Kurzweil 3000 Software
Assistive Technology for Reading and More!
What is Kurzweil 3000?
- Do you have a diverse range of abilities in your classroom?
- Have you ever had difficulty finding an appropriately-leveled text for your class?
- Have you found an amazing document you wanted to use in your teaching, only to realize that not all your students will be able to access it?
If you answered YES, to any of these questions. Kurzweil could be your answer!
SEE IT IN ACTION
Accomodating Specific Learning Goals
The Perfect Tool for An Inclusive Classroom
Kurzweill 3000 Can Be Used to Meet Goals In/For Students With:
- Comprehension: highlight text, take notes, including questions within text
- Vocabulary: use dictionary to learn to words and save them in notes
- Fluency: adjust reader voice and reading speed, convert text to audio file for listening,
- Visual Tracking: dual highlighting and speed adjustments
- Writing: word prediction software helps students use phonics to choose an appropriate word from a list of choices
- Dsylexia/Disgraphia: read without anxiety, organize information directly from the text (avoid errors in note-taking that hinder retention of content)
- ELLS: built in dictionary and thesaurus, pronunciation help, word-prediction software to help ELLs as they write
- Testing Accommodations: include multiple choice, fill in the blank, and even essay questions within the program
- Customizable: Create learning profiles for individual children, adjust font size and color, reader voice, reader speed
Classroom Implementation Strategies
Content
ALL students can access curriculum materials in subjects where differentiated content may be harder to find, such as art, science, music, and social studies by using the speech to text reader with speed settings.
Reading
A dictionary, language translator, and visual tracking capabilities help ELLs, struggling readers, and those with speech/language and/or visual processing disabilities to read grade-level texts, learn new vocabulary, take notes (highlight), and reread multiple times to increase fluency and comprehension. This can be done in Guided Reading and Independent Reading.
Writing
A talking word processor, outline tool, and auditory word processor can help students organize and rehearse their ideas to produce grammatically correct sentences in all genres. Students also learn note-taking skills through highlighting and cutting and pasting portions of the text as they research topics for their writing.
Training
Ready to Start Using Kurzweil 3000?
- Teachers need training. YouTube offers free tutorials of all features. At least 1-3 hours are needed to watch videos and explore the software.
- Paraprofessionals need training. Individuals working 1:1 with students should attend training.
- Students need training. Students need basic skills such as pointing, clicking, and dragging the cursor to select text. They need a basic understanding of the basic interface in order to use the software and select the appropriate commands.
How Can We Get Ready?
- Free Webinars
- Free Tutorials on Youtube
- Free Tutorials from Kurzweil
- Public Workshops
- Private Onsite Workshops
- "How To" Guides
- Free Technical Support (Phone/Email/Troobleshooting)
How Can We Get Students Ready?
- Show students the basic commands of the software and "think aloud" as you operate it.
- Read a short passage, poem, story that pertains to the season, weather, current events, or current unit of study together using Kurzweil 3000.
- Allow students a chance to use a feature you will be targeting such as the highlighter or dictionary.
- Implement during Guided Reading or small group work to give additional training and exploration time for students.
Within 2-3 weeks, most students should be able to use the features when given a text and others will need some support/monitoring. More training may be needed, depending on grade level, to allow students to locate their own texts/documents.
Additional Features
- Can be used from grades 3- Adult
- Comes pre-loaded with 1,000 electronic texts (all genres)
- Files can be converted to multiple formats and used as MP3s/MP4s for listening and viewing multiple times
- Can be accessed from any computer with Internet and software installation
- Students can have their own username/password to save their information and track their progress
- Ability to be mobilized with a FREE app: Firefly
Company Information
Pricing Information: Kurzweil Educational Sytems/Cambium Learning Group
Kurzweil 3000 Macintosh - Version 5: $1,395.00
"Grade: 3 - Adult Kurzweil 3000® is an integrated reading, writing, and study skill support software that enables struggling readers in grades 3 and above to learn from the same content as their peers.
Kurzweil 3000 provides multisensory access to virtually any text or curriculum, including print, electronic, and web-based material–so students learn from grade appropriate content, develop valuable study skills, and become independent learners. "
- Available @ Kurzweil Store
- Contact Sales # 1-800-547-6747
- FREE 30-Day Trial
Technical Requirements
Scanner
Capture-compatible scanner
Microsoft or Mac OS
G3 processor, Mac OS 10.4 - 10.8, 128 MB RAM, 300 MB
Audio Input/Output
Microphone, Speakers, Headphones