Familiar with the characters in this short clip? Maybe you can also share it with the children of today’s generation.

eReflect has been preparing Ultimate Typing™ 2015 for some months now. Today, a completely revamped typing tutor offers even more games, activities, and advanced features to make learning to touch type a fun experience for all.

A Cloud-based Ultimate Typing™ Experience

The brand new cloud-based Ultimate Typing™ is equipped with the latest tools, features, and capacities to make learning even more efficient and pleasant.

Ultimate Typing™ 2015 is entirely cloud based. This means there are no heavy downloads, no re-installs for new versions, no limited access from a single location.

The Ultimate Typing™ interface is cloud-accessible for every user, from anywhere. Software updates will be instantly implemented and the user will always have the latest version to practice with. Being cloud-based also means no ads to distract your practice sessions. You’ll also like the fact that you can enjoy fast, responsive software that uses the latest cloud technology to promote your learning.

Social Media Sharing

eReflect’s software products are notable for their compelling approach to learning. Every activity and game is fun to practice with, and every aspect of the software makes learning a pleasurable experience.

Today, eReflect is introducing social media integration for its Ultimate Typing™ 2015 software as a way of encouraging users to practice more, and then show off their results on Facebook.

Users can create a unique Ultimate Typing™ profile where they can check their practice history and results, as well as share their practice scores with their friends on Facebook. This will be appealing for younger users who will want to do better at their practice to keep improving their scores and sharing them with others.

Practice Gamification

As if the activities and games weren’t fun enough, now eReflect introduces success points, a new feature that lets you collect points each time you complete a practice session. This gives an extra incentive to practice because you know that the more you do the more success points you will collect – and the better you’ll look to your friends on Facebook!

New Games and Exercises

The 2015 Ultimate Typing™ has been enriched with even more fun exercises and games so people have plenty of practice material to train with.

This year, learning to touch type with great speed and accuracy will be a piece of cake. A feature-packed Ultimate Typing™ 2015 will help you become efficient at keyboarding and reap all the benefits of fast, accurate typing.

Cross-posted on the Ultimate Typing blog.

Ultimate Vocabulary™ 2015 is the most recent (and admittedly most fun) version of the vocabulary building software. Apart from frequently-praised features like being cloud-based and enabled for social media sharing, Ultimate Vocabulary™ has another appeal: it comes packed with fun, addictive games.

By playing only a couple of games per day, you will find yourself mastering your new vocabulary without much effort, and having heaps of fun at the same time. Technology’s great, isn’t it?

Crazy Clues

How well do you know your vocabulary? Crazy Clues is an addictive vocabulary game you won’t get enough of. The game offers a few letter clues for each word, but then you have to figure out the whole word. If you get stuck, don’t worry, because you can get a hint to get your brain going again!

This is the perfect game to brush up on new words you’ve mastered by emphasizing their spelling.

Crossword

An interactive word game you will want to play time and time again. Clicking on a empty square will give you a hint for the word across and down the puzzle. As far as this game is concerned, you’re as good as your word definition knowledge!

Unscramble

How fast can you spot a word that’s all scrambled up? Find out with Unscramble, a fun vocabulary game that’s bound to be your next favorite vocabulary game. The faster you figure out the word, the more hints you earn for subsequent rounds. The game offers you a bit of help by giving you the word’s definition.

Word Finder

Another compelling vocabulary game, Word Finder dares you to identify a list of words in a matrix of letters. The words can be aligned vertically, horizontally, backwards and forwards. Let the word hunt begin!

Flash Cards

Another classic vocabulary-boosting game, Flash Cards help you truly get a word’s meaning through repetition and with its definition as your only clue. You can adjust the speed to make the game more challenging!

Hangman

A new take on another classic word game, Hangman lets you guess the right word by only giving you the word’s definition. You have ten shots per word before your poor man is hanged.

Word Recall

A classic vocabulary game that will help you improve your vocabulary retention is Word Recall. Read the word’s definition and choose the correct word from the list.

Spelling Drill

You never truly master a word until you know how to spell it. Make sure you are the orthography master with Spelling Drill, a fascinating game that urges you to pay attention to word orthography for more balanced and complete vocabulary knowledge.

Vocab Match

This is a challenging but very amusing game. You must match the right definition with the right word to win the round. You have six different words to get right per round.

Vocab Memory

If you think memory has nothing to do with vocabulary knowledge, think again. Vocab Match tests your vocabulary recalling power by letting you see a word under one card, then challenges you to find the matching definition under another card – hopefully, before you forget that word’s meaning!

Cross-posted on the Ultimate Vocabulary blog.

