FAQ
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Questions from Administrators
Questions about Early Intervention Software
Questions from Special Educators
Questions about English as a Second Language and Bilingual Intervention
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Questions from Administrators
Q. I have parents asking for more individual language intervention
services for their children. Can Laureate software help me meet this
need cost effectively?
A. Laureate software provides a cost-effective solution for schools
and districts looking to increase the number of language and reading
intervention sessions students receive without hiring additional
special educators and speech-language pathologists. Our programs are
designed to be used independently, so your students can receive
services right in their own classrooms. Even students with the most
severe disabilities can use Laureate’s programs with the assistance
of an aide. This means your students can receive quality
individualized language services five days a week. By enabling
speech-language pathologists to prescribe more language intervention
services, Laureate software helps students meet their IEP goals more
quickly and efficiently.
Q. Can Laureate software make it easier for my special educators and
speech-language pathologists to document student performance?
A. Accountability requires data to document performance. All
Laureate programs collect and report data that can be used to
document performance. Your special educators and speech-language
pathologists can use Laureate software for alternative assessments
as well as documentation of student performance for individual
portfolios. Laureate’s all-new Sterling Edition programs have
enhanced data collection, analysis, and reporting capabilities that
significantly ease the documentation burden.
Q. Do any of your programs utilize expert systems to automatically
deliver instruction so my special education professionals don’t have
to spend time giving detailed instructions on software use in the
classroom?
A. Laureate’s all new Sterling Editions language intervention
programs come with an automatic instructional delivery system called
Optimized Intervention®. The system is extremely easy to use. Simply
choose the student’s name, the program, and click on GO. The system
begins with probe testing to determine where to begin training. Once
training begins, Optimized Intervention automatically adjusts
instructional delivery based on student responses. Optimized
Intervention collects trial-by-trial student data and the Sterling
Administration System provides built-in analysis and reporting
capabilities. Delivering individualized language intervention
sessions couldn’t be more cost-effective.
Q. We’ve seen an alarming increase in the number of students with
autism. Do you have any programs that can meet the unique needs of
these exceptional learners?
A. Students with autism have been successfully using Laureate’s
software for over twenty years. We currently offer a Two-Level
Autism/PDD Package of programs especially chosen to meet the
language needs of your students. Level 1 takes students from
cause-and-effect to beginning word combinations while Level 2 ranges
from early syntax to basic language mastery. If you’re looking for
an effective reading program for this population, try The Sentence
Master authored by Dr. Marion Blank. This revolutionary approach
systematically provides instruction to turn the non-reader into a
successful reader.
Q. Does Laureate have software to address literacy issues in Early
Essential Education programs?
A. Research has demonstrated the importance of building oral
language abilities as a basis for emergent literacy. Combining print
with pictures helps children begin the process of associating
graphemes and phonemes. Starting with our earliest vocabulary
development programs, text accompanies picture presentations. We
have put together a “Preschool Essential Language Package”
consisting of programs to build vocabulary, develop syntax, and
encourage emergent literacy skills. These programs will help your
students develop the language abilities they need to achieve school
success.
Q. Do you have software for students with severe/profound
disabilities?
A. Starting with cause and effect games designed for students
functioning below six months of age, Laureate has software that can
meet the needs of students with the most severe disabilities.
High-quality natural sounding speech, colorful graphics, and
engaging animation captivate, encourage, and instruct users…and no
reading is required. All of our programs are easily accessible
through a single switch, touch sensitive screen, keyboard, or mouse.
Laureate software provides the consistent, supportive environment
that learners with special challenges require to achieve success.
Q. Does your software offer an integrated research-based approach to
language learning?
A. Laureate’s programs are organized into a linguistic hierarchy
which outlines seven stages of language development. Over 80
research-based software titles help students with language and
cognitive impairments master critical language skills. Because the
software is integrated, students can move easily from one program to
the next as they meet their goals.
Q. Do you have anything for students who are having problems
learning to read?
A. For students with weak oral language and reading skills, Laureate
has put together a specially priced “Elementary Language and Reading
Package” of software that will meet the cognitive, language, and
reading needs of your elementary students with identified
disabilities as well as your disadvantaged learners. These
research-based programs will provide your students with the skills
they need for academic success.
