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WORDTRIX.DOC
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1992-02-03
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WORDTRIX! USER'S MANUAL
(C) Copyright 1992 by Tea Time Software
Portions (C) Copyright Genus Microprogramming Inc., 1988-1991
Tetris (C) is a registered trademark of Spectrum Holobyte, Inc.
by Joe Kretschmer, Ph.D.
CONTENTS:
Part 1 What is WORDTRIX!?........................1
Part 2 Installing WORDTRIX!......................2
Part 3 Playing WORDTRIX!.........................3
Part 4 WORDTRIX! and Your Child's Reading........6
Part 5 What is Shareware?........................8
Part 6 Disclaimer and Agreement..................9
Part 7 Registering Your Copy of WORDTRIX!.......10
Part 1: WHAT IS WORDTRIX!?
WORDTRIX! is a game designed to help elementary school-
aged children learn phonics concepts. It runs on IBM PCs and
100% compatibles with 256K memory, DOS 2.1 or later, and an
EGA or VGA monitor. A hard disk is strongly recommended for
best performance. The object of the game is to make words by
guiding dropping letters that fall into "word frames". Examples
of "word frames" are: b__d, j__, and t__ls. The letter groups
that drop are two- or three-letter "phonograms" such as "an",
"op" or "all", vowel pairs such as "ea" and "oo", or the silent
"e" that ends many words. Word frames for the silent e game will
have a single blank such as bik_ or rob_.
A player uses the left or right arrow keys to move the
letter groups over the word frame so that they make a real word
when dropped. The down arrow key will drop the word immediately
when the position is right. The score is increased by 10 points
for each word made on the easiest level. If the letters are
dropped into a frame that doesn't make a real word, the blanks
are restored, and another line of word frames appears above the
first one, and no points are scored. Lines of word frames will
accumulate and grow upward with each wrong answer until they reach
the top of the playing area. If this happens, the game is over.
There are a number of options that can be set by the player, such
as sounds on or off, pictures clues on or off, fast speed on or
off. See Part 3 (Page 3) for more details.
Page 1
Part 2: INSTALLING WORDTRIX!
Wordtrix! uses about 800K of graphics (picture) files, so
it requires a hard disk to install and run. To fit the program
and all it's graphics files on a 360K floppy disk, most of the
files are compressed. To uncompress the files and install them on
your hard disk, do the following:
(1) Turn on your computer and get the C:> prompt.
(2) Insert the WORDTRIX diskette into drive A (or B).
(3) Type A: (and press ENTER) to make Drive A the default
drive. You should get an A:> prompt. (Substitute B:
if you are using the B drive, which will give you a
B:> prompt.)
(4) Decide which drive you want to put the WORDTRIX! files
on (such as C:, D:, E:, etc.). Type the following if
you want WORDTRIX! on the C Drive:
install c:
(Substitute "d:" if you want the files on the D Drive,
or whatever drive or partition you desire.)
The installation batch file will automatically create a sub-
directory called WORDTX, change to that subdirectory, uncompress
and install the following files:
WORDTRIX.EXE -- The executable file (the actual program)
WDTX1.GXL -- Library of picture and font files
WDTX2.GXL -- Second library of picture files
WDTX3.GXL -- Third library of picture files
WORDTRIX.DOC -- This manual
WORDTRIX.FRM -- Form for registering the program
README.COM -- Program to display installation instructions
WORDTRIX! needs only the first four files to actually run.
After the game is played once, another file, WORDTRIX.SCO, is
created to hold the high scores and names for the high score
list.
To run WORDTRIX!, just type "wordtrix" (without the quotes)
and press ENTER. The program will display "Please wait..." for a
second and then go blank for about five seconds while it loads
the graphics screens into memory. A Tea Time Software logo will
appear--just watch the show and follow instructions. Wordtrix!
is very easy to run and play. You can figure it out very quickly
because there are always key prompts on the screen. One of the
main menu choices, INSTRUCTIONS, displays enough instructions to
play the game. For more detailed instructions, see the next
section of this manual.
Page 2
Part 3: PLAYING WORDTRIX!
WORDTRIX! plays like the popular arcade game, Tetris, but
is designed to teach selected phonic patterns. Most arcade games
are far too frustrating for children in the primary grades (K-3),
so WORDTRIX! has been programmed to provide enough difficulty to
challenge but not frustrate kids at in this age group. As your
child begins to learn the target words by heart, there are several
options to make it more challenging.
