On-Track Beginning Sounds

 

 
Welcome to School Zone's Beginning Sounds On-Track Software!
     
 
In this Read Me document, you will find the following:
 
Age Level: Ages 3-5
 
Educational Goal:
To teach and practice preschool skills through interactive software that appeals to a variety of learning styles.
 
Educational Skills:
  • Alphabet
  • Beginning Sounds
  • Identifying the Same Sound
 
Key Features:
    • School Zone Interactive software keeps children actively engaged.
    • Educators developed this electronic workbook; it contains the most current and essential skills, content, and approaches.
  
Additional Features:
    • Learning is reinforced with audio and animated rewards.
    • Simple program design allows child to work independently.
    • Fun games are rewards after every two screens.
    • New questions and activities are generated.
    • Instructions for each page are read aloud.
    • The answers are marked as correct or incorrect.
    • The program saves the progress of each user.
    • Personalized progress reports and reward certificates are available.
    • This electronic workbook has printable pages for off-screen practice.
 
Play Summary:  
  Beginning Sounds challenges children to recognize and compare beginning sounds. The goal is to complete all of the pages correctly. Once this is accomplished, the user can print a personalized certificate of completion. After every two screens, the user is rewarded with a game. Progress reports and footprints at the bottom of each screen track the user's progress. A green footprint indicates correct screens, and a red footprint indicates screens with incorrect answers. A user may quit Beginning Sounds at any time and return later. By using the same user name, the software retains that user's progress. The software randomly shuffles the activities and exercises for each new user.
 
Some Things to Remember:
    • A rabbit icon appears at the lower right-hand corner of each activity screen. Click the rabbit to end what you are currently doing, correct your work, and then take you to the next page or activity.
    • A waving hand icon appears at the lower left-hand corner of each activity screen. Click the waving hand to end what you are currently doing and go to the exit menu, where you can print a progress report or exit the program. Click the blue arrow on the exit screen to shuffle the exercises and start the program over.
    • The footprints at the bottom of the screen show you which pages are correct, which pages need corrections, and which pages you have not attempted.
    • When the directions instruct you to 'click' that means you should press your mouse button one time.
 
Directions for the Activities and Software:  
  1. Introduction: 
  Ollie Gator will tell you how to start play. Type your name in the box, then click the rabbit. A help movie will explain how to use the program. Click to stop the movie and move to the first activity.
  2. Activities:
  A voice will read the directions for each screen. If you need to hear the directions again, click any word in the directions. Some pages ask users to select a picture with the same sound as the first one. Place the cursor on the answer, and then click once to select the answer. If you change your mind, click on another answer. Other pages ask users to select two pictures with the same sound as the first one. Place the cursor on each item and click one at a time.
  3. Moving Between Pages: 
  After completing a page, click the rabbit. Correct exercises will be marked with a star. Incorrect exercises will be marked with a red check. By clicking the rabbit, you will move to the next page whether you have completed it or not. You can choose a page by clicking on the footprints at the bottom of the screen. A red footprint indicates that you need to correct exercises on that page. A green footprint indicates a completed, correct page. You can return to a page at any time by clicking on that page's footprint. Place your cursor over a footprint to see the page number. Click the waving hand to exit the program.
  4. Printing Pages: 
  A picture of a printer on the screen indicates that this page can be printed. Click the printer to print the page.
  5. Completing Beginning Sounds: 
  To exit the program, click the waving hand. To print your progress report, click the certificate. If you have not completed the program, you can continue play by clicking the rabbit pointing to the page. Once you exit and restart the program, you will automatically be taken back to the pages with incorrect answers. You can also go back and correct your work by clicking the check mark on the exit screen. If you have completed the program and all of the answers are correct, you can click the ribbon to print a certificate of completion. Or, you can choose to play a game by clicking the rabbit waving a flag. You can start over by clicking the blue arrow.
 
Directions for the Games:  
  Tree the Cats: 
  Your dog wants to keep the cats in the trees. Scare the cats by using your mouse to move the dog under each tree, and then click to make the dog bark. You have three chances. You win if all three cats are in the trees when time runs out. Click to start.
  Deep Sea Dodge 'Em: 
  Help the fish get to the party without bumping into anything. Use your mouse to move the fish up or down to avoid the obstacles. You have three chances to get to the party. Click to start.
  Three Nests Full: 
  Catch as many eggs as you can in the nest. Use your mouse to move the bird. Don't let any eggs fall on the ground. You have three chances. Click to start.
 
Technical Support:
  If you experience problems using this software, you can e-mail us at tech.support@schoolzone.com or call us at 1-616-846-9601.

 Support Hours:
Monday through Thursday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. EST
Friday 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. EST

Additional support is always available online at: http://www.schoolzone.com/technical_support

Please have the following information available for technical support:
 
  • Operating system
  • CPU type and speed
  • Amount of RAM
  • Available hard drive space
  • CD-ROM speed
 
Minimum System Requirements:
  Windows® Vista, XP, 2000
    Pentium® III 1GHz (or equivalent)
    256MB of RAM
    800x600 32-bit color video
    16-bit sound card
    700MB of available disk space
    CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive
 
  Mac® OSX 10.5, 10.4.11, 10.3.9
    Power PC™ G4 933MHz (or equivalent)
    256MB of RAM
    800x600 32-bit color video
    700MB of available disk space
    CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive
 
 
Copyright © 2009 SCHOOL ZONE PUBLISHING COMPANY All Rights Reserved.
 
Microsoft and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Apple, Macintosh, and Mac OS are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. PowerPC is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. Pentium is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.