Producer: Ebury Software/Good Housekeeping
Memory Required: 48K
Retail Price: £12.95
Author: Five Ways
Age Group: 3 - 6 Years

This package, designed by teachers, is intended to complement the pre-reading work that a child will meet at school 'Let's Draw Letters' introduces the child to letter names and shows how the letters of the alphabet fall lower case) are drawn. The letters are introduced in groups according to the order in which they are normally taught in schools eg c o a d g q are all based on the rounded c or o shape. After the child has watched the shape being drawn on the screen and had the chance to discuss it with the parent, the latter is encouraged to let the child practise drawing the letter himself with a large crayon and a piece of paper. This program has the excellent facility of allowing the adult to return to the menu screen at any point to select individual letters for practice. There is also the option of'drawing'letters on a screen with or without lines for guidance as the child's dexterity improves. Mr T's Letter Factory can be introduced to the child by the parent, but then can be played be even the very young child on his own. At the start of the game, Mr T is seen in his factory making letters. The player has to help him by activating a robot arm each time one of the letters coming down the assembly line matches the target letter displayed on the right of the screen. When all the letters in the set are successfully matched, Mr T's van drives away.

This is a very well thought out game, which allows the supervising parent to select the letters to be used and the level of difficulty. This latter facility is particularly useful if the program is to be used by a number of children with differing abilities.

Daniel loved this package. A young child finds drawing letters a fun task when he can copy what the computer is doing, and the 'Letter Factory' game is so visually attractive, that it is bound to appeal to the very young.

COMMENTS

Control keys: The space bar alone is the child's key
Keyboard play: very good
Use of Colours: excellent
Graphics: excellent contrast