When you run Wordtrix!, a credit screen appears and prompts
you to press a key. When you press any key, the main playing
screen appears, and the main menu (the only menu) appears:
+--------------------------------------+
| MAIN MENU +------------------+ |
| Use the | 1. First Letters | |
| arrow keys to | 2. Vowel Pairs | |
| select a | 3. Silent 'e' | |
| category, | 4. Instructions | |
| the press | 5. Quit | |
| ENTER. +------------------+ |
+--------------------------------------+
The player selects an item by using the up and down arrow keys to
move a outline box over the desired selection. Although they are
not shown in the crude picture above, the up/down arrow keys are
shown, and the outline box surrounds the first option, "First
Letters". So the first action the player takes is to select a
game. He or she may also see a screen of instructions (primarily
for parents or older kids who can read) or, of course, quit the
program and return to DOS. When the player selects one of the
three games, the playing area of the main screen clears, and the
first letter group (or an "e") begins to fall.
The WORDTRIX! game screen is divided into four areas:
+---------------------------------------+
|+---------+| ESC Sound Picture Fast <-- (4) OPTIONS
||WORDTRIX!|+--------------------------+|
|| || ea ||
|+---------+| ||
(3) SCORING-->|Score 340|| <----- (1) PLAYING
AREA |+---------+| || AREA
|| /.> || ||
(2) PICTURE ----> ( )- || ||
CLUE || \_( ) || s__l y__n t__k ||
AREA |+---------++--------------------------+|
+---------------------------------------+
Action occurs in the PLAYING AREA. As the letter(s) fall,
the player moves them left or right with the arrow keys. ln
the example above, the "ea" needs to be moved to the left so it
can fall into "s__l" and make the word "seal". There is never
more than one word possible in any line. As soon as the player
Page 3
moves the "ea" into the right position, he or she can either let
it fall into the word frame, or push the down arrow key to drop
it there immediately, (the same procedure as in Tetris). If this
makes a real word, the player is rewarded by having the word flash
three times, and having his/her score increased. As a bonus, if
the line of word frames is the last one (at the bottom), the color
of the entire playing area and the words will change.
The PICTURE CLUE AREA will show a picture of the object or
action represented by the word. For children who have not yet ac-
quired a large sight vocabulary, these clues will be critical at
first. (Besides, it's fun to see them appear!) Some children may
need assistance at first, but most will learn very quickly. (See
Part 4, "Wordtrix! and Your Child's Reading".) The PICTURE CLUE
AREA will also show instructions from time to time.
The SCORING AREA has two parts. The lower box shows the
player's score, while the upper box shows what at what level the
player is playing, and the number of points for each correct word.
WORDTRIX! has four levels of play:
1. LOW difficulty - Normal drop speed with pictures clues (10 pts.)
2. MEDIUM difficulty - Fast speed with picture clues (20 pts.)
3. MEDIUM difficulty - Normal speed without picture clues (20 pts.)
4. HIGH difficulty - Fast speed without picture clues (30 pts.)
Note that two of the levels are both called "MEDIUM", and
have the same point value. This is to allow some flexibility in
what constitutes difficulty. Some kids will rely more on the
picture clues, while for others the drop speed will provide the
greater challenge. Each game automatically starts with sound ON,
pictures ON, and fast speed OFF, or LOW level of difficulty.
(Having the sound ON or OFF does not affect the difficulty level.)
When the game begins, there are only seven keys that are in
operation: the left, right and down arrow keys, the ESC key, and
the "S", "F" and "P" keys, which perform these actions:
Left Arrow - moves the dropping letter(s) left.
Right Arrow - moves the dropping letter(s) right.
Down Arrow - drops the letter(s) immediately.
ESC key - Pause/Quit: a small box menu will appear that
offers two choices--return to game or quit to
the main menu. Thus you can use this option to
pause the game.
"S" key - Toggles the sound ON or OFF. The game begins
with the sounds ON. (To your relief, the sounds
are very brief and low-level "chirps". But they
may still annoy some people.)
"F" key - Toggles the fast speed ON or OFF. The game
begins with the OFF setting, or slower speed.
At the faster speed, the letters drop much faster,
providing less time for the player to decide where
the letters should be moved.
Page 4
"P" key - Toggles the picture clues ON or OFF. The game
begins with the picture clues ON. When OFF, the
picture clue area is filled with random designs
in different colors.
