Reviews

This product is the full version of the entertaining and educational program Glub the Sub. Glub himself is a charming yellow submarine and, on entering his watery world, children are led through a variety of interactive games based on number and letter recognition. The CD includes 200 screens of games, dot-to-dot pictures, jigsaw puzzles and colouring exercises, 2 stories plus print facilities which include print off alphabet and 1 to 10 number friezes. So there is certainly plenty of fun to be had.

In addition to the CD-ROM based activities, this version of Glub the Sub has been greatly enhanced by the addition of 13 high quality 'make and do' sheets which are not only attractive but also very durable in their design. They are presented in a Clip file so that they can be taken out and used individually. They are linked to and reinforce the 200 or so screens of activities on the CD but are designed to be carried out away from the computer - a very positive addition.

The graphics are delightful. Although the animation is fairly basic, this does not affect the overall enjoyment of the program and the cartoon style has great attraction for children of all cultures. The music and sound effects are also appealing.

The software is very easy to navigate and clear spoken instructions are given for each activity. However, these can be turned off once users have become familiar with how the program works. Parents especially like the fact that the individual activities always return children to the main screen where new selections can be made.

This title supports elements of the English, maths and ICT National Curriculum at Key Stage 1, managing to combine educational activities with a strong fun element plus the opportunity to be creative. The content is based on the alphabet and numbers. It follows good educational practice in its use of letter sounds as well as names, and in its emphasis on matching and sorting as well as just numbers.

The activities are of a fairly repetitious nature, but this can be valuable for young children between the ages of 3 - 5 years many of whom enjoy repeating tasks in order to build their confidence. This does however mean that children at the upper end of the target 3 to 6 age range might lose interest fairly quickly.

As noted above, many of the program's activities can be printed and parents commented positively that the pictures for colouring print out at full A4 size. They were also very impressed by the number and alphabet friezes. The support materials which come with the software are limited but give adequate support.

Glub the Sub's Watery World Activity Fun Pack is an entertaining piece of software that appeals to young children. It is educationally sound and, although it is not designed to be an in-depth learning resource, it does support elements of the English and maths curriculum at Key Stage 1 and is very good for helping children to become independent computer users. It is very imaginatively presented in a colourful folder packed with value, is reasonably priced, suitable for home use and would make a great gift.

Note: Glub the Sub’s Watery World Project Pack – suitable for Early Learning settings, contains 200 activities on the CD plus 20 printed activity sheets and 30 lesson ideas (price £24.95 ex VAT).

© Parents Information Network (PIN) Limited. All rights reserved.

Press Release : Best Toy Awards

TurnRound wins Gold and Silver at their first attempt.

After being awarded Gold accreditation from PIN (The Parents Information network) TurnRound now wins the silver award for Best Software in the Right Start 2001 Best Toy of the Year Awards, for Glub the Sub’s Watery World Activity Fun Pack. The software and characters were developed by Gloucestershire based TurnRound Multimedia and is published by The Worm that Turned who are based in the East Midlands.

The awards, now in their 10th year, are highly respected amongst parents and toy makers alike. They are the independent results of over 100 testing families and a panel of expert judges. The award, for outstanding product in the category frequently goes to one of the big software houses.

The Best Toy Awards details are now available in Right Start Magazine published on October 18th with a print run of over 50,000. Over 40,000 of these are sent direct to subscribers. Ross Lammas of TurnRound added “Glub took over 5 years to get to market and it’s a nice feeling when you beat publishers who turned it down and win silver without any TV support. Thanks go out to The Worm that Turned for getting it into the shops”. ‘As a relative minnow publisher we are delighted that the Activity Fun Pack has scooped the BBC and Disney to this prestigious award” says Heather Isbister, Director, The Worm that Turned. “Glub the Sub is a great character with a great potential, this product is an excellent example of Glub in action”.

