CHILDREN CLIMB ABOARD NUMBER TRAIN AND NUMBER PLANE FOR EXCITING MATH ADVENTURES

East Dorset, VT.  April 9, 2002-   Kids will really see their math skills going places with Number Train and Number Plane, two software programs distributed by the Vermont educational software company Tool Factory, Inc.  Designed for pre-kindergarten through first grade children, both titles are fully narrated and brimming with fun characters such as the Fandango Frogs, Doughnut Dragons, Poppy Penguins, and Zogs.  The encouraging Murphy Mouse guides young students as they ride the train to Number Town or board the plane “Ched Air” on the way to all sorts of fun mathematical adventures. 

Number Train covers a lot of territory with seven interactive activities.  In one activity, kids click on numbered basketballs in the hands of tall furry creatures to learn about place value.  Addition and subtraction are the focus of three activities.  Combining 2 or 3 sets of singing policemen makes addition a visual process, while clicking on a Drippy Duck to make him swim away helps kids really see subtraction as “taking away”.  Playing games with Esme Elephant involves rolling dice to practice addition as “counting on”.  Other activities introduce odds and evens, ordering numbers, and counting in 2’s to young learners.  A Fandango Frog without a dancing partner indicates an odd number.  Preschoolers will love putting numbered sunhats on the Beach Bunnies to practice sequencing, and making a penguin jump on a pogo stick from one ice cube to the next is a delightful way to learn how to count by 2’s.     

Three levels of difficulty are available for each activity in both Number Train and Number Plane.  Teachers will be pleased by program options, such as the facility that keeps track of each student’s progress by indicating activities attempted and at what level they were completed.  These records can be viewed and printed for student files.

Young students’ math skills climb to new heights with Number Plane.  Murphy Mouse offers hints and encouragement throughout 21 activities covering topics such as fractions, place value, multiplication, and division.  Pizzas topped with jelly beans, eggs, bananas, and marshmallows make learning about fractions highly entertaining.  Multiplication is clearly broken down as a process of repeated addition as a veterinarian lets injured hedgehogs out of cages, and then counts them.  The process is explained step-by-step, with students interacting by clicking on numbers and selecting answers.  Division is taught with equal clarity in the Doughnut Dragons activity, where doughnuts are shared among colorful and long-tailed dragons.  Other activities give kids the opportunity to read number names, create number pairs for 20, manipulate number facts, and work with place value along with a host of animated characters. 

In addition to setting the difficulty level to meet the needs of individual students, teachers can select the number range (from 0-99) for the activities in Number Plane.  Over 30 resource sheets for extending activities to the classroom are included on the CD-ROM.   This pair of exceptional software titles is sure to please kids, teachers, and parents alike with its thoughtful and engaging approach to teaching elementary mathematics. 

Minimum System Requirements

PC:  486-66, 8Mb RAM, 2x CD

Mac: LC, Power PC or IMac, 8 Mb RAM, 2x CD, 640x480

To Order

The single unit price for Number Train and Number Plane is $59.95 (each). Multi-pack and site license pricing is available.

Order online using our secure ecommerce engine
To order toll free from the US or Canada call (800) 220-8386
Fax your order to (802) 375-6860
Email your order to orders@toolfactory.com

Printable order forms are available at www.toolfactory.com

About Tool Factory, Inc.

Tool Factory conducted an exhaustive search for unique educational software in various markets around the globe. Their flagship product line consists of 26 educational software tools, which were hand-picked for their innovative contribution to computer-based learning. To complement the tools and applications, Tool Factory is also distributing an extensive range of curriculum titles throughout North America. Their second catalog launches with 127 CD-ROM products, many of which are new releases in North America.

For press inquiries, please contact Kendra Ericson at kendra@toolfactory.com