Microsoft Student 2006

In an independent survey commissioned by Microsoft, 44 per cent of parents highlighed homework as a source of tension and family disputes, with maths the biggest problem of all. Apparently, 70 per cent of children look to their parents for guidance in this subject, but a third of parents feel completely unable to help.

We won’t bore you with the rest of Microsoft’s statistics; however, you’d be hard pushed to deny that encouraging homework is an important part of helping your child progress through school.Microsoft has released its brand new Student 2006 package to help.

Aimed at students between the ages of 12 and 18, it promises to increase both productivity and academic success. The interface is unmistakably Microsoft. Clear menus and simple icons make the whole package easy to navigate.

The help files could be more informative, but you’re unlikely to need them that often.
Invariably, the hardest part of any homework assignment is getting past the dreaded first blank page. To help students kick off their work, Student 2006 houses what Microsoft calls Learning Essentials.

Integrating directly with Microsoft Office (both XP and 2003), Learning Essentials places a new menu in Word, Excel and Powerpoint. This menu provides access to a wealth of information on subjects such as how to write essays, what sort of information should be included and how to structure your work. Using simple instructions, the Learning Essentials component is undoubtedly one of Student 2006’s major selling points.

It also helps out those studying French, German or Spanish, providing quick access to foreign letters and accents, spelling and dictionaries.
A range of templates also helps to get work off the ground. You’ll find guides on creating essays in Word, presentations in PowerpPoint, such as conversation topics and class debates, as well as pre-designed charts for setting up clubs and fundraising activities in Excel.

Similar templates are available free online from a variety of sources, including Microsoft itself, but having a wide range in one easy-to-access place should be enough to encourage students to make full use of them.

If you’re one of the 33 per cent of parents who struggles with maths, the graphical and scientific calculator could well be your saviour. Even if you’re a dab hand at calculus and geometry, it will come in handy. With the ability to solve complex sums, plot graphs and even solve equations, the calculator element of Student 2006 is an incredibly useful tool. Thanks to the worksheet, all calculations are clearly laid out and can be printed for future reference.