Start-up Programs
The best software for preschoolers
By Russell Smith
Computer software will never replace crayons, round-tipped scissors,
and adult supervision for preschoolers. And that's as it should
be: Little kids need to interact with more than a computer screen
and a mouse. But it's nice to know that software has become more
accessible -- and educational -- for preschoolers, thanks to color
monitors, fast CD-ROMs, and even faster DVD technology.
Probably no segment of our student population needs sight and
sound enhancements more than the preschool set. Provide excellent
computer-assisted instruction at this age, and you might tip the
scale as to whether a kid graduates or drops out in a dozen years.
Here are what I consider the top educational preschool software
programs available today:
 3D
Froggy Phonics
Ingenuity Works, Inc.
(800) 665-0667. Ages 4 to 8. This early learning program,
produced by a Canadian company formerly known as VR Didatech,
is an excellent resource for pre-K to third grade. Frizzy the
Frog leads pupils on a journey to discover the sounds letters
make. Interesting activities help kids differentiate between vowels
and consonants. Your youngest pupils will enjoy a Watch segment
that provides 10 animated phonics movies with scrolling text.
But don't be quick to dismiss this as only a preschool or kindergarten
program: It has tough spelling activities that will benefit third-graders,
as well as other activities that can help students for whom English
is a second language.
 A
to Zap!
Sunburst Communications.
(800) 321-7511. Ages 3 to 6. This award-winning program will engage
the youngest learners for hours with activities based on letters
of the alphabet. Each letter has a module of humorous and educational
games designed to teach about the letter and inspire creativity.
I especially like the Kite and Music modules for their use of
pattern recognition and music.
A comprehensive Sunburst ringbinder helps explain the full potential
of this neat program. Also included is a Sunbuddies activity booklet
with coloring pages. Teachers can order additional activity books,
as well as a set of colorful alphabet flash cards featuring Sunbuddies.
  Bananas
in Pajamas: It's Fun Time!
DK Publishing. (800) 937-5557.
Ages 2 to 6. This whimsical preschool CD makes no effort to teach
letters or any hardcore curriculum skills. Following the philosophy
of teachers who prefer the "play" method of instruction for preschool
children, this CD features two delightful, British-accented bananas
named B1 and B2 who, wearing striped pajamas, lead children in
merry adventures.
A
click of the mouse produces surprising and humorous results in
every module. In Rat's Shop, children can click on funny objects
-- a can that oozes is a big laugh -- and help Rattie make a sandwich.
In Beach and Park, kids build a toy and give suntan lotion to
Amy the Teddy Bear. At Banana's House, kids can play a music memory
game on a xylophone, repeating the notes the Banana plays. For
critical-thinking skills and creativity, I'd say this disk is
a Best Bet for preschool collections.
 Blue's
ABC Time Activities and Blue's
Birthday Adventure
Humongous Entertainment.
(800) 499-8386. Ages 3 to 6. According to PC Data, Blue's Birthday
Adventure was the fourth highest-selling educational CD-ROM program
in 1998. Small wonder with the boost it gets from Nickelodeon,
which broadcasts the kid-famous "Blue's Clues" television program
and worked closely with the development of the software.
Both of these CDs exemplify the Nickelodeon motto: Play to Learn.
The games have real educational content, but it's not the watered-down
first-grade curriculum that some teachers say they prefer in early-learning
software. (I don't share that preference myself, but that's another
column.)
In both of these programs, students learn basic skills, such
as ABCs, sorting, classifying, and matching, as well as colors,
shapes, and patterns. But these programs become more creative
in helping students develop critical-thinking and problem-solving
skills. In some ways, the hunt for Blue's Clues reminds me of
a preschool version of the Carmen San Diego programs. Hundreds
of clickable surprises and an adjustable difficulty level for
players turn these programs into rewarding adventures.
Dr.
Seuss Preschool & Kindergarten
Broderbund, a subsidiary
of the Learning Company.
(800) 685-6322. Ages 2 to 4. Who can resist the delightful rhymes
of Dr. Seuss? In this charming program, the Cat in the Hat and
Horton the elephant lead kids on fun-filled adventures that teach
the alphabet, numbers, counting, phonics, sorting, classifying,
beginning reading skills, and more. Dr. Seuss' philosophy was
that reading did not have to be dull. The motto for this software
is: "When kids laugh more, they learn more." I think you'll find
kids laughing -- and learning -- with this one.
