Alan Jay Weiner, an independent software developer, has released NextWord ($20), the first in a series of educational games and teaching tools for Palm OS handhelds.

NextWord encourages reading and expands vocabulary by playing word games. Configurable to allow players of varying ability to compete fairly, playing NextWord gives practice in word recognition, correct spelling, phonics, and vocabulary building. Players naturally improve their abilities through changing words into other words.

"NextWord grew out of a game I played with my son, who is just finishing first grade," said Alan Weiner in a prepared statement. "We played a game where we'd change one letter of a word to make a new word. NextWord is the Palm version of this game. Watching him sound out a word, then trying different sounds within the word as he searches for a new word - it was so gratifying to see him learning. As it turned out, my third-grade daughter and her friends liked it as much as my son. Putting NextWord on a handheld permits playing it anywhere. It's a perfect use for the time you wait at a restaurant between ordering and the meal arriving. Instead of fidgeting kids and annoyed parents, you can play a game - and learn!"

The first version of NextWord is intended for family use; it remembers player rules for up to nine people. A version for schools, with additional capabilities for classroom use, is targeted for mid-summer release.