Mr T's

Number

Games





This Parents' Handbook has

been designed to tell you about the

programs contained in this

package and to help you prepare

your child to use them.

  The set of activities in this

package has been designed to

help your child understand that

each number name stands for a

different quantity of objects and

that each number name has a 

number symbol to represent these

quantities.  But before your child

understands this fully, there are

many activities to be explored and

experienced.  You will find lots of

suggested additional number-

learning activities for you and your

child on pages 10 and 11.  Don't

hurry through these.  Every child

develops at a different rate: some

are naturally more inquisitive.  You

won't hold your child back by not

"moving on" quickly enough, and

if you take your time with the

games, you will help your child

become more confident and

secure.

  The first program, How

Many?, contains a series of

activities which have been planned

especially so that you and your

child can talk about them together.

There is also an opportunity for

your child to learn how to write

the numbers 1 to 9.  There are also

games for your child to play with a 

friend or alone: "Ladybird Game"

in How Many?, and the two 

versions of Elephant Game

which make up the second 

program.  These give your child a

chance to practise these new

number skills, while having lots of 

fun at the same time.

  We suggest that before you

introduce the games to your child,

you first look at the programs,

with the Parents' Handbook, on 

your own.  You'll find instructions

on loading and controlling Mr T's

Number Games on pages 2 and 3.



How 

Many?



Your child is probably quite

familiar with hearing number

words and may even be able to

count a little; but these activities

will help you introduce your child 

to the number symbols (figures 

like 1,2,3,4) and make your child

aware that each number name

stands for a different quantity of

objects.

  It is also very important that

your child should learn how to 

form numbers correctly, so we

have included practice in that too.

  Each stage is selected

independently from the menu, so

there are no difficulty levels and no

"Mr.T decides" on the Parent 

Screen.

  Start with Stage 1, which covers

numbers 1 to 5.  You will probably

find that even after you move on

to later stages, you will still need to

return to the irst two stages at

regular intervals to help your child

master number formation.





		Stage 1:

	     Numbers 1 to 5



At the beginning of the first stage,

one ladybird will appear on the

screen.  The first ladybird will have

one spot, the next two spots and

so on up to 5 spots.  These spots

will not always appear in the same

pattern on the ladybird.

  When the spots appear on the

ladybird, count them with your

child.  Let your child touch each

spot on the screen with a finger as

you count.  When you are ready,

show your child how to press

SPACE.

  The spots will hop off the

ladybird on to the leaf, one at a 

time.  To put them back on the 

ladybird, your child has to use the

"counting key".  This is the N

key in the bottom row.  Each time

your child presses N one of 

the spots will hop from the leaf

back on to the ladybird.

  With each key press, ask your

child to count the spots: "one..."

for the first ladybird, "one,

two ..." for the next and so on.

  Don't worry if your child gets 

excited and presses N too

often, because all the spots will

just hop off the ladybird back on to

the leaf, one spot for each 

mistaken key press.  In fact, the

game can be continued in this way

- counting the spots off the 

ladybird and back on again.

  When all the spots have been

counted on to the ladybird from

the leaf, your child presses

SPACE to indicate that 

counting is complete.  If all the 

spots are not on the ladybird then

the computer makes a buzzing 

sound and the spots that have not

been counted on to the ladybird

from the leaf will flash.

  When SPACE has been 

pressed for a correct answer, the 

matching number will appear on

the screen, and the ladybird will

crawl off the screen to a musical

accompaniment.

  The screen then goes blank and 

the computer shows your child 

how to form the number just

practised.



		Number

		symbol



At first let your child just watch

the shape being drawn on the

screen.  Talk about the movement

of the stroke.  Is it going down, up,

round?  Then, let your child follow

the shape as it is drawn on the 

screen with a finger and say with

you the name of the number being

drawn.

  The program will continue to

draw the number until you press

SPACE.  Reinforce the 

message by encouraging your

child to draw the number that you

hae just been practisiing on the

table with a fingertip.  (A pencil is

more difficult to control - and 

your child can also "feel" and

memorise the shape of the 

number through a fingertip.)  Do

spend plenty of time on this

activity - as long as your child

remains interested.  It is hard to

forget how to form a letter or a 

number once learned, so these

early lessons help to develop and

form good habits.  Later, help your

child to draw the number in a sand

tray or in a shallow plate of flour.

  Stage 1 covers the numbers one

to five in numerical order, but it is

probably a good idea to have a 

break after meeting a new number

for the first time.  Next time you

use the program, start at the 

beginning again and build on what

your child has already learned.

Always be guided by your child's

response.  Be careful that it is not

only your enthusiasm which is

driving you both forward!  Some

children are able to concentrate

for quite long periods, but

remember that it is easier to

maintain interest if an activity is

changed, or stopped, before

boredom sets in.

