PM RAR Support

Purchasing

How do I buy a subscription?

Go to cengage.com.au/pmecollection and select your subscription type. If you’d prefer to trial a subscription, you can email anz.primary-productsupport@cengage.com to request free 30-day trial.

How long is my subscription for and how do I renew my subscription?

Subscriptions include 12 months’ access. If you renew your subscription any time during your subscribed 12 months (done via the ‘renew’ button from the subscriptions page), an additional 12 months will be added to the end date of your existing subscription.

If your subscription expires before you renew, don’t worry, you can re-activate the subscription from the subscriptions page using the ‘re-activate’ button. In this scenario the new subscription will expire 12 months from the date of re-activation.

How do I add more students to my subscription?

If you are a premium subscription customer, you will have purchased a certain number (min 10) of students when you first acquired the subscription. To increase the number of students that have access, you can do so via the dashboard page (go to subscriptions page, then choose the ‘manage’ option). On the dashboard there is a ‘add students’ option.

The cost of the additional students will be pro-rated proportionally to how long your subscription has to run. For instance, if you added 10 more students (each student currently costs $10 per year for a full year) and you had exactly 6 months left to run on your subscription, you will pay 50% of $10 per student, i.e. $50 for 10 extra students.

Starter subscription customers – Your subscription is fixed at one user only. If you wish to have more users, please purchase a premium subscription. If you have any questions about this please contact customer service.

Accessing your subscription & eReader application

How do I access my subscription?

After the purchase of eCollection has been made on cengage.com.au / cengage.co.nz, select the Subscriptions button, which you’ll see when you hover over the drop-down Menu button to the top left of your screen.

Please note, you will only see these options if you are logged in and have purchased eCollection or you are logged in and have been added to an existing eCollection subscription

On the subscriptions page, if you have a premium subscription you will see the below options. "Manage" will take you to the dashboard page of the eCollection admin section (only available to premium users) where you can do such things as set up student & teacher users and create groups / classes & reading sessions. "Renew" allows you to extend your subscription period by another 12 months. "Use" will automatically log you in into a browser based session of the eReader in a new tab.

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If you have a starter subscription you will see the below options. "Login Details" will show you the single set of login details you may use to login to the eReader application. "Renew" allows you to extend your subscription period by another 12 months. "Use" will automatically log you in into a browser based session of the eReader in a new tab.

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I'm having problems logging in

If you purchased a premium subscription, your username for cengage.com.au / cengage.co.nz (where you administrate the subscription) will be the email you used at the time of that purchase.

If you have been added to an existing subscription by someone else, your login details will be the email they sent the invitation request to + the password you created at that time.

You can also use these same set of details to login to the eReader application.

If you’ve forgotten the password, click to ‘login’ at the top right of screen on any cengage.com.au / cengage.co.nz page. Then, when the login pop-up appears, select ‘Forgot Password’. This will send a reset password link to the designated email address

If you've purchased a starter subscription, your username for cengage.com.au / cengage.co.nz (where you can renew the subscription or use as an access point for the browser eReader application) will be the email you used at the time of that purchase.

Please note, the login for the eReader application for starter subscriptions is a different set of login details. When you purchase a starter subscription, you are issued with an automatically generated single set of login details for the eReader application. You can find those details on the subscription page of cengage.com.au / cengage.co.nz ('Login Details' button) and in the welcome email you were sent after purchase.

How do I access the eReader application (i.e. the PM books)?

As soon as you have purchased your subscription, you have access to the eReader application. The eReader application is available as an iOS app for iPad users and as a browser based application for all other tablet or desktop devices

•To download the the iOS app for iPad, visit the iTunes store and search for 'eCollection' or use this link

•To access the browser app, go to app.pmecollection.com.au on any browser. Alternatively, if you go to the subscriptions screen on cengage.com.au / cengage.co.nz, you will see a 'Use' button. On click of this button it will automatically log you into the browser based application in a new tab.

Starter subscription users are issued with a single set of login details for the eReader. You can find those details on the subscription page of cengage.com.au / cengage.co.nz ('Login Details' button) and in the welcome email you were sent after purchase.

Premium subscription users are able to login to the iOS & browser applications with the username & password they use to sign into cengage.com.au / cengage.co.nz. Please note, when you setup students to use the eReader, they will have their own individual sets of login details created for them at this time - don't provide your login details to students.

