October 14, 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Media Contact: Kendra Ericson
Tool Factory Inc.
Telephone: (802) 375-6549 Ext. 201
FAX: (802) 375-6860
Email Address: kendra@toolfactory.com
Website: http://www.toolfactory.com

Dyscalculia Screener Introduced to US Educators to Identify Math-based Learning Difficulties

Tool Factory Inc., a Vermont publisher and developer of leading-edge educational software, announces the US availability of Dyscalculia Screener, a computer-based, classroom assessment tool used to identify dyscalculia, a group of math-based learning difficulties estimated to effect more than eleven million Americans.

Dyscalculia, a difficulty with mathematical functions and symbol recognition, can be easily overlooked in the classroom. Dyscalculic students often perform well in many areas while having difficulties with tasks such as basic arithmetic, comparing quantities, relating quantities to numeric values, and estimating. Since understanding basic mathematical concepts is a foundation of American curricula, the performance of dyscalculic students can suffer in several subject areas, particularly as the student progresses through the educational system.

Dyscalculia Screener is a PC-based program designed for educators and therapists seeking to identify dyscalculic tendencies in their students, ages 6-14. Installation is fast, taking only a few minutes on any Microsoft Windows-based computer. At the time of installation, the educator or therapist designates a password that will allow them to input information about the students to be tested and access to test results. Students can be tested multiple times allowing progress to be measured over time, and new students can be entered at any point by the administrator.

For the student, Dyscalculia Screener is colorful and interactive. Since the assessment device is designed for students as young as age six, the interface is straightforward and includes verbal instructions for students who don’t have adequate reading skills. A soft-spoken British woman carefully outlines each step. After a brief section orienting the student with basic keyboard instructions, the assessment battery is divided into four sub-tests:

* Simple reaction time: Students respond as dots appear on the screen. The results are used to evaluate response time in other sections.

* Enumeration: Students decide whether the quantity of dots in one circle matches the digit in the other.

* Number Comparison: Students are presented with two digits, often of different physical sizes, and they determine which is greater.

* Arithmetic Achievement (addition and multiplication): The student decides whether the displayed equations are correct or incorrect.

Each section is tailored to the student's age, and Dyscalculia Screener doesn’t tell the student whether they’re right or wrong. The goal is to minimize anxiety and provide a comfortable testing environment. Dyscalculia Screener also carefully prepares each section for the student and affirms that the instructions have been understood before moving forward.

After the test, the teacher can enter the administrative password and access the student’s test results. The student’s results are evaluated and the educator is given a top-level analysis of student test performance: normal for age group, evidence of dyscalculia, problems with arithmetic without dyscalculia, etc. The valuable seventy-five page manual also provides multiple references and recommendations for educators whose students display dyscalculic tendencies.

To bring Dyscalculia Screener to the United States, Tool Factory has partnered with SEMERC, the UK’s leading publisher of technology resources for students of all ages with special educational needs. SEMERC is a division of Granada Learning Inc., the UK’s leading educational multimedia company. Dyscalculia Screener was a 2004 winner of the BETT Awards, a British honor recognizing creativity, commitment and innovation in the development of education-related technologies. 

TO PURCHASE

Dyscalculia Screener is available by calling (800) 220-8386, visiting its product page at http://www.toolfactory.com, or writing sales@toolfactory.com. School site licenses are $399.95 and annual renewals cost $99.95.

ABOUT TOOL FACTORY

Tool Factory is a small, Vermont-based business with the goal of making a difference in American education by providing superior educational software. The Tool Factory staff combs global markets for the best educational software available and tailors products to meet the needs of American educators and students. Tool Factory staff has also pioneered its own unique applications designed to fill niches not addressed in the current educational marketplace. Teachers, students, and parents join the Tool Factory staff in testing products to ensure that they are easy to navigate, fun to use, and beneficial to the learning process.

For press inquiries, please call Kendra Ericson at (802) 375-6549 or email kendra@toolfactory.com.

Tool Factory, 3336 Sunderland Hill Road, Sunderland, Vermont 05250