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Is there some scientific rationale behind our reading habits and predilections? Why, for example, do you sometimes find that you can’t even finish a book that critics and your friends alike say they couldn’t stop reading?

Reading is a deeply mental experience people engage in on an individual, more than a social, level. A person reads for pleasure, for knowledge, for entertainment, for mentally escaping. But what’s the one factor that makes  it impossible for some readers to put a book down? Is there even one single reason that is common to every reader?

In fact, there are many reasons why people get hooked by a book. Even if a book initially disappoints a reader, readers do sometimes keep reading. There are several reasons:

• They’re curious to find out what happens in the end.

• They dislike the thought of leaving something unfinished.

• They have faith the author will not disappoint them in the end.

• They’re in the middle of a series, and have to read this book before the next one.

• They think ending is what tells if a book was worth it or not.

GoodReads.com users cite these and others as the main reasons why they often feel they have to finish a book they’ve started. However, for some people these rules simply don’t apply. In fact, book abandonment rates are soaring, as another book list on GoodReads.com reveals.

Book Abandonment

Looking at the GoodReads.com abandoned book shelf, you quickly see that a book’s best-selling status is not a trustworthy index as to the books’ acceptance by readers. So while a book might have a groundbreaking storyline and a compelling anti-hero, not everyone will like it.

This explains why readers might have enjoyed J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, but not the style she adopts with her adult-oriented novel,  The Casual Vacancy. It also explains why classic novels like Moby Dick are not to everyone’s liking, much less the range of best-sellers found in airports around the world.

The most cited reason why we have the urge to put a book down without finishing it, according to GoodReads.com users, is a slow beginning or a non-engaging writing style. Not liking the main character, and books that have a weak plot, are two other popular reasons cited in comments on the site.

Other reasons given by people who’ve abandoned popular and classic books range from a hero’s immorality or character incongruence, to a “stupid” plot, and even bad editing of the book, especially in ebook format.

Ultimately, book reading is a truly personal experience. In fact, mood plays a vital role as to what reaction a reader will have to a given book at any given time. If you’re not in a particular mood or even stage in your life you may not like a book that would otherwise become your personal favorite if read a few years before, or later. A teen version of you would interpret Catch 22 differently than you would as a 45-year old, true? Your book selection can even change depending on the time of day or year.

The advantage of rereading books is that you know you won’t be disappointed. This is why many people seem to frequently return to old favorites, and even books that they read as children: for the extra layer of meaning and for the satisfaction of knowing they’ll enjoy the book to the very end.

Cross-posted on the 7 Speed Reading blog.

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These days it seems as if anyone can become a self-published blogger or online writer. It only takes a word editor and basic writing skills. Or does it?

Yes, there are bloggers who’ve been blogging for over two decades now. There are people who are leading experts in their field, and blogging about what they know comes naturally to them. But what about the rest of us, the small and medium businesses, the freelance professionals and the solopreneurs who wish to run and maintain a blog? Is it feasible to become a blogger if you’ve never really had a way with words?

Becoming a blogger is a process that assumes that you:

• Love and know your subject

• Have excellent writing skills

• Have a marketing plan and stick to it no matter what

People who are passionate about and experts at what they do will have no trouble finding topics to talk about on their blog. You’ll find that especially if you’re a leader in your niche market, you will see how quickly people will become dedicated blog readers.

However, when it comes to writing skills, you won’t keep those readers if your English isn’t in tip-top shape. Yes, typos and misspellings do happen and people will forgive them or ignore them occasionally, but if you fail to abide by simple 4th grade grammar rules, this will harm your blog and the reputation you’re trying to build around your brand.

If you want to start a blog, ensure you first brush up your writing skills — especially spelling and vocabulary. Even if at first you’re only using text messages or a Twitter feed, make sure you know the meaning of the words you’re using, and that you’re spelling them correctly. Proper English and good grammar will never go out of style. By ensuring you write professionally in every medium, you’ll create a stepping stone towards writing blogs that will (potentially) go viral.

Bloggers who are fanatically followed and read by their communities are the ones who have self-improvement and self-education as their top priorities. These are people who are able to contribute new ideas, introduce new perspectives, and find new ways to solve a problem or unveil an ignored factor people couldn’t see before.

That being said, ensure you are active in your market so that you know what you’re writing about. Learn about the latest developments, see what’s trending, and take note of what is falling in popularity. Learn new words and concepts introduced in your market and in the wider social discourse as well. This way, your writing will reflect this relevancy and radiate the self-confidence of a knowledgeable, expert blogger.