About the PMs - levelling and associated resources

What are ‘levels’ and how are they determined?

The levelling system is an important aspect of the Cengage reading and literacy method. The underlying principle of levelling is simple: levelled book collections are organised according to a continuum of increased difficulty.

The levels are based on our own detailed criteria using objective controls such as vocabulary, word count and sentence structure as well as subjective controls developed by Cengage senior publishers.

How can I make sure the level is suitable for the student?

After getting to know the PM titles and Cengage resources, you’ll become familiar with the levels and be able to judge where to place your students. The levelling guide below may also help you find a starting point for each of your students.

We also offer Guided Reading Resources and Reading Assessment Resources (RARs) which can help you determine the PM literacy stage of each student and extend their learning as their reading improves. Those can be purchased here

Using the software - The main screens at a glance

What you see after logging in

The first screen you will see after logging in and accessing the subscription via cengage.com.au / cengage.co.nz is below. This screen provides you with quick links to the most common actions you will perform when using the software.

* 'Start new assessment' will allow you to begin a new reading record, provided you have already created profiles for your students.
* 'Create new student' will allow you to create individual student profiles.
* 'Select student' will take you to the students page, where you can edit existing students or add new ones (individually or in bulk).
* 'Archived assessments' will allow you view assessments that have previously been deleted.

The students screen

The students screen lists all existing student profiles, providing you with basic information such as age, year & reading level. It is also the place from which you can perform the following tasks.

* The silhouette and plus sign button will take you to a screen where you can create student profiles one at a time.
* The 'Bulk Student Upload' button allows you to upload large amounts of students en masse via an excel spreadsheet.
* 'Archives' will take you to a screen where deleted students can be viewed and restored.
* 'Manage students' will take you to a screen very similar to the students screen, but one which will allow you perform mass actions such as deleting multiple students at once
* The edit button next to each student profile allows you to alter that student's details.

The groups screen

The groups screen displays much of the basic student information you can see on the students screen, as well as including additional information about the students assessment history and the groups the students belong to. * Scroll through all pages of the book and access other content like teaching notes
* Return Home (close the book and return to the bookshelf)
* Record a student reading out loud (excluding Safari browser for browser app users)
* Edit the content (temporarily) on a page.
* Draw on a page
* Switch between independent, guided or custom reading profile.

The teachers screen

Starter users - You will only have access to the independent reading mode.

There are three different ways to read a book:
1. Independent reading profile
2. Guided reading profile
3. Custom reading profile

Independent

This is the default option when opening a book directly from the bookshelf. (Note: This does not necessarily apply to a reading session).
While reading a book in independent mode all audio and recording functions are available.

Guided

This option disables audio and recording functions to minimise distractions.
To select this reading profile, once a book is open in reading mode, select the 3 line icon to display the eBook navigation screen. From this screen, select Independent Reading Profile, and then Guided Reading Profile. Click the book page to save and begin guided reading.

Custom

The custom reading profile allows you to choose which functions you would like to use. Select Independent Reading Profile and then Custom Reading Profile from the eBook navigation screen (by selecting the 3 line icon). Select the functions you want. Select X to save and exit.

Performing Assessments

Getting Started

The kits contain a Teacher’s Resource Book and DVD that steps you through each of the Benchmark tools and supports your reading assessment practice. The teacher resource will explain the PM philosophy, categorise the texts and provide context on the methods used by the product. Section 4, procedures, will guide you through taking a reading record. Whilst this section references the physical method of keeping reading records, the concepts described here also apply to the software. The Reading Record abbreviations that are explained here will be particularly useful when you are creating your first assessments with the software.

Beginning an assessment

Upon logging into the subscription you will land on the assessment screen. You can also navigate here at any time by clicking the assessments link which is present on the left of every screen (this link is either already visible or you can make it visible by clicking the 3 line icon).

To begin an assessment, simply click on 'Start new assessment'. Please note, you will need to have created a profile for your student to be able to begin an assessment. This can be done via the relevant options which are present on the assessment and students screen.

On the next page, as shown above, you will need to find the relevant student. You can search via student name or if you have already organised the students into groups, you can expand and collapse those groups via the '^' arrow shown, which will allow you to locate the student within their group. To proceed simply click on the student's name.

