SkillsBank 4 is a software product by The Learning Company created to instruct the basic core curriculum skills to students with and without disabilities. The program is structured into lessons that address the following skill areas: reading, language arts, writing, basic and intermediate mathematics, and information skills for the 6th -12th grade levels.
A friendly, knowledgeable voice guides users through each lesson at their own pace, providing auditory instruction and visual feedback for students who have reading deficits. Students are able to work through activities of increasing difficulty, and a final practice test in standardized test format is provided at the end of each unit to measure achievement.
This software provides teacher/parent support through a variety of reporting formats. Reports are based on the users’ test assessments for each unit completed. SkillsBank 4 software supports a number of assistive devices such as alternative keyboards, screen enlargers, and control panel adjustments.
LINC is using this software in the FaST-LINC program with 7th and 8th grade Baltimore City School students with and without disabilities. Families and teachers can try it out at LINC during Open Lab hours.
Unifix® Software for Macintosh helps children make the connection between concrete hands-on experiences and abstract math concepts. Created for use by children with a wide variety of abilities, the software features built-in access for single switch users. Unifix® Software expands the ways that Unifix® can be used in the classroom, providing teachers with the ability to create activities and portfolios and providing students with dramatic proof of operation.
Unifix retails for $59.95, and includes on-screen Unifix Cubes, sounds for patterning, reinforcement and songmaking. It creates on-screen activities, and produces worksheets. The package includes a complete teacher’s manual and 100 free Unifix Cubes. The software can be modified to be appropriate for any age and ability, has a comprehensive single switch option with adjustable scanning speed, features tool grouping and unique navigational aids for students with physical disabilities, and menus that can toggle from English to Spanish.
A discovery tool for students, a working tool for teachers... available at LINC Open Labs.
New Software at LINC on Loan for Members
- Number Concepts with Oshi Otter by Intellitools; Mac/PC CD. Basic number concepts for grades Pre-K-2.
Monkeys Jumping On The Bed by SoftTouch; Mac/PC CD. Single switch software teaches colors and numbers through familiar song and rhyme. Ages 2-6.
- Fall Fun by SoftTouch; Mac/PC CD. Single switch software that includes cause and effect instruction. Eight songs in all and a variety of activities are included. Ages 2-6.
- Nouns and Sounds by Laureate; Mac/PC CD. A fun way to develop auditory awareness and build listening skills. Play games that exercise visual and auditory short-term memory. Ages 18 months and up.
- Tiger’s Tale by Laureate; Mac/PC CD. Create a story using voice activation to animate characters. Beginning readers learn to master vocabulary and improve reading comprehension. Ages 3-10.
- Magic Tales: Imo the King by Davidson; Mac/PC CD. A talking book that tells this African tale with animation and interaction. Ages 3-10.
- Pilgrim Quest by Decision Dev. Corp.; Mac 3.5 disks; An exciting strategy game based on the Pilgrim settlement at Plymouth. Co-developed with the National Geographic Society, the software is packed with historical information. Ages 7-14.
- Math Blaster Algebra by Davidson; Mac/PC CD. Teaches basic algebra concepts through games and puzzles. Ages 10-16.