contents_main
KIDWARE Educational Software

The Kidware concept creates new and exciting learning experiences for children. Our target age group is 9 to 14 years, but there are many tools in this package to appeal to kids of all ages, from 5 to 105.

Kidware is both fun and educational. We've created this series of programs to help students practice and reinforce skills already learned in the classroom. At the same time, we've made all these programs challenging and entertaining.

Since Kidware is used in schools, we've added features like Beep ON/OFF that allows the program to be run in silence. We've kept the Microsoft Windows standards in building each application, so that our users can soon be functioning within other Windows programs.

Installation

Word Wizard

Math Wizard

TypeWriter

Pie Charts

Stones

Numero

Ordering, Licence


Install
Installing Kidware

1. Put the Kidware diskette in drive A.

2. Open Windows. From the Program Manager, click on File in the menu. Click on Run from the drop down menu.

3. In the dialog box type A:\SETUP and press ENTER.

4. When asked, either type the directory for the Kidware files or press ENTER to install the files in the Kidware directory.

5. When all files have been copied, double click on the REGISTER icon in the new Kidware window. Type in your name and press ENTER.

6. Start any program in the Kidware Window.


wordwiz
Word Wizard

A word recognition and spelling aid, Word Wizard allows the player to guess a jumbled word. Each player can take a stab at 5 jumbled words, building points as he/she goes along.

You may build a specialized vocabulary by adding to the dictionary. Word Wizard will let you start a new dictionary where you may add your own words. It's an ideal way to help the kids with their homework!

How to play

Levels

Configure

French Students


How to play...

After you open the game from the Word Wizard icon, click on Start to erase the WORD WIZARD title. A jumbled word is provided. Type your guess and click on Accept. WORD WIZARD awards 7 points per letter if you guess correctly.

As you complete a game, the Top Score is shown. You may view this any time from the Game menu.

Can't get the word? Move on to the next word by clicking on Pass.


Levels

You may elect to use the dictionaries provided with the program. There are three levels:

Beginner - consisting of word 5 letters long or less.

Intermediate - all words are 8 characters or less.

Advanced - all words are 10 characters or less.

If you are new to  anagrams, it is best to start with the Beginner level. You will soon see how easy it is to recognize common words in the anagram. Move on to the next level  when you feel comfortable with Beginner level.


Configure

Viewing the dictionary...

To view the dictionary, select Configure + Show Dictionary. You may press CTRL D from anywhere in the WORD WIZARD main window.

To change a word, click on the word in the list and click on Edit. From the box that appears, type in the correction or new addition. When  you click on OK, the list box will re-sort the word list. Use the scroll arrows to find your correction.

Adding new words

Word Wizard will permit you to change any User Defined Dictionary. Click on Levels + User Defined (or press CTRL A)to load a dictionary, then click on Add Words. A small data entry dialog box appears. You may type your addition to the dictionary and  click on the Add button. Click on the Close button to end your session.

When adding words to the dictionary, please remember that you must add at least five words into a dictionary to be able to use it later. Also, note that excessively long User Defined dictionaries may be slow to load. We recommend keeping dictionaries under 200 words.

New dictionaries

To start a new file, click on New Dictionary. A dialog box will request you to name the file. Just type in a description up to eight letters long. Word Wizard will add a UDB extension to the file and place the file in your current directory. When you click on OK, the Add Word dialog box appears. Add the words you want by typing the text and clicking on Add. If you make a mistake you will have to correct it later in the Configure + Show Dictionary dialog box.


French students

You can access French characters by holding down on the ALT key and typing on the numeric pad. Here's a typical list:

é - ALT 130

â - ALT 131

à - ALT 132

ç - ALT 135

ê - ALT 136

è - ALT 138

î -  ALT 140

Spanish, German and other special characters are also available. Check the status bar of your Windows Character Map (usually in the Main window) for the appropriate numbers.