Important note - For security reasons, you will be logged out after 30 minutes of inactivity. Should this occur, you can resume the incomplete assessment by returning to the assessments screen and finding it in the 'incomplete assessments' area

Selecting a text

To begin the assessment, first select the text you will be using. Start by selecting which kit (RAR 1 or RAR 2) you have taken the text from and then select the book.

The teacher's name and today's date will automatically be populated. However, should you wish to backdate the assessment - e.g. in the case where you are translating an existing paper assessment online - you can do this by clicking on the date value on the left of the screen and choosing a new date.

Once you have selected your book, click 'Start student assessment' in the bottom right hand corner.

Retelling

The first part of the assessment involves asking the student to read the book on their own. Instructions in regards to this are on the left hand side of the screen and in the teacher's resource book.

Once they have completed reading the book, ask them to explain the book in their own words. Based on this response, you can then assess them in relation to the 4 categories on the right of the screen. The slider area below this will automatically adjust as you provide these values; However, you can override this manually if you do not agree with the final value. For instance if you provided 2 yes and 2 no values, this area will mark the retelling as unsatisfactory. If for whatever reason you would like to change this to satisfactory, simply click on the area above satisfactory.

To proceed to the reading record screen, click the option in the bottom right hand corner.

Taking the reading record

The next stage of the assessment is to have the student read the text out loud. As the student proceeds, you should mark each word using the buttons on the right of screen. The tick icon will hopefully be the most frequently used button. It is used to mark a correctly read word. The other buttons are outlined below.

• E = error. Click this button when the student fails to read the word. This button will cause a pop up box to show. In this box you should enter the word the student incorrectly read out. Please note - if after using the error option the student does not self correct (see below) you will need to use the arrow icon button to proceed to the new word.
• SC = self-correction. This option is 'greyed out' most of the time. However, if the student has made an error on a particular word and you have marked it as such with the 'E' button, this option will then become active. Should the student then self-correct their previous error, you can mark that using this button. The reading record will note both an error and a self-correction against that word.
• IW = inserted word. Use this button when the student inserts a word not in the text. It will then prompt you to enter the inserted word.
• R = repeated word. Use this when the student repeats the correct word. You can use this multiple times on the same word to indicate how many times the student repeated the word.
• RS = repeated section. Use this in the instance where the student repeats multiple words. This could be a phrase or starting from the start of the sentence again. Using this button will prompt you to enter the repeated words.
• T = told / tell. If the student has made an error and is unable to correct it, or cannot attempt a word, after 3 seconds say the word. In this scenario use this button to record a T next to that word.
• A = asked. If the student appeals for a word, say: 'You try it'. If the student is still unable to continue use the A button for that word.
• TTA = try that again. If the student appears confused about a phrase or a sentence, say 'Try that again'. Use the back arrow to return to the word that they are attempting to start from again. Then mark the words as per their new attempt.
• Minus icon = no response. Use this when the student does not attempt the word.
• Left arrow = A way to navigate backwards. Please note, using this will remove the classifications you have made on those words.
• Right arrow = A way to proceed to the next word in the case where you have marked a word as error (E button) and the student then hasn't self corrected (SC button).

Outside of the buttons used for marking on the right, there are a couple of other options on this screen.

• The computer icon will allow you to skip this screen in the scenario where you would prefer to perform the marking on paper. You can then input these results at a later time.
• The log button will change the view so that the words appear vertically. Some teachers find this view easier to use. This view will also display the error words you have entered.
• Once you have completed the reading record, you can proceed to the next screen via the comprehension option in the bottom right hand corner.

Comprehension

This is the last stage with the student present. Questions specific to the book which was just read appear on the right of screen. You will input a valid or invalid mark against each question and there is also an optional notes box should you wish to provide any notes about the student's response. Just like the retelling screen, a slider at the bottom will provide an automatic value based on your inputs above. Should you wish to alter this automatic value you can do so by clicking the desired value on the slider. To proceed to the next screen, click the analyse reading record button in the bottom right of screen.

Analysing the reading record

For all errors & self corrections recorded in the reading record, you should classify them as 'Meaning', 'Structural' or 'Visual' This is achieved by clicking on the M / S / V icons on the right of the reading record. You can select more than one for each error or self correction, but please select at least one in every instance.