Elmo's
Preschool Deluxe and Elmo's
Reading: Preschool & Kindergarten
Creative Wonders,
a subsidiary of The Learning
Company. (800) 852-2255. Ages 4 to 6. Each of these Sesame
Street preschool programs is a two-CD set that uses lovable Elmo
to teach a wide array of preschool skills. I'm not thrilled about
Elmo's shrill pronunciation of words (either on TV or on CD),
but if you can get past that, these CDs are worth a serious look.
Elmo's Preschool Deluxe offers 15 learning activities, including
the obligatory colors and shapes, math activities, and simple
spelling. In a module that stresses social skills, Elmo talks
about emotions while kids create a face to match the emotion.
The second disk offers interactive adventures involving real-world
skills such as safety, good habits, and recycling, in ways that
call upon children to listen to directions, develop critical-thinking
skills, and make decisions.
I like Elmo's Reading because "smart" assessment technology
personalizes the program by adjusting the level of difficulty
for each child. I also like the fact that the first disk builds
basic reading skills and the second uses those skills in an exciting
"Reading Adventure." On the first CD, kids study letters and word
families by helping Grover complete words in his comic book, spelling
the words in Cookie Monster's kitchen, and developing simple sentences
while exploring a nature book with Elmo. The second disk focuses
on excellent vocabulary modules, reading comprehension, printable
activities (such as creating a personal storybook), and social
themes, such as developing self-confidence.
 First
Phonics
Sunburst Communications.
(800) 321-7511. Ages 4 to 6. This program, produced by Illinois's
Software for Success and distributed by Sunburst, focuses on the
phonics skill essential to success in reading: the ability to
sound out the first letter of a word.
The program includes several educational games. In the Mailbox
Game, for instance, children pick the correct first letter, and
a mailman delivers it to a house with the same letter. And the
Circus Game features animals bouncing through the air in a three-ring
circus while kids try to pick the correct first letter written
on several trampolines. If they pick the wrong letter, the trampoline
collapses.
This is fun for kids, and, for teachers, there are lots of tools
for gauging student progress. As with all Sunburst products, it
comes with an excellent teacher's manual filled with lesson suggestions
and blackline masters for reproducing worksheets. I give this
program a Best Bet for Preschool Phonics Software.
Freddi
Fish 4: The Case of the Hogfish Rustlers of Briny Gulch
Humongous Entertainment.
(800) 499-8386. Ages 3 to 8. Another Humongous title, this one
is eye-catching and ear-captivating, with television studio-quality
graphics and a sound track that's fun to play even when nobody
is sitting at the computer. My kids are 10 and 14 years old, but
I let them take a trial spin on this program, and they were riveted
for two days until I reclaimed it for review. This CD has zero
violence, and the game is different every time you play it, so
it doesn't get repetitious like most software.
The object of this adventure game is for Freddi Fish and her
faithful friends to help Cousin Calico stop the fishnappers who
have been rustling the prize-winning hogfish. Along the way, pupils
learn sequencing and memory skills, social skills like friendship
and cooperation (a big plus for little ones), and many strategic
thinking skills like mental mapping, prediction, and testing hypotheses.
Of course, some elements are just plain fun, like creating a wanted
poster, visiting an "oysteroid" arcade, or playing a nickelodeon
movie (the traditional kind, not the TV-channel kind).
Included in the package are a Parent/Teacher Guide, Freddi Fish
stickers, and an activity book filled with mazes, see-and-find
puzzles, math crossword puzzles, and lots more. If you like this
one (and your little ones will), you might want to look at the
older Freddi Fish CDs, which are just as much fun. So round 'em
up, pardner, and get on down to the corral to lasso a few boxes
of these programs for your littlest cowpokes. I give this program
a Best Bet for Creative Preschool Software.
JumpStart
Preschool
Knowledge Adventure.
(800) 545-7677. Ages 2 to 5. This preschool title from the hugely
successful Jumpstart series is jam-packed with colorful and educational
activities. Casey the Cat's colorful classroom is the setting
for Preschool, where 2- to 4-year-olds learn basic skills such
as sequencing, numbers, shapes, phonics, colors, counting, music,
and early vocabulary.