The Activity Fun Pack is a bright, colourful,child friendly file and features a 200 screen interactive CD-ROM, plus 13 “make and do” activity sheets. The pack offers a wide variety of early learning activities. The software is designed as an interactive puzzle book and encourages children to develop essential skills by learning through play. When away from the computer, the make and do activities provide further skill building fun such as an underwater theatre, a holiday photo frame and a treasure map game. The Activity Fun Pack supports the National Curriculum Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. Glub the Sub’s Watery World Activity Fun Pack is available from Hamleys, Toys R Us, John Lewis, Amazon.co.uk, glubthesub.com, selected branches of Staples, Mothercare World and other good retailers priced £24.95 Phone 01509 880794 for further stockist details.

Right Start Magazine

Right Start magazine was launched in 1989 for discerning parents who want to know more about the development, health and behaviour of their children. Published bimonthly, each issue of Right Start offers parents a wealth of practical, authoritative information to assist with their child's learning and development from one to six years. Right Start is renowned for its editorial excellence, on a range of topics from childhood illness to fun ways to learn to read and write. In addition to being a consumer newsstand title, Right Start enjoys a large subscriber base of predominately ABC1 readers, many of whom are members of sister company Tumble Tots UK. For further information contact: www.rightstartmagazine.co.uk

Parents Information Network (PIN)

PIN is an independent unbiased service for the millions of parents whose children are using computers and the Internet for education and leisure purposes. PIN has been helping parents with computer technology since 1994 and a great job they do too. PIN answers most of the questions parents and teachers want to know about computers etc. For further information contact: www.pin.org.uk

Foundation Stage

This stage was recently introduced into the National Curriculum and aims to promote and develop the key learning skills of 3-6 year old children for further information see: www.qca.org.uk

Gamepage.co.uk

GLUB THE SUB is an impressive title in many ways, not least its simplicity to use. Of course with a target audience of 3 to 7-year-olds simplicity is a key factor and to get the game up and running all you need to do is pop in the CD and click.

There’s no installation to worry about and the only set-up option that needs to be twiddled is the volume. This makes it an ideal title for parents as well as they can leave their children to explore and play without the need for constant supervision. 

Contents-wise, the game is just as easy to navigate around as it is to load with clear and concise verbal prompts and large on-screen icons that are easily recognisable. These will take players to areas where they can play with numbers or letters, complete jigsaws and dot-to-dot puzzles, colour or listen to interactive stories. Of course the graphics are colourful too – just the way kids like them – and with around 200 interactive screens there’s little chance that they will get bored very quickly. 

All of Glub’s adventures take place under water and, as such, contain some great sub-aquatic themes. You’ll come across whales and crabs, fishes of all descriptions, sizes and colours, divers, shipwrecks and sunken treasure.

The games too have a distinctly marine flavour and are all geared towards learning fun in accordance with National Curriculum Key Stage 1. Lots of music, sound effects and animation are also used throughout making GLUB THE SUB a very special children’s friend. 

Even after the PC is turned off the fun can still continue. Inside the pack, which is more of a folder than a normal box, parents will find a wealth of ‘make and do’ activity cards. These include recipe cards, theatre character cutouts, games and projects that the children can enjoy at anytime.  

Just like Budgie the helicopter or Thomas the Tank Engine GLUB THE SUB is destined to make a big splash with the kids. He has all the ingredients of a classic interactive virtual friend and I’m looking forward to seeing much more of him in the future.

Price: £24.99 for PC & MAC CD ROM.

© Copyright Gamepage.co.uk

Education Guardian

Glub the Sub - Watery World Project Pack
(The Worm that Turned, tel: 01509 880794, www.worm.co.uk)

Age: Reception and year 1

Very useful when introducing children to mastering mouse skills, ordering and recognising number and recognising initial sounds and letters. The early learning goal of being able to complete a simple program on the computer is well met here. Although it does offer differentiated materials, it suits the younger end of KS1 best. Children find it easy to use and can work with it independently. Clear navigation and use of sound make this a suitable introduction for the youngest pupils.

© Copyright Education Guardian