resources update issue 9

• QuickAssess Mathematics
• Sense - Sex and Relationships

• Tense Buster 2001
• Soundstart - Orange

QuickAssess Mathematics
Trumptech Limited

Sense - Sex and Relationships
Sense Interactive

This is a very comprehensive and well-produced question bank management program, which would be a very useful tool within a Mathematics Department to generate test papers.

The program comes with over 800 GCSE past exam questions from AQA, EDEXCEL and OCR. In addition to this, teachers can add their own questions, which can then be shared with colleagues.

The instruction manual does need to be read carefully first otherwise you may experience difficulties in using the program. Once you have worked through it on a couple of occasions though, it does become very straightforward.

The facility to input extra questions enables teachers to tailor tests even more to the needs of the students.

This CD-ROM is a lesson resource developed to give advice, guidance and information to students at Key Stage 4 in matters relating to Sex and Relationships. The pack includes a comprehensive 'Teachers Support Manual'. The CD-ROM has also been developed for use by Parents and Carers and an information booklet for their use is included.

A number of 'drawn' characters are introduced at the start of the CD-ROM. They interact with live actors in short video clips that recreate situations related to sex and relationships. The areas covered are; sexuality and sexual feelings, relationships, a Virtual Clinic, Sex, a True or False quiz to consolidate learning and an information section on where to go for help and advice.

The content is up-to-date, informative, suitable for the age group being aimed at and is delivered in a non-patronizing way.

Tense Buster 2001
Clarity Language Consultants Ltd

Soundstart - Orange
Nelson Thornes

Tense Buster provides structured, sequential activities in mastering the fundamentals of English grammar. It is particularly suited to EFL students but could work just as well for students with literacy difficulties such as dyslexia.

The activities are interesting, varied and just the right length to sustain interest. They include selecting the correct form of verbs from a choice, finding errors in whole passages, and active listening followed by a quiz.

There are many excellent supportive features such as the marking and progress feedback and the vocabulary support.

There are certainly enough incentives to sustain interest in what might generally be viewed as rather dull stuff. and this software does raise the interest level for most users.

This CD-ROM forms part of a scheme that aids phonic learning and can also be used as a stand-alone product. It consists of two talking books, Bed Ben Bed! and Mum Ran and Ran. There are also eight carefully structured activities linked to the stories to reinforce the vocabulary used.

The program also helps to develop speaking and listening skills. The animations and graphics enhance the stories and maintain the pupils' interest.

Access to books and activities can be preset for different pupils and this can be used to control the level at which the pupil works.

This is an ideal program for children who are starting to read and those who are finding phonics difficult.

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