﻿Mr T's Shape 

Games				Mr. T's Shape Games encourage

				play with squares, circles and

				other shapes that are used later in

				school when a child has to tackle

				geometry.





			Jigsaws



Jigsaws is a game for your child

to play with you or independently.

  Once you have loaded the

program (see page 2 for

instructions) it will take only a few

minutes to show your child how to

play Jigsaws without your help.

Naturally your interest and

encouragement will always make

the activity more fun, and your

comments and questions will help

your child to think more about the

shapes that appear on the screen.

  Remember, if you introduce this

activity carefully, you will help

your child to observe, and to think.

It is easy for us to assume that 

children notice everything we see.

We can only discover what they

see by asking them about it.

Without some adult help, a child

may not know what to look for,

and a young child may not know

the names of the shapes.  So go

through the program first with

your child, and introduce any new 

words.





Playing

Jigsaws



The game begins with a pattern

made up of two or more

geometric shapes "drawn" on the

screen.  One the pattern is

complete, a triangle, square or

other shape appears at the top of

the screen.



The shape slides down the screen

and passes over the pattern.  Your

child tries to fit the shape into a

matching part of the pattern,

stopping it as it passes over the

shape which matches.  Show your

child how to stop the shape by

pressing SPACE.  If the shape

does  fit, then the pattern will be

coloured in.

  When all the shapes have been

matched, the pattern redraws in

different colours.  Your child may

like to call you back when this

happens again.  Then you can 

applaud the success and appreciate

the pattern.  Press SPACE for

a new game.

  As you introduce Jigsaws ask

questions along these lines:

  "Can you point to the new shape

    at the top of the screen?

    Do you know what that shape is

    called?  (Perhaps it is a square.)

    Do you think the square will fit

    the pattern?

   Where do you think it will fit?

   Are there any more squares in

   the pattern?

   What other shapes can you see

   in the pattern?"

   You may like to include a 

counting exercise, but do first read

the notes on counting games on

page 10.  It is more tricky than it

looks.

  Encourage your child to point to

the shapes with you while

counting.  Ask questions such as:

  "How many squares can you

    see?

   Do you think there are more

   squares or more circles?

   Shall we count them together?"



Shape Maker



Shape Maker is an enjoyable

way to learn more about

geometric shapes and how they fit

together, by using them to make

up patterns which you "draw" on

the screen.

  Unlike Jigsaws, Shape Maker

relies on adult help: to develop and

explore ideas, talk about shapes

and expand vocabulary.  Because

there are no "levels", and you can

choose your own colours, there is

no Parent Screen or Menu Screen 

for this program.

  The computer will enable your

child to put shapes together to

make pictures and patterns.  As

you help your child to choose

shapes and create pictures, you

will be helping your child to lay the

foundations of geometric study.

Playing with Shape Maker will

also help your child to think more

about the patterns used in

Jigsaws.

  Begin by choosing the colours

for making your picture.  There are

eight colours to choose from.  The

computer will ask you for the

background colour first.  Let your

child tell you the names; then you

type the numbers beside them.

You can try out several different

colours before pressing

SPACE to choose the one you 

want.  The computer will choose a

colour for the text, which you can

also use in making your picture.

  Next choose the first shape for

your pattern.  Follow the

instructions on the screen to

choose a shape, change its size,

move it on the screen, turn it and

finally colour it.

  Use the number keys to tell the

computer what to do (for

example, type 1 on the shape

change menu to make the shape

bigger, 2 to make it smaller).

On the BBC, you can also use the

same numbers, on the red function 

keys, to move the shape in smaller

steps.

  Shape Maker will prompt

you ... and you will prompt your

child:

  "What shape do you want first?

    Is that what you wanted?

    Shall we change the size?

    Shall we make it bigger or

    smaller?

    Shall we move it up or down or

    across?

    Are you happy with it there?

    Shall we turn it aroound, upside

    down, or on its side ...

    Let's see what happens"

    (You know what happens if you

turn a circle or a square on its side.

But do keep it a secret ...Let your 

child discover what happens.  The

child who decides "Of course I

won't turn a circle.  Circles always

look the same" has learned some

basic geometry.)

