Simply Amazing Writing Software For Kids
A Review of The Amazing Writing Machine
Tina Velgos
Writing is as natural to me as sleeping, eating and breathing. However, we
all occasionally experience writer's block -- and sometimes, all it takes
is a little creative inspiration to get us out of the rut and back on the
"write" track.
Kids face writer's block, too. Usually, it starts by scratching a word out here or there and suddenly hurling their homework (either folded as a paper airplane or a wad of paper crunched into a ball ) at the nearest trash can. He shoots--he scores (maybe, but they usually miss)!
Broderbund's The Amazing Writing Machine to the rescue! This creative writing and drawing software (CD-ROM for Win/Mac) is ideal for kids ages 6 through 12 (or older).
Think of it as an idea-generating program. A gentle push, but sooo subtle
and kind. Kids are encouraged to be creative as they can express their
thoughts, ideas and opinions by using pre-designed page layout templates to
write stories, letters, journals, poems and essays. The object, after all,
is to have fun AND write!
From the makers of Kid Pix Studio, the painting tools, Rubber Stamps and clip art are all an incredible blast of fresh air. Kids can decorate their writings with as many rubber stamps as they want. The best thing about this paint program is how easy and fun it is to use. Let the creativity flow! eight writing genres. Each area, such as Fantasy, Adventure, Romance and Mystery, comes with its own set of stamps and music. You can even use Swap Stamps in the Goodies menu to select other Rubber Stamps to use.
The wacky sound effects make writing so much more fun. Splish-splashing paint cans, bubbling brushes and more. Click the Noisy Typing button and choose different sounds as you type: one sounds like a noisy, old-fashioned typewriter, another plays a different musical note as you hit each key (my favorite!), one option lets you play the drums as you type and still another plays western sounds. For those of us who'd rather have peace and quiet, select "Blessed Silence" and peace and quiet returns.
Using templates (also know as Spins) to write is as easy as filling in the
blanks. The possibilities are endless! If you want to write from scratch,
do it and ditch the template. The templates are always there, if you ever
need them.
Another fun feature is the ability to turn your writings into secret code. Write a juicy letter, click a button, and voila, your letter is turned into pig latin, Braille, or must be read with a mirror. There's even an option to turn letters into alien language (since I don't watch X-Files, I don't have a clue).
The main screen is the Project Picker which is where you pick a project to work on. The five projects are: Essay, Letter, Story, Poem, and Journal.
Amazing Writing Machine works like a basic word processing program.
Navigation is simple and commands are easy to remember. It is a relatively
memory-hungry program (both RAM and disk memory), but it's worth using. You
can select different fonts (there are additional TrueType fonts included in
this CD-ROM), change your text to a Rebus Picture, and use the Bright Ideas
tool for a variety of options. Clicking on the Lightbulb gives kids
quotations from famous and not-so-famous people to use within their text,
jokes (which turns kids into instant comedians), corny sayings, fun facts
and words that they can use in their writings. You can even generate random
sentences or select word options in animal, vegetable, and mineral
categories plus a useful selection of descriptive words.
To make proof-reading a little easier (and a ton more fun), click the Reader Robots to read your text in eight (count 'em) different voices. There's also an Address Book option where you can find the addresses of many publications, organizations and well-known people that kids can write to. Of course, there's plenty of rooms to add names and addresses of your own friends and relatives. The names and addresses can then be directly placed on your own envelope when you're ready to print a Letter.
Kids can save their work and retrieve them later to print out or work on again. This comes in handy, especially when you select Story. The Story project lets kids write, illustrate and design an entire storybook in the main work screen. They can either print it out on full pages or in folded book form.
My favorite activity is the Amazing Writing Machine Journal because it's
totally private. It has a lock! The first time you use the Journal, you'll
enter a private password. If you keep your password secret, no one else
will be able to read your journal. Each day's entry will be dated
automatically. The best part is illustrating the Journal with funny or
sentimental stamps. You can even print out all or parts of it, should you
decide to put it under your pillow or something.
Another fun feature to use is the Page Shaper, which lets you choose a page layout in various shapes..just select the type of shape you want from the Option Bar. Your text can be heart-shaped, tree-shaped, whatever!
Be prepared for some of the most creative and funny stories around once you buy Amazing Writing Machine for your kids. After all, this is why edutainment software is here to stay.
School House Scorecard
| Product: |
The Amazing Writing Machine |
| Company: |
Broderbund
|
| Cost: |
$45.00 |
System Requirements:
IBM:
IBM PC or compatible
33 MHz 386 (486 recommended)
4 MB RAM (8 MB RAM recommended)
8 MB RAM required for Windows 95
11 MB hard disk space for Windows 3.1
14 MB hard disk space for Windows 95
SVGA color monitor, 256 colors at 640 x 480 resolution
Mouse or other Windows-compatible pointing device
PC-compatible double speed or faster CD-ROM drive
Windows compatible sound device
Printer (monochrome or color)
Macintosh:
Apple Macintosh 68K and Power Mac
System 7.0 or later
16 MHz 68020 processor or faster; Power Mac
4 MB RAM; 2.5 MB free
8 MB hard disk space
13" or larger monitor, 256 colors at 640 x 480 resolution or higher
Double-speed or faster CD-ROM drive
Printer (monochrome or color)
Breakdown:
Ease of Use 5
Learning Value 5
Entertainment Value 4
Graphics 4
Sound 5
Overall Score:
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