Numero

As a diversion, we've added Numero to the Kidware product. This logic puzzle requires the student to place numbers in a 1 to 15 sequence. The real trick to this game is to ensure that the last line can read 13, 14, 15.


mathwiz
Math Wizard

Math Wizard is designed to practice basic mathemathical skills. The object of the game is to select an activity - adding, subtracting, multiplying or dividing - and to build points  with each correct answer

When the student achieves a score above 2000, the program produces confetti and the activity is over.

There's a Guess form to build points more quickly and each student may print a certificate or a practice sheet based on the current activity.

How to Play

Parent/Teacher Notes


mw_howToPlay
How to play...

You can pick a range of numbers, between 1 and 100, for the practice. Click on Configure + Range  to select the range of numbers.

If multiplying, you may pick a table instead of a range.  To select a table, click Configure + Table. A menu drops down with choices as high as 12.

If the bell bothers you, click on Beep in Configure.

From this point, select the correct answer by clicking on the appropriate answer.

When you reach 2000 points, confetti will rain all over the program window, effectively ending the game. Click on File + Exit.


mw_parent
Teacher/parent Notes

Multiplication - Set up the student on the correct table for each session. Gradually move the child up the scale. We find that most kids will want to start at 12, since that builds points quickly. Avoid this at first and try to use Math Wizard as a homework  item to be attempted daily.

Other Activities - Use the Range dialog box (under Configure + Range) to select a difficulty level that will challenge but not overwhelm the student.

Adjust the length of a Math Wizard session to the interest span of the student. Print a practice sheet as an extra activity.


Stones

This game is designed to develop mathematical reasoning skills. Stones may be played between two players or against the computer.

How to Play

The rules are simple.

1. A player must click on one of the three Pile buttons and take a quantity of stones from the pile.

2. Each player in turn removes stones until nothing is left.

3. Whoever takes the last stone is the winner.

How to Win

Players soon learn the rules that keep a winning position. A player must ensure that he/she never takes the second last stone. Thus, in a situation with piles of 2,1,1, a wise player would take two from the first pile. Or with the piles  of 0,2,1, an alert player would remove one from the second pile.

Teacher Note	Computer Rules


stonesteacher
Teacher/parent:

 Stones is a very old game. It may have been played first by Chinese workers, who used real stones instead of a computer.

Use Stones to teach both logic and strategy. This is a good introduction to more complex strategic games.

 Help the student isolate the basic rules that keep a winning position in the game. You can help the student find these by playing the computer.  Study the Computer's rules in the Help menu.


Computer Rules

The simple logical rules that make your play a success can be programmed into the computer's moves.  In fact, the computer rules are programmed by a series of Cases through which the program analyses the three groups of stones and decides on the next course of action.

When the computer moves, it randomly selects a pile, then decides whether to do something or try another pile.

Here's the source code with explanation in red.

Select Case SELECTEDPILE%

1. If there are no other stones in other pile, then take everything in selected pile

Case Is = PILEA + PILEB + PILEC

SELECTEDPILE% = 0

2. If there is nothing in the selected pile, go back and pick another pile

Case 0

    Exit Sub

3. If the select pile equals 1

Case 1

a. if the selected pile, go back to restart

      If PILEA + PILEB + PILEC > 3 Then

    Exit Sub

     Else

b. otherwise, take the single stone

     SELECTEDPILE% = 0

     End If

4. If the selected pile is greater than one, see what is in the other piles

Case Is > 1

    F% = (PILEA + PILEB + PILEC) - SELECTEDPILE%

    Select Case F%

a. if there's nothing, then take everything.

