This is a program designed to test the mathematical skills of young children. It loads quite quickly and the instructions given can be repeated if necessary. I was not over impressed with the instructions or the colours used, and would have been happier if there had been less text on the screen, especially if this is aimed at younger children.

The child then has to choose a skill level from 1 to 5 with Level 5 being numbers 1 to 12. This part of the program was well thought out and I liked the choice element. The main section is in question and answer form where the child has to decide which sign to put in to complete the sum. This is done by pressing certain function keys which have been programmed for add, subtract, multiply and divide but I found the arrangement of the keys awkward and it is easy to make mistakes.

If the child gets the answer right, 'Correct' flashes on the screen and a happy face appears below; if the answer is incorrect, 'Wrong' flashes up with a sad face. The faces are a good idea but are poorly presented.

Overall, the design of the program was quite good, but I have my reservations concerning the content and thought behind the actual material. There are a lot of programs on the market concerned with maths at this level that offer a great deal more. The Chestnut program is very much a chalk and talk exercise and I felt it could have been achieved just as easily on a piece of paper!