Ab-breviate!

Reviewer: Linnie Calland
Teacher at Mason County Middle School
Maysville, KY
Email: lcalland@mason.k12.ky.us

Ab-breviate!
Publisher: Words+, Inc., Palmdale, CA
http://abbreviate.com
Evaluated on: Compaq Presario with Windows95
Published: 1997
Reviewed: Feb. 22, 1998
Introductory price: $49.95
Rating: 8 on a scale of 1-10, Cool.

Abbreviate works in the background in Windows 3.1, 3.11, or 95. Whenever you type an abbreviation which you have set into the program, it automatically expands it to the word or phrases you preset. The program comes with some abbreviation files already on it including general, medical, travel, business, realty and science terms.

Abbreviate! works in any typing program. It is very easy to use. Navigation buttons are self explanatory. The program can be set to be active when computer is turned on. Individual files can be created for multiple users of the same computer.

Versatility is what makes this program Way Cool. It can be tailored to meet the needs of individual users. Abbreviation files can be modified on the spot while working on a document. It has copy-paste ability for adding phrases, paragraphs, etc. to your personal list. Files can be shared with other Abbreviate! users. It can be used to correct consistently misspelled words, or words which are always capitalized: wenesday to Wednesday, i to I

In setting abbreviations, you must be careful not to use an abbreviation which would otherwise be used as a word. Every time you type your abbreviation it will be expanded unless you turn off the program. Abbreviate! could be used by any student who is typing words into the computer

Abbreviations are not case sensitive. They may be typed in any combination of upper or lower case letters. Expansions always appear the way the user sets them up, with or without capitals as keyed in.

I question whether this program would reinforce misspellings in poor spellers. My student (14 year old with a learning disability) who previewed it, kept trying to misspell her words on purpose. After the novelty of seeing her words corrected wears off, perhaps she will no longer purposely misspell.

This software would be useful to poor spellers who consistently misspell words the same way. Dyslexic individuals may not benefit as much because they are rarely consistent with misspellings. It would be time consuming to key in all of a students misspellings for the same word.

Abbreviate! would also be useful to physically challenged students who type very slowly and need their keystrokes minimized.

Anyone of any age who types a lot of the same words or phrases repetitively would probably appreciate Abbreviate

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