Those with a back-to-school shopping excursion on their list of things to do should include a trip down the software aisle. Teachers are pointing kids to the Internet to do research these days, and the PC is the best medium for composing essays and book reports. It also can't be beat for drills and educational exercises that supplement in-class learning.

This year's back-to-school selection includes new and upgraded offerings from drill-and-practice to creativity tools and test prep. Some old favorites, like Disney Learning Adventure: Search for the Secret Keys (After Hours, September 3), are now bundled with new offerings in multidisc packages that cover a wide array of subjects.