Alphabet Song Game by The Critical Thinking Co. {Review}

     I had the opportunity to try out The Alphabet Song Game downoad available through The Critical Thinking Co.  This particular game is appropriate for toddlers through First Grade aged children.  Since my daughters are 2 and 4, this educational game was a perfect addition to our daily homeschooling activities.  I was very happy to try it out.  The game is only available to use on a Windows application.  I wish it was available for Mac, because our family prefers it, but we were able to use the game on our laptop which is compatible with either Mac or Windows.  This was nice for my kids, due to the portability of the laptop.  They were able to play the game anywhere.  I liked that The Critical Thinking Company emailed me my receipt and a link to download the game.  It made it very easy for me to install.
     CONTENT
     The game is a method of teaching young kids the chronological order of the alphabet.  I realized that it had been a while since we sang the ABCs.  Even though Marley can identify all the letters, she definitely needed to review the order of the alphabet.  This game was able to give her practice on both skills!  The idea is that the kids hear a letter and determine the letter that comes after.  The game uses the song to help.  I also liked that the game gave my daughter practice on using a mouse.  It goes further levels into lower case letters and random letters for more advanced alphabet exercises.  I like games that advance levels like that; it made me want to play too. Haha!

     OUR EXPERIENCE
     When I first set this game up for Marley, she sat in front of the screen where a voice instructed her to click the green arrow to play.  She got started right away on her own.  I love it when educational games allow the kids to operate the game by themselves.  The independence really helps my children to take control of their progress.  That's a plus!  After she got the hang of how the game was played, she played it several times.  Before I could even try to engage my toddler, I found her walking up to the laptop and she was focused on watching her older sister play.  I think the song is appealing to little ones which helps with involving children of different ages at once.  Again, big plus!
     Every day Marley was able to attempt a level higher.  If she didn't quite master that level, I would have her do that level again the next day.  The game allowed for flexibility in progress.  Self paced education is invaluable when it comes to homeschooling.
     I found her progressing quickly in knowing the alphabet very well.  My toddler, Dylan, was also wanting to attempt the game herself.  I definitely think it helped to see her older sister play the game, because Dylan is always trying to copy Marley.  It was fun to watch her learn how to work a mouse and click on the letters.  So not only was Dylan working on her alphabet and letter recognition, but she was also developing those fine motor skills and computer knowledge!

     OVERALL
     I loved this game!  Back to the basics.  The software is simple and appealing to the eyes and ears.  I felt it didn't over complicate the learning goals.  The consistency of the levels and progression also made it easy for my kids to play the game with confidence.  I highly recommend this game for toddlers and preschoolers...or anyone trying to master the alphabet.