Both packs accept input from the standard keyboard and Star Microterminals Concept Keyboard or Pop-it Concept Keyboard and were developed by MACE (West Midlands MEP Centre, Birmingham)

Pre-Reading Pack consists of five programs Oddoneout 1 & 2, Football Match 1 & 2, and Order. The first four give practice in visual discrimination by identifying the odd one out or matching identical items. In Oddeoneout 1 and FootBall Match 1, the users have the option of identifying a picture, shape, letter or word. Four characters are shown on the screen, and by pressing the Spacebar a small figure appears under the first item and a further pressing moves it under the next character Return is used to indicate the choice. Two further attempts are allowed to obtain a correct answer before the next set is displayed, and results can be shown at the end. The second program in each set gives the teacher the option of specifying words appropriate to the children using it.

Order offers three levels of exercise in visual discrimination. In the first two the child is required to indicate the largest or smallest of a group of shapes; in the third level the child is required to order a group of shapes either smallest to largest or vice versa. Selection is made using Spacebar and Return as in the other programs. Continued correct selection will cause the difference in sizes between the shapes to be reduced, making the discrimination exercise progressively more difficult.

Early Reading Pack is made up of four programs: Sequences 1 & 2. Words and Sentences. The first program gives practice in matching prepared sequences of letters, shapes (2-4), or words. Sequence 2 requires the child to reassemble a sequence from a jumble of shapes, letters or words. Words provides exercises in visual association and discrimination by reconstructing a word from a rearrangement of the letters, while Sentences develops this by rearrangement of the words.

The facility for the teacher to specify letters, words or sentences which are pertinent to the users is particularly helpful as are the options for changing, deleting and inserting questions and in Words and Sentences to rearrange the sequences.

In both packs, by using SHIFT together with specified keys, it is possible to return to the main menu, change colours of display, display and printout results, return to same part of program after seeing results, and demonstrate the correct answer in the Order program.

The Concept Keyboard option in both packs is very welcome as it makes the program more user-friendly for the very young. I found the graphics somewhat uninspiring - what about some colour - and would have preferred the use of double height letters to the very angular forms used. The sound did little to enhance the program. Neither pack does much that cannot be done by other means, but the teacher can store material more readily on a disc - instead of those tatty cards that one never has enough time to replace - so I'm sure a lot of reception class teachers will find them useful Certainly, both sets are likely to be more effective if used when an adult is present to ensure that the vocabulary input is there, so they would be very useful to mums at home with pre-school children.