Computer Assisted Math Program. (educational software) (evaluation) Arthur Leyenberger.

No Frills Educational Program

Next to game software, educational software is the most overpriced category for the Atari, or any other machine. You can pay $40 or $50 for nothing more than automated drill and practice programs. If you are looking for a drill and practice program with a few nice touches, you should check out the inexpensive Computer Assisted Math Program or CAMP. This $20 program was written by Johnny Masuda and is also from XL-Ent Software.

The program is designed for children ages 6 to 10 and, in fact, was written by the author for his daughter. Answers may be entered via either joystick or keyboard, and the digits may be entered from left to right or vice versa. For multi-digit problems, the right to left entry method mimics the way most people solve math problems. Four different levels may be chosen for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems.

There are several other useful features in this program. Each problem is presented in both vertical and horizontal format so that the child gets accustomed to seeing it both ways. The individual problems may be timed or untimed, and the sessions may be printed or saved for future use. If a wrong answer is entered, the correct answer is displayed only briefly. It should remain on the screen for at least 5 to 10 seconds--long enough for the child to study it.

The other minor flaw in the program is the overuse of dazzling graphics. They seem to be included to show off the author's cleverness rather than to add substance to the program. These two minor criticisms aside, CAMP is a bargain-basement value that can easily compete with the high-priced spreads. Player/Missile Graphics Made Easy

Most Atari computer owners are aware that they have the best game-playing computer on the market. It is also no secret that one of the reasons for this is Atari's unique player/missile graphics system. Unfortunately, learning how to use player/missile graphics is a difficult and time-consuming task. At least it has been until now.

Products: XL-Ent Software CAMP (computer program)