Clifford Phonics review

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Verdict:

Review Date: 18 Aug 2004

Price when reviewed: inc VAT

Reviewed By: Janet Swift

Our Rating 5 stars out of 5

Review
Specs

Clifford the Big Red Dog has already made a name for himself, both on television and in previous software titles.

In the latest title we join him and his owner, Emily Elizabeth, in a favourite setting for children's educational software: the funfair.

The event is the Birdwell Island Carnival and the story revolves around decorating a float to take part in the grand parade. Along the way Clifford and his friends visit six stalls and rides where they win prizes by completing activities that improve letter, sound and word recognition. There are an additional six carnival games, including Word ball and Whack-a-letter, which also reinforce literacy skills.

Various amusing stories are used to motivate the journey. At the start Clifford breaks the machine that inflates balloons and has to blow them up himself. Later on he uses his great height to provide a diving board for the high diving act. Meanwhile children have to associate words and pictures, match initial letters and words and identify rhyming words. As a reward, users will see Clifford perform amazing feats and gain items with which to embellish the carnival float. The parade, complete with balloons and fireworks, can take place once all six of the broken fairground attractions have been repaired.

There are three levels of difficulty in the game, which the program automatically adjusts according to progress. To discover how to access the progress screen, parents will need to consult the online user guide, which also explains the skills being developed in each of the activities. The appealing environment, attractive characters and well-designed educational content make this a winner for all children.

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