• Meaning - Did the meaning or the messages of the text influence the error?
• Structure - Did the structure (syntax) of the sentence up to the error influence the response?
• Visual - Did visual information from the print influence any part of the error?

Use the same categorisations for self corrections, but this time use them to denote how the student managed to correct the situation. E.G. Use 'M' if the student used meaning to self correct.

Students

The students page at a glance

The students screen lists all existing student profiles, providing you with basic information such as age, year & reading level. It is also the place from which you can perform the tasks listed below.

If you are an admin user, you will have access to all students. If however you are a teacher user, you will not be able to edit students that are within groups you are not associated with.

* The silhouette and plus sign button will take you to a screen where you can create student profiles one at a time.
* The 'Bulk Student Upload' button allows you to upload students en masse via an excel spreadsheet.
* 'Archives' will take you to a screen where deleted students can be viewed and restored.
* 'Manage students' will take you to a screen very similar to the students screen, but one which will allow you perform mass actions such as deleting multiple students at once
* The edit button next to each student profile allows you to alter that student's details.

Add multiple students at once (bulk upload with Excel)

If you need to add many students, the bulk upload option is more appropriate. You will need access to Microsoft Excel to use this option. To use this option select bulk students upload on the students page. On the next page, seen below, select download to download the required excel file.

You’ll see instructions on this page, as per below. Due to the sort of options you may need to use in excel, It’s best to use the bulk upload function on a desktop or laptop computer (rather than an iPad or tablet).

Below are the fields you can enter:

A. First Name (Required) - Text string
B. Last Name (Required) - Text string
C. Date of Birth (Required) - DD/MM/YYYY
D. Gender (Required) - M or F
E. Year (Required) - F, 1-6 (F = Foundation / First year of school)
F. PM Reading Level (Required) - 1-30
G. Reading Recovery (Optional) - Yes or No
H. EAL (Optional) - Yes or No
I. Group Name (Optional) - Text string - The most efficient way to put students into groups is to achieve it via this column. If the particular group doesn't already exist on the subscription, it will be created via the successful completion of the upload. If the group does already exist, the students that have this value will be added to the existing group. Take care to check the exact spelling - if for instance you had an existing group called 'Year 3' but you have 'Year3' as the group name against a student in this spreadsheet, it will result in a new group called 'Year3' being created.
J. Notes (Optional) - Text string - A free field which you can use for your own purposes.

Merging two or more groups or classes

Instead of creating a new group during a classroom reshuffle, there’s the option to merge the members of groups and/or classes together. Select GROUPS to view all groups and classes currently set up on your subscription. To merge two or more groups, select the little white boxes next to group names. Then select the blue MERGE GROUPS button that will appear on the left-hand menu bar.

This will take you to a page similar to the Create a group page, however the teachers and students will be pre-selected, based on the members of the groups that you choose to merge.

Name this new group, and then scroll down and select CREATE A GROUP to confirm. You’ll see a new group or class created that is a combination of the merged groups. The existing original groups will remain; however, you can choose to delete these if you wish.

Manage Students

Manage students will allow you to quickly delete multiple students at the same time. The option to delete is also present via the 'Edit' button next to each student profile (both on this screen and the main students screen), however this can be time consuming if you have many students to delete. This option should be particularly useful at the start of a new school year.

. You can order the list of students by clicking on the heading of a column - i.e. to arrange the students by year level, click on year.

To delete multiple students, select the checkbox to the far left and use the delete button at the top of the page. Once deleted, the students and their associated assessments will still be retrievable via the 'Archives' option.

Premium subscription - Admin Dashboard - Reading sessions

Understanding reading sessions

Reading sessions can be done in class, or set as homework tasks for students. Reading sessions allow teachers to assign set eBooks to for guided reading groups or individual students to be read via their eReaders.

The process is broken down below:

1. A teacher logs into the teacher dashboard on the web to set up a reading session.
2. This session automatically appears on the eReader of the teachers and students who have been added to the session, on the start date selected.
3. The student opens the reading session, either in class or at home, and the history of how they interact with the book is recorded.
4. The reading session will disappear from the iPad and web app on the end date selected.