    Case 0

                SELECTEDPILE% = 0

b. if there's one stone in another pile, then leave a stone

    Case 1

                SELECTEDPILE% = 1

c. If there's two left, take if all

    Case 2

        SELECTEDPILE% = 0

d. if there's more than two, be cautious and leave a stone

    Case Is > 2

        SELECTEDPILE% = 1

    End Select

Case Else

    SELECTEDPILE% = SELECTEDPILE% - 1

End Select


Type Writer

Learn the keyboard by watching the screen. The object of this practice software is to get the student using the keyboard without looking. Thus as he/she presses a key it is highlighted on the screen.

From the Practice window there are three levels available. This version of Kidware presents classical poetry as the text for the typing lesson. Select a level and the first line of a randomly selected poem will be presented. Type the line in the text box below. Press ENTER when the line is complete and a new line is presented.

Activity

Edit

Teacher/Parent Notes

Add Lessons


t_activity
Activity

Practice

The practice menu allows you to select from the three featured authors. Click on the desired level to view the first line of the poem

Editor

Typewriter also allows the student to ease into using a word processor. There is an Editor window that allows the student to type  multiple lines of text. Up to approximately 20 pages of text can be typed in this Editor window, although the Window is recommended for brief  notes.

Beep

To turn the bell off, click on the Beep menu or press CTRL B.

Score

Provides the number of correct sentences typed in the session. A session lasts until the program is exited, so the student may have an editor session and resume a practice at a new level, all the time keeping the old score.

Keep in mind that correct sentences must contain the exact  match. No extra spaces. Caps must match exactly and the punctuation must be identical with the practice line.

Exit

To quit Typewriter, click on  Exit.


t_edit
Edit

To assist the student in the world of word processors, Typewriter features many word processor capaibilities needed to manipulate text. Typewriter will call the Windows Notepad to allow the student to save or move text from the Editor window.

Delete Typing - deletes all text in the Editor window. A dialog box will appear to warn of the deletion.

Cut, Copy or Paste - The student may block any text in the Edtior window to move text within the window or to another application, like the Windows Notepad.

Select All - To highlight all the text in an Editor window, click on Select All.

Clip to Notepad - Highlights all text in a window and moves the text into the Windows Notepad. If for any reason the Notepad is not available, an error message is displayed.


t_teacher
Teacher/parent Notes:

Most exercises are about sonnet length (14 lines) so you may want to complete one exercise per session until you feel he/she is relaxed at the keyboard. Since keyboarding is a little like learning to play the piano, there is more to be gained by short, daily exercises than by slotting 1 hour per week. With brief, daily exercises, the student forms the habit of typing. Lessons are neither boring or painful. Pretty soon, the students is comfortable with the keyboard and can produce text from it.

Students should be encouraged to work several times through the drills. At the end of the sessions, the students should have the basics of touch typing and can proceed to more demanding drills. Encourage the student to keep index fingers on the J and F keys and try the exercises without looking down at the keys.


t_addlessons
Adding Lessons

You may also add your own exercises. This could be useful to combine the study of literature with typing practice. It is also handy when students are familiar with the lessons provided and want some new text.

The typing exercises are in a file called TYPING.DAT in the Kidware directory. Make a backup of the original  file and then open it in an editor like the Windows Notepad. Then follow these steps:

1. Remove our poetry and add your own.

2. Make sure to start the typing immediately under  each header (i.e, [Hard 2]) as is. Insert a blank line to end the poem.

3. You may remove our poems, to add you own but do not append poems past the preset number. Type Writer will ignore these additions.


Pie Charts

This program is intended to lead the student into presentation graphics. You may use Pie Charts to create little charts that can be useful for assignments and homework. Along the way, Pie Charts gives the student an understanding of percentages based on a clear visual presentation, along with a calculation module in the Help menu.

Making a chart

Printing

Teacher/Parent Notes


Teacher/parent

We recommend the student starts by playing with the Calculate box in Help menu to figure out anything from grade scores to batting averages. A first look at the Chart menu should allow the student to check out the sample pie chart, which provides information on how allowance money is spent. Encourage him/her to have a look at the Pie Data dialog box and proceed to enter data.


