By Michael Wasilenko — originally published in Volume 1 – Issue 1 – June, 1983
“Alfabug” is a colorful, exciting game that helps your three- to six-year olds learn the alphabet. The program was originally written for the unexpanded (5K) VIC-20, and there’s also a version for the Commodore 64.
In an effort to make my VIC-20 something more than just a keyboard for my young daughters to bang on, I wrote this little program to make it do something and at the same time provide an opportunity to practice the alphabet. Consequently, “Alfabug” is for relatively young people, three to six years old. To a child learning the alphabet, the accomplishment of pressing the correct key to initiate a bug race is quite exhilarating.
The object of the game is to press the same letter of the alphabet on the keyboard that the computer displays on the screen. When the correct letter is pressed, a bug race starts – five different-colored bugs race across the screen. If the wrong letter is pressed, the computer responds with a toot and then waits for the correct letter. The order in which the bugs finish is marked at the end of each lane, so the player(s) can also compete for points by guessing the winner. Upon completion of each race, the player is asked if another race is desired. At this point, a “Y” or “N” for “yes” or “no” is expected. Again, a toot is heard when an invalid answer is given.
In the following program, the computer will select the letters alphabetically beginning with “A” (of course), and will reset to “A” after “Z” is reached. By simply deleting the remark statement (REM) from line 76, the program will select the letters randomly. You could also modify the program so it asks the player for the method of letter selection. But I have found that the fewer the prompts, the easier it is for the child. Remember, this is for young children who are just learning their alphabet or who are just learning to read. For instance, with the selection method fixed in the code, my five-year-old daughter can load and run the program without any assistance.
This simple program can provide hours of fun for young children while helping them practice the alphabet. But watch out! You may not get to use your computer again, unless they’re all asleep.
See program listing on page 120.