When will programmers learn that young children cannot read and spell well - if at all? The whole point of using a computer is to teach in a colour fully graphic way, using the minimum of words and allowing repetition, or the stopping of tuition.

Obviously Simply Software is not in that league yet. It states this program is for the two- to eight-year-olds, No way! You cannot quit a section and return to the menu, it relies on words being entered but cannot accept wrong spellings (how many eight-year-olds can spell Wednesday?), has some bugs - did you know Wednesday comes one day after Wednesday? - and does not keep your answers onscreen.

It attempts to cover testing of number knowledge; practise in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division; teaches colours; practises the alphabet, days of the week and months of the year.

There are some nice touches, such as words coming from left or right, a pretty tune playing when correct, levels of difficulty and randomised scores with 'alright', 'good' or 'excellent' after a section finishes.

T.W.