Remember how great School Zone's Alphabet Express was? Phonics Made Easy  is all that and more. From a simple, straightforward main menu, kids can launch  hundreds of quick phonics exercises from four learning areas. One area teaches  consonants and beginning and ending sounds. Another area focuses on vowels,  while a third deals with word families. The fourth area drills blends and  digraphs. Among many other things, kids add letters to make words, pick rhyming  pairs and draw lines from pictures to associated sounds. The emphasis is on  drill and practice, but the activities are colorful and entertaining and don't  feel like work at all. As children successfully complete the exercises, they are  rewarded with play in four fun creativity areas. We liked the game of making  kaleidoscope patterns out of blends--you'd be surprised at how beautiful "bl"  and "gr" can be when swirled in various colors across the screen. There's also a  letter-themed paint and print area, a rhyming rap game and a picture-making  activity. Work can be printed, and the software tracks where children leave off.  The bottom line--if you're looking for an affordable, fun, early reading  activity for either home or classroom use, this is money well spent. Copyright © 2001 Children's Software Revue --From Children's Software Revue® -- "Subscribe Now!"