ReadWrite Chinese teaches the 1000 most frequently used Chinese characters. Both a simplified and traditional version of the program is available.

The program is based around a "Learning List" which groups a sub-set of the total 1000 characters. This allows students to concentrate their efforts on a smaller number of character at any one time. A character moves off the Learning List after it has been learned and is automatically replaced by an, as of yet, unlearned character. In that way the size of the learning list remains constant. Users can modify the size of the learning list by manually adding or removing characters.

A number of exercises are included which are used to gauge progress. A character graduates from the learning list only after all the exercises for that character have been correctly answered. The exercises must be answered correctly consecutively - meaning that getting on exercise wrong resets that character's score for all exercises and each exercise needs to be redone.

Exercises include:

* Meaning Multiple Choice Exercise
* Pinyin Pronunciation Exercise
* Pronunciation Tone Exercise
* Stroke Order Exercise
* Grid Search Exercise

A flashcard-like Review feature allows student to preview all that details of each character in the learning list. The Review feature displays a character's stroke order (with animation), meaning, pinyin pronunciations as well as a number of examples of the character's use in Chinese words or phrases.

Also included is a stroke order practice feature. The stroke order practice is not required to be completed to graduate a character off the learning list but is included as an extra feature that provides students with real-time practice at writing the character.