If your circumstances allow a 4 megabyte download, you can collect almost everything on offer from Sheepdog Software in a single zip archive. There is a simple text file in the root of that archive to tell you about what is in it, how to install things. There's also an installer to move the programs to your hard disk and set up shortcuts, but you can just install individual programs, if you would rather.

N.B. Other pages of freeware, software....

Click on short description to go to details and download buttons.
Programs marked 'W' are for Windows. If no "W", the program is for DOS, but will run under Windows.
Programs marked 'E' are primarily educational, but fun as well... if presented correctly!
Programs marked 'I' are primarily for stock market investors, but both could be used for charting other data.

Originally a program for learning vocabulary for foreign languages, this program is just as capable of helping mathematics students. Two columns of words or short phrases appear. Users try to find the pairs. For example, find the pairs below....

This is a conversion to Windows of a program I wrote years ago in the days of DOS.

There is a free version of the program. You simply visit the page indicated below, and do a simple download.

The full program presents twenty problems such as "5 x 6 = ?". The user tries to solve them as quickly as possible. Wrong answers entail no penalty, other than the time lost entering them. As soon as a problem is answered correctly, it disappears from the screen. When all twenty have been done, the user is told how long it took to do the job.

After you have tried the free version, if you would like to upgrade, you have several options. Each gives you features lacking in the "lower" versions. You can use the free version indefinitely.

One of the options includes full logging of the users' attempts in machine readable form, so that a busy teacher or parent can review the users' work at a suitable moment. The program records names, ages, time taken, and when the exercise was attempted. The data can be exported to spreadsheet or database.

To upgrade, you keep the program you started with, but add a new file to the same folder. Within that file is a "key" which "unlocks" the features you have been permitted.

Click this for more information on the program, a screenshot, and a download button.

Known to work properly with XP... as I believe all of my programs do. This one tested by me under XP, and found to be fine.

The program puts a problem, e.g. "5 x 7=?" on the screen. As soon as the moderator, typically a teacher, hears the right answer called out, a key is pressed. The faster the answer comes, the more points are awarded.

The screen maintains a message saying who's turn it is. Scores are maintained for two teams.

The program was created for interactive whiteboards, but can be used in any situation where several people can see a display.

There is a free version of the program that you can have and use simply by clicking the download button below. The free version works like the paid-for version, but only gives problems up to "3 x 3 = ?"

After you have tried the free version, if you would like to upgrade, email me (see here for how to contact me). Supply the phrase you want the program to display when it is running... something along the lines of "Licensed to Joe Smith" or "Licensed to Brown's Elementary School, Boston, MA"

Indicate the extent of license you require- is it for one family, one teacher, or a school? If the latter, give details of the school: location, ages served, number of pupils, paid for by taxes or by customers? The license for a single family is $10. I accept checks for dollars or British pounds, or payment by PayPal.

What you'll get is an exe file. Double click on that, it will ask you where you want the program installed, and then put the necessary files there. You will have to set up your own desktop or start menu shortcuts if you want them. Your registry will not be modified. No .DLLs are involved.

Known to work properly with XP... as I believe all of my programs do. This one tested by me under XP, and found to be fine.

This is the second stage of a REALLY GREAT program that I've been working towards since at least 1979!!! It IS a beta edition, but that doesn't mean bugs (I hope)... just limits to the functions. It also means that it costs you very little!!! (Nothing, to try! And, at the time I'm writing this, nothing for a key to get more complete use)

The really cool feature in this program is that it SAVES the history of the user's past attempts at each of the number bonds. Eventually, it will also select questions for the user on the basis of that history.

The program tracks how well a user does on each possible pair of digits in problems like "3 + 4=?". There are 25 points for answering within a second. One point is lost per second taken to answer. If the first answer is wrong, up to 12 points can be had for getting it right on the second attempt. (Well... you can get 24 or 11 easily enough... there may be a minor bug denying you 25 or 12 sometimes.)

The scoring feature makes it useful for class competitions. The history of the user's success is displayed in a colorful graph... motivation for pupil, and information for the teacher.

