iStartSmart  (continued from Showcase)

         ECLaunch is the management program that simplifies student access to the various pre-loaded games. The desktop icon also provides teachers with tools to customize lessons and obtain progress monitoring reports in five essential areas.
         Two games were submitted for our review:
         Shell Squad Games - Using a theme setting of Travel, Garden or Safari, friendly characters guide children through lessons that utilize five skill families (phonological awareness, numeric operations, language development, alphabet knowledge, and logic & reasoning) to promote school readiness. Numerous multiple-choice drills and exercises offer instant feedback and rewards, and the child must demonstrate understanding of each lesson before the system advances to the next levels.
         Henry's Hideout - This area provides free play and enrichment activities. Our reviewers felt that objects in the Hideout could have offered more educational content. We would welcome the opportunity to review the activity when it is further developed.
         Hatch's philosophy is that playful, educational games support an engaging environment that maximizes a child's cognitive development. This exciting entry won an award in the Early Learning - Touchscreen Solutions category.

myOn Reader (website)
(Capstone Digital (800) 864-3899]

         Interactive books have been around since the advent of the digital age. While improvements have been made over the years, myOn Reader, winner of the 16^th Annual EDDIE Award for Upper Elementary Reading Website, is a clear standout.
         With over 1,000 titles included, every genre is represented - fiction, children's classics, graphic novels, science, math, social studies, and even 'scary and gross.'  Each title is highly engaging, professionally and entertainingly narrated, with high quality graphic illustrations. The student interface includes a short summary of the title, access to checking peer reviews, and an Info tab which shows the AR book level and Lexile rating. Students may choose to read the book, add it to their personal list, or find similar books.  Each title includes a dictionary, index, highlighting options, a short quiz, and the opportunity to rate and review the book.
         Teachers (and parents) will appreciate the rich, personalized literacy environment which is adaptable to single students, classroom, or school-wide settings.  After an initial interest inventory and placement test, students, guided by both myOn Reader and a teacher, create their own reading profile. A recommended book list is automatically generated, including a plan for boosting skills. A dashboard displays reader progress, tracking how fast a student is reading, what has been read, and measuring comprehension level.
         myOn Reader is an important literacy tool which makes reading fun - a critical component of student achievement. Kudos to Capstone Digital.