My 10 year-old son, Issac, is a computer/video gaming buff. I mean, it’s like his most favorite thing to do, ever, I think. He’s always looking for a new game to play. When I found out about Computer Science for Kids, I knew this was something that Issac would LOVE to try out! The product I’m reviewing for you today is the digital version of Computer Bible Games for Microsoft Small Basic. FYI, this is usually $59.95, but right now it is on sale for $34.95 through July 4th, 2013. What a great price, and I don’t know about you, but I LOVE long sales. Haha!
Computer Bible Games is 13 chapters long, with each chapter being 1 class. It’s designed to be completed as 1 chapter per week, and each class taking between 3-6 hours to complete and grasp. It is recommended for ages 10 and up.
I love that this was made for Christian beginner homeschool students to learn programming with Small Basic. I had never even heard of Small Basic before we started this, and we are a Christian homeschooling family, so I thought this was perfect! It provides very clear step-by-step instructions on what to do. However, I did find that the reading material was somewhat advanced for Issac. Reading and self-study-wise, I think it may be best suited for ages 13 and up, but it would also depend on your child(ren). Here are the games you will learn to program:
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Noah’s Ark
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Daniel and the Lions
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Elijah and the Ravens
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The Good Shepherd
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The Prodigal Son
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The Lost Coin
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Bible Scramble
Once your child completes all 13 lessons, he/she will have the knowledge to make their own programs. This program, as I said before, is for beginners. There is also another set for intermediates that teach you to program even more games once the first semester is completed. The minimum software requirement to use the program is Microsoft Small Basic v0.9+, which is a FREE download. I love free! You can even preview a FREE chapter!
For us, Issac and I used the program 3-4 days per week. I allowed him to use my laptop to work on since the desktop is a bit slow. I printed out as many chapters as I could before I ran out of black ink and broke my hole punch. If I decide to buy the 2nd semester program, I may go ahead and invest in the physical copy. I usually only break electronics. Oh well. Anyway, I did most of the reading out loud myself, answering any questions he may have had. The first lesson guides you step by step on how to download and install Small Basic, and you even get to open and run your first program! Issac picked up how to type everything in pretty quickly. This is a pretty fun and easy program to use. We were able to complete 4 lessons. You can go HERE to see some Computer Bible Games screenshots. Note: these are not mine, they belong to Computer Science for Kids.
Issac and I are very happy with this program. It’s very well thought out and thorough. I am very thankful for the opportunity to use it. I would definitely recommend Computer Bible Games to my friends. There is also a secular version called Beginning Small Basic.