Knowledge Adventure (makers of the
Math Blaster and Jumpstart education
software) has joined with Lithgow Palooza
Company on the high quality book creation
software Books by You, for Windows and
Macintosh.
The software creates clever chapter
books as Academy Award winner actor John Lithgow
guides users through the creation process, which
includes word fill-ins similar to "Choose Your
Adventure" type series and giving characters
colorful names. Choose from these four titles —
Alien and the Cheese, The Wailing Alien, The
Mystery of the Monkey Palace and The Case of the
Missing Monkey.
Lithgow articulates himself well providing
plenty of helpful hints on context, character
and plot development. Users can learn a lot of
language skills throughout the creatively visual
process.
If you want a personal Christmas gift this
year, then this software has all the goods.
Users can include personal information, insert
their own pictures, write an author biography
and make a special dedication. Besides the book
itself, users can promote the book with a
customizable poster and/or press release.
The editing process can be a bit challenging,
mostly because you can’t see a blinking cursor –
it’s just easier to highlight the text and then
change it. Once finished in the initial process,
users can go back and edit words and other
special vocabulary words (all in colored text).
Once the masterpiece is finished, it’s time
to immortalize the work. Besides archived files
in a “Books by You” folder, users can save their
book as a PDF for sending by e-mail.
Got a good printer? This unique software
allows you to print-your-own-book right at home
or order a professionally bound copy start at
$9.99 each (soft back). Hardback
print-your-own-book copies are also available.
Prices are subject to change. Registration and a
credit card are required. Registration includes
the usual customer support/product news plus
additional educational articles and exclusive
learning tips.
The software is suggested for ages eight and
over, but would still be ideal for a regular
toddler bedtime story made by the parents
(imagine the discovery after years and years of
night time readings…neato!).
For younger audiences, the templated stories
are somewhat limited and quite lengthy for
younger ages, but the graphic options and
animated interludes can keep their attention
pretty well.
The software also allows for different users,
so guests and friends can join the fun at home.
The limitless learning and high replay value
during the process is definitely worth the
$19.99 suggested retailed price. Great for
educators and writers. Hopefully there will be
more book titles on different subjects in the
future.
While there is some crossover in content, especially between the Mighty
Math Calculating Crew and MindTwister Math, Space Academy GX-1's
astronomy and space-based physics focus and Thinkin' Science ZAP!'s
electricity, sound, and optics activities more than make up for the overlap.
The interfaces vary from program to program, but all prove navigable and
easy to learn. And while the presentation might be tame at times for experienced
computer-gamer tastes, for the most part these titles pack enough sounds,
voices, and animation to keep things moving. Parents and teachers should be
happy with the mix of problem-solving and drill-oriented activities. In
particular, Thinkin' Science ZAP! offers some excellent open-ended
interactivity with real, hands-on science, thanks to its virtual laser tables,
circuit boards, and an audio studio.
The mathematics game show MindTwister Math might be the weak link
of the bunch since it's only geared to third and fourth graders, but at this
price, the collection is still a steal even if you don't end up using all of the
CDs. --Paul Hughes
Math Blaster is part of the Blaster Learning System, an integrated
line of game-based learning software. Blaster Learning System missions use
gameplay to teach fundamental math and reading skills to kids ages 5 to 9. After
mastering the essentials, kids move on to Cross Terrain Challenge, created to
sharpen critical-thinking skills through extreme game adventures.
Math Blaster's unique motivational learning system recognizes each
child's achievement with points that can be redeemed for rewards. The Blaster
Learning System goes the extra step with SmartPoints to provide an incentive to
play, practice, and learn.
Kids guide a sassy purple-haired alien girl named G.C. along a perilous
pathway of crumbling bridges to collect hover boards in one game. In another,
they use directional coordinates to move G.C. around a bamboo grid and beat a
robot competitor to, yes, more hover boards. Completion of any of the five
obstacle courses in the game results in an extra points race that pits a boy
character, Blaster, against the clock in a desert setting on... a hover board.
We just got a little burned out on bustin' big air.
There are some nonboard head games. Spatial skills and speed come into
play in a pipe-connecting game. Graphing, foresight, and speed are required for
a scorpion corralling enterprise where kids click on coordinates that activate
directional roadblocks on a grid. The right sequence herds the creatures back
into their holes, and the game is addictive in a Tetris sort of way. The
most challenging of the five games is a maze where the player must roll a giant
hamster ball between matching geometric shapes, while contending with force
fields and obstacles within the maze that spin, bounce, and throw the hamster
ball off its course. This last one is one of those "looks better on the box"
games. The game would be awesome (dude) in a 3-D version, but the actual game is
a simple two-dimensional maze with an aerial view of the action.
These games get harder the more they're played, and there are five
missions, which involve multiple versions of the games, within the program. High
scores result in SmartPoints, which can be redeemed for rewards. This involves
going online and handing name, e-mail, and address information over to Knowledge
Adventure. Kids can supply that information to the company, but can't redeem
their SmartPoints without written permission from parents.
The relentless focus on board moves and attitude may put some kids off; we
think there might be a reason that the only girl in this game is from another
planet. And though the minimal in-game instruction is probably deliberately
designed to encourage problem solving, we fear this may put off true math-phobes.