  Sometimes your child may like

to play around with the shapes and

simply "see what happens".  We

learn by trying out new ideas, so

encourage this approach:  there are

no "right answers" with Shape

Maker.

  Sometimes your child may want

to create a particular picture or

pattern.  This will take forethought

and planning.  Once you are both

familiar with the possibilities of

Shape Maker, you will be able to 

sketch out ideas on paper before

trying them out on the screen.  The

illustrations in this Handbook will

help to give you some ideas - or

you could try out some of the

patterns in Jigsaws.  At first, the

end result will probably be a 

mixture of accident and planning, 

but that doesn't matter.

Experiment, and let your child try

out different ways of approaching

a problem, and coming to a 

solution, independently.

  Go through the program with

your child to find out exactly what

the menu choices lead to.  Notice

the words on the menus.  Mr. T

could have "helped" your child

more.  There could be pictures of

circles and squares instead of

words.  Then your child could

simply point to the shape and ask

you for "that one".  Shape Maker

is designed to develop language 

and thought.  If your child wants a

particular shape, then somehow

your child must learn to tell you

what shape that is.  You may have

to ask questions:

  "Do you mean a round shape?

    Has it got corners?

    Has it got straight sides?

    How many straight sides?

    Can you draw me the shape you

    want?"

  You may like to try a hit-and-

miss approach to begin with.  "Let's

try square ...Is that what you

wanted?"

  This kind of talking is exactly

what Shape Maker is designed to 

encourage.  Go ahead and explore

Shape Maker with your child.

Remember, the computer is a 

"friendly" art form.  Your pictures

will keep on getting better.  You can

erase your mistakes and they will

completely vanish.

  Encourage your child to point to

the words on the menu, and

"read" the words together.  Your

child will enjoy "reading" the

words alone.  Try not to let this

happen too soon, because

discussion between you is a very

important part of the activity.  An

older child may be able to use

Shape Maker without your help

quite quickly.



Additional Activities



Once you and your child are

thinking in shapes, you'll begin to

see squares, circles and triangles

everywhare!  These activities will

help to show that the patterns on

the screen can be found in

concrete form in the home and

outside.  In other words, your child

will learn to relate two-

dimensional shapes to our three-

dimensional world.



	Drawing

          around objects



Find some drawing paper (or

newspaper) and a good thick

felt-tip pen.  Encourage your child

to draw around bricks and other

objects to discover what shapes

they make.  The weeks's groceries

are a treasure-chest of shapes:

circular tin ends, rectangular

cereal boxes, square biscuit tins,

etc.

  The shapes can then be cut out 

and glued on to big sheets of

brown paper or old wall paper to

make pictures.  You could use this

activity to work out a picture to

draw using Shape Maker.

  Cutting and sticking is less

messy than painting and can

achieve dramativ results very

quickly.  Buy some blunt-ended

scissors for your child and teach

"scissor skills" (your child's infant

teacher will appreciate it!), and use

a non-sticky, unspillable glue (like

Pritt or School-glue).



	Three-

          dimensional

            cut-outs



Try making cut-outs from every

side of a shape, then stick them

together with sellotape to create a

copy of the original object.

  It's easiest to do this by making

a box around the original shape to

start with,  Then take the shape out

of its "box" and fix the lid on.  This

is an actiity for adult and child

together - and can be fun for both.

Chaos can be reduced if you make

some shapes that will fit inside

each other when tidying up time

comes!



	Exploded

               patterns.



Gummed paper is invaluable for

shape games.  Slice through a

square of gummed paper a couple

of times.  Reassemble the square

on a larger pieve of plain paper.

Gradually move the pieces apart,

without turning them, until the

gummed paper and backing paper

form an attractive pattern.  Then

stick the pieces in place.  These are

known as "exploded patterns" and

can be as simple or sophisticated

as you wish.



	Mosaics and

               other shape 

                 pictures.



Small gummed shapes are

useful too.  Squares are lovely.  Fit

themm close together to cover an

area completely with a multi-

coloured mosaic.

  Cut out outsize paper shapes

for your child to paint or crayon.

  Make patterns of squares  with 

the edges touching.

  Make other patterns with only 

the corners touching.

  Choose any number of shapes.