Known to work properly with XP... as I believe all of my programs do. This one tested by me under XP, and found to be fine.

This is the third generation of a program I first wrote and used with pupils in the early 1980s. I've revised and refined it so much because I think it teaches important skills and because I think this version offers special features. Forgive me if I go on about it a bit?

Ask a child his or her sibling's name, or a similar question. The child will respond quite easily. The sibling's name 'just is...'. The child 'just knows'. Now ask "What is 5 times 7?". Few children (and not many adults) will just say "35". Point out the difference to them. They don't 'just know' that 35 goes with 5 x7.

They can. (Just know.) It only takes learning to 'use the force'. It usually also takes being told that there is a difference between stage one and stage two. Stage one is what most children (and schools) call 'knowing' these essential, basic facts, i.e. being able to get the answer with a greater or lesser amount of working it out. (I really hate the habit of getting 5 x 7 by working up from, say, 3 x 7, by the way.)

Stage two is the 'just know' stage.

So... why are my skill building programs different from all the others out there?

::: A) They adhere to the general tenets of Sheepdog Software products: Programs should not presume to clutter your system with and wretched .dlls, .ini files, changes to registry, etc. (See other notes on the Sheepdog philosophy of customer respect.)

::: B) They only allow the user a limited amount of time to answer each question.

::: C) They, like most programs, but few classroom practices, give immediate feedback.

::: D) They are easily set to restrict the digit ranges in the problems to ranges of your choice.

::: E) The time limit, the digit ranges, both, or neither can be set by the teacher or parent in a way that the user will not easily alter. (If the taskmaster wants to allow the user to make his or her own choices, that is allowed too.) Without multiple copies of the program, it is easy to set up multiple shortcuts so that different users can get problems appropriate to their current proficiency.

? ? ? PLEASE give one of them a try ? ? ?

Known to work properly with XP... as I believe all of my programs do. This one tested by me under XP, and found to be fine.

Some easy practice for kids learning number bonds. Something like 'What makes 14?' appears on the screen. Below it are four possible answers, e.g. 4+10, 3+10, 6+8, 4+9. The user clicks on the ones he/ she thinks are right.

The program is for Windows 3.x or higher. It comes to you ready to run... not as a zip or self-extracting file.

Because I get so little feedback from users of my freeware, I am introducing Nag Screens. They can be disabled with a registration key that I will send on request. The program is still usable as downloaded.

This program is also available in a superior version. If you send me the amount specified by the program ($25/ GBP15 at time of writing), I will send you a new registration key. When the program is run with that key, a score is displayed, and the program breaks up the user's work into 60 second sessions. This facilitates using it with groups of children, each trying to improve on his previous best score.

Known to work properly with XP... as I believe all of my programs do. This one tested by me under XP, and found to be fine.

I have a free program which is still under development. It is part of a survey to find out what 'good' is when it comes to doing addition or multiplication of single digits. If you don't mind a few rough edges, please give it a try? Participants will (eventually!) be provided with overall results.

A Windows version of this has been started. It will already test pupils, but does not yet record the results for you... though you can record them with a pen and paper! (It is described above.)

Free! Runs on minimal IBM or clone. (If you have a Windows machine, you would be better off with this program

An old idea, and you might like to look at my comments under 'Why Sheepdog', but this version of this program has some virtues:

The user must answer the problems within a time limit to get points

The program can be configured for the user's skill level

N.B..........

Special Offer: Make a payment for registration of a program today, and for 6 months, you will be allowed to register a subsequent purchase, up to the value of the first purchase, at half price! (You must mention your first purchase when you place your second order.)

Ad from page's editor: Yes.. I do enjoy compiling these things for you. I hope they are helpful. However... this doesn't pay my bills!!! Sheepdog Software (tm) is supposed to help do that, so if you found this stuff useful, (and you run a Windows or MS-DOS PC) please visit my freeware and shareware page, download something, and circulate it for me? Links on your page to this page would also be appreciated!

Page tested for compliance with INDUSTRY (not MS-only) standards, using the free, publicly accessible validator at validator.w3.org

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