1-2-3 Snap

1. Five enjoyable early number games, graded in difficulty
2. Work with very young children to teach them number and keyboard skills
3. For the pre-reading child

This set of five early number skills games was specially written for the pre-reading age child. The instructions that appear on-screen and here are for the 'teacher'. In the first games the child need only press the space bar as a response to this game of matching the number of shapes on screen with the number portrayed on screen (the numbers are spelt, illustrated with shapes and written in numerals).

The child may also press any other alphanumeric key (those with letters or numbers on them) if he thinks the numbers don't match; the Space bar if he thinks they do.

The middle game teaches the use of keys 1, 2, 3, and these keys are used in later games. So the very young child quickly acquires keyboard skills.

There are lots of tuneful and funny picture rewards throughout the games, guaranteed to enthrall the young child.

Game Controls

Once the 'teacher' has instructed the child how to play the game, they will be amused for hours. At the start of each game, the numbers to be used and the shapes to illustrate them are demonstrated.

Select from the menu the game the child wants to play. They are graded in difficulty from 1 to 5. Pressing the BREAK key at any stage will return the player to the menu (except if your BBC Micro is adapted for disk drives).

The child is allowed thirty seconds to think about the answer before the computer automatically goes on to the next problem. The controls are devised to be simple to use, and the child will soon become more experimental, finding out what all the other keys can do and what they mean.

Game 3 teaches the child what the number 3 looks like and where to find it on the keyboard.

Game 4 called 'How Many Shapes' only allows responses to be made using the numbers 1, 2, 3. As in most of the games the computer repeats the task until ten correct answers are given. In the case of game 4, the Space bar and other alphanumeric keys, not including 1, 2, 3, elicit the response 'Oh Dear What Can The Matter Be', in other words a mistake had been made by pressing the wrong key.

At all times the correct response plays the tune 'Congratulations'. In game 4, the 'teacher' may also speed up or slow down response times; normally there are ten seconds allowed for counting, but by pressing S this can be made to go slower, and pressing F: faster.

Game 5 varies the type of pictures that the child has to count but still encourages the use of numbers 1, 2, 3. It is called 'How Many Objects'.

Scoring

Both error and correct scores are recorded at the bottom of the screen for the 'teacher' to see how the child has done with the task. This means the child can be left alone to play for a while. The computer will repeat the games until ten correct answers are given.

Loading

Tape: CHAIN"" (RETURN)
Disc: SHIFT-BREAK

Game Credits

Written by Frank and Pauline Moxon