Fractions

Crash

Rosetta McLeod

CRASH COURSE By Rosetta McLeod MUSIC TO MY EARS For this, the first CRASH COURSE of the New Year, I have looked at a mixed bag of educational software. Three music programs landed on my desk, and it is good that this interesting area, enjoyed by both children and adults, is at last being given the attention it deserves by the publishers. The trio of programs, ranging from Theory of Music (a formal approach for those studying for music exams) to the lighter but no less valuable, Note Invaders and Pazazz, should appeal to a wide audience both young and old. The other programs reviewed this month are aimed at the 7-12 age group, and are representative of the increasingly wide range of software becoming available. From major publishers like HILL MACGIBBON to the smaller KEY SOFTWARE (run by a teacher), the programs cover a whole variety of skills ranging from teaching punctuation, spelling and fractions, to developing the more abstract concepts of logical thought and problem-solving. Next month I'll be looking at software from Granada Television to accompany their series of programs on The Micro At Work DON'T MISS IT! FRACTIONS Producer: Key Software, [redacted] Retail Price: £4 cassette, £5.50 Microdrive Age Range: primary 4 - secondary remedial Author: Rod MacAulay The title may be rather uninspired, but this program provides a very effective means of teaching both the basic concept of fractions and the way a fraction is represented by numbers. There are actually three short programs on the tape, taking the child through the concept step-by-step. Bits and Pieces begins by using shapes to demonstrate the idea of a fraction as part of a whole. The screen is laid out with a text window alongside a fractions window, and the moving graphics (showing a whole ball splitting into halves, quarters and so on) are a visually effective teaching aid. Tops and Bottoms goes on to display this information in terms of numerators and denominators, again using shape to demonstrate the use of numbers to represent fractions. The last program, Match Them, is a nice little game which tests the child on the knowledge gained in the previous programs. The idea is to choose the correct fraction from those displayed to match the pictured shape. There are three levels of difficulty to choose from, and at the end of the game a printout of the score can be obtained. Fractions is an extremely helpful tool for teaching an important area of mathematics, with colour and large print being used to very good effect. COMMENTS Control keys: mainly ENTER and SPACE Keyboard play: good Graphics: very good indeed Use of colour: bright and extremely effective