Q. We have kindergarten and elementary school students learning
English as a Second Language. Do you have programs that can help
them gain basic oral English competence?
A. Laureate offers special pricing on the “English as a Second
Language (ESL) Package” of language development software. This
package includes programs to train English word order and sentence
structures, vocabulary (including irregular verbs), and following
directions.
Q. Can your software help make inclusion work in our district?
A. Because Laureate software is designed to be used independently,
students can receive individualized language and reading instruction
in their own classrooms. Not only will your students reach their
educational goals, they’ll build their confidence, independence, and
self-esteem.
Q. How can I use instructional technology to better address the
learning needs of all the special education students I'm responsible
for?
A. Laureate has put together a “Complete Special Education Software
Solutions Package” that offers a range of programs at special
savings to you. The programs included in this package are
appropriate for students whose disabilities range from
severe/profound to mild. This package covers cause and effect,
vocabulary development, categorization, syntax mastery, concept
development, and reading instruction.
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Questions About Early Intervention Software
Q. How early can children with special needs benefit from using your
software?
A. Laureate has software that can meet the needs of even the
youngest and/or most severely handicapped children. Children
functioning below six months of age can use our Creatures Games to
-increase their auditory and visual attention, learn cause and
effect and turn- taking, and develop intentionality. High-quality
natural sounding speech, -colorful graphics, and amusing animation
captivate, encourage, and instruct the user. All of our programs are
easily accessible through a single switch or touch screen. Laureate
software provides the consistent, supportive environment that
children with special challenges require to achieve success.
Q. Which of your programs are most appropriate for early -language
intervention?
A. Laureate’s programs are organized into a linguistic hierarchy
which outlines seven stages of language development. Because the
software is integrated, children can move easily from one program to
the next as they meet their goals.
The Early Vocabulary Development Series and The Exploring Vocabulary
Series provide receptive training of 100 nouns and 40 verbs. Talking
Nouns I, Talking Nouns II, and Talking Verbs are companion programs
which encourage the expressive use of this core vocabulary in
communication exchanges. Adjectives and Opposites introduces the
concept of opposites in a fun, exploratory environment, while First
Categories provides beginning categorization training.
The newest member of our syntax intervention programs is Simple
Sentence Structure which trains Subject-Verb-Object word order. The
Early Emerging Rules Series introduces negation, plurals, and
the prepositions “in” and “on.” The Microcomputer Language
Assessment and Development System (Micro-LADS) is a comprehensive
syntax remediation package that uses over 600 pictures to train 46
grammatical forms.
The Words & Concepts Series integrates language and concept training
in a unique way. Each program uses a core vocabulary of 40 nouns in
6 related activities: Vocabulary, Categorization, Word
Identification by Function, Word Association, and the Concepts of
Same and Different. The companion Concentrate! programs reinforce
the lessons from Words & Concepts in a fun game format.
Q. I have parents asking for more language intervention -services in
our Early Essential Education (EEE) program. Can Laureate software
help me meet this need?
A. Laureate software provides a cost-effective solution for
increasing the number of language sessions children receive without
hiring additional staff. Our programs are designed to be used
independently, so your students can use them without assistance.
Children can use Laureate software five days a week, enabling them
to meet their individual education goals more quickly and
efficiently.
Q. Can Laureate software save me time?
A. There are several ways in which Laureate can help you save time
and enhance your effectiveness. First, you’ll save time writing
individual education plans because most Laureate programs come with
Goals and Objectives which can be easily integrated into a student’s
program. Second, Laureate software will cut down on your paperwork
because all of our instructional programs include data collection
and a performance summary which can be saved on disk or printed out.
A test level also helps you document student progress.
Q. Can your software help make inclusion work in our district?
A. As an increasing number of preschoolers with disabilities join
integrated classrooms, Laureate software can help facilitate
inclusion. Many of our programs encourage collaborative learning,
helping children with special needs interact and communicate with
their peers. Your students will not only reach their educational
goals more quickly, they’ll build their confidence, independence,
and self-esteem.