Creating a reading session

Select SESSIONS on the sidebar menu to begin. If this is the first time you’ve created a session, you’ll be prompted to create one. If it’s not your first time, you’ll see a page similar to below. Select CREATE A READING SESSION to begin.

From the Create a reading session page, you can:-

● Add students, groups and teachers
● Attach books
● Select guided (audio disabled) or independent reading modes
● Add notes (instructions for the class that will pop up when a reading session is first opened)
● Add a session name
● Select dates the reading session will be available.

Adding students, groups and teachers

Before adding students, groups or teachers to a reading session, they must first be set up on your subscription. See the relevant other help sections about these subjects.

The process for adding students, groups and teachers is the same. The instructions below refer specifically to adding students, however it’s the same process for all three.

Select the ADD STUDENTS button to select the students you wish to include in the session.

On the Add students page, select the green ADD button next to a student’s name to select them. Once a student has been selected, their name will appear in a purple box at the top of the page.

If you accidentally select the wrong student, select the grey REMOVE button next to their name.

To select all the students on your subscription, select Select All.

Make sure to scroll down and select OK to confirm, and head back to the Create a session page.

Note: Please follow the above steps for adding teachers and groups.

Attaching books

Note: Every reading session created requires at least one book to be attached.

Select the ATTACH BOOKS button on your reading session

On this next page, you’ll see the full list of the titles.

There are a few ways to search for books:

1. Search for keywords using the search bar.
2. Browse through titles by scrolling down the page and using the navigation bar.
3. Drag the blue arrows on the coloured slider to modify the level of the book titles shown.

Once you’ve found the book or books you wish to add to the session, select the green ADD button next to the title.

Scroll to the bottom of the page and select the blue OK button once you’re happy with the book selection.

Reading sessions on the eReader app

When a reading session is created, it will automatically appear on the eReader of the teachers and students who have been added to the session, on the start date selected. The reading session will disappear from the eReader on the end date selected.

The screenshot below illustrates where a reading session will appear on the eReader:

The Notes section is for typing a message to your students. The note will appear once a reading session opens on the web or iPad app. It looks similar to the screenshot below:

Once a student taps or clicks on the assigned book’s cover, the reading session will begin.

Modifying a reading session

Modifying a reading session is a similar process to creating one. You can modify active or finished sessions, and choose to extend or end sessions.

Select SESSIONS to see an overview of all current active and finished sessions. From this page, select Edit next to the session you wish to modify.

On the Edit session page, you can:-

• Add or remove students, groups and teachers
• Attach or remove books
• Modify the session type
• Update homework notes
• Rename the session
• Extend or end a session (by modifying the session dates)

Note: If you’re modifying the books, students, teachers or groups, make sure to do this before making changes to the notes, session name or session dates, as the page will refresh without auto saving.

Viewing the history of a session

Select SESSIONS to see an overview of all current active and finished sessions. From this page, select VIEW to see the history of the session.

On the View session page, you can view:-

• The name of the session
• The dates the session was active
• The names of the students that opened (or didn’t open) the session
• The notes
• The books included in the session
• A timeline breakdown of the time spent reading the books, the words saved and the students who participated.

From this page you can also choose to extend or end the current session by modifying the date field next to This session will end: or tapping or clicking the blue END SESSION button.

Premium subscription - Admin Dashboard - Teachers

The Teachers page at a glance

Access the Teachers page by clicking or tapping TEACHERS on the main side menu. From this page you’re able to see a list of the teachers who have registered under your school’s subscription. If a teacher has been added, but they have not yet registered an account, they will have Pending in brackets next to their name. If you’re an administrator, you’ll also have the option to add teacher profiles from this page.

Adding individual teachers

Note: To add a new teacher to your subscription you must have an administrator account.

Select TEACHERS on the side menu. You’ll notice you’ve been automatically set up with a profile. From this page you can view profiles, create teacher profiles, add teacher/s to a group and delete teacher profiles.

Select CREATE TEACHER PROFILE (the blue button at the bottom of the left-hand sidebar) from the Teachers page.

On this next page, fill in the blank fields. Make sure to use the correct email address as they will be sent a sign-up email. Make sure to select ADD TEACHER to confirm.

You’ll receive a green confirmation message on the next page.