Printing:

If your printer can handle color, you should have no problem with our regular print output. Please allow a minute or two for your printer to complete the job. If your printer doesn't support color, you will need to select Black 'n White in the Chart menu.


Moving/Saving Charts

Copy to Clipboard  The simplest method for moving a chart to another application  is to select Copy to Clipboard in the Chart menu. This will insert a copy in the Windows Clipboard.  You may paste it into the Windows Paintbrush, if you wish to further edit the chart, or into Windows Write, if you wish to include the chart in an essay or assignment.

Saving is a second option. This will allow you to save the output as a Paintbrush BMP file, which you can keep on disk or include in desktop publishing programs that won't support the Windows Clipboard. Many Windows word processors will also permit you to load BMP file into a document.


LICENCE

Kidware - Educational Software

Version 2.10

Users of Kidware V. 2.10 must accept this disclaimer of warranty: "Kidware V. 2.10 is supplied as is.  The author disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, including, without limitation, the warranties of merchantability and of fitness for any purpose. The author assumes no liability for damages, direct or consequential, which may result from the use of Kidware V. 2.10."

Kidware V. 2.10 is a shareware program and is provided at no charge to the user for evaluation.  Feel free to share it with your friends, but please do not give it away altered or as part of another system.  The essence of "user-supported" software is to provide personal computer users with quality software without high prices, and yet to provide incentive for programmers to continue to develop new products.  If you find this program useful and find that you are using Kidware V. 2.10 and continue to use Kidware V. 2.10 after a reasonable trial period, you must make a registration payment of $19.95US/$24 Canadian to WordSmith Document Design Inc..  The registration fee will license one copy for use on any one computer at any one time.

Commercial, educational and institutional users of Kidware V. 2.10 must register and pay for their copies of Kidware V. 2.10 within 30 days of first use or their license is withdrawn.

Site-License arrangements may be made by contacting WordSmith Document Design Inc..

Anyone distributing Kidware V. 2.10 for any kind of remuneration must first contact WordSmith Document Design Inc. at the address below for authorization. This authorization will be automatically granted to distributors recognized by the ASPas adhering to its guidelines for shareware distributors, and such distributors may begin offering Kidware V. 2.10 immediately (However WordSmith Document Design Inc. must still be advised so that the distributor can be kept up-to-date with the latest version of Kidware V. 2.10.).

You are encouraged to pass a copy of Kidware along to your friends for evaluation.  Please encourage them to register their copy if they find that they can use it.  All registered users will receive a copy of the latest version of the Kidware system.


Registration
Registration and ordering

Invoice

Our Address

Quantity Discounts

Licence

800 number orders

ASP MEMBER

Kidware - Educational Software is distributed under the shareware concept. You are encouraged to try the program and register after 30 days. Registration costs $19.95 US/ $24 Canadian. Orders outside US/Canada must include a shipping and handling charge to cover extra expenses. Please include $3 US to cover shipping and handling.

When you register - WordSmith Document Design Inc. agrees to ship  a copy of the latest version of Kidware - Educational Software - along with an attractive instruction booklet. As well, you will receive a fully registered copy of HARBOUR GRAPHICS, our graphing software that features 11 chart types,  easy data entry, text import/export and a variety of features designed to make graphing fun and educational.

Checks and money orders are accepted for payment, as well as purchase orders for amounts of $39.90 and over.

Please specify whether you want 5.25"  or 3.5" diskettes. Note that, for volume orders, you may fax a Purchase Order directly to WordSmith and we will invoice.

Please Enter Our Contest


T-Shirt Contest

If you have purchased Kidware at a retail or mail order outlet, you may wish to drop us a line. We'd like to hear where you purchased Kidware and to receive any comments you might care to offer.

When you do drop us a line, we'll enter your name in our database for a drawing of 30 T Shirts, which we do once a year in June. These are excellent quality T-Shirts with the Kidware product logo and attesting to your commitment to educational software.

