Lexia Reading

[bossman]

Hi All,

Has anyone had any experiences with this company and their reading software.

We are to trial it as our SEN teacher has seen it some where and has applied to have it on trial here.

[Sylv3r]

We use it here on trial and have done so for a couple of months or so - the SEN department like it and we are trying to get funding from our CoL to provide the software for all of our feeder schools and us.

 

Its pricey and doesn't look very much to me and is a pain to install, but other than that the SEN department are happy, so i'm happy.

[dinsyboy]

Currently testing Lexia too here - only been running it since December, so still early days but the install wasn't too difficult here? SENCo is v.pleased as it basically assesses then levels the kids with their reading progress...Easy to use and kids are able to use it independently or with TA supervision if required. We will be buying it when the trial expires.

 

Hope that helps.

 

LD

[contink]

I can ask one of the SEN teachers to plug me a review next week... I was all but forced to install it at gunpoint for her a month or so back and she's using it A LOT!

 

In terms of setup the only thing I would say is that you need to remember to give the student security group modify access to certain folders to get it to work properly. Doesn't take too long though and plays nice after that.

[cullingsh]

Hi there, I work in a couple of schools who trialled it last year and one of the schools has since purchased 5 licenses for the Basic Reading.

 

Personally, the software looks simple and the cost unjustifiable, but the SEN department think its fantastic, much better than the previous version they were using (which looked like something from the Dark Ages).

 

If memory serves, it wasn't difficult to install or configure, the biggest problem was going orund each workstation in the suite and copying across the relevant files for it to run across the network!

[webman]

If memory serves, it wasn't difficult to install or configure, the biggest problem was going orund each workstation in the suite and copying across the relevant files for it to run across the network!

 

We've re-packaged it up (latest version) in an executable using Inno Setup - it can be installed silently with /sp /silent switches on the resulting executable. It basically just extracts the whole folder to Program Files, but it works and we can allocate it easily using CC3.

 

; Script generated by the Inno Setup Script Wizard.
; SEE THE DOCUMENTATION FOR DETAILS ON CREATING INNO SETUP SCRIPT FILES!

[setup]
; NOTE: The value of AppId uniquely identifies this application.
; Do not use the same AppId value in installers for other applications.
; (To generate a new GUID, click Tools | Generate GUID inside the IDE.)
AppId={{7DCC1344-E635-4B51-8D94-5EE87BDDD18E}
AppName=Lexia Reading UK
AppVerName=Lexia Reading UK 2009-01
AppPublisher=Lexia
DefaultDirName={pf}\Lexia Reading UK
DisableDirPage=yes
DefaultGroupName=Lexia
DisableProgramGroupPage=yes
OutputDir=C:\Temp\Lexia
OutputBaseFilename=lexia-setup
Compression=lzma
SolidCompression=yes

[Languages]
Name: "english"; MessagesFile: "compiler:Default.isl"

[installDelete]
Type: filesandordirs; Name: "{app}"

[Files]
;Source: "C:\Temp\Lexia\Lexia Reading UK\Lexia.exe"; DestDir: "{app}"; Flags: ignoreversion
Source: "C:\Temp\Lexia\Lexia Reading UK\*"; DestDir: "{app}"; Flags: ignoreversion recursesubdirs createallsubdirs
; NOTE: Don't use "Flags: ignoreversion" on any shared system files

[icons]
Name: "{group}\Lexia Reading UK"; Filename: "{app}\Lexia.exe"

 

It assumes the main source Lexia folder is C:\Temp\Lexia\Lexia Reading UK and will install it to Program Files when ran.

 

Hope that helps.

[glensc]

SEN here love it.

 

I installed it on a network drive and gave them shortcuts to it, partly as we're a split site school which enables any child to be at either site and pick up where they left off.

 

I quite like it as once I'd got them to realise they were incharge of the students user/pass withing the program it's been little bother. In fact the only real time I've had to look at it in a year was when someone complained that others could see their results, which turned out to be them using easily guessable passwords and the person login on as them.