  If however, your child is eager to 

continue to the next number, press

SPACE.  When you reach 5,

return to the menu and select the

next stage - "Numbers 6 to 9".



		Stage 2:

	     Numbers 6 to 9



"Numbers 6 to 9" works in

exactly the same way as "Numbers

1 to 5".  The numbers appear in

numerical order as before.



		Stage 3:

		Counting

		Ladybird



This is a game for you and your

child to play together, or for your

child to play alone once you have

both spent plenty of time

practising the two earlier stages.

  The ladybird will appear on the

screen exactly as before, but this

time the number of spots on the

ladybird will be random.  Numbers

may also repeat, with the spots in a

different arrangement.  As before,

your child counts the spots back on 

to the ladybird and then presses

SPACE.  If the counting is

correct, the matching number will

appear on the screen.  Press 

SPACE for another ladybird.



		Stage 4:

	      Number Match



This activity introduces your

child to the number keys (1-9) on

the keyboard.  If your child has not

used these before, choose a time

when you can both sit down and

look at this part of the program

together.  Later your child will be

able to use it alone, or with a

friend.

  Begin by showing your child

where the number keys are on the

keyboard.  Hae a little game and 

see if your child can recognise any

of them.

  When you are ready, press

SPACE to begin.  A question 

mark will appear on the screen.

Ask your child to choose a number 

for Mr.T to draw on the screen by

pressing the matching number

key.  At the same time, encourage

your child to say the number

name.

  Each time your child presses a 

number key, that number will be

drawn on the screen, just as in

Stages 1 and 2.  To draw a different

number, press another number

key.  Let your child tell you each

number's name as it appears.



		Stage 5:

	     Ladybird Game



This builds on the other stages to

make a game for your child to play

alone, or with a friend.  To begin

with you will probably have to

offer some guidance, but it does 

not rely on any parental help.  On 

the other hand, do not be tempted 

to introduce this game until you

hae both practised the other

stages several times.

  One ladybird appears on the

screen as before, with any number

of spots up to nine.  Your child

counts the spots on the ladybird

and then presses the matching 

number key.  If it is right, the 

correct number appears on the

screen and the ladybird scuttles

off.  The game continues with 

another ladybird.

  If the answer is wrong the spots

on the ladybird flash one at a time.

  If a mistake is made on the same

number three times in a row, then

a higher number will not be 

offered until that number has been

successfully matched.

  Every time your child makes a

correct match a small ladybird

appears at the top of the screen.

  After nine numbers have been

matched, Mr.T appears and waves.

Each ladybird flashes in turn, so

your child can count the number of 

correct answers.

  Press SPACE for another

game.



		Elephant

		  Game



This game is desinged to give

your child in recognising

the number symbols and their

values.

  It has been designed to be

played by two children (or a child

and adult), but the players work as

a team, not against each other.

This will encourage

communication and and extension

of vocabulary which will develop

further as the pair become more

expert at the game.

  We suggest you load the

program and look at it on your

own with the Parents' Handbook

before showing it to your child.  To

begin with, you will need to play

together until you are both

familiar with the rules and then

your child will be able to show a 

friend how to play it.

  Start with the first game,

"Numbers Elephant".

  The idea is that the children

have to keep the elephant fed and

watered for the length of the

game.  If the children fail, the

elephant disappears.  If the

elephant is fed and watered

successfully, he trumpets and flaps

his ears.



		Game 1:

		Numbers

	       Elephant



When you run the program, you

will see an elephant in the centre of

the screen.  There is a pile of buns

on the left and a pail of water on

the right.



  The game starts with both 

partly full - the amount depends

on the difficulty level.  The elephant

uses his trunk to drink the water

and eat the buns.  To play the game

the children have to watch the

screen for a number between 1

and 9, which can appear

anywhere.  The children then have

to decide whether the elephant

needs buns or water - they cannot

give him both.  They must hurry

because all the time the elephant is

eating and drinking, and if either

all the buns or all the water

disappears, they will lose the

game.

  One child gives the elephant

buns, the other gives him water.  To 

give the elephant buns, one child

must press the "bun" key - S

for "scones" - the same number

of times as the number on the 

screen, followed by SPACE to

indicate that he or shw has finished

counting.  Mr.T will move to the 

left side of the screen when S

is pressed, and if the counting is

correct the elephant will get some

buns - more or less, depending on

the level of the game.

  In the same way, to give the

elephant water the other player 

must press the "water" key - 

L for "liquid" - the correct

number of times followed by

SPACE.  Mr.T will appear on 

that side and if the counting is

correct more water will appear.

