This software is a living book based on Arthur’s Teacher Trouble. There are two sections. The first is the Read to Me mode. In this application the story is read to the viewer and the words are highlighted as they are read. In the Let Me Play mode children are able to click on different things in the illustration. They are rewarded with music and action from the object they clicked on using the mouse. For example, if the child chooses the bell, it will ring. The user is able to chose from English or Spanish at the beginning of the program.

The content is slightly inaccurate. There is often words said by the computer that are not written. I found myself looking for the print the first few times it happened. Sometimes these extra words are in the book form of Arthur’s Teacher Trouble and other times they have been added from the original text. There are no gender and ethnic stereotypes in the software program.

This software is easy to use and install. A beginner would be able to learn how to use it with a minimal amount of instruction. I noticed that in the Read to Me mode, the user is only able to start the book from the beginning. This makes it impossible to read portions of the book at different times. The instructions for the user are easy to follow. There are four options given in the beginning. The options are written and Arthur speaks and points to them. The graphics look exactly like the illustrations in the book. This makes the connection between literature and computer very obvious. The sounds and animation during the story may be helpful as context clues for beginning readers.

This software is limited in its uses. The things that the child can make the computer do in Let Me Play do not require a high level of thinking. They are rewarded with cute music and animation simply for clicking on an object. Teachers cannot modify the software and there is no ability for student tracking included. If Kid Pix software is available, there is the option of making copies of the graphics on the computer to use in bulletin boards and work sheets the teacher may want to create.

Role of Students:

There are very few decisions to be made by the students and using the software involves limited critical thinking. The students do not have an opportunity to construct products. However, the teacher resources provide ideas for creating products and promote interaction among the students. As the students are able to read along with the program they will begin to feel success as learners and readers.

Role of Teacher:

The teacher would need to quickly explain how to use this software. The students would need little monitoring. One thing the teacher should watch for is the students becoming too involved in the Let Me Play mode. Children could get caught up in the entertainment. I would suggest limiting the amount of time they can use this part of the software. Teachers should prepare their students for this software with the same type of activities they would for any literature (review new words, make predictions, discuss the characters, etc.). The software cannot be modified and does not have internal monitoring tools.

This software does have excellent teacher materials. There are ideas for group discussions. Children can work individually on writing projects that extend the software. Critical thinking skills are addressed by role playing different characters from the story in varying situations.

Classroom Usage:

This software could be used in many situations. It would work for an individual and small groups. The story is read slowly, so if groups were using it there would not be a problem with everyone keeping up. Since the speed cannot be changed faster readers would not be held back. This software would complement the curriculum if the class were involved in a Marc Brown unit or actually using Arthur’s Teacher Trouble as a literature focus unit. I would use it on the computer during center time and assign one of the activities in the teacher materials for the small group in the center to do together. Other projects could be worked on as a whole class or individually once everyone has read the story.

I recommend the software for beginning readers. It brings literature to life and presents the story in a new way that might catch the children’s interest. The biggest shortcoming is the software’s inability to let children start at various points in the book. This would be beneficial since it is a long story and students might not be able to be read it all at once. The highlight of this software is the teacher materials. There are activities that span a wide range of disciplines. This would help in creating a cross-curriculum atmosphere in the classroom.

This software could very easily be incorporated into a primary grade curriculum. It is simple to use and does not require a large amount of teacher time. The students would be exposed to literature in a new way. Alone the software does not promote higher levels of thinking, but with input from the Teacher Resource Manual it can be used to encourage higher levels of thinking.

Table of Contents for Software Evaluations | Go to Arthur's Teacher Trouble lesson plan.