Producer: System Software, 12 Collegiate Crescent, Sheffield S10 2BA
Retail Price: £9.14
Age Range: 4 years to secondary remedial

Write On is designed to develop skills of basic literacy by encouraging children to write. For very young children who are just beginning to learn to distinguish words, the program also assists in the development of a sight vocabulary.

As soon as Write On is loaded, the first of nine pages is displayed. This page contains 17 common words, together with some letters and the functions available, and it's the home page to which the program returns after completing most operations.

All of Write On is controlled by dust two keys, from which the child can select those words he requires to form sentences which are displayed on the screen. By moving the cursor to the chosen box, the child can access a range of words grouped in alphabetical order, and if the word he wants isn't there it can easily be added to the word set.

This personal word set is a particularly useful feature, as up to 240 different words can be built up and saved to tape: thus the learning can be focused on the child's own interests and needs.

The accompanying booklet advises that it the programs being used with a very young child you should start off with a blank word set, and enter the words suggested by the child. Older pupils can have their attention drawn to capital letters and simple punctuation.

Up to a screen of double-space text can be written at a time, and it can then be saved or printed.

Written by an educational psychologist specialising in the development of reading skills, Write On is an extremely useful resource which allows for flexible use according to the needs of the child. With encouragement from an adult, children can develop their literacy skills, freed from the frustration which often results from poorly developed coordination or poor handwriting.

Games paddles and joysticks can also be used with Write On, making it suitable for the physically handicapped too.

COMMENTS

Keyboard play: good. Option of using games paddles and joysticks.
Graphics: no graphics, and limited use of colour