Arthur's Computer Adventure

It's difficult to find interactive stories suitable for newcomers who are in grades 3-8.Arthur's Computer Adventure by Marc Brown is more mature than many of the other CD stories which are available. ESL students of all ages will work on this program.

Arthur's Reading Race

I love to use Broderbund's Living Books with my ESL students, but Arthur's Reading Race, based on a book of the same name by Marc Brown, has an even wider application for new learners of English and beginning readers of English.

Diorama Designer

Transport your students to a different time and place.Diorama Designer is a Mac/Win CD-ROM from Tom Snyder Productions. This program allows students to produce the walls, furniture, and household items for dwellings from different periods in history: Medieval, Native American, Colonial and contemporary.

Kidspeak English

This CD ROM covers basic language and reviews numbers, letters, days of the week, months, and time using simple sentences and lively animated pictures. There are 40 games and 3 levels of difficulty.

Kidspiration

In the field of ESL we know the value of visual learning. Kidspiration, the K-5 version of Inspiration, is an outstanding tool for young English language learners. It helps them represent ideas using pictures when they don't yet have the language to express themselves in English. Kidspiration also helps ELLs brainstorm ideas and organize information.

Rain Forest Designer

The last time my ESL class studied the rain forest I spent hours finding pictures of animals that live on the different levels of the forest. Now Rain Forest Designer by Tom Snyder Productions allows students to build their own 3-D rain forest with all the animals. Free samples are available on the site!

Science Court

Science Court is a new CD-ROM series from Tom Snyder Productions that mixes animated courtroom drama, hands-on science activities, and humor to teach students fundamental science concepts and model good scientific practice.

Sheila Rae, the Brave

Sheila Rae wasn't afraid of anything! She decides to take a different route home and gets lost. Her sister Louise finds her and saves the day. This sing-along reading adventure helps ESL students sing what they read. Students in grades K-2 will love this interactive musical story.

Tortoise and the Hare

Based on the Aesop Fable, this book has a wide appeal for my new English Language Learners. Newcomers at all grade levels recognize this tale which has been translated into many languages. Almost all of my older students understand the moral of this story which they have read in their native language.

Usborne's Animated First Thousand Words

With this CD-ROM from Scholastic, students can click on a picture, hear the words, and see how they are written in 35 scenes from everyday life. Originally designed to help young native speakers of English learn to read, this program is a great beginning vocabulary builder. You can buy it from Educational Resources, 1-800-624-2926 or you can find it online by going to Usborne Books At Home.

© 1998-2008 Judie Haynes, www.everythingESL.net