Today\'s teachers face more challenges than perhaps any other group of educators in our country\'s history. Our country\'s demographics have changed so rapidly over the last three decades that 30 children in one classroom may have 30 distinctive ability levels when it comes to their reading abilities. How does a teacher cope and keep his or her students progressing without leaving anyone behind? Choosing the right kind of reading program in the classroom could make all the difference.

In the \"old days,\" children of all ages from elementary to high school level were put into \"reading groups\" according to their proficiency levels. Millions of American adults today remember what it was like being put in the \"D\" group versus being in the elite \"A\" group.

Children in the lower levels inevitably felt inferior and discouraged, no matter how wonderful and positive the teacher was. Quite simply, some kids got left behind because it was too hard for the teacher to keep track of their progress and she simply didn\'t have the time to give them the one on one attention they desperately needed.

Thanks to today\'s technology, computers can be a fabulous resource for excellent teachers who refuse to let even one of their students feel inferior or fall behind. Learning disabilities are easier to diagnose and remedy now than they ever have been before and there are software tools on the market that can drastically improve a \"slower\" student\'s progress without subjecting her to the ridicule of her peers or hurting her self-esteem.

Here are some characteristics to look for when choosing a software program for your school or class\'s computer lab:

-- It should be easily networked within the school\'s computer system so that students can access their work from any computer they happen to be working on. This feature will also allow a teacher to track each student\'s progress easily from any computer on the same network.

-- The program should be founded on techniques that have been tested and proven effective. If the software salesperson cannot provide empirical evidence of efficacy, look elsewhere.

-- It should continuously assess a student\'s reading level and improve speed, comprehension, and fluency.

-- The program should be able to be used from elementary through high school so that students moving on to the next grade level will always be able to work with a program that they are familiar and comfortable with.

-- It should have easy-to-understand charts to help a teacher measure a student\'s progress at a glance and it should provide her with the flexibility she needs to customize the reading content when necessary.

Choosing the right kind of computerized reading education software to use in the classroom makes all the difference for educators and students alike; and it could change a struggling child\'s whole outlook toward his or her education.