What is Software?

Software is any computer program. Software can be used to enhance the Early Years Curriculum. Pupil's IT skills are being developed alongside their intellectual, emotional and social needs. It can provide structured learning activities in a stimulating manner and support all areas of learning while encouraging them to enquire, investigate and think for themselves.

Examples of Software:

• talking stories, which will encourage early reading skills - ie. handling books correctly, orientation, importance of text and illustrations, reading along with the story, repeating etc. sequencing of events, talking about characters. etc.
• numeracy software, which will promote all aspects of early number concepts and can be taught and reinforced by use of suitable programs
• modelling software, which allows the children to make choices which in turn make something happen, promotes logical thinking and verbal reasoning
• clip art, to stimulate emergent writing or later on to support a short sentence or story
• software can also be used to sequence an event pictorially and to make visual aids to use with the children - eg. story writing, topic work, to support areas of knowledge and understanding etc.

Classroom Strategies for Software