It's back to school time again and although most of you may not like the idea lets face it, things could be worse... You could be facing a firing squad or being horribly tortured with some matches and a pair of pliers, or, even more terrifying, forced to watch a Bob Monkhouse TV show with special guest stars Bruce Forsyth and Jeremy Beadle. See, going back to school isn't THAT bad.

Although Mr. Brown in 4C with the long nose, dandruff and bottle bottom spectacles might be a boring old fart there are in fact far more enjoyable ways of learning. One of which is right here on your Speccy - educational software. It's puzzling, informative and fun, and best of all, it gives you an excuse to play on your Speccy during time normally allotted for homework without incurring the wrath of your elders. (It also gives you a chance to slip in the odd arcade game for mental stimulation, though don't tell your mum I said this.) There are a wide variety of educational games available so here, to help you choose, is a selection of those currently readily available and a quick guide to their usefulness.

Fun School 4, Under Fives provides a basic grounding in reading skills, numerical skills, simple painting and, of course an introduction to using a computer keyboard for the young 'uns. This is a relatively simple piece of software that'll it's user glued to the monitor with a the help of (as in all the Fun School series) an interactive character. This time it's a Teddy - ideally suited for the relevant age group. Although children of this age generally have a short attention span and will need supervision if they're not to rip the Spectrum apart (or kill the cat with it) FS4 Under Fives will give your children an early start, supplementing their first year or two at school.

Europress Software Phone: (0625) 859 333 Tape: £12.99 Disk: £16.99