This set of programs - available on two cassettes or discs - was produced by Newman College, Birmingham, an establishment that has become synonymous with quality software for primary schools. Micro-Mapping 1, which develops key ideas and skills in mapwork through a series of sequential programs for 8-11 year olds, is based round the theme of Location and provides activities to help children further their use of map co-ordinates, direction, scale, atlas work and the recognition of O.S. symbols. Several of the programs incorporate different levels of difficulty, so that they can be used by children of different abilities in the same age group and within different age groups.

Gridpic is an early introduction to map co-ordinates using numbers and letters for grid lines. In option 1 the children are asked to "follow a picture", and are shown how to give the correct co-ordinates. As the task is completed, a picture is drawn joining up the points. Option 2 enables children to draw their own pictures and up to 16 can be incorporated into the program using Option 4. Option 3 is similar to Option 1, except that a particular picture can be selected, rather than let the computer choose at random. This is a well-proven and interesting way of introducing co-ordinates given the name of the town.

The third program on the first disc is Gridref, which introduces the children to four and six figure map references. Undoubtedly, this program epitomises the quality of demonstration available through the use of the micro as an electronic blackboard. The four figure section introduces the use of grid references related to squares and then points within those squares. The six figure grid reference option, which is suggested for use with fourth year juniors, requires accurate estimation - the sort of work with O.S. maps I remember during grammar school days - falling standards?

The "Find the Point" game gives further practice in six figure references and introduces elements of search strategy and the use of the eight compass points. This can be quite competitive and enjoyable.

Landmark follows up the skills learned in Gridref and requires children to find and identify O.S. symbols from a screen map using a treasure hunt approach. Three maps are provided and by speculating on the best places to look and using six figure grid references, the symbols are discovered. They soon learn that it is necessary to be systematic in their approach and recording!

Atlas introduces children to the use of their atlas as a reference source for small scale maps. It's based on Nelson's Atlas 80 and the page numbers shown refer to that atlas. However, there's no need to throw away your present atlases, because the page numbers can be changed - a very thoughtful touch!

Maps of North and South America, Western Europe, Africa and Asia are provided, and the users offered a further choice of whether to work with towns and cities or features such as oceans, lakes, mountains. The latter provides a more difficult level of work.

The last, but by no means least, program is Direct. The object is to get from one town in the U.K. to another given either the start town and direction or destination to head for. In the Direction Given Game, an arrow is positioned over the start town. This is rotated - by pressing the Space Bar - to match the compass direction given on the screen and then the child has to estimate the distance. Clues are given when the user is within 100, 50 and 30 km and once the destination is reached it must be identified. The Destination Given Option gives the start town, the town to be visited and the user types in the compass direction and the distance to be travelled in that direction. The path of the journey is drawn and clues are given. In both options, the distance travelled is shown and the user is asked to estimate the shortest distance in a straight line - a clever program for developing the skills of scale, direction and estimation.

I think it is probably true to say that this suite of programs provides little that cannot be done by using an atlas or OS map and some band a sheets, but in most instances it does it infinitely better. I say most, because some programs, e.g. Atlas, if used to teach map skills out of a meaningful context, could do geography teaching a great deal of harm and return it to the bad old days of rote learning.

Likewise, there is probably little point in using a map of E or England for learning about grid references if the user lives in the South of England or Wales, unless the skills learned are transferred to local and other settings. The intention is clearly stated in the introduction to the teachers' notes - perhaps I'm just being cynical about the way they might be used in some schools.

The quality of the programming - graphics, colour and ease of use, and the use of demonstration routines are excellent and the teachers' (and pupils') notes, with their step by step running notes illustrated with copies of screen pictures and teaching notes, are a model. Perhaps Micro-Mapping 2 will include some utility programs which will enable teachers to produce maps of their own areas?

An extra £4.00 for the disc version is a bit on the steep side!