AceReader Review – Classic & Personal

Learn to read efficiently with AceReader Classic and Personal

AceReader is an award-winning tutor that focuses on increasing a reader’s speed and comprehension. It combines scientifically proven exercises targeted to students, teachers, professionals and individuals alike.

Our AceReader review explains the features and looks at the different versions for individual learners and schools. The Classic Edition is available for Mac and PC. AceReader Personal is a cloud-based speed reading software and does not require an installation.

AceReader – Overview

AceReader is a popular course having satisfied users around the globe. Stepware, the developer behind it, have continuously improved their software over the last 19 years allocating roughly 50 educational awards and honors.

Clients include individuals, universities or schools, and government institutions such as the US Air Force Academy or the Naval Academy. The designers strongly believe that fast reading can benefit anybody who has to read large amounts of material and remember the content regularly.

Alternatives: Good alternatives to improve reading skills are Spreeder and Iris Reading. There are multiple options available for mobile devices and tablets.

There are currently three Ace Reader Editions: Classic (Elite), Personal and Education.

1. AceReader Classic (Elite) – Overview

If you are looking for the original AceReader Elite version that you can install directly for use on your laptop, Mac or PC, then this edition is the one for you. AceReader Classic starts from $69.95.

Features

• Three ways to learn: Course, Menu and Reading Mode
• 200+ activities to help increase reading speed
• 6 themes to choose from
• 625 preloaded books. Import your own texts
• Comprehension tests that can be represented by graphs
• e-mail your results
• Read your own texts in reading mode
• Unlimited user accounts, 3 system installs
• Admin section to manage all users and monitor progress
• One time payment, life-long access

AceReader – Structure

When you log onto AceReader Classic you see three different ways you can learn:
Course mode, Menu mode and Reading mode.

Course mode is the easiest of the learning modes because the computer is doing everything for you. It will assign you certain tasks, games, tests and readings for you to do each day. All you have to do is start the program then follow along with the suggested activities. If you can’t complete all the activities you can leave it and return to it at a later time.

Menu mode lets you have more control over what to read and the activities and drills. You open this mode and it shows you all of the same activities available in the Course mode and you can pick and choose what you want to do.

Reading mode allows you to import your own texts, documents and PDF files and you can then use a reader to help you read a document at a speed you set. I thought this was really handy because I could read books or papers that I may have to read anyway but use them to improve my reading skill. Plus, I would be reading them at a faster rate than I usually do!

Training Activities

200+ activities to do
AceReader Classic offers over 200+ games, activities and drills included. Speed of the activities is based on the speed demonstrated in the first assessment test. I noticed that the speed of the activities seem to start off at a speed a little faster than my accessed speed.

6 themes to choose
There are 6 themed, 13 level courses. The themes are General, American History, Earth and Space Science, Famous People, Fun Facts, and an SAT-ACT review. Within each theme are the 13 levels so that is a total of 78 lessons.

625 preloaded books and resources for more
There are 625 preloaded books included in AceReader Classic. They can be incorporated into the lessons and also used in the Reader mode. In addition, they provide online resources such as Project Gutenberg to download texts and use them within the program.

Graphed results
Results of the tests and games are captured by the computer and can be viewed as graphs. This picture is a quick snapshot of how you are doing in the software, this kind of instant feedback is very motivating.

Ability to e-mail work and progress
Work and progress can be e-mailed to teachers and parents. This is very helpful if AceReader Elite/Classic is being used in an educational institution or by homeschoolers.

Administrator’s section
The Administrator’s mode is very helpful for teachers and parents. This allows them to monitor students’ progress and to see what they are working on. It also allows them to assign texts, lessons, quizzes, and activities.

2. AceReader Personal Edition – Overview

AceReader is designed for most individuals, but most specifically for use by students at any level. It is especially useful for those in University or attaining a Master’s degree or Doctorate degree.

AceReader Personal includes all the features listed above but adds a shiny new interface and various cloud features. Those who are interested in using Personal can access it for a subscription of $39 annually.

