Innovative New Product From Sanctuary Woods/Theatrix Teaches Kids How to `Get A Head' and Stay Ahead in Language Skills!

New Software Builds Middle School Kid's Verbal Skills In Fun Format

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SAN MATEO, Calif., Aug. 18, 1997 -- Sanctuary Woods/Theatrix Interactive announces the release of WORD HEADS™, the latest product in the popular and award-winning GET A HEAD™ series of educational software. Like the best selling MATH HEADS™ product that Parent Magazine called, "dazzlingly hip, with form and content adding up to a winner," the new WORD HEADS is designed to improve essential vocabulary skills for middle school age kids in an enjoyable learning environment.

"Word Heads empowers children with a greater understanding of the English language by reinforcing basic language skills such as vocabulary, word construction and comprehension," states Joyce Hakansson, Vice President and Creative Director of Sanctuary Woods/Theatrix. "Children learn to express themselves more clearly and logically, and also to have fun with language."

WORD HEADS, the exciting new vocabulary-building CD-ROM program for 10 to 14 year olds, is a fast-paced educational game that helps build the verbal skills needed to improve language comprehension and express ideas clearly as well as develop analytical skills to understand word construction and decipher figures of speech. It can even help build an understanding of parts of speech, and improve spelling. Yet, all this learning and improvement of skills that will lead to success in middle school language arts classes takes place in the fun environment of a game show.

When playing WORD HEADS, kids design their own characters from an array of MTV-style body parts, then channel surf with a zany cast of characters through a fictional game show network. Using the amazing feature called Heads Creator, kids can even create personalized heads to use by scanning their own faces from photographs, drawing custom heads, or importing pictures to use while exploring the six non-stop, action-packed channels of play.

• Get a Head. To become contestants on Heads TV, kids create their own characters by choosing names, heads, headgear, and bodies.
  
  
• Go Figure. Kids enhance their ability to decipher alternative meanings in words and phrases while playing Go Figure, a game show based on tic-tac- toe. For each square of the board, there is a celebrity panelist who offers an interpretation of a figure of speech. Contestants win squares by correctly agreeing or disagreeing with the celebrity's interpretation, helping them learn phrases and their origins while competing for points and prizes.
  
  
• The News Channel. On The News Channel, kids create stories by inserting nouns, adjectives, verbs, and idioms into story templates. When the news is played back with the wacky words inserted, kids learn the importance of context. In addition, the character the kid creates may be featured on- screen in the story.
  
  
• Meet Your Match. In a game show with all the delightful fun of a TV dating game, kids enhance their vocabulary building skills by building words from lists of different prefixes, suffixes and roots to match given definitions. Contestants earn extra points in the bonus round by building as many words as possible and each correct answer brings the contestant closer to meeting his or her dream date.
  
  
• Go Shopping. On this channel, kids can use points they've earned in other areas to buy a wide variety of do-it-yourself projects, tricks, and word games related to the vocabulary skills in the program. Kids can also purchase content to expand WORD HEADS, including new questions, sound effects, and additional heads, headgear, and bodies.
  
  
• Preview Channel. The Preview Channel serves as a menu for all of the channels, as well as a place to see previews of different channels, commercials, and hilarious bloopers.
  
  

Each game show is loaded with quick-moving, outrageous hosts who make Head TV much wackier than real TV. All channels in WORD HEADS allow multiple participants so that one or two kids can sign on as contestants, to compete on their own for points and prizes or go head to head. Also, kids with Internet access can connect directly to the Theatrix Interactive web site where fantastic GET A HEAD features can be down-loaded.

WORD HEADS is available immediately through nationwide retailers at a price of $29.95 (ESP). Teacher's Editions are available and include extensive materials enhancing classroom use. WORD HEADS is a hybrid CD-ROM for Windows 95, Windows 3.1 or Macintosh. All GET A HEAD titles for Windows require 486/66 MHz; 8 MB RAM, and 12 MB available hard disk space as well as a 256 color VGA; double-speed CD-ROM drive, 16 bit Windows-compatible sound card; mouse; and speakers. The Macintosh versions require LCIII; 8MB RAM (5 MB available RAM); 10 MB available hard disk space; 13" color monitor; double- speed CD-ROM drive; System 7.1 accelerated for Power Macintosh.

On June 5, 1997, Sanctuary Woods Multimedia Corporation (traded over the counter under the symbol SWMC) announced it had signed a definitive agreement to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Theatrix Interactive, Incorporated, a privately held education software developer. Inquiries regarding the GET A HEAD titles may be directed to either company.

About Sanctuary Woods:

Founded in 1988, San Mateo-based Sanctuary Woods Multimedia is the innovative developer of the Head Coach™ line of sports-based educational software titles derived from unique licensing agreements with NFL™ properties, the National Football League Players Incorporated and Major League Baseball Properties. Current titles include Major League Math™, Major League Reading™, NFL™ Math, and NFL™ Reading. Major League Math Second Edition was recently awarded Newsweek Magazine "Editor's Choice" award. The company also manufactures the popular Franklin series which includes Franklin Learns Math, Franklin's Reading World, and Franklin's Activity Center. All are based on the popular Franklin storybook character.

About Theatrix Interactive:

Theatrix Interactive focuses on helping kids, ages 8-14, develop reasoning, problem solving, and creative skills through highly engaging products that feature compelling story lines, hilarious characters, and exploratory environments. Theatrix is a critically acclaimed publisher with a distinguished history as a developer. Founded in 1982, the company has developed over 50 software titles, including Edmark's award-winning Early Learning series Millie's Math House™ and Bailey's Book House™, the Cruncher™ for Davidson, and Write, Camera, Action™ for Broderbund. In 1995, with the launch of Hollywood, Juilliard Music Adventure™ and others, Theatrix began developing its own titles. Theatrix's eight titles have won over 40 major awards to date. Sanctuary Woods/Theatrix can be reached at 800/955-TRIX or by visiting the company's Web Site located at http://www.theatrix.com.

Sanctuary Woods is a registered trademark and Head Coach is a trademark of Sanctuary Woods Multimedia. Franklin is a trademark of Kids Can Press Ltd. Major League Math and Major League Reading are trademarks of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. NFL is a trademark of National Football League Properties. Hollywood, Word Heads, Math Heads, Strategy Heads, Get A Head, Theatrix, and Theatrix Interactive are the trademarks of Theatrix Interactive. Juilliard Music Adventure and Juilliard are trademarks of The Juilliard School. All other trademarks are the property of their respective trademark owners.

CONTACT: Corporate: Joyce Hakansson, Sanctuary Woods/Theatrix Interactive, 510-658-2800, jhakansson@theatrix.com; Press: Melissa Rabin or Lauren Finkelman, S&S Public Relations, Inc., 800-287-2279, melissa@sspr.com, lauren@sspr.com