The game ends either when the player voluntarily quits or
the lines of "word frames" reach the top of the PLAYING AREA.
To quit voluntarily, the player presses the ESC key, and a box
appears with two choices: CONTINUE GAME or QUIT TO MENU:
+---------------------------------------+
|+---------+| ESC Sound Picture Fast |
||WORDTRIX!|+--------------------------+|
|| || +---------------+ ||
|+---------+| | Continue game | ||
||Score 340|| | Quit to menu | ||
|+---------+| +---------------+ ||
|| /.> || l__b c__k j__n ||
|| ( )- || t__ls v__d p__k ||
|| \_( ) || s__l y__n t__k ||
|+---------++--------------------------+|
+---------------------------------------+
The player then uses the up or down arrow keys to move the box
over the choice he or she wants. This same technique is used
for the main menu, discussed later. When the player quits, his or
her score is compared to the lowest score on the default high score
list. The default high score list is a list of names and scores
that WORDTRIX! creates the first time the game is played. This list
is written to disk as a small text file called WORDTRIX.SCO. It has
ten first names and scores ranging from 200 to 110, so a player will
have to get over 110 to get on the high score list initially. Of
course, as these scores get replaced with higher scores, this will
change. Players who make the high score list will be prompted to
type in their name (limit 12 spaces) then press the ENTER key.
This will display the high score list. The high score list is
automatically displayed at the end of each game, whether or not the
player's score is eligible.
One short note on the high score list: since children are
somewhat unpredictable when typing on a computer, the high score
list may become corrupted after a while. If the high score list
looks odd (such as having numbers where names should be, etc.) it
can be deleted after leaving the program by typing in the following
command from the DOS prompt:
del wordtrix.sco <press ENTER>
The next time you run Wordtrix!, it will create the default
high score list file, and everything will be O.K. again.
(The previous high scores will be lost, however.)
Page 5
Some children may find it tedious to type "wordtrix" every
time they want to play, so you can create a "batch" file to make
it easier. Do this:
1) Make sure you are in the WORDTX subdirectory.
2) Type "copy con w.bat" (no quotes) and press ENTER.
3) Then type "wordtrix" (no quotes) and press the F6 key,
then the ENTER key. A message will say: "1 file(s) copied".
4) Now you have a file called W.BAT in the WORDTX subdirectory.
All your child has to do is type a "w" and press ENTER to
start WORDTRIX!
Part 4 WORDTRIX! AND YOUR CHILD'S READING
Wordtrix! is designed to aid your child's reading develop-
ment by helping him/her learn certain phonic patterns. Reading is
a deceptively complex act, and learning phonics is only one part of
learning to read. Besides learning to recognize the printed forms
of words ordinarily used in speech, children also have to learn
to concentrate and derive meaning from what they read. This comes
only from wide reading in a variety of books and magazines over a
period of several years.
Phonics helps children to recognize the printed forms of words
they generally use in everyday speech. English spelling, for all
its strange exceptions, is about 85% consistent, and certain spell-
ing patterns are used over and over. Three of these are particularly
useful in teaching reading: initial consonants, vowel pairs or
"phonograms", and the "silent e rule." These phonic patterns are
even more useful in learning to spell. Wordtrix! has been designed
to provide opportunities to learn some common patterns in these three
categories while playing an arcade-type computer game.
Once you install the game, play it a few times to familiarize
yourself with it's controls and features. This should take just a
few minutes, since Wordtrix! is basically very simple to operate.
Then sit down with your child while he or she plays the first few
games. Younger children may need help in recognizing the words at
first, but most will learn very quickly. Although every effort was
made to make the pictures as unambiguous as possible, some children
may still misinterpret them, so they may need assistance from time
to time.
Each new game starts at low difficulty--slower speed with
picture clues (see page 4). Don't stress scoring points at this
time--the emphasis should be on having fun. Show him/her how to
select a game from the menu, pause, quit, and type his/her name
into the high score list. If he/she has played computer games
before, you won't be needed for long. Don't be dismayed if your
child doesn't seem interested at first. Children's moods are
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changeable. They may reject the game at first, then a few
days later say "where is that word game...?" If they see you
playing it, they may want to "get in on the action."
