LADYDRAGON.COM - On-Track Software: Alphabet Grade K

School Zone Interactive has created a new concept in children educational software called Electronic Workbooks. Published under the brand name On-Track Software, Alphabet Grade Kindergarten for the ages of 4 - 5 is a comprehensive interactive workbook where children can learn on the computer and they also added in the packaged a 32- page-full color traditional School Zone workbook.

Alphabet Grade Kindergarten is among 6 titles to be release this year other titles are Thinking Skills for Grade Preschool for the ages of 3-5, Multiplication/Division for Grades 3-4 for the ages of 7-9, Phonics for Grade 2-3 for the ages 6--8, Beginning Reading K-1 for Grade K-1 for the ages of 4-6 and Beginning Reading 1-2 for Grade 1-2 for the ages of 5-7.

In Alphabet your child will learn those skills: Letter Recognition, Sequencing, Beginning sounds, Colors, Visual Discrimination.

Your child will follow a series of exercises that are each represented by the foot steps of the little colorful Toucan in total there is 30. When your child succeed a solution she/he will get a star if there is a mistake a red check will appear. If all the answers are correct there is an out loud congratulation for encouragement the same goes if the answer is incorrect you will hear a sentence like you will get it right next time.

After the entire 30 exercises the program brings you back to the Toucan's red foot prints were incorrect answers were so that your child has a chance to build her/his confidence.

Before each exercise the instruction are print on the screen and read out loud. In between exercise you get animation for rewards like animals parading or a magician doing tricks and arcade games to play to relax and take a little break from learning like landing an helicopter through the clouds or removing bugs in a garden.

Among the activities your child can play there is one to learn colors, you will have to draw items and animals. There is different way to draw like the way you want, a specific color or the same color as a little picture.

For the sound recognition 2 animals or 2 items are display like an ant and a fox and if the letter is F you need to click on the Fox.

Other exercises are recognizing a specific picture among others, attribute the correct beginning letter to an item or an animal by dragging the letter under it and type the missing letter among a sequence during your exercise there is an Alphabet chart that can be viewed in order to help your child if need be.

All these activities are mixed up and new one arise as you progress. There is a place where you can view your progress and get a Certificate of success after the session is complete to print. Also there is some exercise that can be print out

If you quit at any point during the exercise the program remembers where you were at if you enter the same name at beginning where Olie the Gator welcomes you. If you type a different name or if you finish the session you can start a new session it is all reshuffled with different exercises to start with so that you do not see the same thing twice.

It would be more fun if the Toucan was animated and was explaining the exercise instead of the Lady.

But something that has to go is the white background. All the exercises are done with a white background this is the worst color to look at on the screen specially if you look at it for a long a time.

But beside that this a great educational software to teach your young child since it does not need a parent really to supervise and this is a great tool for those parents that like to teach their own children themselves or to place in a daycare center to educate and entertained the children at the same time.

Plus there is a workbook where your child can learn those skills: Alphabetical Order, Letter-Sound Correspondence, Fine Motor Skills, Eye-Hand Coordination and Following Directions.

Companies

Publisher
School Zone
School zone

Category
Educational
Ages 4-5

Notes

Originality: 95%
Gameplay: 97%
Interest: 96%
Graphic: 88%
Control: 92%
Sound: 90%

TOTAL: 93%

Requirements

Operation System
Windows 95-98

Processor
166 MHz Pentium

Memory
32 RAM

Hard Drive
50 MB

CD ROM
4x

Sound Card
16 bit

Video Card
640-480 16 bit

Input Device
Mouse

Kelly Wilson