Microsoft Announces Newest Title in My Personal Tutor Software Series, Now With Enhanced TutorAssist Learning Technology

REDMOND, Wash., Aug. 10, 1998 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the latest addition to its award-winning My Personal Tutor software series, My Personal Tutor 1st & 2nd Grade. The newest suite, containing three full-featured learning CDs, helps first and second graders develop essential math, reading and thinking skills through enhanced Microsoft® TutorAssist
™
learning technology.

In My Personal Tutor 1st & 2nd Grade, children learn while journeying through outer space, playing hide-and-seek in a wacky and wild museum, and embarking on a daring sea quest with a cast of lively characters. Hundreds of engaging activities, games, animations, songs and tutorials keep kids playing and learning for hours.

“My Personal Tutor 1st & 2nd Grade builds upon Microsoft’s vision to harness the power of technology to help children learn and succeed,” said Lisa Brummel, kids general manager in the interactive media group at Microsoft. “TutorAssist is the only learning technology available today for home PCs that truly offers personalized instruction to address a child’s specific learning needs.”


Enhanced TutorAssist Learning Technology

My Personal Tutor 1st & 2nd Grade with enhanced TutorAssist learning technology pinpoints a child’sexact area of learning difficulty. Building upon the technology in the first version of the My Personal Tutor series, the newest suite’s tutorials are specifically tailored to meet the learning needs of kids 6 to 8 years old. The software suite again features the charismatic and clever Professor P.T. Presto, an engaging animated clay character who monitors the child’s progress and proactively appears with a multimedia tutorial to help whenever a child experiences difficulty with a concept.

The enhanced tutorials are seamlessly integrated into the activities, with Professor Presto standing by on every screen ready to lend a hand. More than 1,000 multimedia tutorials and two levels of instruction help ensure that a child will receive just the right amount of assistance needed, whether it’s a simple hint or more detailed explanation of the concept.

“Kids always can count on Professor Presto to help them through the rough spots,” said Dr. Denise Neapolitan, an expert in instructional technology design and cognitive development and product planner in the kids group at Microsoft. “When they get stuck in a certain learning game or activity, Professor Presto is on hand to give kids the help and encouragement they need to learn and succeed.”

Fun and Learning in Every CD

  • Sky’s Space Station Voyage teaches kids math skills such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, fractions, place value, money, and comparing numbers with seven fun-filled games as they help Sky and her trusty companion, Orbit, collect clues to catch the mischievous stowaway.

  • Sam’s Hide & Seek Adventures develops reading skills such as comprehension, spelling, phonics, parts of speech and vocabulary. Kids can read 24 interactive storybooks or play six multilevel games as they help Sam the Monkey find his friends in a museum filled with adventure.

  • Turru’s Daring Sea Quest builds thinking skills as kids assist Turru the Pelican and his friends on a daring mission to unlock captured sea creatures and guide them home. Along the way, kids learn about telling time, sorting and classifying, patterns, logical thinking, and geography in five engaging games.


Progress Reports Let Parents Check In

My Personal Tutor 1st & 2nd Grade features a unique Progress Report that offers parents a handy summary of a child’s achievement across all skill objectives and subject areas in all three CDs, as well as previous versions of My Personal Tutor. Keeping in touch with each child’s success is easy with one convenient Progress Report. No other software series provides a single, cross-subject, cross-product view of each child’s learning across every CD in the software series.

Comprehensive First- and Second-Grade Learning Solution

My Personal Tutor 1st & 2nd Grade was developed by a team of experts with years of experience in education, child development and software design. The learning activities are based on guidelines from the International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, as well as state standards.

“My Personal Tutor 1st & 2nd Grade addresses children’s widely varying learning styles and needs, and that’s what makes this suite such a valuable learning tool,” said Dee Dickinson, CEO and founder of New Horizons for Learning, a Seattle-based education network. “Because TutorAssist can address the unique needs of every learner, the suite makes learning fun and ensures that students get appropriate assistance with concepts they don’t understand.”

In addition, Microsoft worked with a prestigious advisory board of educators who provided the development team with input and direction throughout the creation of the series. Sky’s Space Station Voyage was developed in collaboration with ImageBuilder Software Inc., an award-winning consumer software developer that provided design and content expertise.

My Personal Tutor Preschool & Kindergarten

Also available in the product line is My Personal Tutor Preschool & Kindergarten, a suite of products made for children ages 3 to 6. Three CDs guide children through
early-learning concepts with engaging multimedia tutorials that make learning fun. The suite includes Preschool Workshop, Alphabet Playhouse and Reader Railway, as well as a bonus advanced-math CD, Mathopolis.

Pricing and Availability

Microsoft My Personal Tutor 1st & 2nd Grade is scheduled to be available at retailers nationwide in September 1998 for an estimated retail price of $34.95. For more information, visit http://www.microsoft.com/kids/ . My Personal Tutor Preschool & Kindergarten is also scheduled to be available in stores in September 1998 for an estimated retail price of $34.95.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

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The information contained in this press release relates to prerelease software product that may be substantially modified before its first commercial release. Accordingly, the information may not accuately describe or reflect the software product when first commercially released. The press release is provided for informational purposes only, and Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, with respect to the press release or the information contained in it.

Microsoft and TutorAssist are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
ImageBuilder is a trademark of ImageBuilder Software Inc.

Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

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