  The children must watch both 

the buns and water to make sure

that neither runs out and also

watch the rest of the screen to see

where the next number will

appear.  There's a lot to watch out

for!

  If a mistake in counting is made,

the elephant may start to eat or

drink from the side that the

children were trying to fill.  This

means that the level of food or

water goes down even further

instead of up.  The children have to

wait until the next number

appears on the screen before they

can continue to feed or water the

elephant.

  When the elephant runs out of 

buns or water the game is over;

the children win the game when

they fill up the bun pile or the

water pail overflows.  The game

has different speed levels.  At the

highest level there is a longer gap

between the appearance of one

number and the next and the buns

and water disappear more quickly.



		Game 2:

	     Elephant Dice



This is very similar to "Numbers

Elephant", but practises the

opposite skill:  the children have to 

choose the correct number symbol

to mach the small shapes or dots

which appear on the screen.  The

numbers will appear in randowm

position and order, and the way

the small shapes are grouped will

vary too.  This will help the children

to begin to develop the idea that

although the same number of 

shapes may look different, their 

value remains the same.

  Instead of a number appearing

on the screen, there is a group of

small circles or dots which the 

children count.

  The same keys are used for the

elephant's buns and water.  This

time the children only have to 

press S or L once to 

choose to give the elephant buns 

or water.  Then they have to press

the correct number key (to match

the number of small shapes) to

cause either the food or water to 

be refilled.

  Again there are different speed

levels.  As the children become

more adept at recognising the

different grouping for the

different numbers they will find

that they can increase their speed.



Additional activities



A young child first begins to learn

about number through hearing

number words mentioned in the

general conversation at home, in

stores and in nursery rhymes.

Number words are "picked up" in

the same way as a child learns to

speak, through imitating adults

and older children.

  As your child gains experience,

these number words, such as

"many", "more", "few", "a lot", as

well as "one", "two", "three",

"four", "five", gradually begin to

have some meaning.  The

activities based on the programs in

this package, together with the

additional activities below, will

help your child develop three sets

of early number skills:

- matching and sorting

- comparing more and less

- counting.

  These suggestions can be used

to prepare your child to play Mr T's

Number Games with you; or used 

alongside your child's activities

with the computer.



	Matching and

	   Sorting



From an early age, your child

will have started to group or

categorise toys, clothes and other

belongings, and this is where

number learning begins.  Children

who hunt through the toy box for

all their dolls, or the right size

bricks to build a tower, are starting

to acquire the skills needed for 

number work.

  You can extend these sorting

activities by suggesting, for

instance, that your child collects all

the cars in the toy box that hae

wheels, puts them in one group or

"set" and puts those that don't in 

another set; or sorts out those

toys that are made of plastic and

those that are not; those that roll

and those that don't; things that

are shiny and those that are not.

When you are out walking take a 

small plastic bag with you and

collect pointed leaves and round

leaves, smooth stones and rough 

stones.

  In the bath, look for items that

float, and those that sink.  When

cooking, find some ingredients 

that smell nice, and some that

don't, food that tastes sweet and

food that is sour.

  In the winter months or on wet

days, old magazines and mail

order catalogues are a useful 

source of material.  Let your child

find and cut out pictures to sort

into sets: men's, womens and 

children's clothing' baby clothes

and prams; kitchen equipment;

dining, sitting and bedroom 

furniture.

  Help your child to stick these

pictures on to thick paper or thin

card (the insides of cereal boxes

will do), and you're ready for

several activities.  For example,, the

cards can be sorted by colour; or

you can draw the outline of the 

inside of a house and ask your child

to decide which items of furniture

go in which room.  The clothes can

be grouped in any way you choose.

  After your child has had plenty 

of experience with these sorting

activities and is quite confident in 

doing them, you can try matching

a baby to a pram or a shoe to a 

sock, or you can ask your child to

draw a pram for every baby, or

match objects by putting out a

button for every shoe, a brick or

every toy, etc.



	More or Less



When your child is ready, move

on to the next stage - sorting two

groups of objects.  Use groups of

toys, or matching cards from the

last activity.  Let your child pick out

particular objects and arrange

them in two groups - no more

than five in each group.  You 

choose the object, and say where it 

should go.  For example, say "Find

a hat" and wait until it is found;

then "Now find another hat", and

so on.  Show the child which group

you want each hat to be put in.

Then ask your child "Which group

has more hats?" If your child 

enjoys this game, play it over and

over, using other objects.



	Counting



You will notice that so far in all

these activities there has been no

mention of counting.

  A child begins to count by trying 

to say the number words in the 

correct order.  You can help your

child do this by saying number

rhymes ("One, two, buckle my

shoe", and so on) and 

playing number games.  At

this stage, though, 5 may just

mean the fifth finger on the hand,

or the number that comes after 4

in the series of number words you

have taught your child to say.  It is 

only later that a child learns that 

each number stands for a given

number of objects that have been

counted.