 Living
Letters ABC: The Letters with Personality and Living
Numbers 123: The Numbers with Personality
LarKen Software, Inc. (800)
242-4775. Ages 2 to 6. These Windows-only programs are real sleepers
from a small software company in Bremerton, Wash. Programmers
and designers from the huge firms could take some lessons from
the LarKen folks. This software sports a truly excellent interface
with super-easy installation, friendly menus, and high-quality
multimedia components that blend cartoon graphics with real-life
photography and videos. And there's no need to fiddle with setting
your Windows video driver to 256-color mode: These programs work
best on high-color display. I only wish the other companies would
be so progressive.
Living Letters has several amusing activities. In Word Match,
for instance, kids match words with photos and are rewarded with
a short educational film after five successful matches. And in
Letter Learning, each letter of the alphabet comes alive with
animation and photographs.
Living Numbers uses the same innovative multimedia techniques.
Six learning activities help youngsters learn grouping, counting,
memory skills, coloring, and other early math concepts. I give
the LarKen preschool software a Best Bet for Innovative Preschool
Software.
Madeline
Classroom Companion: Preschool & Kindergarten
Creative Wonders,
a subsidiary of The Learning
Company. (800) 852-2255. Ages 4 to 6. The delightful book
and cartoon character Madeline lends her own distinct charm to
this CD-ROM program. In this two-disk set (one for preschool,
one for kindergarten), Madeline guides kids on a fun-filled journey
to a French town. The different activities in different shops
will entice children to play again and again.
All of the activities have settings for three different skill
levels, which help the youngest preschooler as well as the more
advanced user. Kids learn different skills in different shops
and stops. In the bakery, for instance, they learn how to count
the treats, and in the playroom, they learn word-recognition and
spelling skills, along with a few French and Spanish words. The
newsstand has printer options for games, puzzles, and crafts that
can be played away from the computer, and the movie theater shows
videos of Madeline singing and dancing with her pets and friends.
 Memory
Fun! and Sequencing
Fun!
Sunburst Communications.
(800) 321-7511. Ages 4 to 7. Some people might call these programs
one-trick ponies because their curriculum objectives are so narrow.
But they cover essential skills for the youngest students. In
Memory Fun! Tiny the elephant and the Sunbuddies lead students
through a number of matching games. Easy concentration games cover
colors and shapes, as well as counting skills, and the CD comes
with Sunburst's standard teacher's ring-binder with hardcopy lesson
activities.
Sequencing Fun! is one of my favorite disks. With the help of
the cute Sunbuddies, kids improve their memory skills and enhance
their sequencing abilities. Text, pictures, animations, and video
clips challenge students to arrange information in the correct
order.
 Reader
Rabbit Personalized Preschool
The Learning Company.
(800) 852-2255. Ages 3 to 5. Reader Rabbit has become one of the
classic characters of software history: More than 10 years ago,
educators were using Reader Rabbit on monochrome Macs and PCs.
Like Mickey Mouse and the Energizer bunny, this rabbit shows no
signs of retiring. In the latest Preschool version 2.01, Reader
Rabbit and friends try to restore an old carnival by earning money.
This theme of a final goal has been hugely successful in other
Reader Rabbit titles and makes youngsters strive to complete the
quest.
Different segments lead the preschooler into interactive missions
to earn money to restore the carnival. Combining play activities
-- the Hide-and-Seek activity is especially cute -- with preschool
skills, Reader Rabbit has just the right mixture of playful and
educational activities for our youngest students. And if your
school includes older students, you'll find they enjoy helping
younger ones with this program.
A final caution
I want to emphasize that preschool software, no matter how great,
is not the Holy Grail to diagnosing and solving early learning
problems. No machine can replace loving parents, a caring teacher,
good books, and the give-and-take of playground friends. But the
right software can be a wonderful enhancement to the preschool
environment.
Just don't let the computer become an electronic babysitter
-- or teacher. We must guide kids in their use of computers, and
we must always remember that kind and encouraging words are far
better motivators than any funny pixel on a computer monitor.
Russell Smith is
a contributing editor to Electronic School and an educational
technology consultant for Region 14 Education Service Center in
Abilene, Texas.
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