Literacy Bank 4

KS2 (Years 3 - 6)

English

This package is purely a support package for Key Stage 2 Literacy. It is a comprehensive set of exercises to support the day-to-day delivery of the designated Literacy lesson. It is one of four CD-ROMs designed to integrate ICT into the Literacy programme at Primary levels. There are 180 activities focusing on word and sentence level work. The content is based on the National Literacy Strategy.

The software offers a tailor-made package of activities that are designed for independent use by the children, supported by a friendly onscreen assistant. The graphics are good and the speech readily understandable. The animations ensure that pupils' interest is maintained. The activities are short and concise. Children can print out certificates of the tasks completed and scores achieved. Although these activities can be done as desktop activities, computer use does tend to interest those children unwilling to set pencil to paper for whatever reasons.

Teachers can use this software as a simple and effective form of record keeping for Literacy.

I feel that the strongest feature of this software is the fact that pupils can work independently. The program guides pupils in a very user-friendly fashion through each activity, with prompts, show me icons and chances to self-correct.

The package comes complete with a short, but extremely useful handbook. Everything that teachers need to know about setting up the activities is set out under simple and quick notes. There is also online guidance.

In schools that have networked hardware, the package can support several groups at once independently.

Installation is very easy and takes very little time to complete. Pupils can load for themselves and begin to work immediately, once the activities have been set - a simple operation that takes very little teacher time.

Uninstalling is equally simple.

I found no conflicts with any other software that we are currently using.

Curriculum Relevance

Curriculum relevance is very strong. It is structured for supporting the ICT aspects of the National Literacy Strategy. Little more can be offered, except to say that I feel that it does this extremely well and in a very enjoyable format. Children do need basic mouse skills and some typing skills, as they are required to type in words as answers.

There are 180 activities, divided into winter, spring and summer terms, as per NLS. They are delivered in six activity types: cloze, comprehensions, edit, quiz, question and answer and identify.

Learning is self-managed, with prompts 'Am I Right?' 'Show Me' and 'Start Again'

Having matched the content to NLS for Year 4, I feel that it does match the learning outcomes for this group of children.

Design & Navigation

The interface supports the learner well, by offering simple friendly guidance.

Children can go into their own activities easily, once the teacher has set it up. Children can log onto their own work. Children's efforts are recorded for teacher use.

Icons are clear and meaningful. Characters are interesting and fun. Children relate readily to the interface characters.

Language is appropriate to Key Stage 2 children, making it a package that children can use independently.

The package is interactive; children do need to make appropriate responses.

Ease of Use

Children can use the software with minimal help, once the teacher has set the program of work. Guidance for navigation is clear, with meaningful icons that can be easily selected by mouse click. The language is accessible to children in Year 4. It is not easy to inadvertently escape from the software, but should this happen; speed of reload makes it not a problem. Supporting documentation is good and further help is available onscreen. It is divided into pupil and teacher sections that can be clearly understood. Loading and running instructions are clear.

Exercises can be downloaded and printed for additional classroom group work.

This is a pleasingly useful piece of software.

Special Needs

Children with moderate learning difficulties can be guided through the activities. Activities are scored and can be repeated for reinforcement. Reassurance can be gained from the non-threatening self-correction built into the program.

Courseware

Exercises are relevant to NLS and match the term objectives set out. Progression is by movement through the year's programme and cannot be tailored to individuals, other than by performing the exercises earlier in the yearly programme. Generally speaking, they tend to be sufficiently challenging. Each exercise is self-correcting; children can repeat them until they score top marks. Unfortunately exercises cannot be changed, so that once top scores have been achieved that activity is no longer of use to the child or group of children. The program keeps track of what children have done and then gives reports in easy to understand terms.

Conclusion

I have used this software on a daily basis. It has proved to be very useful for those elements of work that need reinforcement exercises and repetition. The children have enjoyed working with it and derived great satisfaction from their certificates. It fitted the NLS work and, although I do tend to vary the time I do certain NLS elements, I was able to find suitable exercises to fit the daily lesson. I set up log in roles and groups at the beginning of the term. This took the longest length of time to complete - about half an hour for the full class. Each week I add and remove tasks from the Activity Bank, ensuring that by giving only a small bank, children focus their learning for the week. This takes minutes to do. I like the records kept in the teacher section. Children do not have access to this as the teacher section can only be entered with a password.

I use the download and print section to provide homework tasks that are relevant to the class work children have been doing. Using the ideas and formats of the exercises, I have made up my own follow-up sheets for further practice.

I have been impressed by this package and will continue to use it throughout the school year. I intend using the report back facility to inform my reporting to parents.

Read KS2 Classroom evaluation...

Read KS2 Classroom evaluation...

Product Overview

This product is distributed by Sherston (Tel: 01666 843200)