Read & Write GOLD

Other Features for Version 8.1 - 

• Text to Speech with Highlighting including websites and PDF files
   
• Research Tools with Graphic Organizer - Fact Finder, Fact Folder, Fact Mapper
   
• Spanish Translator Tool - The new Translation Tool provides easy access to one-click translation of English words that a student gets stuck on. The tool works with any digital content, on-screen selections, accessible applications, website content or digital textbooks.
   
• Speech - Read & Write GOLD color highlights and reads the words, sentences or paragraphs in your document.
   
• Spelling - Read & Write GOLD incorporates a fast advanced spellchecker specifically designed to solve the most complex of phonetic errors.
   
• Homophone Support - Read&Write GOLD has an improved homophone database with the option to select from basic or advanced homophone suggestions, further enhancing the suggestions relevance to the User.
   
• Scanning - Read&Write Gold has a built-in, one-click scanning tool. With Read&Write Gold, it is possible to scan paper-based documents or saved image into MS Word, HTML, MS Excel or PDF format. If a scanner is unavailable, a user may even scan a document in using a digital camera! Once scanned, the text may be read aloud in any one of 5 display/audible methods, ensuring the user has a successful listening and learning experience.

  After scanning text and graphics into Read&Write GOLD, the user may then edit the document. This is ideal for scanning tests that are then going to be taken by a student using Read&Write GOLD. The student can type their answers and have them read aloud and feel safe in the knowledge that they understand what is being asked of them and that their answer reflects their actual knowledge.

  Text and images may also be scanned into Internet Explorer allowing the User to apply "style sheets" so that regardless of the original document scanned, the software will display their preferred style with colors, font type and font size.
  
  

• Word Prediction - The Read&Write GOLD Word Predictor learns the Users style of writing and predicts the word they want to use next.
   
• Talking Dictionary - 180,000 words are provided with alternative suggestions in the Read&Write Gold dictionary, thus supporting the user's creative writing skills. Each word in the dictionary has a description and sample sentence, all of which can be spoken.

  Read&Write Gold also includes our own commissioned dictionary giving easier to comprehend definitions and setting options enabling the user to choose basic or advanced definitions. This further increases the capacity of understanding for students and increases the products ability to be tailored to the needs of individual users.
  
  

• Speech Maker - Read&Write Gold allows the conversion of text to MP3, WMA or WAV files. For example, one may convert text from a novel or magazine to listen to when relaxing or studying, or convert a script to audio format to help learn lines for a school play or amateur production. Ideal for reviewing work, the playback voice can be adjusted to suit the individual's needs, making the experience as productive as possible. The audible text in Read&Write Gold can be saved directly to the users media player.
   
• Fact Folder – The Fact Folder in Read&Write Gold provides an unparalleled study/research tool for organizing thoughts and ideas. The Fact Folder helps those with literacy difficulties by capturing text from any application (including Internet browsers), classifying it, attaching pictures, capturing bibliographic information, and recording its source. When research is complete, the user can convert facts to a Word document with one click of a button, download the text to PDA, convert to HTML or turn the text into a slide show.
  
  
• Fact Finder – The Read&Write Gold Fact Finder is a web search tool that performs a search on a selected word via a default search engine. This desktop search tool is a quick and easy way of conducting research or gathering information for reports and essays.

  Read&Write Gold also has the option for the user to add their own choice of websites to search through, making Fact Finder even more efficient in gathering information on a given subject.
  
  

• Speech Input – Read&Write Gold allows users to convert speech to text. This voice recognition tool makes use of a simple training program with audible prompts to prepare the computer for recognizing the speaker's voice
   
• Simple and Scientific Calculator - The calculator provides the most common functions associated with a Simple or Scientific Calculator and provides an audit trail so that each user can see their calculations as they progress. It is also capable of evaluating equations within a document and converting measures of time, distance etc. between to metric form.
   
• Word Wizard - The Read&Write Gold Word Wizard acts as a thesaurus for those times when users are at a loss for words. It guides users from the known word a new or preferred word. The word wizard provides a great choice of alternative words and provides a list of linking words. Each of the descriptions and sample sentences can be read by Read&Write Gold to help find the word to use.
   
• Pronunciation Tutor - The Pronunciation Tutor in Read&Write Gold will break words into syllables allowing easy recognition of syllables in a word. An on-screen moving mouth will assist in the development of more accurate speech. The Pronunciation Tutor can also be of particular advantage to English Language Learners (ELL) as it highlights the pronunciation of a given word in a visual format.
   
• Teachers Toolkit – The Teacher's Toolkit, which can only be accessed by authorized users, allows teachers to control which features of Read&Write Gold a student has access to. Teachers can customize 'Feature Sets' which enable them to switch 'on' or 'off' many of the features of this program.

