Conference moira::parenting

    I got my son, who will be 4 in September, the Mighty Morphin' Power
    Rangers CDROM last week ($19.95 at BJ's). This runs on both MAC and
    WINDOWS. I have not tried it on a PC, but it runs very well on our MAC
    Performa 550. The interface has a couple of features which are a little
    challenging for a three-year old, since there are some words to
    recognize, but he does pretty well with it.

    The CD contains 5 episodes of MMPR's, one highlighting each ranger
    except the green one (can you tell I am familiar with this show?), just
    like on video tape. The difference is that they have broken the episodes
    into "chapters", apparently corresponding to the commercial break
    points. You have a choice of 3 modes, random, user, and (can't remember
    the name) normal. In normal mode you watch the chapters of one episode
    in sequence, much like seeing it on TV. In user mode, you click on the
    chapters in a grid in the sequence you want to see them, then watch only
    the selected chapters in that sequence. Random mode is the simplest for
    little kids. You click on any chapter in the grid and watch just that
    one, allowing you to bounce around between chapters to your heart's
    content (yes, you can watch Rita's latest monster battle the Megazord 10
    times in a row!).

    The video appears in a small window against the background of a still
    shot from the chapter. There is an info button which takes you to vital
    textual information about one of the good or bad guys, so you can brush
    up on your encyclopedic knowledge of MMPR arcana (how to really impress
    a four-year old).

    If you are tired of the kids wearing out video tapes, this is a nice
    alternative, especially since you get 5 for 1. Since the tapes go for
    about 5 bucks each, this is a bit cheaper (a computer with CDROM is
    somewhat more expensive than a VCR, though!). I did manage to lock up
    the computer twice with it, so it is not totally bug-free.
    
    This is the first entertainment-only software I have gotten for my son.
    Everything else has some sort of educational angle. The CD comes with a
    letter stating that the publisher wants to provide a less violent
    altenative to the Mortal Kombat breed of kids' software, which I don't
    entirely swallow. For all its little morality plays at the end of each
    episode, it is still a shoot-em/hit-em entertainment, just no blood. So
    is it better to show kids violence with no messy consequences (message:
    nobody really gets hurt), or overly-realistic violence (risking the
    danger of becoming too inured to violence and accepting it)? That is
    a debate for another note. But if you don't mind your kids watching MMPR
    and playing with the toys, this CD is pretty good.

Thanks, Steve.   My 6 year old spotted this at the computer store the other
day and was asking me for it.  It's nice to know what it does and what it
*doesn't* do.  :-)

    Carol

    I'm looking for recommendations for educational software for
    4-5 yr. olds.  Can anyone help or point to sources of help?
    Don't have sound capability.
    
    Thanks
    Linn

    I recommend you look in the Mac or IBMPC conferences directly.
    (you probably have a PC if you have no sound).

    when you purchase, its a lot cheaper to buy through the
    mail order houses (PC Connection for example) than from a local
    computer store.

    There are lots of standards....KidPix for drawing, Playroom and
    Treehouse (from Broderbund), EdMark has a lot of good educational
    programs (Millie's Math House, Sammy's Science House).

My 6 year old likes the Reader Rabbit series.  He started with them last
year or so, and he hardly reads at all.  Even when he doesn't understand 
what he's supposed to learn (scooping up fish that have a "short a" sound)
he has fun (he scoops everything with an a  :-}  ).

He is starting to read more, and partly due to these games.  One of the
games, for instance, has you trying to find part of the compound word, and he
works out the answer by sounding out the first and last letters.  Another
game is for alphabetizing.  It's full of praise for jobs well done, which also
really helps him.

    Carol

    
    Has anyone had experience with a "Miracle Piano".  All I know
    about it is that it hooks up to a PC and it interactively
    teaches the child how to read music and play the piano.  What
    ages is it appropriate for?
    
    ..................beth

I read in Consumer Reports, or someplace like that, that some of the piano
software is quite helpful, and also that some of it is a little harsh in
its criticism.  You might want to find out how often it corrects mistakes,
and what type of phrasing it uses to do so (gee, just like parenting...  ;-)  )

     Carol

    Can anyone tell me if there exists software to practice for SAT's? A review
    would be an added bonus :-) 
    Thanks,
    Sue Lewis
    

    I saw some at "The Whiz" in Westboro, MA on Route 9, but the s/w was in
    a discount bin--must have been the '94 model.  Safe bet that the s/w
    does exist for '95... sorry I don't have any details or reviews.
    
    Leslie

    I'd like to buy my 11 yr old neice some software for
    her birthday.
    
    I'm not very familiar with the "hot" games for kids that
    age.  So, if anyone has any recommendations, I'd love
    to hear them.
    
    I think she'd like something that is fun as opposed to
    strictly educational.  She likes sports (soccer, gymnastics)
    and is good at math.  Are there any fun math type games
    out there?
    
    	Linda
    

My 10 year-old daughter greatly enjoyed the game
Operation Neptune.  You drive a submarine searching
for stuff and along the way answer a variety of math
problems, such as how much supplies you have left if
you use so much per-day, how long it will take to get
somewhere, etc.  Getting the right answers helps you continue
with the search. You can set up the problems so that they
involve whole numbers, fractions, and/or decimals.

I would recommend it.   Harold

I am looking to buy some new software for our soon-to-be 4 yr old daughter.  She
has Reader Rabbit I, Math Rabbit and Treehouse - Treehouse is slightly beyond
her, but the other two are easy for her.  She still enjoys playing them,
especially since she now has the grasp of using the mouse.

What software would you recommend.  I would like it if tended to be
educational..but just entertainment would be fine too.  I would like to hear
what you have and what you like/don't like about it.  There's such a lot of them
out there, I am really not too sure how many are *good*.

