Live And Learn -- Educational Shareware

ABOUT OUR SOFTWARE PAGE

This is our current software page. It is always being updated. If you are interested in the types of programs we feature; curious about our philosophy concerning children's software; or if you are a software developer and want us to make your programs available at this site please read this page. If you just want to download children's software now, click here.

WE ARE STARTING TO BUILD OUR SOFTWARE COLLECTION! At LIVE AND LEARN you will only find software we have actually tested and reviewed. If a product does not pass our strict requirements it will not be posted for download. Because of this, it will take time for us to build a substantial educational, software library. Please be patient with us.

USING CHILDREN'S SOFTWARE A computer at home is great. Computers in schools are fantastic. But a computer alone is nothing more than a machine. When children use a computer they should have adult interaction, particularly when using a software program for the first time. The adult should be available to help the child get all the benefits the program has to offer. The adult should also be ready to assist a child when he or she is having a problem and becoming frustrated. The type of help an adult should offer the child varies with every situation, but the important thing is that the adult is there!

At LIVE AND LEARN we believe that using computer software is a great way to enhance a child's learning experience, but it is not the "end all" solution. Computers are tools, nothing more! Children still need a parent's time and attention. Children also need caring, enthusiastic teachers at school. And above all, they need to be in an environment that encourages a quest for knowledge.

At LIVE AND LEARN we test each each program before we place it on our site. We do this for a number of reasons. We want to make sure the programs we offer are of the highest quality; that they are easy to use; that they do not have any bugs; and most importantly, they have educational value.

Please understand, a quality program does not mean it is a "state of the art" program with lots of "bells and whistles". In fact, many times just the opposite is true! Fancy colors, lots of music and talking characters are nice, but we are looking for substance. We look for programs that will stimulate, entertain, challenge and teach a child. With the emphasis on "teach"!

One of our favorite programs is Amy's Primer. A very basic (by today's software standards) educational program for children ages 3 to 6. Amy's Primer has been around for many, many years. It doesn't have many "bells and whistles". Yet, children love to use it. We consider it one of the best preschool programs available.

Our studies have found that children do not need the "latest and greatest" software. They want software which challenges their skills and abilities. Children are proud when they play educational games and win! But they don't want to win too easily. If they do, they get bored. We look for software which won't bore a child, yet not be so difficult that it will frustrate the average child.

In addition, we seek programs which are stable. We want you to be able to load a program on your machine and have it run without problem. Many programs require that you free up all memory, use special configurations or boot from a systems disk--we stay away of programs that ask too much of you. Afterall, the purpose of children's software is for a child to be able to use it. The child should be able to start up the program independently. If the software is not "kid friendly" then what good is it?

And last, but not least--we look for programs that are fun, yet educational. Children are attracted to computers. They love playing games. Well, the games we want children to play are games that will teach them something. Our children already spend too much time in front of television sets watching programs with little educational value. We would hate to see the same thing happen at the computer screen!

Note to shareware authors!
We will be glad to review your products and consider them for this site. Send software packages to...

LIVE AND LEARN
P.O. Box 498
Reisterstown, MD 21136

DOWNLOAD AREA...

Amy's First Primer Classic preschool learning program. Alphabet and word recognition, simple mazes for logic building, sorting and grouping plus more. For children ages 3 and up.

Animated Memory Game A top notch game of concentration for children. Uses 30 animated sequences to test a child's memory skills. When hidden pictures pairs are matched, they get animated rewards. For children 3 and up.

The Wonder Book Classic preschool learning program. Emphasis on logic, spelling and word recognition. For children ages 3 and up.

Animated Alphabet Simple alphabet program. Press the correct letter for the displayed picture then see a movie-like animation. For ages 3 and 4.

Animated Math Teaches addition and subtraction. Use objects for younger children and numbers for older children. For ages 3 to 6.

Animated Clock Children can learn to tell time in a variety of ways. This excellent program even teaches children how to convert digital time to analog and vice-versa. For ages 5 to 9.

Math Rescue Excellent math program done as an arcade game. Can be customized a number of ways. For children ages 6 and up.

Animated Multiplication and Division Designed to teach "mental math" in a painless way. One of the best programs of it's kind. For children ages 7 to 11.

Sim City Build your own city and see what happens. There is a lot for children to learn from this excellent shareware program. For children ages 8 and up. Fun for adults too!

Spellbound A classic DOS spelling tutor which lets you add your own word list. Good for basic drilling and practice.

School Crazy A series of Windows 3.1 programs for children ages 4 and up which teach math, typing, logic and more. Definately worth adding to your educational software collection.