Finally, remember some basic rules for blogging:

• Write in a conversational tone. Use “you” a lot to make the blog post more shareable and personal.

• Storytelling is a great hook. Use this technique to intrigue readers into staying on the page.

• Write compelling content. Use numbers, cite studies, and share stats to drive a point home. These help build trust.

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Cross-posted on the Ultimate Vocabulary blog.

We’re coming across this topic frequently in news articles, and it’s the subject of many online debates. Is handwriting about to be declared dead, and a useless skill? Is touch typing the future – and only – way of communicating non-verbally?

Teachers, parents, and students are all wondering if learning cursive is relevant in a tech-driven world. This gives rise to a more pressing question: what should students learn first, touch typing or handwriting?

Current changes in education are giving precedence to touch typing and effectively moving handwriting skills to the backseat. Is this wrong, or should it be called smart adaptability? Students are now expected to use their keyboards to do research, complete assignments, and take exams – and this leaves handwriting instruction behind. Justifiably, students need to learn how to touch type in order to effectively handle their school homework and in-class assignments. Touch typing is the future. As gadgets and technologies make their way into the classroom, it’s only natural that schools want to prioritize keyboarding skills over handwriting.

However, this doesn’t mean we should rule out handwriting altogether. Handwriting is a deeply complex motor skill that’s cognitively challenging and essential to master. Handwriting involves several brain faculties at once, including sensory, motor, and language centers of the brain, and of course our senses of hearing and sight and touch. Considering the Common Core standards — that the majority of U.S states have adopted — students need to be proficient touch typists by the time they complete the 3rd grade.

This of course means that students need to formally learn how to touch type in class. This doesn’t indicate, however, that it should entirely replace handwriting instruction. The two are equally essential skills. No matter how pervasive text-language and keyboard-based devices will become in the next 20 years, handwriting will still be required for things like signatures, paying by check, writing thank you notes, and jotting down grocery lists. And of course, there’s the possibility of being creative and expressive through cursive writing.

Yes, the “for handwriting” argument is one that is generally imbued with nostalgia, and for some people even a fear of something so familiar going out of popularity.

It could also be that the rise of tablet use could mean that not even physical keyboards will survive the obsession with touch-screen devices, but isn’t handwriting a uniquely human skill? Given that, it’s not something we should let go extinct.

Writing skills, including cursive writing, are part and parcel of language acquisition and mastery. Perhaps our brains are agile enough to adapt to a new channel of language learning where writing is replaced with touch typing, but then would people be able to read cursive or sign a legal contract if they’ve never written using pen and paper before? It’s obvious that at least for the foreseeable future, handwriting is here to stay.

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It’s that time of the year again! Are you ready to do your holiday shopping for your friends, relatives, and loved ones?

“Gift cards for everyone would be an excellent idea,” you might think. Everyone gets to buy what they want from a brand they love, right? But a gift card implies that you haven’t put much thought into the gift – or the person you’re giving that gift to. Buying a gift card might say, “I was too lazy to even bother look for a gift, so here’s some free money. Oh, and Merry Christmas!” This is not the true meaning of a gift. Gift giving is about taking the time and effort to make a meaningful, thoughtful gift to a loved one.

A Book

For those friends and family members who love curling up in their book nest with a cup of tea, books make an easy but entirely appropriate gift. Whether you choose a New York Times best-seller or a classic title is entirely up to the recipient’s taste, so think about what you’ve seen them reading before you buy.

The Gift of Better Orthography

Do you have a colleague who is getting a bad reputation for their misspelled memos? Give them a helping hand with a gift of spelling software like Ultimate Spelling™. No more embarrassing misspellings in emails, reports, and PowerPoint presentations  – you coworker will be a friend for life.

A Rich(er) Vocabulary

Communication is a vital part of daily life. So for children and young adults whose vocabulary could use a little push, why not offer them Ultimate Vocabulary™ by eReflect? This software will allow them to expand and make their vocabulary richer and more relevant and will eventually help them become better communicators, negotiators, and writers. This is a good gift for someone about to graduate from school because it will help them get the vocabulary they need to succeed in the job market.

Pro Keyboarding Skills

Do you know someone who is struggling with modern technology? Maybe they can’t figure out how to video chat with you on Hangouts, or they take forever to reply to your Facebook messages because their typing skills are poor to non-existent. Ultimate Typing™ would be the perfect gift for that person, because it will help them “level up” their keyboarding skills in no time. Of course, that might mean you’ll be getting texts and messages from them more often, but you can handle that, right?

A Visit

Sometimes a gift doesn’t have to be something tangible. Pay a visit to your grandmother, have lunch with a friend from college, or invite someone you haven’t seen in years to your Christmas party. The gift of kindness and love are truly priceless!