Take a look at http://www.gamesdomain.com/tigger/ for lots of stuff on kids'
software (including reviews).

    
    Try the Fisher Price software.  Toys R Us had one of them for $20.00. 
    We got "The Pirate Ship" for ?25.00 at compusa ~X-mas.  Based on the
    plastic Fisher Price pirate ship, you have to find pieces of the
    treasure map, which are hidden amongst the ship, and then once you
    complete the map, go dig up the treasure.  In the meantime, you can
    launch things, shoot things out of a cannon, sing songs, draw, etc. 
    It's pretty cool.  There's also a "Castle" one, never played that, but
    expect that it would be good.
    
    WARNING:  We have it installed on a 486/66 with a quad CD, and it's
    SLOW between screen changes.  REAL slow.
    
    -Patty
    

My 4.5 year old daughter loves the Broderbund "Living Books" series.
The ones we have (that she loves) include:
    Dr. Seuss' ABCs
    Little Monster At School
    Berenstain Bears In the Dark *
    Berenstain Bears Get Into a Fight

* This title also has a couple of games on it -- an animal 
  matching/memory game and a picture jumble game.  

She also has Disney's Lion King Interactive Storybook, but I
don't recommend it.  Simply not as well done.

BTW, I'm embarrassed to admit that I'm still running Windows
(not 95) on a 486DX33.  Lion King is bearable, but only just.

- Deb  

    We have Jump Start Kindergarten and Jump Start First Grade.
    Love both of them.  My daughter quickly bored of Reader Rabbit
    but Jump Start keeps her attention.
    
    Janice

there is a series called 'thinkin things'....lots of
music and graphics.

Another series....Bailey's Bookhouse, Sammy's Science House, etc...

you probably have KidPix and KidPix Cutouts (I think...a crafts
package for KidPix, make a mask, hat, etc.)

There are great CDs...Living Books, etc...that will encourage
reading and are fun

    We got "Freddi Fish and the Case of the Missing Kelp Seed" for Christmas 
    and it's been a big hit!  Teaches problem solving.   Jason (7) also loves 
    the Math and Reading Blaster (Davidson?) series - these are learning games.
    These three would be our "most used".  We have two Broderbund Living Books 
    ("Arthur's Teacher Trouble" and "The Tortoise and the Hare") which appeal 
    more to our 2.5 year old; the older guy tired of them quickly.
    
    Carol        

    My daughter also has Junp Start Kindergarten and loves it.  She has
    some of the living books as well as the Canon Creative Crayola coloring
    program, which keeps her busy for hours.
    
    

My son (now 27 months) started with

	Jump Start Toddlers  

then got some free CD's with a soundcard that included:

	Freddy Fish (missing kelp)
	Farm Game (don't know exact name but includes all kinds of details 
		about a farm)
	Putt-Putt (parade) (similar to Freedy Fish but easier)
	<some other game>

We bought:

	Jump Start Preschool
	Tonka Trucks 

He jumps between wanting to play any of them at any time but the trucks one
is usually his faviorite.  And that just happens to be the one that crashes
more often than any of the others (I've never seen either Jump Start game
crash or hang).

bjm

My son is 4.5, and some of his favorites are:

	Bailey's Book House
	How Many Bugs in a Box
	Incredible Machines
	KidPix
	Magic School Bus (several)
	Musical Instruments (Microsoft)
	Toy Story Activity Center
	Treehouse

						Brian

Brian,

Do the Magic School bus ones require reading?  I'm under the 
impression that the target age for these is 6 and up, and I
assumed that it needed some reading skills.  If not, here I
come!!  Noelle (4.5) absolutely *loves* the Magic School bus
television show so I suspect she'd spend hours with a 
PC rendition...

Thanks for adding your list!  And for those replying, it really
helps this reader when you include the age(s) of your kid(s)
when you reply.

- Deb

>> Do the Magic School bus ones require reading?

It depends.  Josh is quite able to enjoy the games embedded in them, and the
experiments, without reading.  Most of the reading material is spoken as well.
There is also a great deal of exploratory material, and lots of fun hotspots.
Very well done.

						Brian

Thanks for the replies so far.  Also great pointer in .17.

A couple that we are seriously considering are Jumpstart Kindergarten and 
Reader Rabbit's Interactive Reading Journey.  I read rave reviews about the
second one - has anyone here used it?  It apparently really helps the child to
grasp phonetics and learn to read.  It's a little expensive (80$) and I'd like
to hear from someone who has used it, before going out to buy it!

< Reader Rabbit's Interactive Reading Journey.  

I'm also interested in learning about this one.  I'm wondering if it would
help my 8 year old, who is having trouble with reading and writing (but is
great at math).

As for 4 year olds, my 4 y.o. loves Putt Putt and the Lion King Activity 
Center CD.  He also enjoys the Reader Rabbit Ready for Letters.

      Carol

    FYI, I saw "Kids on Site" at BJ's (Nashua) yesterday for $8. It's a
    construction site game. The graphics aren't great, and the sound is
    *loud* and it features two construction workers whose names weren't
    very complimentary, but my kids liked it. The newer Hasbro Tonka
    software has mostly replaced it in my kids' hearts, though.
    Sue

>>    very complimentary, but my kids liked it. The newer Hasbro Tonka
>>    software has mostly replaced it in my kids' hearts, though.

I hope yours is less hang-prone than mine.  Put that loader or crane in the
wrong spot on the screen and - time for ALT-F4 (if that works).

bjm

    re:.31
    Gee, we've never seen the hang. Of course, the birthday present copy
    of the software was non-existent. (Nice box, no CD.) Called the support
    number and they fed-ex'ed me another copy.
    Sue