Behaving well with Olga! (Full KIT: CD-ROM + book)

The series “My first software” is addressed to girls and boys from 4 years old and upward who want to learn while playing. The idea is to provide a variety of entertaining educational games to do on the computer (but not only) which develop skills that will be needed in subsequent learning tasks.

The CD-ROM
The quiet village of Little Rules is in danger! With the arrival of Parrobully, a nasty parrot who gives everyone terrible advice, the inhabitants of the village have forgotten all the rules and no longer know what is right to do … The friendly and wise turtle Olga, the guide character in this software, is in charge of putting things right and to complete her important mission she will need the help of the young player, through fun games based on adopting the right behaviour in various contexts. In playing, children will virtually experience situations connected to hygiene, awareness of dangers to be avoided, the distinction between adequate and inadequate actions and the recognition and respect of others’ needs and, whilst having fun, they’ll be able to familiarise themselves with initial notions on eco-sustainability, recycling, road safety and the environment.   In order to increase motivation and involvement, all the games are structured around several levels of difficulty and envisage a limited number of tries and a countdown.

THE BOOK
The book introduces and describes the VIDEO-PLAY-CARE formula, where the criteria inspiring the project is briefly presented: the word video reminds us of technology, playing and the importance of the recreational dimension in development, playing at taking care of and holding the educational sphere close to one’s heart. The first section is dedicated to the ever-closer relationship between play and learning in the digital age, whilst the second part presents the educational use of multimedia games. The third part, in addition to a software user’s guide, contains a series of practical suggestions for setting up activities, organising games and creating teaching and recreational materials at home too, in order to integrate the multimedia experience with concrete proposals that pursue the same learning goals but that also engage other important dimensions of a child’s development like the body, emotions and relationships… because one game leads to another…