  The ability to understand

number values is only acquired

very gradually.  For example, a 

child may be able to count and say

that there are 5 buttons in a row, 

but if another 5 buttons are

spread below the first row and are

spread further apart so that the

second row of buttons is longer,

the child will often say that there

are more buttons in the second

row - een after counting them

and agreeing that there are 5!

  The child has still not reached

the stage of understanding that

the number in a set doesn't alter

even when the objects are moved

around.  How Many? and

Elephant Game help your child to

understand this - the spots to be

counted are in a different pattern 

each time.

  With practice, your child will

soon become familiar with

number names, but learning to

count accurately takes longer.  At

first a child may get out of step

with the objects that are counted,

or get "lost" and count one object 

more than once.  Children need a

lot of practice in counting objects

by moving them as they count

them one at a time.  The ladybird

counting activities in How Many?

give practice in this.  Young

children may "count" by, in effect,

giving each object a name: they

may not realise that "three" 

means the total number they have

- not just the third one in the 

group.  You will need to ask "How

many?" a lot of times before this is

understood.  Make it into a game.

Hide two or three toys, buttons,

etc. under a cloth.  Lift it up for a 

few seconds and then cover them

again.  Can your child guess how

many there are?  Yes, possibly,

when there are only a few objects,

but when there are more, he or

shw will have to count them to be

sure.  Your child will gradually

become aware that the number

name, e.g "four", refers to the

whole group of objects, and not to

just one member of that group.

  There are many games and

activities like these, which you can

play with your child before you

introduce Mr T's Number Games -

but don't forget them, come back 

to them, and use them alongside

Mr T's games as well.



Mr T

		credits



__________________________________________________



Program design and Parents' Handbook: 

Christine Dawson

_______________________________________________



Technical design and programming by

FIVE WAYS SOFTWARE

________________________________________________



Five Ways' is the trademark of Five Ways Software

Limited.

_________________________________________________



Educational Adviser: Graham Sullian

__________________________________________________



Copyright © 1983 The National Magazine Co Ltd

Mr T is the trademark of the National Magazine Co Ltd

________________________________________________



Published by Ebury Software

National Magazine House

72 Broadwick Street, London, W1V 2BP

___________________________________________________



All rights reserved  No part of this publication may be

reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in

any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,

photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior

permission of the publishers.

__________________________________________________



All Ebury Software cassettes are copy protected.  Attempts to

copy the program may damage the contents of the cassette

and infringe copyright.

__________________________________________________



Printed by The Devonshire Press Limited, Torquay.

__________________________________________________





___________________________________________________



USING THE PROGRAMS            You will only need to use two keys to control all the Mr T programs:



1	Press Q to:

	* choose a game

	* change the colour, sound, or difficulty

	   level.

2	Press the space bar SPACE to:

	* start the first game on the tape

	* play a game again.

3	SPACE is the only key your child will

	need to know to play the games designed

	to be used  without help.

	   on the screen is a reminder to press

	SPACE.



Choosing a game:

The Menu Screen



1	Press Q and the Menu Screen will

	appear.

2	To choose a game, type the number next to

	the name of the game you want.  The line 

	you choose will change colour.





3	If you change your mind, just type a

	different number.



4	Press SPACE to start the new game.





Changing the options:

The Parent Screen



1	From the Menu Screen, press Q for

	the Parent Screen.

	From any other point, press Q twice.



2	Setting the difficulty level

	Press 1 to make the game easier.  Mr T

	will move to the left along the scale at the 

	top of the screen (unless, of course, he is

	already as far left as he will go).  Keep

	pressing until he is at the level you want.



	Press 9 to make the game harder.

	Mr T will move to the right each time you

	press the key.  When you load the program,

	Mr T will always be at the left or "Easier"

	end of the difficulty scale.



3	Changing the difficulty level

	Press 2 to change from "Mr T

	decides" to "You decide" and back again.

	The glowing bar shows which option you

	have selected,  On "Mr T decides", the

	game will move automatically along the

	difficulty scale to match your child's rate of

	success.



	You can check your child's current level at

	any time by seeing where Mr T is on the 

	scale.



	"You decide" keeps the level of difficulty

	fixed where you have set it.

	This is particularly useful if the games are

	being used by a group of children, as you 

	may want to reset the difficulty level for

	each child's turn.



4	Press 3 to turn the sound on and off.



5	If you hae a black and white set, press

	4 to give the best contrast.



6	Press 2,3 or 4 again to

	reverse your original choice.



7	When you're ready press SPACE to

	start the game.