Pencil-Pal First Grade

 
Welcome to School Zone's Pencil-Pal First Grade Software!
     
In this Read Me document, you will find the following:
 
Age Level:  Ages 5-6
 
Educational Goal:
To teach and practice first grade skills through a variety of fun activities that appeal to different learning styles.
 
Educational Skills:
  • Sight Words
  • Addition
  • Subtraction
  • Time
  • Money
  • Letter and Number Sequence
 
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 children to work independently.
    • Drawing, painting, and coloring activities encourage creative learning.
    • Jokes and movies keep children motivated.
    • Creative themes, adorable characters and playful melodies appeal to children.
 
Directions for the Activities and Software:  
  Introduction: 
  This software uses a variety of methods to review, teach, and reinforce first grade skills. Type your name, and then click OK. The First Grade Cabin Cruiser has characters behind each of the doors. A character appears when you click on a door. You can try a dot-to-dot activity by clicking the top purple window. First Officer Finley Fox will introduce you to the activity. The hatch on the left opens to reveal a joke-telling Parker T. Pelican. Each time you open the hatch, you will hear a different joke. Click the flag to see a funny animation. Holly Hippo behind the green octagonal door will take you to the movie selections. Click the orange doors to meet Tallulah Toucan and enter the art studio. Or click the red hatch to find Captain Bingham Bear, who will take you to play an educational game.
  Ending an Activity:
  After completing a game, movie, dot-to-dot, coloring screen or artwork, click the anchor to return to the outside of the First Grade Cabin Cruiser.
  Completing the Software: 
  To exit the program, click the anchor on the First Grade Cabin Cruiser. You will be asked if you are sure that you want to exit. Click the anchor again to exit.
 
Dot-to-Dots:  
  Introduction: 
  To try a dot-to-dot activity, click the top purple window on the First Grade Cabin Cruiser. First Officer Finley Fox will take you to the activity. To exit the dot-to-dot activity section, click the anchor.
  Selecting a Dot-to-Dot: 
  There are arrows at the bottom of each dot-to-dot screen. Click the right arrow to go to the next screen. Click the left arrow to go to the previous screen. There are 10 dot-to-dot screens. The activity will automatically number the dots. Click the “ABC” button to see uppercase alphabet letters next to each dot. Click the “abc” button to see lowercase alphabet letters next to each dot.
  Completing a Dot-to-Dot: 
  Click the blinking red dot to begin, and then click the dots in ABC or 123 order to complete the picture. When the picture is completed, the image will animate.
 
Movies:  
  Introduction: 
  Click the green octagonal door on the First Grade Cabin Cruiser to watch movies. Holly Hippo will take you to the movie theater. The movie choices will change as you watch the screen. Choose from 8 different movies. To exit the movie section, click the anchor.
  Watching a Movie: 
  Click the picture of the movie that you would like to see. The movie will play in color and with sound. To exit the movie, click your mouse or hit any key.
 
Educational Games:  
  Introduction: 
  Click the red hatch to play an educational game. Captain Bingham Bear will introduce you to the game. Choose the content of the game by clicking one of the pictures in the glass tube. You can hear an instruction for the game you selected by clicking on the question mark. To play a game, look at the question in the window at the bottom of the screen. Use the grabber to catch each sea creature that has the correct answer on it. Use your arrow keys or mouse to move the grabber. To catch a sea creature, lower the grabber by pressing the down arrow key or holding the mouse button down. Catch five correct sea creatures to complete the current game mode. Try to complete all five game modes. Press an arrow key or click the mouse to start a game. To exit the game section, click the anchor.
  Sight Words: 
  Listen carefully to the word and then find that word on one of the sea creatures and catch it with the grabber. If you need to hear the word again, move your cursor over the question window at the bottom of the screen.
  Addition 0 to 18: 
  Look at the problem in the box at the bottom of the screen. Solve the problem, and then find the answer on one of the sea creatures and catch it.
  Subtraction 0 to 18: 
  Look at the problem in the box at the bottom of the screen. Solve the problem, and then find the answer on one of the sea creatures and catch it.
  Money: 
  Add the coins in the box at the bottom of the screen. Find the total amount on one of the sea creatures and catch it.
  Time: 
  Look at the time in the box at the bottom of the screen. Find the same time on one of the clocks on the sea creatures and catch it.
 
Art Studio:  
  Introduction: 
  Click the orange doors to enter the Art Studio. Tallulah Toucan will introduce you to the art studio. Click the picture of the birthday party to use the coloring book. Click the picture of the green monster to draw and paint. To exit the Art Studio, click the anchor.
  Selecting a Coloring Book Screen: 
  There are arrows at the bottom of each coloring screen. Click the right arrow to go to the next screen. Click the left arrow to go to the previous screen. There are 15 coloring screens. The art supplies are at the bottom of the screen. To paint, click the paintbrush, and then click a color. Next, click the area that you want to paint. To fill an area with a pattern, click the roller, and then click a pattern. Next, click the area that you want to fill with a pattern. Erase the last color or pattern by clicking the spiral circle. Use the soap bottle to erase all of the colors.
  Draw and Paint: 
  The art supplies are at the bottom of the screen. Click the pencil to draw a picture. To make a shape, click the stamp tool, and then click a shape. Next, click where you want the shape to appear. Press any key to rotate the shape. To paint, click the paintbrush, and then click a color. Next, click the area that you want to paint. To fill an area with a pattern, click the roller, and then click a pattern. Next, click the area that you want to fill with a pattern. Erase the last color or pattern by clicking the spiral circle. Use the soap bottle to erase all of the colors.
  Printing Screens: 
  Click the printer to print the current screen.
 
 
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
 
 
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