  A simple-to-use interface allows the creation of feature profiles which can be applied to an individual or to a group of students. A typical example is the creation of an "Exam" profile which would restrict the functionality of Read&Write GOLD software during an exam. With increasing demand for providing support within the exam or assessment environment, the Read&Write GOLD toolbar provides a new resource for choosing which features are active in the program while still allowing students access to reading and writing support tools. By having the ability to switch off any 'advantageous' features, the student can still be independent while taking the assessment, reducing the stigma that is often attached with having a 'human' reader.

  In order to provide further information to teachers, Read&Write Gold includes a spelling error log and an activity log which can be accessed only by the teacher. The spelling log provides a list of recent corrections that the student has made, while the activity log lists information such as duration the program was used, number of words typed, number of errors, percentage of errors and any new words that have been learned. This can be used to re-test students, to create individual lesson plans or to assess usage of software.
  
  

• Daisy Reader – The DAISY Standard for Digital Accessible Documents is an open worldwide specification that revolutionizes the reading experience for people who are blind or print disabled. Read&Write Gold software contains Daisy Reading technology and allows users to read their Daisy Books while working within the Read&Write program.

  An added feature incorporated in the Daisy Reader is a dual color highlighting option. Dual color highlighting allows users with disabilities such as dyslexia to enjoy their reading experience in a format and style they are comfortable with.
  
  

• Web Highlighting - The Web highlighting feature of Read&Write Gold allows the user to experience dual color highlighting with audible feedback in HTML documents. This is of particular use for users with literacy difficulties when accessing information online and also aids the user's concentration and comprehension. This feature can be used as part of workplace accommodations initiatives.
   
• Clipboard History - The clipboard stores the last ten pieces of information accessed in a visible list for easy retrieval.
   
• PDFaloud - Read&Write GOLD includes a companion feature, PDFaloud. The PDFaloud toolbar launches within Adobe Acrobat or Acrobat Reader files and speech-enables PDF content (provided the file's security settings allow for text copying). The toolbar also provides options for controlling voice output settings, using a dictionary and calculator, and searching the internet.
   

System Requirements -
The following are the minimum requirements needed to operate Read & Write:

• Pentium III 800MHz Processor
• Windows 2000 SP4 or above
• 256 MB RAM (512MB minimum on Windows Vista)
• 600 MB Free Disk Space
• Internet Explorer 5.5 or later
• CD ROM drive for install
• Sound Card and Speakers
• Microphone (For Speech Input)

Scanners which have been tested with Read & Write Gold:

• Canoscan Lide 50
• Canoscan Lide 60
• Epson V350
• Epson 2480
• HP Scanjet 4370
• HP Scanjet 4600
• HP Laserjet 3250
  Read & Write Gold will also work with any new scanners available.

High Speed ADF tested with Read & Write Gold:

• Epson GT-2500
• Fujitsu 4220
• Fujitsu 5220
• Kodak I40
• Panasonic 1025C

• Parrot
• Emkay

(NB. Previous versions of Read & Write and WordSmith must be uninstalled before installing Read & Write 8.1 GOLD)

• No installation required!
• Students can complete homework and research assignments or use Read&Write GOLD for pleasure reading, sending email, or simply searching the web using the same tools they use at school.
• Teachers can prepare assignments and files for students any time or place that is convenient for them - before, during, or after school.
• Students and teachers can work on any computer – school, home, dorm room, work, library, resource room, or after-school program.
• User preferences are stored on the device so users can work comfortably using their own settings on any computer as if it were their own.
• Users can store their own files on the device along with Read&Write GOLD.

“Using Read & Write Gold has provided the motivation my students needed to write. They love typing in a story and hearing it as they go and then as an end product. They ask, "When can we go to the lab?" rather than, "Ughh, why do we have to go?"

-  Russellville Middle School, Russellville Independent Schools

"Read&Write GOLD is a really good program that helps me be independent. It's teaching me to read and I'm learning more words than ever. My teachers love it. All my teachers are happier because I had to bug them or my friend to read for me. Now I can do everything myself.

When everyone is done [with their assignment], now I'm done at the same time. I get to be like everyone else."

-Nicholle Bem, 7th Grade Student, Wellington Christian School, FL

"I think that the power of Read&Write is in its universality. I recommended it not only to dyslexics but also to people with mobility impairment and working memory difficulties. People who suffered some sort of injury and are on medication have tremendous difficulties with concentration and memorizing reading material. Read&Write serves as a double reinforcement strategy. When written text is combined with audio it is easier to memorize the material. This applies to people with mental health difficulties, epilepsy and many other syndromes. So far I have not met a student who did not find your software useful. One of the advantages is the quality of the voices which are very natural sounding."

- Katrina Barakhta, Teacher, U.K

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