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reading software
Subtitled "The Mystery of the Missing Amulet", this program takes the dauntless Clue Finder gang to the impact site of a large meteor, where a simple discovery transports them to the far-off planet Millennia. Here, Joni and Owen meet a mysterious princess who has summoned them to help save her beloved planet from destruction at the hand of a wicked sorceress. To save the planet and rescue fellow Clue Finders, Leslie and Santiago, who are captives of the evil sorceress Malicia, the user must help Joni and Owen find the two halves of a missing amulet. They search the planet for clues, concurrently freeing its people from the dastardly spells that imprison them. But, as in any good mystery, all is not necessarily what it seems. Surprises abound as the user ventures forth to the farthest reaches of the planet, completing reading and problem solving games as the adventure's culmination draws ever closer.
Our teacher reviewers were especially impressed with the reading comprehension section, which resembles an equivalent section in standardized tests (but with a fun twist) and therefore provides kids with an entertaining way to practice the skills required to do well in these tests. The program includes a variety of different types of activities. Unfortunately, too many of them require fast-twitch gaming ability in addition to knowledge of the subject matter. Our student reviewers complained about these activities, noting that they didn’t seem to drill their reading ability as much as their ability to dodge, aim and react.
The activities themselves, however, are inconsistent. While some are novel and quite educational (our testers were especially impressed by "Rock Muncher", the reading comprehension activity, and "Gates of Mount Valdrok", a word deduction game), others are tired repeats of games seen many times over in many other programs. In addition, there is too much emphasis on fast-twitch ability, resulting in frustration for students who lack computer-gaming skills.
PC: Windows 95 or higher, Pentium 90 or faster cpu, 27 MB hard drive space, 16 MB RAM, 256-color SVGA display, Quad-speed or faster CD-ROM, Windows-compatible sound card.return to top of page Questions or comments regarding this site? webmaster@superkids.com Copyright © 1998-2024 Knowledge Share LLC. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy |