==================== a, b, c... LIFT-OFF! ==================== This spectacular program contains a computer-based picture alphabet for young children, plus a game encouraging letter and word recognition. Longman Software - the new generation of learning materials. Each program is based on well-tried educational theories, brought alive by the creative wizardry of modern technology. Your children will be spellbound. At home, 4 to 8 year olds can discover, by themselves and for themselves, an adventure wonderland of early skills and abilities. The colour and movement on screen will fire their imagination. They will be stimulated and encouraged to enjoy learning addition and subtraction, spelling and word recognition. The wonder of the computer, the power of its appeal and the balanced variety of games and activities will keep your child fascinated, absorbed... and learning. Longman Software Your key to early learning Notes for parents ----------------- Introduction: a, b, c...lift-off! is a word, letter and picture program for children aged 4 to 8 years. It introduces children to the alphabet and to word and picture recognition. The program has been designed for use by young children on their own, but parental involvement and support plays a large part in increasing its value and impact. These notes are to help you and your child get the most out of this program. Longman Software: a, b, c... lift-off! is part of the Early Learnig range from Longman Software - home computer programs from one of the world's most successful educational publishers. Longman have drawn together experts in the field of early learning and professional computer programmers to make the most of the advantages of micro computer learning. * computers provide endless and patient individual attention * computers present early learning materials in an immediate and compelling format, full of colour and movement * children can work at their own pace in their own home * learning with computers is fun * computer familiarity and confidence are vital skills for the modern world - particularly now that there is a micro computer in most schools a, b, c... lift-off! - what is it all about?: a, b, c... lift-off! is a reading and language development program that introduces young children to the letters of the alphabet. It can help them with the names of the letters and their sounds. It also gives scope for picture and word recognition. There are two parts to the program: a picture alphabet with 26 computergraphic pictures, and a game in which you have to match pictures to the word which describes them by pressing a special 'snap' key. The development of early reading skills, either at home, at nursery school, or in the early yers of the infant and junior school are extremely important. a, b, c... lift-off! is an educational game that can help children to concentrate on various aspects of that skill. The presentation of a, b, c... lift-off! is aimed at giving children the maximum encouragement in recognising letters and words. There is no time limit to the game, children are not rushed - this enables them to build up their skills and their confidence. How to load and run the program: 1 Assemble the ZX Spectrum as described in you ZX Spectrum handbook. 2 Insert the cassette in your cassette player. Check that the tape is at the start. Rewind if necessary. 3 Load the program by typing [LOAD""]. (On the spectrum [LOAD""] demands pressing the following keys: [J] then [SYMBOL SHIFT P P].) 4 Start the cassette player and press [ENTER]. The computer will now load the program. An introductory program featuring the Microchimp will run while the main program is loading. Do not stop the tape. 5 When the program has loaded the screen will display the alphabet in capital and small letters. You will then be asked to 'press any key to continue'. 6 If the program fails to load, run the tape through to the end, turn it over and start at instruction 3 again. 7 While the program is running on screen make sure that you don't [BREAK] the program. This will clear the computer memory and you'll have to reload the program. (Helpful hint: you can use the [BREAK] key when you have finished with a, b, c... lift-off! and want to clear the memory before loading another program.) a, b, c... lift-off! - playing the game A When the program has loaded, the screen changes to a display of capital and small letters of the alphabet, with the program's name. You're then told to 'press any key to continue'. B At this stage, you have the choice of two games: - the alphabet order game - a, b, c...lift-off! The screen displays a delicious red apple, the word 'apple' and the letter A. You can carry on through the alphabet by pressing B, which produces a picture of a double-decker bus, the word 'bus' and the letter B. At each stage, you will be asked to press the next letter key. C Carry on through the alphabet like this, pressing the letter keys in the correct alphabetical order. Go through the alphabet with your child, helping him or her find the key to match the picture. D Go right through the alphabet by pressing each letter key until you reach the zebra for Z. E To change the game to a, b, c... lift-off! all you have to do is press [ENTER]. F In a, b, c... lift-off! the screen will show: - the lift-off rocket waiting for launch - a cargo conveyor belt, ready and rolling for crates to load onto the rocket. - in the top left hand corner of the screen is a box in which words for matching appear. The words have to be matched with the alphabet pictures in each crate. G Each crate contains one of the alphabet images. As the crates pass under the rocket, they pause and open to reveal their contents: an engine, an ice cream, a queen or even an octopus. H The object of the game is very simple. The rocket is from Venus and has come to earth to collect 6 earth-type objects. Your child has to load 6 objects successfully before the rocket can take off. I As each crate opens, you have to look at the word in the box and if it matches the picture press the [S] key (S for snap). J If the match is correct, the object is beamed up into the rocket. If the match is wrong, then 1 object disappears from the cargo hold; obviously if the rocket is empty and a wrong match is made, then the game continues. K With 6 objects loaded, countdown commences, and up, up and away streaks the lift-off rocket with the alphabet cargo on board. A few dos and don'ts: Do remember that children will do again and again things they enjoy. Children lean best in a relaxed atmosphere where the challenge of the learning task and the pleasure of mastering it is the strongest emotion. Do run through the program with your child. Help him or her to find difficult letters in the alphabet. Do help your child get the sequence of the alphabet right. It is harder than we imagine. Do make sure your child knows how to play games and understand what happens. Don't let your child get discouraged by making mistakes. Do encourage the use of the sounds and letters; ask your child to say the sounds and the names of the objects out loud. Other things to do: There are many word and letter games that you can play with your child. - 'I Spy' helps children become familiar with initial letter sounds. Try to list as many objects as possible beginning with the same sound - not just the same letter. - Pack the suitcase: choose a letter sound and start the game saying 'I packed my suitcase with a shirt'. The game then continues with other 's' words - shoe, socks, soap. Each player has to repeat the things already packed, and add another. - 'Sound snap': instead of calling 'Snap' when 2 objects or pictures are the same, call it when they start with the same sound. Program specification: This program will run on the Sinclair ZX Spectrum 16K or 48K. It was programmed by Tony Poulter of Quantec Systems and Software Ltd. for the Longman Group. Longman House Burnt Mill Harlow Essex CM20 2JE.