In terms of reading skills required, the First Letters game
is probably the easiest, since most of the word consists of the
falling phonogram--"an", "op", "ing", etc. Children eventually
have to learn to visualize the falling phonogram behind each of
the first letters, then recognize the word that matches the
picture. When the response is correct, the whole word flashes
three times so the image of the word is reinforced in the child's
memory. Of course, with repetition, children eventually begin to
recognize the word and no longer need the pictures.
The vowel pairs and "silent e" games are harder because more
of the word is missing in the case of the vowel pairs game, and
because of the more abstract concept involved in the case of the
silent "e" game. Children quickly learn that letters represent
sounds, so they are understandably puzzled when they are told that
other letters are "silent". At least the silent "e" has a mission
--it indicates that the first vowel should make a long sound, or
"say its name" as teachers say. Thus "cap" becomes "cape", "bit"
becomes "bite" and so on. Your kids will probably need explanations
such as these as they encounter each game for the first time.
There are two "medium" levels of difficuly in Wordtrix!. Of
the two, turning on the faster speed but retaining the pictures is
probably easier than playing without pictures at the slow speed, but
you may have to experiment a bit. Each child has his or her unique
preferences for learning, so what can be hard for one may be easier
for another. The highest level, fast speed and no pictures, is the
hardest for all kids. Kids who have mastered this level will not
only be able to recognize all the 104 words in the game, but will
probably apply knowledge of these patterns to words that they see in
books, magazines, signs and other sources. That' the REAL value of
Wordtrix!!
For your reference, here are the target words in Wordtrix!:
First letters game: Vowel Pairs game:
AT -- hat, bat, fat, cat, EA -- bead, lean, beak, leaf
pat, mat, rat meat, seal
AN -- can, fan, pan, ran OA -- coat, soap, road, toad, boat
OT -- hot, dot, cot, pot AI -- hair, pail, tail, fail,
AR -- bar, car jail, mail
OP -- hop, top, mop, pop, cop OO -- book, hook, hood, foot, good
ALL -- ball, fall, tall, wall OO -- moon, boot, tools, food, pool
AND -- hand, band, sand AR -- harp, jar, barn, dart, card
ILL -- pill, bill, mill OR -- cork, cord, corn, horn
ING -- sing, wing, king, ring EE -- peek, heel, teeth, heel
UMP -- hump, dump, pump, lump
Page 7
Silent "e" game:
cane, kite, bite, robe, pine, time, five, fire, cape, tape,
file, same, note, cube, game, hose, cage, page, gate, line,
pipe, cone, bike
Finally, I would like to repeat that learning phonics is
only one small part of learning to read and spell effectively.
Wordtrix! was designed to make learning fun, so please don't
defeat its purpose. Children can smell "educational" software
a mile away, and avoid it like the plague--and often, with good
reason. There are megabytes of boring educational software
around, particularly in the schools where the old Apple II com-
puters still abound. Many educational programs in the early 80's
were little more than electronic workbooks. There was little
creativity, and the limited memory and display of the Apple II
series made it difficult to produce programs that had real
teaching value. Today's kids have some genuine choices among
really top-notch programs such as the CARMEN SANDIEGO series.
At Tea Time Software, I would like to do for educational
shareware what Scott Miller at Apogee did for gaming shareware,
by producing educational analogs of shareware hits like Commander
Keen. Since I don't have a string of programmers at my disposal,
this is going to take a while, but I think you'll agree that
Wordtrix! is a step in the right direction. Enjoy!
WHAT IS SHAREWARE?
Shareware distribution gives users a chance to try software
before buying it. If you try a Shareware program and continue
using it, you are expected to register. Individual programs
differ on details -- some request registration while others
require it, some specify a maximum trial period. With
registration, you get anything from the simple right to continue
using the software to an updated program with printed manual.
Copyright laws apply to both Shareware and commercial software,
and the copyright holder retains all rights, with a few specific
exceptions as stated below. Shareware authors are accomplished
programmers, just like commercial authors, and the programs are
of comparable quality. (In both cases, there are good programs
and bad ones!) The main difference is in the method of
distribution. The author specifically grants the right to copy
and distribute the software, either to all and sundry or to a
specific group. For example, some authors require written
permission before a commercial disk vendor may copy their
Shareware.
Shareware is a distribution method, not a type of software.
You should find software that suits your needs and pocketbook,
Page 8
whether it's commercial or Shareware. The Shareware system makes
fitting your needs easier, because you can try before you buy.
