A simulated home building computer game that teaches kids planning, zoning, environmental issues and the financial nuts and bolts of building and selling a dream home was long over due.

Melding the attraction kids have for video games and the need to learn home owning responsibilities early should have been a no-brainer long ago.

It's not State of Emergency or Laura Croft, Tomb Raider, but the National Association of Home Builders' (NAHB) "Building Homes of Our Own" is sweet.

Going beyond taking the drudgery out of "The Three Rs" the game gives real life context to math, science, social studies, English, consumer economics and technology with the hands-on assistance of a teacher using an accompanying teacher's guide.

The program teaches junior, middle and high school students to work within a budget, plan, design and build a home from selecting the site to selling the home to a qualified buyer.

"The program has really taken off. Building Homes of Our Own is the most successful education program we've embarked on, and the proof is in the extraordinary demand from teachers and the enthusiasm of students," said C. Kent Conine a builder/developer from Dallas and president of NAHB.

Studies show that consumers who get special home ownership counseling or education before they buy a home make for smarter and more responsible home owners who are more likely to hold onto what's likely to be their most valuable asset.

With more of slant from the resale home buying and owning perspective, Newspapers in Education (NIE) , the California Association of Realtors, local real estate associations, participating schools and newspapers in California recently expanded the "HomeWords" school program. It uses newspaper stories instead of a computer game to contextually teach similar skills (It's also an example of the kind of progressive developments, in addition to the kooky gubernatorial recall, that often begin in the Golden State).

Experts say, the earlier in the life of potential home owners educators, counselors and others can provide the information that hits home, the better.

The home building CD-ROM features three levels of play within each of four building sites among urban, suburban, river, lake and coastline settings.

Players encounter real-life obstacles and issues to test their skill, patience and resourcefulness. There's lab testing, research, calling in consultants and engineers to help make sound decisions to satisfy zoning, environmental and community concerns. Nervous neighbors are encountered during virtual town meeting and hammering out compromises with community planning and zoning laws are among the challenges game players encounter. Group play generates team skills, critical thinking skills and marketing skills.

"I am currently using Building Homes of Our Own in my classroom to integrate science, social studies and math," said Angela Free, a teacher at Robinson Junior High School in Toledo, OH.

"My kids have shown an overwhelmingly positive response to this program," she added.

NAHB released the program late last year at the onset of the school year -- free by request to 22,500 teachers, reaching an estimated audience of 787,500 students, 45,000 teachers and 945,000 parents.

"Students are learning valuable decision making skills in a real-life application that hits a variety of subjects, and think they are just playing a game," said Katherine Lewin, a teacher at Ellenville Middle School, in Ellenville, NY.

The program has already earned an International EMMA (Electronic Multimedia Award), which recognizes excellence in edutainment -- educational computer programs that make it fun to learn.

Building Homes of Our Own CD-ROM has received partial funding from NAHB's National Housing Endowment and Freddie Mac and, along with a teacher's guide, is available free to educators and home builders.