[CadlaM]

Thought I'd re-start an old thread as we are just investigating Lexia here. Supplied instructions specifically say it must be installed on each PC. Has anyone else had any experience of running across network? And if installed on each PC, does it centralise any database?

 

Thnx

[TechSupp]

Yes, I would be very much interested on how to run it over a network. Made the mistake of using the msi over the wireless link oops! Just got it installed on one PC then copied the installed folder to the server, now I just copy the folder to whichever PC needs it (when they finally decide where they want it!). Its expensive so we have only bought five licences so I've been told. Anyone know if thats five users, pc installs or what? They don't seen to really know. Did install it on a few PC's for the trial but then the LA chnaged the proxy setting and as thats held on an ini file on each PC it kind of scuppered the trial a bit. Never got chance to change he setting so the program does not work on those. Why they can't have designed it to be fully online I dont know.

[sted]

Thought I'd re-start an old thread as we are just investigating Lexia here. Supplied instructions specifically say it must be installed on each PC. Has anyone else had any experience of running across network? And if installed on each PC, does it centralise any database?

 

Thnx

ive been running 5 then 6 and now 7 from a network drive quite happil at various schools for ages now and have had no real problems (apart from proxy server changes). You just need to alter a few permissions and set the exe's to read only and it works fine

[TechSupp]

Why would you have to set the exe's to read only? Did try running it from the network but didnt have pupil logon details to check if there were any problems once more than one was logged in. Looks like it could be an easier job than I thought as I have the thing set up, just need a shortcut now :-)

[sted]

Why would you have to set the exe's to read only? Did try running it from the network but didnt have pupil logon details to check if there were any problems once more than one was logged in. Looks like it could be an easier job than I thought as I have the thing set up, just need a shortcut now :-)

 

if you dont set it to read only only one person can load it iirc next user gets a message that its already in use

[TechSupp]

Ah! Thats why I couldn't get it to work at first then! Brilliant!

[TechSupp]

Also found out that it does not like running from a UNC path to the server and needed a mapped drive letter to the location, worked fine then. Hope thats of help to someone.

[pritchardavid]

why repackage it?

 

If its version 6 or 7 of the software, there is a msi package you can download on their site

[sted]

why repackage it?

 

If its version 6 or 7 of the software, there is a msi package you can download on their site

 

why install 512 mb of software on a load of pcs (which will i imagine take a while to install at bootup) when it runs from a network drive with a few minor settings ?

[pritchardavid]

Works much faster, if the server is down that has that installed, no one can use lexia then. We just installed it onto our windows 7 image, dont have to worry our long it takes to install during bootup. I have installed all the software onto our image. When updates come along, i'll use deploy that through group policy. Then when I update and reimage the computers on the next time, I'll just take that off the group policy. Best way of deploying I reckon!

 

]]That way also when you reimage a pc, you dont have to wait ages for it to install all the managed software

[TechSupp]

If the server is down they will be complaining of more than just Lexia being not available plus I'd have more to worry about than just Lexia! Anyway running from a server for us is not an issue speed on load etc as we only can have 5 concurrent users at any one time on Lexia. Did load it on some PC's for the trial but took a while on our network to download and we do not re-image all PC's that regularily (primary school). Worked OK and not that much quicker if any on loading up than from the server, anyway the issue was that our proxt to get the net was changed so that meant I had to go to each PC and edit/change the setting, from the server its only once. Lexia tech support do say it is reccomended from a local install but when pushed did admit that some schools do run it accross the network and they just warned to be aware that they would not help with problmes running over a network. The product being sold to schools should be designed to run over a network especially one that is required everywhere.

[sted]

if my server with lexia is down so's the network almost all my schools are single server sites.

as to deploying i try and have nothing except windows in my images and msi / script everything that way i get less issues with removing software for updates etc but thats just my experience

[Guest TheLibrarian]

+1 for S.E.N. loving it here too.

[CadlaM]

Thanks for the tips on installing across LAN, and the comments as to why not to. Going to do one of each here this pm. will use Ranger to capture image. Have done this before on packages installed on network and it works great. Ranger can then install just minimum files, shortcuts and Reg changes needed. Will let you know how I get on.