Franklin Learns Math. (Software Review)(Evaluation)

Franklin Learns Math is a series of games providing four- to seven-year-olds with practice on a variety of mathematics skills, including number, patterns, money, and time. The student enters one of six games from the title screen by clicking on Bear, Beaver, Otter, Rabbit, Franklin's house, or the town. One of three difficulty levels may be selected from the title screen for all games. As the student begins each game, a brief audio segment describes the procedures for playing the game. After completing a game, the user may print worksheet activities that reinforce the computer activities. Suggestions for additional activities are available on-line for the teacher or parent.

In each game the student completes a series of exercises and is rewarded by a different graphic display or audio praise. If the student selects an incorrect answer, a prompt is given to let him or her know that the selection was incorrect, but instructional feedback is not provided. The lack of instructional help encourages the student to make random guesses rather than try to adjust choices on the basis of appropriate feedback.

Students practice a variety of number skills as they interact with the programs. Paint by Number with Beaver is a computer version of a color-by-numbers picture. The student matches each of the numbered colors with the correct numeral, number word, set, or equation. The end result is a colored picture. In Play Match Up with Rabbit, the student plays a concentration game by matching two cards with the same number of objects, object cards with numeral cards, or addition and subtraction sentences with numerals. In Build Number Lines with Otter, the student completes a series of number lines by indicating the next numbers in a sequence. The on-line documentation cautions the teacher or parent that children may be able to recite a sequence of numbers without understanding the value of each number. The importance of developing understanding that goes beyond rote counting is stressed. This activity itself, however, does not heed this cautionary note, since students use rote recall to complete the counting sequence.

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