Software holiday gift guide.Grades K-3 As more families get computers at home, parents are looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. new ways to bring fun and learning together for their kids. They're bound to ask you for ideas about what software to buy - and here, just in time for the holidays, are 14 teacher-tested suggestions you can pass along. You might even want to try a few of these out in your home! ClarisWorks for Kids Mac CD-ROM CD-ROM: see compact disc. CD-ROM in full compact disc read-only memory Type of computer storage medium that is read optically (e.g., by a laser). , $49; Claris Corp., (800) 544-8554; www.claris.com This children's productivity package combines word processing word processing, use of a computer program or a dedicated hardware and software package to write, edit, format, and print a document. Text is most commonly entered using a keyboard similar to a typewriter's, although handwritten input (see pen-based computer) and , painting, graphing, and list tools. It comes with special penmanship fonts, clip art A set of canned images used to illustrate word processing and desktop publishing documents. , movies, oodles of sounds, and more than 75 activities (including customizable calendars, stories ready for illustration, interactive maps and timelines). Exploration Station Mac or Windows CD-ROM, $34.95; Creative Wonders Creative Wonders was an educational software corporation from 1994 to 1999. It created computer games based on children's characters like Madeline and Schoolhouse Rock!. History of the company Creative Wonders started out in 1994 as a division of Electronic Arts. , (800) 543-9778; www.cwonders.com Students tackle seven fun-filled games covering a range of science topics - including sound, electricity, light, genetics, and the human body - to help Interplanet Janet rebuild her broken rocket ship rocket ship n. A spacecraft powered and propelled by rockets. . The program includes 40 experiments which can be printed and done offline using household objects. Orly's Draw-A-Story Mac/Win CD-ROM, $29.95; Broderbund, (800) 548-1798; www.broder.com A talkative young Jamaican girl named Orly and her pet frog Green tree frogs are one of the most popular pet frogs. Handling When keeping green tree frogs, it is to remember that the frogs need a roomy, clean terrarium with high humidity. Captive frogs should not be handled any more than necessary. , Lancelot, ease budding illustrators into playful animated storybook sto·ry·book n. A book containing a collection of stories, usually for children. adj. Occurring in or resembling the style or content of a storybook: storybook characters; a storybook romance. fun with four humorous tales. As Orly narrates each story, children illustrate it using kid-friendly paint tools. Youngsters can also create their own animated stories. Zoo Zillions Mac/Win CD-ROM, $29.95; Edmark, (800) 691-2985; www.edmark.com Zany critters like Armadillo armadillo (är'mədĭl`ō), New World armored mammal of the order Edentata, a group that also includes the sloth and the anteater, characterized by peglike teeth without roots or enamel. Annie and Ryan Lion take kids on a math adventure they're sure to enjoy, with plenty of practice (at multiple levels) with number line concepts, geometric shapes This is a list of geometric shapes. Generally composed of straight line segments
Amazing Animals Activity Pack Mac/Win CD-ROM, $29.95; Dorling Kindersley, (800) 356-6575; www.dk.com Henry, the "smartest lizard in town," introduces young children to myriad citizens of the animal world. Budding naturalists can print animal masks to color and wear; design animal postcards, labels, writing paper, and more; and try matching games, picture puzzles, and memory challenges. Word Hound Mac/Win CD-ROM, $79; Mindplay, (800) 221-7911; www.mindplay.com Children develop reading, matching, and grouping skills, as well as deft hand-eye coordination hand-eye coordination Eye-hand coordination Surgery Oculomanual synchronization, required by surgeons, especially for laparoscopic surgery. See Laparoscopic surgery, Paradoxical movement. , with this playful arcade adventure. The program contains 16 vocabulary sets - including words for animals, parts of the body, clothes, people, food, transportation, and music - and a Spanish language option. Crayola Print Factory Mac/Win CD-ROM, $29.95; IBM (International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, www.ibm.com) The world's largest computer company. IBM's product lines include the S/390 mainframes (zSeries), AS/400 midrange business systems (iSeries), RS/6000 workstations and servers (pSeries), Intel-based servers (xSeries) , (800) 426-2255; www.us.pc.ibm.com/multimedia/ This multimedia toolkit includes electronic crayons, markers, and clip art, plus dozens of templates for print projects including stationery, decorations, greeting cards, stickers, certificates, and humongous-sized banners. One note of caution: Young children may need grown-up grown-up adj. 1. Of, characteristic of, or intended for adults: grown-up movies; a grown-up discussion. 2. help because names for project templates and tips are not read aloud. Grades 4-6 Major League Math, Second Edition Mac/Win CD-ROM, $29.99; Sanctuary Woods, (800) 943-3664; www.ah-hah.com This innovative package uses baseball facts and stats, fast-action arcade games, and 3,000 questions to teach a variety of math concepts, including averages, decimals, fractions, measurements, percentages, and place values. Kids may play alone or with a friend; a special Coach's corner enables players to pause a game without penalty to review a concept or get help with a question. World Discovery Deluxe Mac/Win CD-ROM, $49.95; Great Wave Software, (800) 423-1144; www.greatwave.com Kids explore more than 75 detailed political, topographic, satellite, and relief maps through five challenging games. You create your own question files, and maps may be printed. American Girls Premiere Mac/Win CD-ROM, $34.95 (standard) or $45 (deluxe); The Learning Company, (800) 852-2255; www.learningco.com Based on the enormously popular American Girls Collection, this package invites kids to write, direct, and present original plays. Productions star one of five American Girl characters, each associated with a particular historical period, along with authentic props, costumes, scenes, and settings. KidsCulture Mac/Win CD-ROM, $45; Pierian Spring, (800) 472-8578; www.pierian.com With a point and a click, children can travel to eight destinations including Ancient Greece, Singapore, Mali, Medieval Europe, Polynesia, and Ancient China. They learn about the people there through music, text descriptions, and craft projects such as 3-D village dioramas and color masks. Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia, 1998 Edition Windows CD-ROM, $45; The Learning Company, (800) 852-2255; www.learningco.com This valuable resource for young researchers contains 38,000 articles, more than 8,000 photographs, and more than 100 video clips, plus an interactive timeline, a dictionary, a thesaurus, and some 4,000 Internet links. The Compton's Interactive Atlas (1997 Edition) rides along on a separate CD-ROM, free of charge. A.D.A.M. The Inside Story, 1997 Edition Mac or Windows CD-ROM, $69.95; A.D.A.M. Software, (00) 755-ADAM; www.adam.com Kids unlock the mysteries of human anatomy with this interactive guide to the human body. Animated tours and anatomical puzzles add an element of fun; any text or diagram may be printed for reference. Microsoft Encarta '97 World Atlas Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0 CD-ROM $54.95; Microsoft, (*00) 426-9400; www.microsoft.com Combining detailed interactive topographical maps with colorful movies, music, articles, high-resolution satellite photographs, and street-level maps for the world's largest cities
Carol S. Holzberg, PhD (carolh@anthro.umass.edu) is technology coordinator at Shutesbury Elementary (Shutesbury), Swift River School (New Salem), and Yeshiva yeshiva Academy of higher Talmudic learning. Through its biblical and legal exegesis and application of scripture, the yeshiva has defined and regulated Judaism for centuries. Traditionally, it is the setting for the training and ordination of rabbis. Academy (Springfield), all in Massachusetts. |
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