These programs are designed to meets the needs of all students from the weakest to those working at a higher level. Each program uses many approaches to suit different learning styles. It is the best software I have ever seen for filling the needs of such a variety of students. To top it off the kids absolutely love the programs from Essential Skills!
Emily Maxwell, Grade Two Teacher
Whigham Elementary School, Whigham, Georgia
Georgia
We use the Essential Skills programs everyday with the kids in K through 5. They love them! We feel the skills correlate well with the state standards. The software is wonderful. It is so easy to individualize for practice and retention of the specific skills. We have used this software on a daily basis for four years.
Carol Lynn, Special Education Lead Teacher
Mt. Vernon Elementary, Gainesville, Georgia
We use many different Essential Skills programs at different grade levels. Our kindergarten students all use the Sight Words program. I have received only positive feedback about the programs from the classroom teachers. They are really easy to use and we like the way that the management system works across all the programs. They are very user friendly for teachers and students.
Angelina Koster, Media Specialist
Eastside Elementary, Douglas, Georgia
Our primary teachers and students really like the three reading comprehension programs. The programs do a great job of teaching comprehension and vocabulary skills. The kids love them! They put the headphones on and you don't hear a peep out of them for a half hour. They are totally engrossed and engaged by the software. They love the activities. We also use them to test prep for the Standford 9 and the CRCT.
Marlene Hosmer, Technology Assistant
State Bridge Crossing Elementary, Alpharetta, Georgia
We use the Sight Words software with our K through two students on a daily basis. The teachers feel that this program is the best for teaching word recognition skills. The kids love the programs!
Linda Dowdy, Media Specialist
Jack P. Nix Primary School, Cleveland, Georgia
All six of our grade two classes use the Reading Comprehension program from Essential Skills at least one or two days per week. They are student friendly and have good help features. The kids can work independently. The marks manager and reporting system is extremely easy to use. Also, the software is CRCT test compatible. The students really look forward to using these programs.
Brenda Cassels, Grade Two Teacher
Eastside Elementary, Cairo, Georgia
The Reading Comprehension and Spelling software is being used daily for grades one through five. The first and second grades also use Mastering Numeration. We really like the software. It is easy for the teachers to get progress reports because the Marks Manager ties together all the programs. Students never fuss about using the software. They really enjoy it. These programs align well with state standards and QCC objectives. We have been using the software for four years. These programs really are an excellent value. We will continue to buy from ESS.
Martha Donalson, Instructional Coordinator
Shiver School, Pelham, Georgia
We use Essential Skills programs on a daily basis. The kids practically fight to get on the computer to use the programs from Essential Skills. We use Grammar and Writing Fundamentals with the older kids. These programs provide excellent practice and reinforcement of skills. The programs work wonders with IEP goals and objectives. This teacher created software is excellent.
Angie Fender, Special Education Coordinator
Lanier County Elementary School, Lakeland, Georgia
My first grade teachers use Reading Comprehension, Super Phonics and Sight Words. This software meets many of the needs of the first grade Language Arts program. Some of our students also use the software for remediation. All the different modalities are combined in the software and this is very well designed for teaching to different styles. We have used ESS on a regular basis for more than three years.
Francine Wright, Lower School Director
Brookwood School, Thomasville, Georgia
These programs are the best investment we have ever made and our teachers love them! We plan to purchase more as funds become available.
Diane Graham, Instructional Lead Teacher
Blackshear Elementary, , Georgia
The math programs from Essential Skills are user friendly and allow our students to work independently at their own level and pace. I like the drill and practice the programs provide and how they reinforce the concepts. I also like the way the math strands are divided into separate programs. We use CRTC scores to guide us as to how to place students in the software. We used them as a program enhancement and our test scores have improved. They are cost efficient and our students find the programs very engaging.
Marcetta Wong, Title I Teacher
Cloud Springs Elementary, Rossville, Georgia
The Super Phonics and Sight Words programs from Essential Skills give my students the support and practice with the early reading skills they need. We use Essential Skills software on a daily basis with our special needs students. These programs go hand in hand with our reading curriculum. These programs do a great job of teaching and reinforcing the early reading concepts my students need. We love this software!
Laura Davis, Special Education Teacher
Lanier Elementary, Gainesville, Georgia
This software is used daily with our students. It is easy for the teachers to use and allows the students to work independently. The programs can be individualized to meet the ability level and learning style of each student. They reinforce basic skills and correlate to our learning standards. I have noticed an improvement in my students' performance and I use the programs to prepare the kids for testing. I would certainly recommend Essential Skills to others.