Head back to the Teachers page and the new profile will now appear with the word Pending in brackets next to the new name. This will disappear as soon as the new teacher has accepted the invitation email and registered an account.

Adding multiple teachers (bulk upload option via Excel)

Note: To add new teachers to your subscription you must have an administrator account.

If you have quite a few teachers to be added, the bulk upload option is more appropriate. You will need access to Microsoft Excel to use this option.

From the Teachers page, select CREATE TEACHER PROFILE (the blue button on the left hand menu).On this next page, select BULK UPLOAD.

You’ll see instructions on this page, like below. It’s best to use the Bulk upload function on a desktop or laptop computer (instead of an iPad or tablet).

Note: The following instructions may vary depending on your browser or computer.

A. Click the blue DOWNLOAD EXCEL FILE button to begin. The spreadsheet will download and save to your browser’s default download folder – usually called Downloads, or whichever folder you choose manually. Locate and open the spreadsheet called Cengage_Teachers_Bulk_Upload_file.xlsx. Once open, the file may be in read-only mode. If this is the case, a yellow warning message will appear at the top, under the file menu. Click Enable Editing to get started.

B. On the spreadsheet you’ll see three fields: First Name, Last Name and Email Address

C. Fill out the fields, and then save the spreadsheet. You may be prompted to save a new version, just click OK.

D. Return to the Bulk upload page on your dashboard and click BROWSE. Locate where you saved the file on your computer, select it and click Open to load it.

E. Once you’ve carried out these steps click UPLOAD to confirm.

Click FINISH CREATING PROFILES to head back to the Teachers page.

Note: Teachers will not be added to your subscription until they create an account. An email will be sent to them with instructions on how to do this. The word (Pending) will appear next to their name until this is confirmed.

Troubleshooting the bulk upload

Problems uploading the data?

It could be due to one of the following:-

1. You haven’t entered the data under each of the mandatory columns
2. You’ve accidentally entered spaces or extra characters in one or more cells
3. You haven’t saved the file in a standard .XLS format
4. The date format (dd/mm/yyyy) is incorrect
5. You’ve accidentally added formulas or unnecessary data to the spreadsheet.

If you’re still having trouble with the bulk upload function, you can choose the manual upload option instead. For further assistance, contact Customer Service.

Upgrading / downgrading teachers to admins

By default, the purchaser of the subscription is created as the admin user of a subscription. If you wish to add other administrators, you can do so by first creating those users as teachers and then, once they have confirmed their invitation (i.e. the 'Pending' status has been removed), you will be able to upgrade those users to admin status on the TEACHERS screen. Simply select them via the checkbox and then use the 'Upgrade to admin' option on the side.

Note: If you wish to be removed as the administrator of an account, you must first make another teacher an administrator - a subscription must have at least one administrator at all times. The new administrator/s will then be able to downgrade you to a teacher, and then remove you from the subscritpion altogether if that is what you wish.

System Requirements & Accessibility

I click login (on the eReader application)..... and nothing happens

This situation can occur if your school network has certain security settings. If access to external websites is blocked or restricted, please request the following domain links to be whitelisted by your IT department for full PM eCollection functionality:

https://ssl.google-analytics.com
https://.pmecollection.com.au
https://.cengage.com.au
https://ws.nelsoncengage.com.au
https://ws.cengagelearning.com.au

Minimum system requirements for the eReader applications

iOS App (iPad)

Check that you’re running at least version 2.1.0 of the app. If not, you can search for 'eCollection' or use this link

to get the latest version of the app.

Browser App

Important - your device must have a display that is at least 1024 X 768 px. Almost all desktop and tablet devices will have a resolution above this size, but please bear in mind that smaller devices - e.g. phones - will not be suitable for using the eReader.

Recommended operating systems:

Win 7, 9, 10
Mac 2 Latest OS's
iOS 8, 9, 10, 11

Supported browsers:

Chrome (latest)
Firefox (latest)
Safari (latest)
Internet Explorer 11
Microsoft EDGE

Accessibility

Cengage is committed to making educational materials accessible to learners of all abilities. If one or more of your students has a disability that prevents them from using the formats on offer, access and submit the form on this page to Cengage

Please update your email

PM eCollection Help

PM Benchmark Software Help