Something Old, Something New

Now, on to the subject of this article. The world of children's educational software is fast paced. It takes a book twenty- five to fifty years to be considered a classic; however, a software title can become a classic within just a year or two. Computer systems are upgraded meaning the software has to be revamped to keep up with it. Software publishers produce dozens of new titles a year. Both of these trends tend to push the older titles to the back of the shelves and on to the discount sites. Just because a software title is a few years old or you find it on one of those "free" sites, doesn't mean it's a loser. It just means it might have lost its lustre a bit and needs someone to re-discover it.

Here are a few "oldies but goodies" which will appeal to various age groups.

Orly's Draw A Story gives your child a chance to be an animator and storyteller. This software is definitely a cut above and no longer gets the attention it deserves. The box says it's for ages 5 to 10, but slightly younger children may enjoy it. Read the review at http://www.superkids.com/aweb/pages/revi...

The Logical Journey of the Zoombinis is considered one of the best children's software programs ever. Check out the reviews for this math/logic program designed for ages 9 and up at http://www.thereviewzone.com/zoombinidel...

Suitable for all ages is Kids Pix Deluxe. A new version came out this year, but this older version should have enough bells and whistles to keep all the creative folk in your house busy for a long time. The Classic version of this program is also available on some bargain and clearance sites. Go to http://www.learningvillage.com/html/rkid... to read a review of this excellent program.

Now what about all those new titles which are pushing the old ones off the shelf? Here's the latest news from E3 2001 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) direct from Kids Domain. Reader Rabbit is releasing four new role playing games in June. Each game is geared toward a specific age group from Pre-K through 2nd grade. There is also a new Zoombinis adventure in the works. No word on expected release date yet. Disney's Phonics Quest is due out in July. Also in July, the Winnie the Pooh Learning Series is being re-released with enhanced features. Wait patiently, a Rolie Polie Olie title for ages 2-5 is scheduled for a November release. Tivola is also coming out with five new titles, including another Max adventure. DK Publishing will release So You Want to Be A Genius in June along with Reading Explorer Deluxe and Math Explorer Deluxe. These are just some of the new titles to anticipate. For more information go to http://www.kidsdomain.com/review/e32001/...

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