An Extravagant Pampering Gift

A pampering, extravagant gift is always appropriate for those special people in your life. Your hard-working mother, your significant other, your best friend – no matter who that person, do your homework and offer them a gift they will be raving about for weeks to come. It could be a spa session, a two-day mini trip, or anything the person you have in mind will fancy.

Gourmet Pleasures For the Foodies

From artisanal jams made with vodka to one-of-a-kind tea blends and limited-edition vintage wines, offer your foodie friends a mouthwatering experience they can Instagram to their heart’s content.

Whether you choose to get gifts that expand your friends’ career options or their waistlines is up to you! There are plenty of compelling gift ideas to choose from. Don’t go for run-of-the-mill, uninspiring gift cards. Instead, offer a thoughtful gift and get the joy of seeing faces lit up with excitement when they unwrap them come Christmas.

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Next time you’re bored out of your mind, don’t reach for your smartphone, reach for a book instead. Reading books provides a range of benefits you may not be aware of. In fact, the more books you
read, the more awesome you will be.

Reading makes you (more) empathetic

Reading fiction gives you an inside peek into scenarios and realities you couldn’t otherwise live yourself. This opens up your critical thinking capabilities and activates your empathy sensors. You become more aware and sensitive to people’s plights, cultures, and customs, and feel more forgiving and nurturing where you might have once been condescending or inflexible.

Reading is an immersive experience

A good novel will have you questioning reality. A good novel will drag you so deeply into its plot that your identification with the protagonist will be mind-blowing and reality-blurring. Enough said.

Reading is knowledge

You can watch a documentary or tutorial to learn a new skill but nothing beats the original experience of reading, processing, and understanding new knowledge or how-tos all by yourself.

Reading is a bottomless chest from which you will always be able to get a few jewels — with each book and each tale.

Reading is traveling for your soul

Reading helps you leave all your workaday troubles behind, even if for a short moment. It empties your mind until you’re powerful enough to confront your daily demons.

Reading is entertainment

For the bibliophiles out there, reading is a matchless experience. Reading gives you immense joy. It engages your senses and enthralls your mind with scenery, plots, and mind-blowing images.

Reading makes you interesting

From learning smart, little-known facts, to initiating great discussions with friends, reading makes you a knowledgeable, interesting person people will love to hang out with.

Reading is inspiration

Reading stimulates your creativity. You start thinking critically and more boldly, all because you’ve already been exposed to various scenarios and have garnered the tools and knowledge to be less ordinary and more unique.

Reading is growth

Even if you don’t read a self-improvement book per se, virtually any well-written book will help you become a better person. From building your self-esteem to becoming better at decision-making, books give you the tools to cope with life’s conundrums — and the ever-important Zombie apocalypse.

Reading is power

It’s a cliché but it’s nonetheless true: reading empowers you. The knowledge and worlds you experience when reading give you confidence and wisdom on how to deal with real life situations more gracefully and wisely.

Reading is your key to becoming a better person in all aspects of your life

Reading is how you improve your marketability, your communication skills, your empathy and emotional intelligence, your appeal — and even your sexiness. Reading is one of the few habits known to man that you can never have too much of. So go on, read on!

Bonus benefit

If you speed read you get to reap all these benefits in a shorter time. Awesome, right?

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You may already know that the word “pants” means something else entirely in British English (hint: it doesn’t mean “trousers”), but do you know about the words that both British and American English speakers use, yet spell differently?

A basic rule of the thumb that covers these words is that American English spelling tends to be simplified and pronunciation-based. While British English favors the spelling of words as they originally appeared in the language they’ve been borrowed from – for instance, the word “cheque” – American English spellers generally write the word as they sound it out: “check.”

Writers, exchange students, and businessmen and businesswomen need to be aware of these spelling differences when dealing with people in Britain and the US, because using the proper spelling for each country helps avoid confusion, and also lends that touch of professionalism that marks a true global citizen.

Here are the main spelling differences between American and British spelling of English words.

-er/re

Words that end in –re in Britain often have those two letters reversed when spelled in American English. Here are some examples:

British English

centre, fibre, litre, theatre

American English

center, fiber, liter, theater

-nse/nce

While the British use the –nce ending, Americans generally prefer –nse.

American English

defense, license, offense, pretense

British English

defence, licence, offence, pretence

-ize/ise

American English uses the –ize spelling at the end of words, and while some people in Britain accept that as a valid spelling, you’ll usually see those same words spelled with the  –ise ending instead.