And because the overhead is low, prices are low also. Shareware
has the ultimate money-back guarantee--if you don't use the
product, you don't pay for it.
DISCLAIMER and AGREEMENT
Users of WORDTRIX! must accept this disclaimer of warranty:
"WORDTRIX! is supplied as is. The author disclaims all
warranties, expressed or implied, including, without limitation,
the warranties of merchantability and of fitness for any purpose.
The author assumes no liability for damages, direct or conse-
quential, which may result from the use of WORDTRIX!."
WORDTRIX! is a "shareware program" and is provided at no
charge to the user for evaluation. Feel free to share it with
your friends, but please do not give it away altered or as part of
another system. If you continue to use WORDTRIX! after a reasonable
trial period, you must make a registration payment of $20 to Tea Time
Software. The $20 registration fee will license one copy for use on
any one computer at any one time. An example is that this software
may be used by any number of people and may be freely moved from one
computer location to another, so long as there is no possibility of it
being used at one location while it's being used at another, just as a
book cannot be read by two different persons at the same time.
ATTENTION TEACHERS!: Any accredited public or private school
that registers its copy of WORDTRIX! may use AS MANY COPIES AS THE
SCHOOL WISHES WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE SCHOOL ITSELF. Parents must
register their home copies, however. Please do not allow copies of
AFFIX (not a shareware program) outside of the school areas.
Anyone distributing WORDTRIX! for any kind of remuneration
must first contact Tea Time Software for authorization. This is auto-
matically granted to distributors recognized by the Association of
Shareware Professionals as adhering to its guidelines for shareware
distributors, and such distributors may begin offering WORDTRIX!
immediately. (However, Tea Time Software must still be advised so that
the distributor can be kept up-to-date with the latest version.
This program is produced by a member of the Association of
Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the
shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a
shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member
directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you re-
solve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide
technical support for members' products. Please write to the ASP
Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442 or send a CompuServe
message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536.
Page 9
REGISTERING YOUR COPY OF WORDTRIX!
To register your copy of WORDTRIX!, just print the file
on the disk called WORDTRIX.FRM. With the distribution disk in
the A drive, type "copy a:wordtrix.frm prn". (Spaces are
important! If the disk is in the B drive, just substitute "b:"
for "a:".) You could also type "print a:wordtrix.frm" with
the same results. If you don't have a printer, give the command
"type a:wordtrix.frm" and copy the form from the screen.
Filling out the order form will insure we have a complete
record of your registration so that you can receive notices of
new products, free updates, technical support and, of course,
your 20% discount on all future Tea Time Software registrations.
In addition, all registered users are entitled to the advanced
version of Wordtrix!--AFFIX--absolutely free (except for $2
for Shipping and handling). AFFIX plays the same way as
WORDTRIX!, but the similarity ends there. AFFIX is aimed at
intermediate-level readers, typically those on the 3rd-4th grade
level and above. It features prefixes, suffixes and roots. For
example, instead of "oa" falling into "b__t", a prefix like "com"
might fall, and players must select words or word parts like
"___ment" or "___bat". Instead of picture clues, AFFIX has
definition clues. It's the natural sequel to WORDTRIX!, and a great
way to help your child make the difficult leap to learning longer
words. But AFFIX is NOT shareware--it is a bonus program sent
ONLY to registered users of WORDTRIX! So the bottom line is this:
for $22 you get two great programs for eleven bucks apiece!
Send the form with cash, or a check or money order for $20
(add $2 if you want AFFIX) made out to Tea Time Software.
Ohio residents add $1.00 for sales tax. Send your registration to:
Tea Time Software
92 Acorn Circle
Oxford OH 45056
Soon after we receive your registration you will receive a
letter with a registration certificate. If you've included the
$2 for shipping and handling, you will receive a certificate and
a diskette with AFFIX as well. (Specify the size of disk
--5.25" or 3.5"--on the order form, WORDTRIX.FRM.) I'll mail
your program and certificate the next day under most circumstances.
If you have any problems or questions about WORDTRIX! or any
Tea Time Software product, please contact Joe Kretschmer at the
above address or via CompuServe at 71020,1350. Sorry, but I don't
have telephone support yet--I haven't "quit my day job" as they say.
WORDTRIX! was beta-tested by both adults and children, and I think
it's generally bug-free, but you never know... Technical support
is available for any Tea Time product for a full year after the
software is registered.
Page 10
