tasks involve students in constructing ideas, rather than in 
   answering objective questions.

Reading Strategies

(items present marked by x)

   Previewing
   Accessing prior knowledge
   Establishing a purpose for reading
   Determining text structure and organization
 x Asking questions
   Defining terms as used in context
   Monitoring comprehension
   Using fix-up strategies when comprehension breaks down
   Paraphrasing and summarizing author's ideas
 x Relating author's background to reading selection
   Determining author's purpose and attitude
   Relating ideas in reading selection to other ideas
   Evaluating the validity of the author's claims
   Collaborating with other ideas

Comments

The novel is read on-screen. Operating instructions are too abbreviated, and the program is difficult to load. It has a large-print option. Tools enable the reader to mark pages, highlight, find words or chapters, annotate, retrace steps, bold or underline text, copy text into notebook. The program needs a dictionary. It contains sentence-completion exercises and multiple-choice quizzes. Software required: Hypercard 2.1 or later; Palatino 10, 12, 14, 18, or 24 pt.

Evaluator

Sally Rings

Date of Evaluation

11/93

Critical Reading Software Reviews
Š1994, Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction (MCLI)
Maricopa County Community College District, Arizona

The Internet Connection at MCLI is Alan Levine --}
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