British English

apologise, organise, recognise

American English

apologize, organize, recognize

-or/-our

In British English, the preferred spelling of words ending in –our is not maintained in American English; in the United States, the “u” is dropped from the word.

American English

behavior, color, humor, labor, neighbor, flavor

British English

behaviour, colour, humour, labour, neighbour, flavour

Double vowels “ae” and “oe”

While the British retain the more complex spelling of words with Greek or Latin roots, using the orthodox spelling that was established when those words were brought into the English language as far back as the 14th and 15th centuries, the Americans, as usual, like their terminology simplified.

American English

leukemia

maneuver

estrogen

pediatric

British English

leukaemia

manoeuvre

oestrogen

paediatric

Words ending in a vowel plus –l

While Americans have dropped the double “l” when adding suffixes to verbs that end in the letter “l” the British still generally use the two-“l” approach to their spelling.

American English

traveling

traveled

traveler

fueled

fueling

British English

travelling

travelled

traveller

fuelled

fuelling

The rules can be confusing, especially for people who are learning English as a second language. Which system you choose often depends on where you’re learning English. Obviously, if you’re learning English in the United States, you will be taught that orthography, but if you are learning English in India, you will generally be taught the British spelling. Wherever you are, keep in mind that more often than not, the American spelling of words is a simplified version that is closer to how a word sounds rather how it was spelled in the language it has been borrowed from.

Knowing the spelling rules and differences will help you learn the spelling exceptions, too. For instance, archaeology is a spelling that’s used by English teachers and scientists in both American and British universities. Keep digging around, and you’ll find more exceptions – and that’s a hard and fast rule.

Cross-posted on the Ultimate Spelling blog.

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What would we do without technology? There are so many advantages for the modern reader, now that we are no longer limited to printed books. Yes, your ereader might not be the best thing to take to the bathtub or the beach, but you wouldn’t want to drop a printed book in the water either! The ability to carry an entire library around with you more than makes up for any extra care you might have to take with an electronic reading device – and soon you might not even have to do that.

Technology keeps advancing with gigantic strides and this only means one thing for us: our day to day activities become easier, our hobbies grow more pleasant, and most importantly, our education and careers advance further.

Waterproof ereaders

Technology  has been exuberantly generous in giving us what we want, and most people have ultra smart mini computers that fit into our pockets. And now, there are waterproof ereaders we can take with us whenever and wherever we please — beach and bath included!

Kobo Aura H20 is a waterproof ereader with the main capacities and features of any ereader. But this device has something more: it’s the only one that has the added, much-coveted benefit of not being scared of water. Kobo Aura H20 can be immersed under 1 meter of water for up to half an hour without any damage done to its internal mechanism and screen.

As a result, high-risk, must-avoid places like the beach, the swimming pool, or the bath no longer apply to users of the Kobo Aura H20 ereader. While the Kobo Aura H2o is one of a kind for now, more ereader developers are focusing their attention towards this market demand for waterproof ereaders.

In fact, such technological advancements will become the norm in the years to follow as more companies will seek to offer their clients a seamless reading experience that’s not defined and limited by the environment (dust, sunlight, water).

Educational Technology For Struggling Learners

The impact technology has had and will be having on education can never be truly measured. Apps, software, and several other technological innovations like Fast ForWard and Read 180 are now serving many struggling students across the globe helping them acquire the fundamental literacy skills of the 21st century: reading, writing, speaking skills, and touch typing.

From programs that are integrated in classes and help children process information more effectively and quickly, to software like 7 Speed Reading™ that help students improve their word per minute rate and read more in less time (and therefore reap all the benefits of reading), Ed Tech is at this very moment serving millions of people with their educational growth.

From offering students reading motivation, to being able to use authentic speech patterns in ESL classrooms, to fully immersing students into the idiosyncrasies of English pronunciation through video and online media, the world of educational technology has come a long way.

Educational Technology And Motivated Learners

One of the most definitive benefits of technology is that it motivates and intrigues learners. It lures them into the world of knowledge and exploration simply by being an appealing medium.

A study (Harvey, 2002) looked into the typical learner’s motivation and found that an increased control over learning choices makes students more eager to engage with reading, as opposed to students who are told to what and how they should be learning.

Young students are well versed in technology and new media, and giving them the control and trust they deserve can increase their self-esteem and give them the confidence to explore and satisfy their curiosity and drive to learn.

Knowledge is mostly acquired through reading, and being able to advance your reading skills could help you remain ahead of the crowd. Expert reading skills will let you reap all the benefits of being a knowledgeable, passionate, powerful individual who’s expert in their field of choice.