Lara Thompson, Interrelated Teacher
Fernbank Elementary, Atlanta, Georgia
Essential Skills is used mainly in our computer lab. There are also one or two classes that use it every day. The programs are user friendly and the students enjoy using them. They will actually ask if they can use Essential Skills. These programs are excellent for working with non English speaking students. I would definitely recommend these programs.
Jo Conrad, T.S.T.
Duncan Creek Elementary, Hoschton, Georgia
I use the programs every day with my grade one students. I love the programs. They are skill based but make excellent use of variety and reinforcement to engage the children and keep them focused. The kids never get bored with these programs and beg to use them everyday. Sight Words has made a real difference with even my lower skilled children. I can tell from my classroom testing that the children are making solid progress. The programs are also very intuitive and easy for students to use independently while being able to see their progress.
Betsy Walker, Grade One Teacher
Crescent Road Elementary, Griffin, Georgia
We use Essential Skills programs everyday with our second and third grade students and our Special Education students. All children are able to work independently and at their own level and pace. I am very impressed with the programs. They provide exceptional practice and reinforcement of the basic skills. There is good diagnostic information with lots of well organized content. The tracking and reporting features are very helpful. The kids love the variety of activities and being able to see their scores at the end of each session.
Anne McDonald, Special Ed. Lead Teacher
Keheley Elem, Marietta, Georgia
We use Essential Skills on a regular basis with 400 plus students. The Readiness Skills, Phonemic Awareness and Sight Words programs align nicely with the Georgia performance standards. The children catch on very quickly and feel very successful. We like the tracking and reporting features. We use the data when we have parent conferences to show progress and effort. This software provides excellent value and I highly recommend it to other teachers.
Debbie Hogan, Computer Teacher
Hood Avenue Primary School, Fayetteville, Georgia
The programs from Essential Skills are easy to use and easy for the students to focus on without any distractions. The curriculum skills are solid and taught in a logical, step by step manner. The children love the programs, particularly the real life pictures used for reinforcement. All of our teachers are very pleased with the programs. They are widely used with EIP students and in the special education classrooms as well. I highly recommend Essential Skills to other teachers.
Debbie Bailey, Technology Teacher
Crooked River Elementary, St Mary's, Georgia
I love the programs from Essential Skills and have used them for the past six years. My students benefit from using the programs every day. The spelling programs even allow the kids to create custom word list dictated into the computer using their own voice. I highly recommend these programs to other teachers.
Gale Everett, ESOL Instructor
Southside Elem., Cairo, Georgia
My behavioral students like the programs from Essential Skills because they can work independently and successfully at their own level and rate of learning. I use these programs as a reward for students with behavioral problems and to help them meet their educational goals. The students are very engaged and focused when working with this software. The programs are very direct with not much room for getting off track.
Jamie Berger, Resource Teacher
Tritt Elementary, Atlanta, Georgia
The Essential Skills programs are excellent for RTI. The phonics programs have many activities to teach all the required phonics skills in a logical order of presentation with lots of practice and review. It is a strong program that targets all ability levels. The children love the programs and the reinforcement the program provides.
Lori Easterling, Kindergarten Teacher
Bramlett Elem., Auburn, Georgia
Essential Skills is a big part of my daily instruction. The program keeps the kids on task and guides them forward from skill to skill. Everything is aligned with the Georgia Performance Standards. These programs are a terrific supplement and reinforcement to our classroom teaching. This is easily the best skill development software I have seen for kids.
Dana Morris, Grade 1 Teacher
Portal Elementary, Portal, Georgia
My children love to use the Essential Skills programs. The children find the programs motivating because they are able to work independently and meet with success regardless of their ability level. The skills in these programs are completely aligned with our curriculum standards.
Elizabeth Meighan, Spec. Ed. Teacher
Mt. Airy, Georgia
Georgia, Results
We use CRTC scores to guide us as to how to place students in the software. We used them as a program enhancement and our test scores have improved!
Marcetta Wong
Title I Teacher
This software is used daily with our students. The programs can be individualized to meet the ability level and learning style of each student. I have noticed an improvement in my students' performance and I use the programs to prepare the kids for testing.
Lara Thompson
Interrelated Teacher
Sight Words has made a real difference with even my lower skilled children. I can tell from my classroom testing that the children are making solid progress.
Betsy Walker
Grade One Teacher