Recently there has been a distinct move towards providing complete solutions to ICT needs in one software package. Sherston Software and Softease, two of the country's leading software providers, have combined and addressed the needs of early years and infants with Tizzy's First Tools, a set of seven tools designed specifically to develop creativity in younger children.
All the tools share common icons and a common interface which allows the user to grasp the fundamentals of each of the tools quickly. The tools themselves can be set at three different levels, allowing for the practitioner to differentiate while ensuring continuity and progression.
Write is quite the most simple word processing program I have seen. It is similar to ultra-simple version of 'Textease' (made by Softease) with speech facility. Very effective. The Paint program allows children to select the size and colour of the 'felt tip' before they create. Of course, higher levels introduce more sophisticated tools for the user.
Publish is my favourite tool of the seven. There are three activities per level. Level 1 allows the user to create simple labels, to design and write a postcard and to make a greetings card (Diwali, Christmas, Hannukah, the lot!). Higher levels introduce concepts such as labelled diagrams and designing book covers.
Move is the control element to the suite. Level 1 involves controlling a caterpillar or turtle around the screen to eat its dinner using forward, backward, left and right commands - I just loved the noise the caterpillar made when it found the apples!
Decide is based on the branching database idea but I think is a bit advanced for early years but great for later on. Chart, as the name suggests, is all about data display and I felt that at level 1 would be ideal for sorting activities. Present is a simple presentation package, but which is still a useful tool for practitioners.
Where appropriate, all programs come with a clipart range which can be added to by anyone with a limited knowledge of how a computer filing system works. Another attraction of this program is the teacher options page which is easily understood.
One of the main problems recently has been for practitioners to select which program for which activity. Tizzy removes this task by providing a suite of tools that can be used right away from nursery to upper KS2, if needed.
We are very fortunate in our school to have invested in floor level interactive whiteboards in both nursery and reception classes. These program tools work well on the whiteboard as a means for whole-class focus work and practitioners have the option to change the settings for whiteboard use.
I would recommend this software highly, not only to early years, but throughout a primary school. Our computers had far too many programmes loaded on to them and I am dumping some of these and replacing them with 'Tizzy' to make sure my staff get familiar with him! Priced 400 for a whole site licence.
Telephone Sherston 01666 843200 or Softease 01335 343421
Star rating: ****