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Questions from Special Educators
Q. How can Laureate software benefit my students?
A. Laureate software provides the consistent, supportive environment
that students with special learning challenges require to achieve
success. Our programs are designed to be used independently, so
students can receive individualized language and reading instruction
in their own classrooms five days a week. Not only will your
students meet their IEP goals more quickly and efficiently, they’ll
build confidence, independence, and self-esteem.
Q. Are Laureate programs theory and research based?
A. All Laureate programs are based on current linguistic and
learning theory. The instructional techniques utilized in the
software have proven clinical effectiveness in intervention with
students who have disabilities. If you are interested in learning
more about the theoretical and research bases of Laureate programs,
we have monographs available for most of our program series.
Q. Does your software offer an integrated approach to learning?
A. Laureate’s programs are organized into a Linguistic Hierarchy
that outlines seven stages of language development. We have programs
for students functioning in each of these stages, from cause &
effect to mastery of advanced category concepts and irregular verbs
forms. Because the software is integrated, students can move easily
from one program to the next as they meet their goals.
Q. Do Laureate programs come with a student management system?
A. Laureate software has a built-in management system that makes it
easy for you to track student performance. All of our instructional
programs include data collection and a performance summary that can
be saved or printed out. Data can be imported into a word processor
making it easier to generate reports as well. And the management
system is integrated across programs. No matter how many programs a
student is using, a single student log is maintained.
Q. How can I incorporate Laureate programs into my students' IEPs
and IFSPs?
A. Laureate’s direct instruction programs come with sample Goals and
Objectives that can be written into a student’s individualized
program. With these Goals and Objectives, you'll see how to
integrate computer-delivered services into a student’s plan.
Q. How early can students use Laureate programs?
A. Laureate has software that can meet the needs of even the
youngest and/or most severely handicapped children. Our cause &
effect Creature Games are designed for students functioning below
six months of age. High-quality natural sounding speech, colorful
graphics, and amusing animation captivate, encourage, and instruct
the user...and no reading is required. All of our programs are
easily accessible with a single switch, touchscreen, keyboard, or
mouse.
Q. Do you have anything for students who are experiencing reading
failure?
A. The Sentence Master is Laureate’s revolutionary approach to
reading intervention for students at risk of reading failure.
Authored by Dr. Marion Blank, whose approach is recognized
worldwide, The Sentence Master systematically provides instruction
to turn the non-reader into a successful reader. The program focuses
special attention on non-content words (articles, pronouns,
prepositions, etc.) and word endings (such as “s,” “ed,” and “ing”).
By truly teaching this small set of non-content words, The Sentence
Master enables a reader to instantly decode over half of any page of
text that he or she will ever encounter. Our Sentence Master
monograph is available free of charge and includes a placement
procedure for determining which of the four levels of the program is
appropriate for a particular student.
Q. I work with preschool and elementary students learning English as
a Second Language. Do you have programs that can help them gain
basic oral English competence and learn to read?
A. For children who need to learn basic English syntax, we recommend
Micro-LADS. Natural sounding speech improves your students’
listening and speaking skills, while optional text encourages
beginning reading. Because Micro-LADS is designed to be used
independently, students can receive individualized language
instruction in their own classrooms five days a week.
The Sentence Master is an ideal reading program for children
learning English as a Second Language. The Sentence Master will help
your students learn the essential structures of the English
language. Each level of the program presents increasingly complex
sentence patterns that have been carefully selected to represent
ideas that are central to understanding any coherent text. For
students learning English as a Second Language, The Sentence Master
eliminates frustration and ensures success.
Q. Can you offer suggestions for software appropriate for the
various students I serve?
A. Laureate’s Linguistic Hierarchy can help you identify programs
appropriate for students at various functioning levels. We have also
put together packages at special savings for various students. We
offer packages customized for: Birth to Three, Preschool Essential
Language, HeadStart, Title I and Remedial Reading, English as a
Second Language, Autism/PDD, and Visual Impairments.
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Questions about ESL and Bilingual Intervention
Q. I work with kindergarten and elementary-age students learning
English as a Second Language. Do you have programs that can help
them gain basic oral English competence and learn to read?
A. For children who need to learn basic English syntax, we recommend
the Microcomputer Language Assessment and Development System
(Micro-LADS). Micro-LADS is a comprehensive, highly effective
training program that uses over 600 pictures and 300 vocabulary
items to train 46 grammatical forms. Natural sounding speech
improves your students’ listening and speaking skills, while
optional text encourages beginning reading. Because Micro-LADS is
designed to be used independently, your students can receive
individualized language instruction in their own classrooms five
days a week.
