Title: The Great Word Adventure
Overall Rating: A
Source: Home computer (came with Windows 95)
Playing Time: 1/2 hour to 45 min
Date: June 11,1998
Cost: $40.00 http://www.zdnet.com/familypc/content/960517/ftsw/edu/3_wordad.html

 

Number of Players: 1 (but you could play as a team)
Special Equipment/Facilities Needed: CD-ROM
Subject Area: Language Arts
Objectives: To get children to practice their reading skills along with there language skills such as recognizing rhyming words, synonyms, words for colours and numbers, capital and lower case letters and alphabetizing words. This game intends to practice these skills along with bettering reading since they are exposed to a lot of words.
Brief Description: You are entering Lit' Howies Fun House where Howie, Stinky and you go on a word adventure. You enter a few different rooms and in these rooms there are different word games that you must play in order to move onto the next room. The games range from matching rhyming words to hitting number or colour words.
Entry Capabilities Required: Some reading may be required although not absolutely necessary since when you touch a word a voice tells you what it is. Mouse skills may be needed. This game is best suited for children 6 to 10.

Rating: (1-5)

Relevance to objectives: 5 (the game is fun and well organized in how they try to reinforce the different topics. It makes trying to learn words etc fun with songs and other funny things)
Provides practice of relevant skills: 5 (provides time for learning to recognize new words and practice various other word related skills like alphabetizing, rhyming etc)
Likely to arouse/maintain interest: 5 (will maintain interest by the graphics and the songs. The characters in the game are funny and children will like listening to them even if they don't like the word games)
Likely to be comprehended clearly: 4 (the instructions at the beginning are a little hard to follow. They don’t tell you right off how to get help. Some exploration is therefore necessary before you understand everything)
Technical quality (durable, attractive): 4(very attractive graphics and the songs are lively. Easy to understand the characters speaking.)
Game: Winning dependent on player actions (rather than chance): 4 (there is no real winning or losing in this program. There is constant encouragement no matter what you answer. Some chance is involved when as to how many points that you are given in any given room)
Simulation: Validity of game model (realistic, accurate depiction): 4 (not real life. The word games in the rooms are more of the video game variety but they still provide educational activities.) 
Clear directions for play: 4 (at the beginning the instructions are not as clear as they should be, a younger child may need help to understand what to do in order to play. There is help available but they don't tell you where to go. Exploration is needed at first. The individual games however are well explained)
Effectiveness of debriefing: 4(they do talk about what went on during the game at the end when you reach the finishing room. The player gets a certificate that can be printed or displayed just for completing the game that describes what they did throughout the game)

Strong Points: The atmosphere of the game is fun and very encouraging. The characters are lively and provide humour but at the same time the games are interesting and not too long as to lose the attention of the child.
Weak Points: None
Reviewer:  Sherri Tyo
Position: Student in Gred 518
Date: June 11,1998.
Computer System Reviewed on: Macintosh PowerPC 6500/250, 32mb ram.
 

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