China: Home of the Dragon
© 1994 Multi Dimensional Communications, Inc.
In this very straightforward, simple resource on China, children read about Chinese history, the Arts, daily life, and geography. For each major topic, your child can select from several mini topics, presented through 2-8 pages of talking text and accompanying slides. We found the program to be very slow on a Mac IIci, and were disappointed that this CD-ROM did not use live footage. Although the topics were clearly laid out, there was no way to search for a specific area of interest. We also felt that the program would have been more appealing to children if it included a game or trivia challenge that tested their new knowledge of China. The program was limited in features used to help children who are learning to read. While all text is narrated, after a paragraph is read, you cannot re-hear a word or sentence that you missed without going back a page and forward again. Although the program is very simple in design and features, the menu made it easy to find topics, and the content was fascinating. For a child who requires a no-frills resource on China this program may work, however, the advantage of this over a filmstrip or narrated slide show is minimal.
$29, Mac CD-ROM/Windows CD-ROM
Teaches: China: history, geography, people, languages, art & culture