The Sentence Master is an ideal reading program for children
learning English as a Second Language. Designed by Dr. Marion Blank,
this program focuses special instructional attention on non-content
words (articles, pronouns, prepositions, etc.) and word endings
(such as “-s,” “-ed,” and “ing”). By truly teaching this small set
of non-content words, The Sentence Master enables a reader to
instantly decode over half of any page of text he or she will ever
encounter.
The Sentence Master will also help your students learn the essential
structures of the English language. Each level of the program
presents increasingly complex sentence patterns which have been
carefully selected to represent ideas that are central to
understanding any coherent text. For students learning English as a
Second language, The Sentence Master eliminates frustration and
ensures success.
Q. I work with pre-schoolers who are proficient in their native
language, but are just learning English as a Second Language. What
software would you suggest?
A. The Exploring Early Vocabulary Series encourages vocabulary
growth in an open-ended, exploratory environment. Your 3-5 year old
students will enjoy discovering and identifying 100 early developing
English nouns and 40 verbs in realistic contexts. Large engaging
objects and lively animation make learning fun.
Simple Sentence Structure helps children understand the importance
of Subject-Verb-Object order in English. Students work through four
sentence sets: contrasting subjects, contrasting verbs, contrasting
objects, and finally, subject/object reversal. In addition to
learning basic word order, they’ll build their vocabulary of English
words.
Q. Do you have any bilingual programs that can help us provide
language intervention services to pre-school and elementary-age
children on IEPs?
A. Laureate has two series of bilingual packages available for
Spanish-speaking children with language impairments who are learning
English as a Second language. These bilingual Mac/Win CD-ROMs
include both the English and Spanish versions of each program on a
single CD.
The Classic Early Vocabulary Development Series (First Words, First
Words II, and First Verbs) uses high quality speech, colorful
graphics, and amusing animation to train 100 early developing nouns
and 40 verbs. Six levels of instruction, a variety of customization
features, and accessible interfaces make these programs appropriate
for children whose language functioning level is as low as 9 to 12
months of age.
The Language Activities of Daily Living Series (My House, My Town,
and My School) encourages discovery, learning, and communication
about the objects and activities your students encounter during
their daily routines. Each program presents over 100 nouns and their
functions or descriptions in engaging full-screen scenes. In the
Discover activities, children hear the names or descriptions of
objects by selecting them on the screen. In the Identify activities,
the computer asks children to find various objects according to
their names or descriptions.
The Words & Concepts Series is also available on Macintosh disks.
These programs integrate language and concept training in a
systematic way. Each program uses a core vocabulary of 40 nouns in 6
related language activities: Vocabulary, Categorization, Word
Identification by Function, Word Association, and the Concepts of
Same and Different. Your students will build vocabulary, strengthen
their language comprehension, discover word relationships, and
develop important concepts.
Q. Which of your bilingual programs are appropriate for use with my
adult rehabilitation clients?
A. The Language Activities of Daily Living Series programs, My House
and My Town are appropriate for use with this population. Both My
House and My Town are available on a bilingual Mac/Win CD-ROM that
contains the complete Language Activities of Daily Living Series.
The bilingual CD-ROM toggles between English and Spanish at the
users command. My House and My Town: Language Activities of Daily
Living each present over 100 common vocabulary items and their
descriptions. The programs can be used in either Discovery or
Identification mode. In the Discover activities, users hear the
names or descriptions of objects by selecting them on the screen. In
Identify mode, the computer asks the client to find various objects
according their names or descriptions.
Also available on Macintosh disks is the Words & Concepts Series.
These bilingual programs are also available in a version that will
toggle between English and Spanish. The Words & Concepts Series
offers an integrated approach to intervention. Each program uses a
core vocabulary of 40 nouns in six related language units. After
mastering the vocabulary unit, individuals learn to organize words
into categories, discover how different objects are used, and
identify pairs of words that are commonly associated. In the Same
and Different units, users are asked to differentiate between
pictures by using gross discrimination skills or by looking for
small details.
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