Writing to Read 2000 V3.00 Overview Features and Benefits Developer's Corner Professional Development Downloads Overview Following on the success of Writing to Read and Writing to Read 2000, IBM Canada and Bright Blue Software announce the introduction of Writing to Read 2000 V3.0. This program, like the original, introduces young children to the world of writing and reading by involving them in the ways they learn best. Developed by Dr. John Henry Martin, Writing to Read 3.0 (WTR) is based on the premise that children can learn to read by first learning to write anything they can say. WTR is a multimedia, computer-based program implemented in a literacy rich, learning center environment. At the Computer center, cycle words teach young children sound/letter relationships. Other centers support and encourage children to practice these associations using a variety of different activities, including work journals, manipulatives, books and writing. The designated word processing program for the Writing/Typing center is Write Along. This program, designed especially for Grades K-3, offers a Draw Editor with a graphics library that includes familiar pictures from a number of IBM courseware products including WTR. Other Write Along features are text-to-speech function, multiple borders and fonts, and a sounds option correlated to the phonemic sounds in WTR. Writing to Read 3.0 uses the same highly successful methodology and cycle words as the original Writing to Read. This was purposeful to provide existing Writing to Read customers with flexibility in their choices to upgrade all components at once or a component at a time. With few exceptions, existing customers can continue to use portions of the original program with Writing to Read 2000 components.   Features and Benefits Same philosophy and approach used in Writing to Read and Writing to Read 2000 but updated to work with the latest technology standards Graphical menus, audio support, and mouse enable easy and independent navigation for young students Context rhymes introduce cycle words Teacher options include bookmarking, partner support, student management and reporting information Seamless mastery (early exit) option for students requiring fewer cycle word repetitions Work Journals offer more interactivity and variety with greater visibility of standard spelling Teacher Guide provides cross-curricular connections, curriculum integration and thematic unit suggestions Writing to Read 3.0 supports Teaching and Learning with Computers (TLC) Educational goals		Students write and read using their own natural language.
	Students learn the sound/letter associations needed to write what they can say, and read what they have written.
	Students become confident in their ability to write.
	Writing to Read 2000 creates a literacy rich environment with numerous opportunities for writing, reading, speaking, and listening.
	Multiple learning centers provide opportunities for the engagement of multiple modalities - visual, auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic.
	Writing to Read complements whole language, thematic, and cross-curricular integration in a center-based approach.

Developer's Corner

Dr. John Henry Martin, teacher, principal, superintendent, and professor, was the developer and author of the Writing to Read Program. The program is based on a rigorous study of research and literature and on Martin's own research and development. In developing the Writing to Read Program, he combined learning theory with computer technology to help students learn more effectively.

Writing to Read, Writing to Read 2000, and now Writing to Read 3.0 incorporates the speech capabilities of the personal computer to enable young students to hear the sounds and words they see on the screen and respond to spoken directions. This creates a computer-based instructional program that provides consistent, self-paced, interactive, multi-sensory instruction.

In the latest version of Writing to Read, the cycle words and basic methodology remain the same but take into consideration what we have learned about how young children read and write.

Prior to the 1984 release of the original Writing to Read program, a two year study by the Educational Testing Service, involving more than 10,000 kindergarten and first-grade students validated Martin's research. ETS concluded that "Writing to Read is an effective educational program." 

Professional Development

For Lab Use:

If Writing to Read is planned for use in a lab, the recommended teacher training encompasses two days for the WTR assistant and all K-1 teachers with one additional day for the assistant.

For Classroom Use:

If Writing to Read is planned for use in the classroom, the recommended teacher training encompasses three days to address the concepts, philosophy, and practices of Writing to Read when used in a Teaching and Learning with Computers mode. This training will result in appropriate curriculum integration methods and their use, combined with educational software, in the classroom

Upon completion of the training, participants should be able to:

Describe the underlying philosophy of Writing to Read, including the use of phonemic spelling, the alphabetic principle, and the rationale for using a child's natural language in developing literacy. Set up the activity centers that encompass Writing to Read and understand the instructional purpose and components for each center. Develop a strategy for managing Writing to Read movement through the activity centers using materials provided or individualized materials. Understand and identify student work samples at each of the six stages of writing and decide on a record keeping strategy to monitor student progress.

 

  System Requirements    

* Audio required.  Use Headsets or Speakers.
* This product is compatible with Optional Management Systems such as TLC SchoolConnect, Visual CASEL, Novell ZenWorks, and Microsoft's Roaming Profiles.

Product	Supported OS	Workstation	NOS	Disk Space
Writing to Read	W95 osr2,  W98 SE,  W2K Pro SP1, XP Pro	(Audio)	Novell 3,4,5,6 w/ Minimum patch list, WINNT SP4, W2K Server SP2

 

Screen Images   

Downloads

Writing to Read Brochure in .pdf

 

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