Educational Software Reviews Essay, Research Paper

Software Titles reviewed here:

1) Elmo’s Computer Phone

2) CD-ROM Suitcase

3) BusyTown Best Christmas Ever

Elmo’s Computer Phone

Ages: 12 months – 3 years

Price: $79.95

Distributor: Hilad 02 9700 9377

Publisher: Comfy Interactive

Requirements: 486 DX, Win 95, 8 MB RAM, 4 X CD-ROM

Rating: lllll

Along with the Comfy keyboard this product is definitely the best tool to introduce children under three and a half years, to the joy of playing on a computer. It’s also great for and all preschoolers who have not yet mastered mouse control.

Using it is easy, you simply plug the phone in and move your keyboard to the side. The child operates the game displayed on the computer screen, by pressing buttons on the phone and listening to sound from the ear-piece and speaker. If you wish, the child can play using sound from the ear-piece only. This has the added advantage of reducing household noise.

The game offers hours of enjoyable play for preschoolers and encourages them to recognize shapes, sounds, objects, colours, and body parts. They can play peek-a-boo, sing along and join Big Bird and Elmo in the activities they present.

CD-ROM Suitcase

Pic: BusyTo.bmp

Ages: 3-7 years

Price: $69.95

Distributor: Hilad 02 9700 9377

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Requirements: 486 DX, Win 95, 8 MB RAM, 4 X CD-ROM

Macintosh: Power mac, System 7.1, 8 MB RAM, 4 X CD-ROM

Rating: lllll

Another bargain! This CD-ROM Suitcase from Simon and Schuster, contains 12 CD-ROMS for kids aged 3-7 years. Though these are older titles, there are enough top quality ones included to deliver top value for money.

The disks include Richard Scarry’s Busytown, How things Work in Busytown, How Many Bugs in a Box, More Bugs in Boxes, Alistair and the Alien Invasion, Earth 2U, Exploring Geography, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, My Favourite Monster, Mooky Takes Manhattan, MacMillan Dictionary for Children and Road Construction Ahead. The most inappropriate game for Australia Money Town, features, US money.

The other titles are of international interest however. Busytown for example giving kids practice in adding, subtracting, measuring, counting, patern matching, problem solving and early reading skills.

Similarly ‘How Things Work in Busytown’ features eight activities that enable players to practice word recognition, vocabulary, pattern recognition, sequencing, community roles, problem solving, colour and counting skills in Busytown.

3) BusyTown Best Christmas Ever

Pic: BestXmas.bmp

Ages: 3-7 years

Price: $49.95

Distributor: Hilad 02 9700 9377

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Requirements: Pentium 90, Win 95, 16 MB RAM, 4 X CD-ROM

Macintosh: Power mac, System 7.1, 8 MB RAM, 4 X CD-ROM

Rating: lll

A latest release in the Busytown series based on the best-selling books by Richard Scarry, ‘Busytown Best Christmas Ever’, features a snow-covered Busytown for young players to explore. You join Huckle and Lowly to cut down and trim the Christmas tree, decorate the gingerbread, take a trip with Santa on his flying sleigh, and help Santa Bear finish all the toys.

At the card shop you can make real Christmas ornaments, cards and gift tags. Click the shape you want to decorate and select designs and greetings by clicking the arrows, then dragging the designs onto the card, ornament of tag. You then print your creation and fold the paper in half to achieve a three dimensional effect.

At the gift shop you can pick a story for Father Cat to read to you and on Christmas morning you help Huckle and Lowly give out the presents that Santa has left under the tree.