Name of reviewer (your name): Nina Burke

Name of the Website: stmath.com

Educational Product/Software Selected: ST Math
Web Address to the Product/Software: https://play.stmath.com/account.html
Publisher: MIND Research Institute
Grade Level: K-6
Provide a brief description of the product/software: ST math is a learning program/educational
game that is designed to strengthen students’ spatial temporal reasoning and prepare them for
algebra. Students complete lessons made up of many short “puzzles'' featuring the beloved
penguin, Jiji. The puzzles really break apart different math concepts so that children can
visualize them.

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the product/software?

One of the strengths of ST Math is that it automatically adjusts to a student’s level as they go
along. If they answer a puzzle incorrectly many times, the lesson will start over from the
beginning. If a student is flying through puzzles in one lesson, they will get more difficult lessons
and advance to higher grade level puzzles.

Is the product/software easy for you and the students to use? Explain.

The product is designed so that it is very easy to use for teachers and students. Teachers can
adjust the level for students and assign puzzles to match the curriculum. Accounts are created
for each student and younger students can sign in easily through a one-click QR code system.
There is also an app available for tablets/iPads that kindergarten students or students unable to
type can use.

Does the software serve its intended purpose, which is classroom use? Explain.

Yes, this software can be used in the classroom or assigned for homework. It works very well for
morning work or early finishers, especially if the class has access to a class set of computers or
tablets.

Are there multiple forms of media (audio, video, and textual communication channels) that
encourage the student to engage with the software? Explain.

The software is a completely interactive game that students tap or click to complete puzzles. It
mainly features audio and visual communication with little text apart from numbers.

Is the documentation for the product/software, such as technical support, instructions on how to
use the product, and hardware requirements presented clearly on the website? Explain.

The “How it Works” page on the website gives information with visuals on how st math words. It
also displays reports and statistics showing how ST math has helped students grow. The
“technical requirements” page shows which browsers and operating systems can run ST math.
If technical support is needed by students, parents, or teachers there is a live chat on the “help”
page as well as a support phone number and email.

Is the software adaptable to support specific accessibility needs of learners with disabilities?
Explain.

Yes, the software adapts to the students abilities as they go along. It is a great tool for students
who have trouble reading text. It would likely not be very adaptable to a student with a visual
impairment.

Does the software program give appropriate feedback to responses (assessment)?

There are no formal assessments in ST math, however the students skills are consistently being
measured as they complete the puzzles.

Can the skill levels be adjusted by the student/instructor? Explain.

Yes, teachers can adjust the skill level as needed and assign specific puzzles/lessons to specific
students.

Name of the Website: learninga-z.com

Educational Product/Software Selected: Reading A-Z: Literacy Curriculum Map (2nd Grade)
Web Address to the Product/Software:
https://www.raz-plus.com/literacy-curriculum-map/#!/grade2
Publisher: LAZEL inc
Grade Level: 2
Provide a brief description of the product/software: Reading A-Z Literacy Curriculum Maps
provide a framework for teaching K-5 reading standards in sequence. The maps consist of 8
Units that focus on different themes, which are broken up into 4 weeks that focus on different
essential questions. For example, Unit 5 of the 2nd grade curriculum map has the theme of
Social and Emotional Concepts. Week 1 of Unit 5 has the essential question, “Why is it
important to be the best person you can be?”. Each week contains lesson plans and activities
for both whole group and small group instruction each day. Whole group activities include
shared reading, real alouds, phonics, grammar & work work, and writing assignments. Small
group instruction features rotating centers students can work on independently and leveled
readers that teachers can work through with different small groups. There are resources for
each type of lesson involved. For example, a resource for Unit 5 Week 1 centers is the “Using
Different Voices” activity, where students draw cards containing different story lines and different
voices that the student must read them aloud in.

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the product/software?

One strength of this product is that the entire staff can use a single login to access the entire
online library for use in the classroom. This can help keep all the grade level teachers on the
same page when it comes to lesson planning for ELA. Another big strength is the program’s
very clear format that lays lesson plans out into every day, this could potentially decrease the
time that teachers take to plan out their lessons. Some weaknesses of the program are lack of
student access and requiring additional payment for some resources. Students do not have
individual logins for Reading AZ that they can use to do work independently. They also charge
extra for some things like the ELL resources, which are considered an additional package even
with the “plus” version of Reading AZ that my school has purchased.

Is the product/software easy for you and the students to use? Explain.

I feel that this is a fairly easy software to use for teachers who are familiar with basic classroom
technology skills. The lesson plan is laid out in a way that clearly tells what to do on which day.
Teachers can directly access the whole-class reading and activities to project or share on zoom
with both pdf and web-based formats to choose from. The printables are offered in different
formats as well, and can easily be printed and cut out by the teacher or teacher’s assistant upon
preparation for the lesson.

Does the software serve its intended purpose, which is classroom use? Explain.

Yes, this software has complete lesson plans that can be used for classroom instruction. They
are formatted in many ways so that they can be printed into booklets, projected, or used virtually
for distance learning students. The lessons can be used for different forms of instruction and
activities, including whole-class reads, small group reads, small group centers, and independent
close-reads and writing activities.

Are there multiple forms of media (audio, video, and textual communication channels) that
encourage the student to engage with the software? Explain.

The main form of media is visual/textual stories. Most of the stories also have audio
companions. Students can engage with the stories by reading them out loud or listening to the
teacher or audio companion read. They can further engage with the stories by completing the
activities related to them.

Is the documentation for the product/software, such as technical support, instructions on how to
use the product, and hardware requirements presented clearly on the website? Explain.

Yes, there is a professional development webpage to train teachers and staff on how to
implement Reading A-Z in their schools. There is also a help page with technical support FAQs
and requests.

Is the software adaptable to support specific accessibility needs of learners with disabilities?
Explain.
The software has some accessibility features such as the audio option for visually impaired
learners and different fonts geared toward those with dyslexia and other processing disorders.
There is also a “Reach All Learners” section in each lesson plan providing differentiation,
English language learner, and Spanish Resources.

Does the software program give appropriate feedback to responses (assessment)?

There are many reading comprehension and writing activities throughout the unit that teachers
can use to assess student’s skills in these areas. The program does not contain any tests that
can be used as a summative assessment for the lessons.

Can the skill levels be adjusted by the student/instructor? Explain.

Yes, there are resources for differentiated instruction and different small group stories in each
day’s lesson plan that are based on the students’ reading levels.