Fractions Can Be Fun - Almost!

Frac Attack from Shards Software is an attractive, well polished package of six routines designed to help 8-14 year olds understand and use fractions.

Each routine has a range of difficulty to allow the user to select questions appropriate to their abilities. The collection is menu driven and very friendly - it can almost convince you that fractions are fun.

In Shady Fractions part of a rectangle is shaded and the player has to identify the fraction and type in the numerator or denominator, or in some cases the ranges of equivalent fractions.

The second routine - Frac Attack - gives practice in working out fractions of a given number. A sum is given such as '2/5 of 25", and the player has to bomb two incorrect answers carried on a train across the screen and rescue the right answer.

More or Less continues ideas about equivalence - the player must compare two fractions and make a valid statement by inserting <,>, or = between them. The correct answer helps a boxer register his strength on a punch machine - the faster the answer the harder the punch.

Higher levels include top heavy fractions and mixed numbers.

In Beam Up, the player must successfully answer four ques tions to allow a stranded spaceman to beam up to his ship. A block of yellow rectangles is shown, some of which turn red. The player answers Y or N until the displayed numeric fraction correctly matches the pictorial display.

But if the player takes to long to think, then the stranded spaceman can only jump up and down, looking very frustrated. Strong Arm is similar to More or Less, but the player is presented with a statement such as '12/15 = 4/*', and must enter the missing number.

Difficulty levels include simple, top heavy fractions and mixed number, providing a very good reinforcement of the golden rule of fractions.

The last routine - Hungry Radish - is the silliest of them all but by far my favourite. You have to enter the name of someone you'd like to see eaten.

Then you must make Hungry Radish choose which is the larger of two fractions - if you're right he eats up your chosen victim with a big smile and a lick of the lips.

Altogether, an excellent selection of programs which make full use of colour, graphics and sound effects. Disc users can easily transfer the programs for quicker loading, an idea which ought to be more widely adapted.

Highly recommended for a fun way of helping and amusing the fraction-wary.

Jane Jackson