The Knowledge Adventure Company has created many titles that are geared to reinforce and teach math and reading skills. Reader Rabbit offers reading games for toddlers up to age 9 that are fun and engaging.
If your child has a favorite morning television show, it may be that you can find an educational software program based on the show. Dora the Explorer is a good example of an educational television show that has crossed over into the software market.
The bonus with Dora the Explorer is that the software programs follow the same format as the television show. The familiar format and characters make it easy for very young children to participate and enjoy learning while they play.
The term edutainment describes an intentional merger of computer games and educational software into a single product.
In the narrower sense used here, the term describes educational software which is primarily about entertainment, but tends to educate as well and sells itself partly under the educational umbrella. Software of this kind is not structured towards school curricula, does not normally involve educational advisors, and does not focus on core skills such as literacy and numeracy.
Earlier educational software for the important corporate and tertiary education markets was designed to run on a single desktop computer (or an equivalent user device).
Many dictionaries and encyclopedias rushed into CD-ROM editions soon after the widespread introduction of the CD-ROM to home computers.
A second major development occurred as the internet also became widely available in homes, with reference works becoming available online as well.
A further category of educational software is software designed for use in school classrooms. Typically such software may be projected onto a large whiteboard at the front of the class and/or run simultaneously on a network of desktop computers in a classroom. This type of software is often called classroom management software.
Microsoft’s Zoo Tycoon series, where children can learn about animals (and business skills) while simulating the management of a zoo.
Economic simulations such as Capitalism and Industry Giant, intended for older learners.