Sunbuddy Math Playhouse is an animated program that combines math and language arts skills in the form of a play, "The Bremen Town Musicians." The math skills covered are classifying, sorting, counting, matching, telling time, adding and subtracting numbers from 1-20, and coordinating points on a grid. The student has the choice to read along, play along or go backstage. In the read along mode, the play is read as students follow along. At the end of each scene, students click on an arrow to go back or forward in the play or on a number to go to a specific page.

In the play along mode, after each scene is read, students can click around the screen. If they click on specific spots, different educational songs play or words appear. For instance if a rock pile is clicked on, a jazzy song plays and the rocks count by two’s, three’s, or five’s.

When students go to the backstage area, they can chose among four different activities. Each activity has verbal and musical rewards as well as three levels of difficulty. One activity is a matching game that requires matching cards to reveal a picture with a mathematical problem. A second activity involves subtraction and addition; a math problem appears, and the student has to select the correct answer. After getting five answers correct, the student is rewarded with flashing lights. At the first level, the students work with numbers 1-10, at the second level, they work with numbers 1-20, and at the third level, they do advanced addition and subtraction problems. A third activity is sorting by color and shape. The student is asked to sort musical instruments by their color and shape. In the last activity, the student works on map skills. Depending upon the difficulty level, the students do one of three things that involve coordination girds and following step-by-step directions. In addition to the four activities, the backstage area also has a jukebox, which can be heard simply by clicking on a picture or number.

The program is accurate and is free of gender or cultural biases. The program is excellent for the age group for which it is intended. The reading and math conform to the curricular guidelines for the targeted age group. Sunbuddy Math Playhouse provides numerous activities to motivate, entertain, and challenge students.

The program is easy to use and runs smoothly. The student should be able to navigate and use the program independently of the teacher. The navigation system includes icon buttons, help buttons, and arrows--all of which are very easy to use. The help screen reads what needs to be done. The graphics, sound, and animation are outstanding; the graphics are colorful, and the animated characters appeal to the targeted age. The animation and music reinforce the math skills taught.

The program makes excellent use of technology. The problems within the play are mathematical problems that children face in the classroom; therefore, the program is an excellent supplement to class work. The software enables the students to adjust the activities to their ability level simply by pushing the number in the corner of the screen.

This program empowers as well as constrains. In the read-along mode, students are not able to make many decisions; they can chose the page they want to go to and can click on objects after a scene is read to them. The backstage activities, however, involve more interactive learning activities; students perform operations to solve math problems. They cannot print their work, and assessment of their work by a teacher is primarily through direct observation or through the use of extended activities off the computer.

The teacher should give a brief overview of the program for the students, but once they begin, there should be no need for much coaching. The teachers cannot modify or change the program; however, the manual offers wonderful activities to supplement the program as well as the script of the play for the class to reenact it. The manual also gives the lyrics to the songs found throughout the play, and students can be encouraged to learn these lyrics.

This program fits easily into the classroom. It can be used by a single student or by a small group of students.

The use of animation, graphics, and music is motivating and entertaining. The program offers numerous educational opportunities for students to develop basic math skills. Each screen contains a portion of the play, music, and "clickables" that give different math facts for the students to learn. The program has multiple screens and easy navigation. The activities are adjustable to the ability level of the students. The material covered (classifying, sorting, counting, matching, addition and subtraction 1-20, and map skills) fits the target grade level. The program is an excellent supplement to an elementary math program.

OVERALL RATING : 10 0ut of 10

Sunbuddy Math Playhouse is an excellent supplement to the first or second grade mathematical program. It does an excellent job of entertaining the students with toe-tapping music and vibrant characters and at the same time challenges them in their math skills. The program is easy to navigate and can be worked on independently or in a small group.