Parents should be prepared to help out with some of these games, and may be
challenged themselves, since they learned their math back when it didn't have to
be "Blasted" to be made palatable. (Ages 9 to 12) --Anne Erickson
Kids ages 2 to 4 will get some early learning experience with Little People Discovery Airport, a new educational software title from Fisher-Price
and Knowledge Adventure. The software offers great graphics, nice music and neat sound effects to help keep any kid busy at the computer for hours of fun and a little learning at a little local airport (puns
intended).
After a quick installation from a single CD, with a video introducing the little people gang, kids are on their way to the Little People Discovery Airport to learn some fun facts and have some fun
airport activities. This software is based on the popular Fisher-Price Little People toy line featuring those famous kid characters: Eddie, Sarah Lynn, Maggie, Sonya Lee, Michael and Pilot Paula. After
signing in, kids have access to all activities from the main menu. They'll learn about weather as they fly through a cloud maze with Maggie, learn about shapes and colors sorting suitcases with Sarah Lynn, they'll
assemble and paint new airplanes with Michael, learn about math with pets and Sonya Lee, visit Eddie in the control tower for some plane fun (pun intended) and have more fun with printable activities like "connect the
numbers" and coloring pages. Also, several hot spots on the screen will react to a mouse click or two.
All the activities require computer mouse skills, which may be difficult for
two-year-old toddlers, and some three-year-old kids. So, parents will have
to help those kids untrained in the mouse. In fact, the Little People
software may encourage mouse skills and then parents will just stand back and
watch as their little computer genius tackles the next educational title.
Little People Discovery Airportsells for $15.99 and will run on any multimedia PC, Pentium 233 MHz or faster, 64 MB RAM with Windows 98/ME/2000/XP and a 16x CD-ROM drive. It also runs on a Power Mac G3 233 MHz or faster with 64 MB RAM and a 24x CD-ROM drive. For more information, or to order, visitAmazon.com.
Based
on the popular Nickelodeon television series, this new PC CD from Vivendi Universal Games is now available for action-loving kids with a PC, Macintosh or Game Boy Advance (cartridge). Join the Martians B-Bop-A-
Luna, 2-T-Fru-T and Do-Wah-Diddy for a comedy-filled fun arcade style set of games. It's a 3-D video game adventure with high-resolution graphics and great sounds. Your goal is to prove your abilities
by completing 8 outer space challenges from Emperor Bog and help the Martian butt-ugly heroes stop Bog from taking over the Earth
Set in the year 2053, the Butt-Ugly Martians invade Earth by orders of their evil
leader Emperor Bog. However, unknown to Bog, his butt-ugly boys don't really want to conquer Earth. They just want to enjoy the fast food, pop culture and video games.
After a quick installation from CD,
you're ready to head to the Bog-stacle course. First you'll select 1 or 2-player play, a difficulty level (1, 2 or 3) and then sign in. Next, you'll pick a Butt-Ugly Martian to control. You're start
with the space maze, similar to Pak Man and then go on to a space racecourse with lots of humor as you ride to the finish. Next you'll box with your robot opponent and then go on to a Space Invaders style
game. Challenge 5 is your next stop at the Great Wall of Humanga for a 3-D form of breakout with great graphics providing outstanding perspective as the balls bounce back toward you. Challenge 6 is another
boxing game and obstacle 7 let's you destroy asteroids with your lasers. And finally, your last challenge will be in the Final Battle Arena for more robot boxing. As you play each game you'll earn
points towards your final score and final rank. Also, you can repeat a game throughout the course, if you'd like. I thought the Great Wall of Humanga
was tons of fun and repeated it several times before going on.
Butt-Ugly Martians: Martian Boot Campsells for $11.99 and will run on any multimedia PC, Pentium 266 MHz or faster, 64 MB RAM with Windows 98/ME/2000/XP and a 24x CD-ROM drive. It also runs on a Power Mac G3 266 MHz or faster with 64 MB RAM and a 24x CD-ROM drive. For more information, or to order, visit Amazon.com.
Girls ages 4 and up will help the Kelly Club
kids, Kelly, Keeya, Chelsie and Tommy put pets on parade. You'll teach pets tricks, dress Kelly Club kids in special costumes, design floats with flowers and fire works and then start the parade. This title
is mainly for girls ages 4 and up who love Barbie. My daughter Becky, who just turned 8, used to love anything Barbie, but not any more.
This is another game for girls, but for ages 6
and up. Kids who are Barbie fans will love this exciting Indiana Jones style 3-D graphics adventure. Kids will help Barbie unlock the secret of the mystic mirror. They'll search lands for the lost
treasure, explore ancient temples and solve puzzles on the way to their goal. This is a one or two player game; kids can play alone or with a friend.
You've probably heard that children have a much
higher propensity and retention rate for language learning than adults. Some
studies say that if you learn multiple languages at a very young age, you have a
much better chance of remembering them over the long term. Programs like
JumpStart Spanish are designed especially for children in preschool,
kindergarten, and the first grade to make the most of this aptitude. We have
been struggling to find a good software that helps teach our son Spanish. Most
of the software we previewed were "flashcards." We finally found the best
foreign language kids software I have seen.
Kelly Club Pet Parade
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