So, why not drop us a line. You may also fax your comments, but please remember that we cannot take your name by voice on the technical support line.

Our address


Ordering via 800 numbers

You can order directly from Wordsmith Document Design Inc.

However, if you wish to use your credit card (Mastercard, VISA, American Express, or Discover Card) you may place an order through the Public (software) Library at

1-800-242-4PSL

(1-800-242-4775)

You may also place a credit card fax order at 713-524-6398 Overseas credit card orders: 713-524-6394

Compuserve 71355,470

WHEN YOU PLACE THE ORDER, PLEASE HAVE YOUR CREDIT CARD HANDY. Ask to register Kidware, Part# 10750 .

THESE NUMBERS ARE FOR ORDERING ONLY. WordSmith Document Design Inc cannot be reached at these numbers. To contact WordSmith about dealer price, volume discounts, site licences, shipment status, or for technical help, call or fax 709-576-7078.

Please note that for volume orders, you may fax a Purchase Order directly to WordSmith and we will invoice.

Our address


Our Address

To contact WordSmith about dealer price, volume discounts, site licences,

shipment status, or for technical help, call or fax 709-576-7078.

Or write:

WordSmith Document Design Inc.,

PO Box 8061 Stn A

St. John's NF Canada A1B 3M9


Quantity discount

Any commercial (i.e., business, school, government, or other institutional) use of Kidware - Educational Software must be registered.

Volume discounts and site licenses are available.

Discounts are as follows:

1-10 copies	no discount

10 - 30 copies	20%

over 30	30%

In the over 30 category, we provide a site licence, which includes instruction sheets, but only two master diskettes.


Invoice

Send to:

WordSmith Document Design Inc.

PO Box 8061 Stn A

St. John's NF Canada A1B 3M9

FAX: 709-576-7078 for POs

 Qty	Item 	US	Price

  ___	Kidware - Educational Software	$19.95 ea   	$________

  	(includes registration, program

and printed instruction sheet)

     check one	(  ) 3.5"  floppy

(  ) 5.25" floppy

                                                  	Subtotal $________

           Canadian residents add 7% .	GST	$________

           NF residents please add 12% PST	PST	$________

                                                   Total      	$________

      Payment by:  (   ) Check or money order  	(   ) PO #  ______________

     Name	___________________________________________________

     Company 	___________________________________________________

      Address  	___________________________________________________

      	___________________________________________________

     Phone    (______)_________________	Fax(______)________________

     Where did you obtain Kidware - Educational Software?

 _______________________________________________________

     Comments __________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________


Harbour Graphics

Harbour Graphics is designed to make quick, attractive graphs . There are 11 basic graph types with a variety of options for each. Harbour Graphics will let you do quick data entry or you may import data either through the Windows Clipboard or through the File Import menu.

Data may also be moved to other applications. You can clip a chart from Harbour Graphics to other applications like Microsoft Word or WordPerfect for Windows. If you want to move the graph to a drawing package, like Paintbrush, you may also use the clipboard.

For graphs that must be independently saved, Harbour Graphics lets you save your graph as either a BMP bitmap file or a WMF metafile.

Harbour Graphics creates a dynamic link with the Microsoft Graphics Server which runs in the background. This server runs concurrently with Harbour Graphics providing the graphing services.


Ascii

Text without word processing or other formatting. Readable by almost any editor or word processor.


Clipboard

A Windows program  which holds text and graphics for transfer within an application or to other Windows applications.


Shareware

A try before you buy marketing concept. You can try out the software and register after a brief trial period.


This version of Kidware uses four poems from Emily Dickensen (1830-1886) for the Easy level.

Walt Whitman(1819-1892) is represented by four poems at the Intermediate level. Four of William Shakespeare's(1564-1616) sonnets have been selected for the Advanced level.


This program is produced by a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP).  ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products.  Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442 or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536."