Action SATS Learning: Key Stage 1 4-7 Years: Time

Action SATS Learning: Key Stage 1 4-7 Years: Time is a title that is designed to help children learn through a gaming environment. The subject here is, obviously, telling the time and the title plays just like a computer game.

Each topic is treated as a new level in the game, when a level is completed the player is treated to a mini-game and the points scored in these games are used to increase the pupils game time. The game continues until the player runs out of time at which point the game ends.

The topics/levels in this title are: Time, O'Clock, Quarter Past, Half Past. Quarter To, Minutes, Seconds, 24 Hours, Day, Week, Months and Seasons

The format throughout is the same, The player is presented with a series of multiple choice questions each of which has four possible answers. Each question has a points value which decreases the longer the pupil takes to answer. To aid the pupil there are three help options, a 'Zap 2'box which eliminates two false answers; a 'Clue' box which gives the pupil a very strong hint that, in some cases, is the same as giving the full answer; and a 'Look It Up' box which gives the pupil the information they need to answer the question.

The third level, 'Quarter To', typifies the game play; here the pupil is shown pictures of four watches and is asked a question such as "Which watch shows quarter to seven?", and must select correct picture from those shown. There are some minor topic dependant variations, for example in Levels One and Two the pupil is shown asked questions about a picture, for example in one question they are given picture of a watch with an arrow pointing to one of its hands and must say whether the hand tells minutes hours, seconds or days.

There is a high score table and the game is played entirely with the mouse.

The mini games in this title are: Floyd: a mouse controlled Breakout* game where the object is to destroy as many blocks as possible with three balls.

• Hell Bats: A mouse controlled Space Invaders game where the player has to destroy as many of the ranks of green aliens as possible with just one base.
• Star Feud: a mouse controlled space shooter. In this game the player's ship is in the centre of the screen and can only rotate to target the increasing number of enemy ships that attack from all directions.

All levels can be revised, i.e. played individually, and the pupil can also take a test in each subject for which they are rewarded with a printable certificate.