CONTACT:
Ben Weintraub (212-675-8567)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Educators Praise New, Interactive, Teaching Tools For Writing
Students' writing skills improve as a result of using the Web edition of Paragraph and Essay Punch.

Website Links:
http://www.essaypunch.com
http://www.paragraphpunch.com


Merit Software, a publisher of educational software for twenty-five years, recently launched the Web version of its popular Punch writing skills programs, Essay Punch, Paragraph Punch and Starter Paragraph Punch. Teachers are praising the Punch program’s effectiveness as a first rate educational tool for their students. The following are testimonials from three grateful users.

- Marie D. Durand Elementary School, Vineland, NJ

I used the new Punch writing programs with my students and have achieved wonderful results. It has been one of the few successes I've had teaching with computers.

- Haynes Bridge Middle School, Alpharetta, GA

This is my second year using Paragraph Punch, and it has quickly become a mainstay of my school's curriculum. Paragraph Punch is an outstanding guided writing program. Writers of all levels will benefit from this precise, detailed approach to paragraph planning and writing,

- Mother of a High School Senior, VA

The guided writing really works! I used Essay Punch to get my son motivated. He is a senior in high school and has always hated writing. I used this tool to break the process of writing the essay down into smaller, more manageable, parts.

About the Punch Writing Skills Programs:

The Punch writing skills software teaches students how to write well considered paragraphs and essays.

Students choose from a menu of writing prompts, develop an idea and create their own original work. They are guided step-by-step through the entire writing process: pre-writing, organizing, revising, editing and publishing. Teachers can monitor progress with an easy-to-use record management system.

Designed for pupils in grades 3 through 12, the Punch programs can also be used by English language learners and adult students.

ABOUT MERIT SOFTWARE:

Since 1983, Merit Software (www.meritsoftware.com) has been producing educational software that addresses the core competencies that students require to succeed. The emphasis is on strengthening students' ability to read, analyze data and communicate their ideas.

Merit Software's programs are known throughout the industry for providing context-sensitive tutorials for students and convenient record management features to aid teachers, tutors and parents.

Visit www.meritsoftware.com to examine the company's library of educational applications currently being used in thousands of educational facilities worldwide.

Merit's educational software has been the subject of rigorous, independent, scientific-based research. These studies have concluded that Merit's software provides an effective supplement to everyday instruction. Research findings are available on www.meritsoftware.com/research.

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