See how many different patterns

can be made using only one rule, such

as "five squares with corners

touching".

  This game can be repeated 

using different rules while you get

on with the chores ...unless you 

get hooked on finding patterns 

too!



Counting games



  Counting is a diffiult business.

To begin with, numbers have to be

remembered in a special order and

even when that skill is mastered, it

does not mean a child understands 

that three is more than two, or six

less than eight.



Make two small groups of shapes 

as shown below.









   Ask your child to guess if there

are more cirlces or more triangles.

  Count the shapes in each group.

Ask if there are the same number 

of shapes in each group.

  Arrange the shapes in straight

lines.  Which group has more

shapes?  Ask your child to point to

this group.

  Count the shapes in the larger

group.

  Point to the triangles and count

them.

  Point to the circles and count 

them.





  Now arrange the shapes in pairs

like this:









  After pairing up, ask if there are

any more shapes left over.  How 

many?





	Spot the

	shapes

	game



Once your child understands about looking for shapes

and knows the names for them, you will notice more and

more examples.  "Spot the shapes" can be a useful

timefiller on car journeys or in the bus queue.  Road signs, 

pub signs, neon lights, petrol station signs hold all kinds of

possibilities.

  Make up games of your own using the language

developed in Mr. T's Shape Games.



		Mr T

		credits



__________________________________________________



Program idea and Parents' Handbook: Pamela Fiddy

and Liza Webb



_______________________________________________



Technical design and programming by

FIVE WAYS SOFTWARE

________________________________________________



Five Ways' is the trademark of Five Ways Software

Limited.

_________________________________________________



Copyright © 1983 The National Magazine Co Ltd

Mr T is the trademark of the National Magazine Co Ltd

________________________________________________



Published by Ebury Software

National Magazine House

72 Broadwick Street, London, W1V 2BP

___________________________________________________



All rights reserved  No part of this publication may be

reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in

any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,

photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior

permission of the publishers.

__________________________________________________



All Ebury Software cassettes are copy protected.  Attempts to

copy the program may damage the contents of the cassette

and infringe copyright.

__________________________________________________



Printed by The Devonshire Press Limited, Torquay.

__________________________________________________





___________________________________________________



USING THE PROGRAMS            You will only need to use two keys to control all the Mr T programs:



1	Press Q to:

	* choose a game

	* change the colour, sound, or difficulty

	   level.

2	Press the space bar SPACE to:

	* start the first game on the tape

	* play a game again.

3	SPACE is the only key your child will

	need to know to play the games designed

	to be used  without help.

	   on the screen is a reminder to press

	SPACE.



Choosing a game:

The Menu Screen



1	Press Q and the Menu Screen will

	appear.

2	To choose a game, type the number next to

	the name of the game you want.  The line 

	you choose will change colour.





3	If you change your mind, just type a

	different number.



4	Press SPACE to start the new game.





Changing the options:

The Parent Screen



1	From the Menu Screen, press Q for

	the Parent Screen.

	From any other point, press Q twice.



2	Setting the difficulty level

	Press 1 to make the game easier.  Mr T

	will move to the left along the scale at the 

	top of the screen (unless, of course, he is

	already as far left as he will go).  Keep

	pressing until he is at the level you want.



	Press 9 to make the game harder.

	Mr T will move to the right each time you

	press the key.  When you load the program,

	Mr T will always be at the left or "Easier"

	end of the difficulty scale.



3	Changing the difficulty level

	Press 2 to change from "Mr T

	decides" to "You decide" and back again.

	The glowing bar shows which option you

	have selected,  On "Mr T decides", the

	game will move automatically along the

	difficulty scale to match your child's rate of

	success.



	You can check your child's current level at

	any time by seeing where Mr T is on the 

	scale.



	"You decide" keeps the level of difficulty

	fixed where you have set it.

	This is particularly useful if the games are

	being used by a group of children, as you 

	may want to reset the difficulty level for

	each child's turn.



4	Press 3 to turn the sound on and off.



5	If you hae a black and white set, press

	4 to give the best contrast.



6	Press 2,3 or 4 again to

	reverse your original choice.



7	When you're ready press SPACE to

	start the game.

