COMPUTER:  WIN 95, 98                            Mac 040 or faster
                         486/100 MHZ or higher          System 7.55 or later
                         12 MB RAM                          12 MB RAM
                         4 MB hard drive space, 256-color monitor, CD-ROM drive (2x)

SPECIFIC SKILLS: Reading comprehension, decoding skills, reading fluency and speed, vocabulary development, pronunciation, phrasing and intonation, writing skills, sentence structure, spelling, contextual clue development, plot, character, setting, and dialogue, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar.

DESCRIPTION: The Start-to-Finish Books include 42 titles and 14 series topics and is appropriate for 6th grade students through adults who are reading at about the 3rd grade level. Illustrations from the story are provided in both PICT (MAC) and BMP (WIN) formats so students can import them into other applications for book reports or projects.  There are also Co:Writer files, which contain all of the words and names used in the story along with a Co:Writer dictionary. The Records option compiles status reports that outline the lesson and exercises that have been completed, the number of times the student has "visited" the lesson or exercise, the time spent on each lesson, and the quiz scores.

EVALUATION SUMMARY: The Start-to-Finish Book Series is the most outstanding and comprehensive low-level reading improvement and developmental program I have found in many years. What's even more exciting is that the program is affordable for most program budgets!  For the cost of one title, you are provided with the CD, cassette tape, and paperback format of the story for students.  In addition, I generated 25 worksheets of key words, idioms and expressions, tests and quizzes, reading comprehension and writings skill exercises that were available in PDF files on the CD for additional individual skill development or classroom instruction.  The Teacher's Guide also provides excellent sample group lesson plans, suggestions for media use of each format, and specifically identifies supplemental activities and resources, along with basic operational and reporting information.  The voice narration varies with every story and truly captivates the listener.  My students particularly liked the real-life photographs used in the biography series. My high school age and older adult students were highly motivated, interested, and successful in using this program for reading and writing development.