1. Read&Write Gold A textHELP product for use with Windows-based word processing applications

2. Software Overview Is the preferred literacy support tool for students who have difficulty with reading and writing. It allows struggling students to access the same productivity tools, such as word processors, web browsers and email, that their peers use. Read&Write GOLD serves as a personal coach to help students achieve their best. Source: textHELP Read & Write 8 GOLD fact sheet

3. Positive Aspects  Familiarity: Read&Write GOLD is compatible with any windows application including Internet Explorer and Microsoft Word.  Dynamic: Nearly all features can be toggled on/off and modified  Teacher–friendly: All aspects can be manipulated to best suit teaching style and classroom needs  Ease of use: Toolbar is conducive to simple usage  Presentation: Product presented in attractive and clear manner  Features: Dictionary, spell check, and Fact Finder all work in unison to provide cohesive educational experience Speech operations allow for auditory experience and give students options to both record and hear their written text

4. Negative Aspects  Distractions: Too many features can take away from overall experience  HAL 2000: Text-reading software is unnatural and robotic  Complexity: In-depth and cross-feature application could make for difficult usage at times  Whose work?: Because of the abundance of features, students may not find their own voice in writing  Dumbing down: The software does too much for the students, not challenging them or giving them the answers they need without making an impression

5. Overall Evaluation  Main reason for rejection: Too helpful! Because of the plentiful features, we fear that students may not be best served by working with a product that does so much Lack of challenge can ultimately hurt student achievement Features are readily available in many Windows- based applications already… why spend more? Reading and writing is all about students creating, developing, and perfecting their own voice. Read&Write GOLD replaces that voice with a computer.