School Zone: Same or Different

Reviewed by Alecia Dixon
Published by School Zone Interactive

Age Group: Age 2 to 5, Age 4 to 8
Type: Thinking Games, Arcade, Worksheet Creation
Price: $20

PC version requires:
Windows 95,98,or higher, 24MB RAM, 640x480 16-bit color video, 16-bit sound card, Pentium, 50MB HD, 4x CD-ROM drive

Mac version requires:
Mac OS 7.5.5 or higher, 24MB RAM, 640x480 16-bit color video, PowerPC 601 or faster, 50MB HD, 4x CD-ROM drive

Description:

Same Or Different by School Zone Interactive is an Electronic Workbook filled with pages that encourage children to identify relationships among objects in a set. Directions are printed at the top of the page and read aloud to the child. The level of difficulty increases as pages go from which letters are the same to which object is different on to which pictures match? Pages are instantly graded with a smiley star or a very sad red checkmark.

After completing a few pages a game will pop-up: Dump-truck driving (don't run into any other cars), catch the gold coins in your pink piggy bank (arcade), and pump up the elephant before the computer pumps up his (arcade). The child can choose to skip the games by clicking on the mouse, if so desired.

Children can view their progress throughout the game, and are reminded to make sure their pages are correct before getting them graded. When all the pages are completed a certificate of achievement can be printed. The child can then choose to play the arcade games for awhile, start over, or say goodbye.

Features:

  • Instant Grading
  • Print Personalized Pages
  • Three Break Games
  • Printable Achievement Certificate
  • Randomized Problems With Each Use
  • Workbook

    Technical Aspects:

    No glitches, loaded easily. Bright, colorful, darling, animations preschoolers will love. Having the directions printed and read at the top of the page are beneficial but not necessary. The hearing impaired will have no difficulty, however children three and under may need some guidance as referred to below.

    Report and Conclusions:

    My three year old and six year old both enjoy the game. The older tended to skip the games toward the end and just wanted to accomplish the workbook so he could print his certificate. I sat with my three year old and asked her questions to help her along, such as, "Which raccoon is the biggest"? Some of the games were a bit hard for her but she didn't seem to mind when the computer blows its elephant up before her EVERY TIME!

    As a parent I am impressed with School Zone Interactive's Electronic Workbook which really describes the program accurately, and it's reusable with every child! Got to love that!!! I will definitely buy more myself and encourage anyone with preschool age kids to do the same, a great investment:D





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