Elmo’s Preschool is an interactive Sesame Street program that introduces and reinforces preschool learning and social skills. These skills are taught through Sesame Street’s favorite character, two-year-old Elmo who becomes the user’s friend and playmate. Elmo’s Preschool is entertaining, humorous, and educational. Children visit with Elmo in an urban playground, and together they play fifteen different learning activities in five magic playrooms. Children simply click on the door to any of the five rooms, including the ABC basement, numbers clubhouse, shapes and colors tent, face treehouse, and the music room to access an environment full of learning. Each location has three activities that include an open-ended freeplay activity and two structured, multiple-leveled skill games called the star and moon games. The freeplay segment is active whenever a child enters a room or at the end of a star and moon game. This encourages exploration and creativity while introducing the concepts and skills presented in the moon and star games. Thirty preschool skills such as numbers, letters, shapes, colors, patterning, spelling, music and quantitative associations are presented. In addition, moods, emotions, sharing, and cooperating are also taught by our red furry friend. Unique and noteworthy among preschool programs is the teaching of social skills essential in Prekindergarten curriculum. Students learn from Elmo that everyone experiences different emotions and that their choices such as taking turns and sharing can affect other people's lives.

Elmo’s Preschool is a well-designed program for the targeted age group. I have observed firsthand the ease in which my students play this program. The skills taught on this program correspond with what is taught in Prekindergarten. Elmo even sings the ABC song that is sung in class every day. This program reinforces Prekindergarten skills in a fun forum. Elmo’s Preschool does fall down in a few areas worth mentioning. The star game in each room becomes repetitive and predictable after playing for a short time. This is because all the star games are structurally identical to each other. Elmo asks the user to identify a letter, number, sound, shape, or color depending on which room the child selects. The format never changes. I feel that this repetition is not conducive to the attention span of Prekindergarten children. Without constant variety, three and four year olds lose interest. Diverse and creative formats are needed. Perhaps children could hunt for letters in buried treasures or travel with Elmo to space to find a certain color or play a music game show where Elmo is the contestant. The name of the game is to make learning fun. Two thumbs up for the setting of the program. The colorful, urban playground and magic rooms are inclusive and free of ethnic bias. I did, however, observe a gender bias. In the ABC room, the program displays letters in both upper and lower case. A man’s voice always speaks the upper case letter while a little girl’s voice always speaks the lower case letter. Because the program always uses these voices, one would believe that being male is stronger and more important than female. In order to be bias free this program should vary the voices to avoid unnecessary stereotyping. Another terrific use of technology is the instruction of good social skills. In a world inundated with Nintendo and violent computer games, it is a pleasure to see a positive computer role model for children.

Elmo’s Preschool is easy to install and use. The children can independently navigate and access every activity on this program. A simple click on a door opens it to a magic room. The icons (star and moon) and links (exit and door signs) in each room are similar and pronounced. If a user gets confused at any point or if there is a long pause on the screen, Elmo helps out by giving instructions and options. This feature helps to insure the independence and confidence of young users. They always feel like they are in control. Another helpful feature is connected to the exit sign link. If a child clicks on the exit sign, Elmo asks the child to click it again to make sure of the child’s intentions. Prekindergarten children are, for the most part, beginners at mouse skills. This feature avoids unnecessary mistakes. Elmo’s Preschool automatically monitors the children’s answers in the star and moon games and moves them up to a more difficult skill level once they have answered three questions correctly on the first try. The sound and animation are clear and colorful. Elmo’s voice and personality are the same as on Sesame Street. This instantly makes him a familiar friend. He also is programmed to be very interactive. He says different things all the time and constantly comments on what the user is doing and not doing. One feels as if he is real and that he is actually talking to the user personally. I would, however, have liked to see more video and graphic movement. If one plays for a while, one can notice the static and repetitive graphic qualities of the games. It would have been a treat to see other Sesame character appear and disappear to delight the children.

Elmo’s Preschool makes good use of the computer. It provides repeated exposure of Prekindergarten skills to children in a fun forum. It makes good use of multimedia (sound, graphics, and animation) to reinforce these skills and track student progress. The multi-level auto tracking is, as we constantly say in early childhood education, developmentally appropriate. Prekindergarten students are all at developmentally different stages. This program can accommodate their individual stages. 

In Elmo’s Preschool, the students assume the role of the navigator. The children can control which tasks they wish to accomplish, and the multi-level auto-tracking component selects their level. The ideal grouping for this program is students working in pairs. In this way, they can both solve problems and practice handling the mouse. This program promotes confidence and self-esteem. The children always feel in charge and successful. Elmo gives the users a lot of compliments and positive reinforcement for either getting the answers correct or for at least trying. Children can get a certificate printed out as a measure of achievement that states, "I can do it!" This can help them feel good about themselves.

The role of the teacher is that of an orchestrator. First, the teacher should demonstrate the program to the students. Next, the teacher might want to create a chart next to the computer that will track and assess students' levels and accomplishments. The teacher should rotate students and assign them to work in the room that correlates with the unit being taught. In this way, a teacher can write their lesson plans incorporating this program. The program itself does not allow the teacher to modify, change or add to it in anyway.

Elmo’s Preschool should be used to enhance teaching units during the year, for example, face treehouse during the "All About Me" unit and the ABC basement during the alphabet unit. The teacher can review and demonstrate the program games and skills at the beginning of each unit. Computer time in Prekindergarten can be during freeplay or during center time when the children and teachers are engaged in hands-on learning activities. I would suggest that until the children are proficient with this program and with their computer skills, the teacher offer this program during free-play time. In this way the teacher or classroom paraprofessional can monitor progress and always be available for children’s questions and concerns.

This program would be a welcome addition to any Prekindergarten class. Thirty preschool skills are practiced through a warm and fuzzy friend in a safe and comfortable learning environment. The program’s skills correlate with Prekindergarten curriculum. I wouldn’t let the children overuse Elmo’s Preschool because it does get repetitive and predictable. Overuse would quickly lead to boredom. The practice of preschool skills, overall tone and social skills are the strengths. Creativity and imagination, usually the strength of Sesame Street, are lacking in this program.

I gave it a seven because it really teaches and reinforces many skills that three and four years olds are learning. The auto tracking system and the ease of usage both add to the high mark. The program needs work on graphics, creativity and variety. Whoever coined the phrase "Variety is the spice of life" certainly was speaking for Prekindergarten students.