Microsoft Releases Early-Learning Suite


My Personal Tutor: Preschool to First Grade

Grade: Pre -- K to 1

Platform: Windows 95

Microsoft Releases Early-Learning Suite

Microsoft is introducing an early-learning basic skills suite titled My Personal Tutor: Preschool to First Grade. It features TutorAssist, technology that recognizes when a child needs help with a concept and offers an interactive tutorial to assist understanding. These tutorials are designed with the same attention to detail as the software's main activities, making them a "bonus" for students.

This built-in assistance lets My Personal Tutor do "what a good tutor d'es -- identify concepts children have trouble with and give them targeted instruction where they need it most," said Lisa Brummel, kids product unit manager at Microsoft. "Kids don't get frustrated when they come to a concept they don't understand, because the multimedia tutorials help them work through it," she commented.

While employing the educational concept of "scaffolding" -- encouraging open-ended exploration while constructing a "scaffold" around the student that provides instructional support -- the software also complies with standards from the National Council of Teachers of English, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and the International Reading Association.

My Personal Tutor: Preschool to First Grade consists of four CDs: Preschool Workshop, Alphabet Playhouse, Reader Railway, and Mathopolis. It features reporting functions that track children's progress on all subjects and key learning objectives, and will cost around $55. Microsoft Corp., Redmond, WA, (800) 426-9400, www.microsoft.com.

Write 401 on Inquiry Card

Featured

  • stylized human profiles, tablets, and floating icons

    From Feedback to Flexibility: 5 AI Tools Teachers Should Try

    As a fifth-grade teacher and AI School Champion in the St. Vrain Valley School District, I've seen firsthand how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming education. Here are five AI-enabled tools I've found especially powerful in my classroom and professional practice.

  • computer monitor with a bold AI search bar on the screen

    Google Rolls Out AI Mode in Search

    About a year after introducing AI Overviews for its flagship search offering, Google has announced broad availability of AI Mode in Search.

  • portable Wi-Fi hotspot rests on a stack of books and a laptop in a library

    Senate Votes to Rescind E-Rate Program Funding Loaner WiFi Hotspots for Schools and Libraries

    The Senate has passed a joint resolution to overturn "Addressing the Homework Gap Through the E-Rate Program," a July 2024 expansion to the FCC's E-Rate program that allowed schools and libraries to utilize E-Rate resources to loan out WiFi hotspots to students, school staff, and library patrons.

  • silhouetted student stands before the White House, surrounded by abstract digital graphics of brains, circuits, and AI elements

    White House Sets Sights on AI Education

    A new executive order from President Donald Trump aims to advance America's position in artificial intelligence technology by incorporating AI into education and providing AI training for educators.