Copy Cats + Spell Cats

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! COPY CATS/SPELL CATS Producer: Key Software, [redacted] Retail Price: £4 cassette, £5.50 Microdrive Age Range: primary 3 - secondary remedial Author: Andy Watson Copy Cats and Spell Cats form a pair of programs that can be used to improve a child's ability to recognise and spell common words. The programs make use of the Look - Cover - Write - Check approach advocated by reading specialists, and the words chosen (over 200, used singly and in two and three-word phrases) are taken from McNally and Murray's Key Words, and Edwards and Summers's The Hundred Most Frequent Words. Copy Cats displays a word or phrase which the child looks at for as long as is desired. When the player feels able to spell the word, pressing SPACE causes the word to disappear. The correct spelling must then be typed in. There are six levels of difficulty, ranging from simple three-letter words to phrases consisting of three words. Level One, for instance, contains words such as "bad - cat - has - pig - yes", while Level Six asks the child to cope with phrases like "about the house - in the picture - find that woman". The aim at each level is for the child to achieve twenty correct spellings, but the game ends if three mistakes are made in a row. After twenty correct answers the final score is displayed, and if a printer is attached the score can be printed out. Spell Cats is a similar game, but this time the word or phrase is displayed for a length of time related to the speed chosen. If a wrong answer is given the speed slows slightly, while correct responses have the opposite effect. Quite a high level of competence is required at the fastest level, forcing the child to absorb the whole pattern of the word or phrase rather than splitting it up letter by letter. Copy Cats and Spell Cats are both attractive little programs, and because speed and start level can be varied, they can be used with children at various levels of competence. Sound can be switched on and off, though it has to be said that the level is so quiet (and the sound itself not particularly interesting), that it contributes little to the appeal of the program. All in all though, these two programs are based on sound educational practice and the accompanying manual clearly lays out the aims and objectives of the package. COMMENTS Control keys: all letter keys Keyboard play: good Graphics: limited but attractive Use of colour: effective