As students advance in grade levels they are expected to make a meaningful contribution to an academic discussion.

To do so, students must be able to interpret reading material for a purpose, which involves questioning, looking for intentions, and analyzing information.

However, many students enter higher grades unable to read critically. They fail to recognize an author's major points or understand how these points contribute to the coherence of the written piece. This inability to analyze makes it difficult for students to synthesize new information and restructure their ideas.

Furthermore, social elements discourage students from wanting to address these issues. It can be embarrassing for them to be in remedial classes.

Students need to be taught critical reading skills in a way that boosts their confidence as learners, and provides the basis for understanding an author's message.

Instructional software can be a great tool to accomplish these tasks. Particularly if the programs offer students constructive feedback and provide teachers with measurable results.

Merit Software reading programs were designed with these features in mind. Many teachers have reported that they have been effective in helping them teach critical reading in classroom and lab settings.

Developing Critical Thinking Skills for Effective Reading - "The immediate response and praise does wonders to bolster a student's desire to do well." Shotwell Middle School, Houston, TX

Merit programs cover the core reading competencies that students need to master. The format holds student interest and keeps students engaged. Contextual help for students is available at various stages within all Merit programs. When working with Merit's software, students are able to see their strengths and weaknesses in a non-judgmental manner. They accept responsibility for the challenge of improving their skills.

Accu-Reading - "An entertainingly constructive program that teachers will want to use again and again." Rocketdownload.com

All Merit Software programs seamlessly integrate student records into a centralized management utility. This allows teachers to manage all student records in one place, monitor students' progress, and view and print details of individual students or classes. The management system can be used on standalone and network computers.

Reading Critically: Non-Fiction - "Very easy to use. Excellent format." Foreman High School, Chicago, IL

To learn more about Merit Software's products for reading, vocabulary, grammar, writing, and math, visit www.meritsoftware.com. Free evaluation versions of all Merit programs may be downloaded directly from the web site. The evaluation software contains a wide variety of actual exercises from the complete programs.

Or, as a special offer to lessonplanspage.com visitors, teachers may request our evaluation software CD. It allows teachers to directly install evaluation versions of all Merit Software programs without downloading them. The CD is completely free and may be requested by pointing your browser to here.