Doesn't really shape up

Colours and Shapes from 1A Business Computing is described as "an educational program for use as a logic extension activity". Overall the doubts this caused were not altogether misplaced.

The basic aim of it is to help 3 to 8 year olds with both colour and shape recognition and ordering different objects into logical arrangements.

There are five different levels of difficulty, the basic one being Margin Colours. On this level a four by four grid is displayed with four coloured squares to the left, corresponding to the row colours.

The micro puts four different coloured objects in correct rows on the grid. The user has to place the next coloured object - displayed at the bottom of the screen - on to the grid by entering the two digit number of the appropriate square.

All the other levels carry on from this. Level 2 is Margin Colours and Shapes in which a row of shapes is displayed below a grid so that each coloured shape has only one correct destination square.

In Level 3 — Random Colours - the user has to correctly identify the colour of each row to fill in the exterior colour squares Level 4 — Geometric Shapes - uses geometric shapes instead of the other shapes, and Level 5 - Words, Colours and shapes - is the most hair-raising of all. p> The idea is that a question such as 'Which number square does the purple ladder go in?' is displayed, with the words 'purple ladder' or whatever, in the appropriate colour.

But this software writer has blue mixed up with purple, no doubt causing endless confusion to the innocent five-year-olds using the program.

Any child needing practice in this sort of area would probably be better equipped with a tray of plastic shapes and different coloured boxes, than being confronted with this rather unsatisfactory package.

Jane Jackson