Evaluation on Educational Game: Cookie Monster's Alphabet Soup

In this post, I will be evaluating an educational game that can be found and accessed online for free. This particular game is made for all age groups, but I shall be focusing on children still in preschool, specifically those aged 4 to 6 (Kindergarten 1, Kindergarten 2).

Link to the game: Cookie Monster's Alphabet Soup; Once in the site, click on the "Alphabet Soup - Game" icon

About the game:
"Cookie Monster's Alphabet Soup" is a game where children can learn about phonics - the alphabet and the sounds made by the different letters. Unlike the previously evaluated game, this one does not have a score. Instead, it focuses only on teaching children phonics through its interactive game play.

Start of the game; Cookie Monster gives a brief introduction to the game.

Cookie Monster explains the game, telling the user what to expect next.

Ease of Use: 4/5
Cookie Monster will explain the game the moment it starts; as there are no subtitles, children have to listen closely to what he is saying. Although it can be troublesome to miss an instruction since there is no way to replay it without refreshing the game, it teaches the children to listen carefully, thus honing their listening skills. Then again, the verbal instructions given by Cookie Monster are simple and relatively easy to understand, even for a preschooler. The site loads relatively quickly and I did not encounter any interruptions due to technical or system errors. Thus, the website the game is based on is reliable. Exiting the game is also easy - there is an "X" at the top right of the game pop-up, showing the user back to the games page after exiting.

Cookie Monster prompts the user to select any one of the 3 letters to place in the middle of b and d.

Cookie Monster reads the word formed - in this case 'bad', and briefly explains it.

Ability Levels: 3/5
There is no way to modify the settings to make the game more or less difficult for different age groups or to suit individual competencies/needs. However, it does meet at a "halfway point" in the sense that it seems to cater to both Kindergarten 1 and Kindergarten 2 children, albeit more to the Kindergarten 1 who are starting to learn phonics. In fact, the game seem to focus more on the basics.

Cookie Monster prompts the user to select a second letter.

Technical Quality (Audio): 4/5
There is no music, but for a good reason - as listening is very important in this game, background music would only serve as a distraction. The voice of Cookie Monster is clear, and there is good articulation, especially when he is reciting the different words formed. This is to help children verbalize both the individual letter and the words formed by changing just one letter of a word - in the screenshot for example, B_D can become bad, bed and bud. There are distinct differences in sound in all three words, and the child has to learn that.

Cookie Monster reads the word formed again - this time the word 'bed'. A picture of a bed appears, helping children to connect the word to the object.

Technical Quality (Visual): 4/5
The graphics and animation are simple, but brings the point across effectively. For example, the picture of a bed when the word 'bed' is formed helps children to connect the word to the object. Furthermore, when Cookie Monster speaks, the mouth of his portrait at the side moves; this helps to grab the children's attention as opposed to a static portrait. Furthermore, the mouse pointer had been changed to a star, adding to the visual appeal of the game. The whole game is also rather colourful, but not distracting to the eye; it is quite obvious that the focus is still on the alphabet soup.

Overall Rating: 15/20
The game is a good, interactive way for children to be introduced to phonics. However, children who are already adept at phonics might find the game's pace to be too slow for them. Thus, I recommend this game only for those who are still trying to master the basics of phonics.

Evaluation on Educational Game: Penguin Party Addition

In this post, I will be evaluating an educational game that can be found and accessed online for free. This particular game is made for all age groups, but I shall be focusing on children still in preschool, specifically those aged 3 to 6 (Nursery, Kindergarten 1, Kindergarten 2).

Link to the game: Penguin Party Addition

About the game:
"Penguin Party Addition" is a game whereby children get to feed the penguins by using the mouse and clicking on the penguin with the correct answer displayed on its tummy. There is no time limit and the child is permitted to take as long as he/she desires. The child's score is displayed on a board in the background, showing the total number of right and wrong answers.

The first screen, prompting you to choose between two modes. For preschoolers, the "Normal" mode is advised.

Ease of Use: 4/5
Directions are clearly stated as seen from the above screenshot, and it uses simple English, making it relatively easy to follow for a preschooler. Furthermore, having played the game over 5 times without any interruptions due to technical or system errors, it can be said that the website the game is based on is reliable. Exiting the game is also easy - the window just needs to be closed; the website will not prompt for the user to stay. However, there is no way to restart the game without refreshing the page, and it can be a hassle.

The second screen, prompting you to choose between 5 levels of difficulty. For preschoolers, "Level 1" is a good start.

Ability Levels: 4/5
As seen from the two screenshots above, it is possible for the teacher/parent to set the difficulty level according to the child's mathematics competence. If a child successfully completed "Level 1" without much difficulty, perhaps the "Super" mode instead of "Normal" mode could be selected to make it more challenging and more exciting for the child. To make it even more challenging, "Level 2" could be selected on "Normal" mode - there are infinite possibilities to explore! In that sense, this game covers a range of abilities/skills and thus, cater to children of different age groups as well as individual competency. Although the game does automatically advances the user to the next level, it does allows the user - in this case the teacher/parent - to control the difficulty of the game.

When the "correct" penguin is selected, it will get fed and exclaim "Yum!" The score on the scoreboard will also change.

When the "wrong" penguin is selected, a red "X" will appear on its belly. This narrows down the number of choices the child has, allowing him/her to rethink the question to get the correct answer.

Technical Quality (Audio): 3/5
The looping music is happy and matches the arctic theme/background of the game. However, instead of sounds of the fish being tossed to the penguin to feed it, the sound that plays on a correct or wrong answer throws the user off. Although the word "Yum!" appears on a correct answer, it is disappointing to note that there is no audio of someone saying "Yum!" on a right answer.

Technical Quality (Visual): 3/5
The graphics are simple and repetitive, as are the animation used. There is no surprise element to the game, and can get boring when played too many times. It is difficult to maintain the interest of a child, especially when they had already completed the same level/mode several times. However, little details, such as the mouse pointer being changed to a hand holding a fish when playing the game, adds to the visual appeal of the game.

The screen shown at the end of the game. It challenges the user to try to beat a certain score in order to get to the high score table.

Overall Rating: 14/20
The game is a good way for children to pass the time while helping them to practice the concept of addition. However, this is not a good game to introduce to children if it is being used for a long time as it lacks the graphics and audio appeal and "surprise" factor to keep them occupied for long periods of time.