If you prefer learning online, the AceReader Personal edition might be the right tool. You can access it from desktops, tablets and smartphones with an active internet connection, however, it’s also browser-based which might be impractical to some.

Personal Edition – Main Features

• Same as Classic but with cloud support
• Automated self-adjusting courses
• Reading assessment and improvement activities
• 900 themed and leveled reading comprehension tests
• Browser access, no installation required
• Windows, Mac, iPads, Android tablets, Amazon Kindle Fire
• Subscription based, $39 year to access course and features

3. AceReader Education – Overview

AceReader Education is specifically designed for use by schools and universities and between educators and students. Educators will guide the students on their journey to reading faster, expanding their vocabulary, and deepening their comprehension. Features include:

• Ability for teachers to monitor their student’s progress and learning
• Fun and engaging eye exercises and games
• Classroom level applications that allow for individual or group works
• Subscription based

Educational institutions who are interested in purchasing the Educational Edition must contact customer service for inquiries on ordering and price lists. You may contact me as well in order to get a competitive quote.

AceReader Review – Pros and Cons

I downloaded AceReader Classic/Elite and took it for a spin. Though there are features that are disabled, you can still get a good grasp of what the program has to offer. I was impressed with the intuitive way I was able to start using the program. Within minutes I had read the intro, taken the first assessment test, and had started the first exercise.

There is a full help system including online support and a toll-free phone number available, but I never had to use them. The three games I played were fun, and I found the drills to be challenging.

The cons were, to be honest, purely aesthetic. I found the graphics and sound to be a bit old-fashioned. I must admit I am used to a higher quality level of graphics and audio. But that was a personal preference, overall the program is definitely excellent!

Do Users Like It?

I always like to see how actual users rate things. I looked at several user reviews for this software and saw that most people give an excellent rating. There were hardly any cons listed, and people were happy to be using this program. However, the market is versatile, and it is worth comparing other tutors as well.

Cnet – I also looked over at Cnet.com. Their raters also awarded it almost 5 out of 5 stars, again there were no cons listed other than one rater said the games could be addicting! Cnet.com provides a download link to try a limited version of the software for free. This is also available on the home site for the software.

Support – Users, in general, seem to be very satisfied with the AceReader customer support. There is a telephone and email support, and you can drop your individual questions at any time. In case you run into installation issues they are happy to help.

Help – A user provided this feedback after he had to re-install the software combining with general praise: “Thank you very much for your kindness and a speedy reply. AceReader is the best, especially for those who have some difficulties with the eyes, such as “convergence insufficiency”, when eyes tend not to work together. The exercises are of great variety and beneficial and practical. John Bacevicius”

The scientific background of the program combined with good customer service seems to be key to the success they have experienced over the years.

AceReader Review – The Verdict

Wrapping up our Acereader review.

General – If you are looking to improve your own reading skills and comprehension or to help your students improve their skills, AceReader is one of the top choices on the market. It will give the users proven and long-lasting results that help save time as well as improve physical and mental skills.

Classic – The learning modes in AceReader Classic, variety of drills, and games are the best part of the desktop software. It absolutely does what it says it will do, it will help you speed up your reading and increase comprehension. If you prefer a desktop/laptop offline version and want unlimited user accounts, you may consider Classic Elite and get the iPad app to gain mobile access. It’s a one-time fee for each tool.

Personal – By choosing AceReader Personal you will now get a cleaner, more polished interface and increased flexibility for mobile learning. However, keep in mind Personal is browser-based and requires an active internet connection. While Classic is a one-time fee, you will also need to pay a fee on a year-by-year basis to keep access. It’s recommended for students who wish to accelerate their studies.

Support – As mentioned above, AceReader offers excellent support. Apart from email and phone options, you can also browse their FAQs to learn more about common settings, techniques and use.

Verdict – Compared to the other programs I looked at this was one the best in quality and value. Choose this software if you want a proven, awarded concept trusted by educational and professional institutions.

Interesting Reading: MindTools

Do you like this review? Please share our AceReader review!